Exotic animals

A thinking ten writers challenge

I'd flown thirteen timezones just to see him.It might sound dumb since there are only twenty four to take the long way but it was the fastest way home from Brunei because of layovers and the lack of direct flights.

My brother John had just lost his best friend in a senseless killing in the seedy alleys of the part of town where they shared an apartment.We had called his friend by his last name Berube because his first name was john as well..

I picked up my car from long term parking and drove into the city to console my brother as a storm gathered its force overhead to pummel the region like a malevolent beast.I was shocked when i arrived not that he was stoned out of his mind but that he told me he would not go to the funeral.

in disbelief i asked "why?'

"Sam,it's better that he died.I unleashed the madness in him and had to kill him."

My brother then began to confess the tale of murdering his best friend to me.

Smoke still curling from the barrel, a fine mist of blood coating him, Berube held the gun as a feral smile crept onto his face.

In the shadow of the alley John rifled through the dead drug dealers pockets.

" Five benjamins and a pound of pot, was your first cap worth it or what fat boy?"

Berube , for the first time felt as if he was truly powerful and no longer just johns shadow.

"hell yes! Lets go take down a few of those punks on brown ave and get their stuff. I loved just capping his sorry tail. " he said gibbering excitedly wanting more of the feeling he got when he pulled the trigger.

John pulled his gun and shot Berube in the face.

Walking out of the alley alone he muttered to himself," Theres a difference between takin' care of biz and being a mad dog."

It was a combination of the lightning and wind that attempted to shred our childhood home from its' foundation and my brother Johns confession of murder that made me unable to sleep for any length of time last night.

The storm abated just about sunrise allowing illumination to the bent and lightning shattered trees of the backyard as I warred with myself about telling the police his story. I decided clearing debris and cutting down a few of the damaged trees out back might also help me clear the emotional debris in my mind before making a decision.

Numbly i cleared the odd limbs away and used a rusty saw to get rid of a smaller tree as I pondered what justified taking a life.

I finished with the smaller tree and letting my thoughts flow gazed upon the leaning, lighning scarred broken oak that had provided us shade in the hot summer suns of our youth.

Berube ,my brothers' victim and best friend had once had to be stopped from torturing a cat mauled fledgling by my brother under its boughs.John had just snatched it from him and snapped its' neck as he told Berube it was not right to make things suffer.

The grand old oak was beyond help and leaning dangerously so I went to the garage for a chainsaw and I sharpened the blades to end the life of this magestic sentinel of my childhood. It suddenly occured to me i was taking a life. I imagined what I must look like to the tree.

"That b******s going to kill me."she thought .She watched unable to move or communicate as he finished hacking up her neighbor with an old rusty saw..

He turned, looked pensively at her and went to his garage.

Her horror grew when she saw him return with a chainsaw and goggles.

Knowing her limbs had been shattered already beyond hope. She raged inwardly that she had been foolish enough to shelter this man and that she had enjoyed picnics with him and his family.

Her killer whistled idly to himself as he knelt beside her and began to sharpen the cold brutal teeth of the machine.

She was trapped within her own broken tortured body and there would be no escape.

The chainsaw started and she resigned herself to her fate as the only scream to be heard was that of the whirring cruel blade as it began to cut into her.

Sam continued cutting down trees badly damaged from the previous nights storm .

Sam finished his yardwork and was taking a nap when a call from the sultan of Brunei roused him.

In a mellow Malay accent the sultan said "I apologize for my anger but I was most upset to hear my pet jaguar Pips' vet was departing without the animal being fully recovered"

"I beg his majesty to forgive me as a friend of the family passed away suddenly and violently so i may be indisposed for a few weeks as I need to help my brother." Sam replied respectfully.

"There are not many vets qualified to care for such exotic animals and pip likes you.Tell me how much money will it take to get you on my jet today?"

"I need to deal with my brother so I must with great regret refuse your majesty."

The sultan pondered aloud "Hmmmmm, you once told me your brother John could have been a great artist if he had not succumbed to drugs. What if you brought him here and I gave him a hefty commision to do some portraits provided you kept him clean?"

In Shock sam stammered"th-th-that might work your majesty."

A few hours and phone calls later Sam was on a jet with his brother thinking how he was now responsible for two dangerous exotic animals.