Against All Hope

My gun was loaded, I had examined it a hundred times but something just made me review it one last time, then I strapped it back into the holster.

Alph was standing a meter beside me holding the rods, his nose crossed through the gap, “Alph”, I began, but something about his eyes made me hesitate. If I didn’t know any better I would’ve recognized it as hatred.

“This is all your fault Bracer”, he whispered softly.

His face was hardened, and had the ‘Give-me-no-crap’ look. Alph half closed his eyes and glared at me. “YOU WANTED TO BE THE HERO”, he trumpeted, loud enough for the whole island to hear, “SEE WHERE YOU GOT US”.

“NOBODY TOLD YOU TO COME”, I yelled back at him.

“AND WHAT? LET YOU DIE?”, he shouted.

“SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU”, Brio interrupted.

“Mind your own business Brio”, Alph snapped at him.

For a moment I was startled, if a day ago anybody had told me Alph could be so mean, I wouldn’t have ever believed it.