Blood Brothers

It was nighttime by the time Mike finally arrived home from an extremely long day at work. His family had gone shopping for the night, and he was ready for a nice, relaxing evening by himself. Walking up to his door, he heard a rustle in the bushes near his house. He stopped in his tracks, and his heart skipped a beat. He had never been mugged before, and his heart began to race with the thought of being robbed at his doorstep. He heard another rustled, this time it sounded much closer. He slowly turned his head towards the sound, and saw a shadowy figure approaching him. Fear paralyzed him, and he just stared at the figure as it closed in on him. As the figure moved into the porch light, Mike could clearly see his attacker. He did not recognize him, but at the same time he saw there was no look of aggression in his intruder’s face. The man was just smiling. He stopped short of where Mike was frozen and, seeing the fear in his expression, quickly introduced himself. Mike was shocked when the stranger revealed himself as his childhood friend, Larry.
Mike had not seen Larry in thirty years, and was overcome with joy at this unexpected visit. The two men shook hands and laughed, Mike being slightly embarrassed by his earlier fear. Larry apologized for the scare, and stated that he had recovered his address through many friends and acquaintances. He apologized for not calling, but Mike hushed him quickly and invited him in. Larry quickly accepted the offer, and followed Mike into his house. Mike was not rich, but was much better off than most of his neighbors. The two men walked into the kitchen, and sat down to catch up on thirty years of life. The friends had been inseparable during elementary and junior high school, but were separated when Larry’s father committed murder and was thrown in jail. Larry believed whole-heartedly that his father was innocent, even though there was overwhelming evidence of his guilt. Larry was sent to live with his mother, who lived across the country. The friends were thus separated, and had tried to maintain contact through the years, but that soon died off.
Larry conveyed to Mike that upon reaching his mother’s house, he saw she was poorer than dirt, and frequently turned to prostitution to earn enough money to pay the rent of her dingy little shack. Never having enough food, Larry’s already hardened soul soon grew even colder, and was put in jail multiple times for many different crimes. Larry had, for these thirty years, been moving from job to job, from state to state, just trying to survive in this harsh world. Finally reaching this state, Larry remembered his good friend Mike, and desperately tried to get in contact with him. After months of searching, Larry finally obtained his address, which is how he ended up where he was presently.
Mike could only show sympathy for Larry. After high school, Mike had gone to a good college and studied hard, earning his degree and his high-paying career. He had not partied nearly as much as he wanted, but in the end it all paid off. He first met his future wife, Jenny, in college and, upon graduation, they were wed. Mike had always wanted to see the world, but he never had the chance to, since soon after marriage Jenny became pregnant with their first child. But not fulfilling his childhood dreams did not disturb Mike at all. He had a lovely wife, three beautiful children, and a life that any man would envy.
Just as Mike could only show sympathy towards Larry’s story, Larry could only show envy towards Mike’s glamorous life. Mike had everything Larry wanted in his life. Mike saw this change in his friend’s mood, and sought to change the subject. He went to get his bottle of rum, which he only drank during special situations. When he offered some to Larry, he just sat there looking at the ground. Larry then recalled an account that happened when the two were very young. As young children often do, they believed they would never be separated. One day while playing, Larry tripped and cut his finger. As his finger began to bleed, Larry began to cry. Wanting to console his friend, Mike grabbed a stick and cut his finger, just like Larry’s. The two boys laughed when they compared cuts, and Mike put their fingers together. “There, now we are blood brothers,” Mike said, “What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. We are one and the same, together forever!”
Mike remembered this event, downed his drink, and poured himself another one. Mike said he wanted to help Larry out, and would talk to his boss about getting him a job. Larry looked up at Mike, and a malicious grin crossed his lips. “What’s yours is mine,” he said as he got up and moved towards Mike. Mike quickly stood up, but was only half the size of Larry. Larry lunged at Mike who, thinking quickly, tried to use his bottle as a weapon. However, Larry was too quick for him, and the last thing Mike saw was his best friend standing over him, grinning and laughing.
It was hours later that Jenny returned home. As she and the kids entered the house, she called for Mike to help her with the groceries. She heard no reply, but heard the water running upstairs. Leaving the kids in charge of the groceries, she went upstairs to let Mike know they were home. She continued to call his name, and continued to receive no reply. The bathroom door was closed, but she could hear water splashing onto the tiled floor. Fear set in with each unanswered call, and the closer she stepped towards the door, the more anxiety took over. She touched the door handle, expecting it to be cold, but found it warm and wet. In the darkened hallway she could not see what was on her hand, but quickly opened the bathroom door. Words cannot describe the horror she felt when she looked upon the stranger sitting in the bathtub, with his entire body dripping in blood. His grin exposed his blood red teeth, and in his hands was a human arm. And there, leaning up against the side of the tub, lay what was left of her husband.
“We are one and the same, together forever!”