Destined

15

Yaz

24 years old.

2 years later, in Tokyo, Japan.

"Look, Iʻm dad," Haru says, trying his best at a brooding expression while standing absolutely still. It was random since we were all in the kitchen, preparing Harus cake for his fourth birthday. Haru is very smart. He can speak Japanese fluently and now even English.

I'm the first one to break. I started laughing so hard I can't breathe because he looked exactly like Isamu. But his personality reminded me of Haru. "It's not that funny!" Lyn smacks me upside the head, but there's a smile on her face as she looks at a laughing Haru, rolling on the floor.

"Ouch," I said, rubbing my head as she continued to prepare the cake with candles.

Lyn shouts, "The cake is ready!" Haru hops up off the floor and runs over to us, climbing onto a high chair. Isamu wasn't here because he said he had something important to do tonight, but he left a bunch of bodyguards behind. They surround the perimeter of the house, some inside and some outside.

We start to sing "Happy Birthday" and Harus eyes are bright when he blows out his candles. He hugs us both. "Thank you for the best day ever!" he shouts, and I ruffle his hair. Today we went to a music festival, something he seemed to enjoy. I had bought him an iPod so he could listen to Britney Spears on it, and he loved it.

Lyn cuts him a piece of cake and smears frosting on his face, causing him to laugh.I laugh too, and then I wipe the frosting off with a napkin. Before he can take a bite of his cake, an alarm goes off. I frown at the loud noise and look over at Lyn, who has wide, panicked eyes.Haru is scared and he leeches onto me.

That's when we hear the first gunshot. I pick Haru up, holding him tightly to my chest. I'm breathing heavily, my face scrunched with worry and panic. Lyn had somehow already grabbed the gun from my bag.

She whispers to me, "Take him upstairs! Hide him! "

I'm frozen though. I remember 6 years ago when that gunshot went off and Haru was dead. I hold the boy closer to my chest. And he's crying. I turn and race for the stairs. My feet carry me quickly with panic, and I am in Harus room in less than 2 minutes. I'm putting him down, my eyes wide. I feel as though I'll have a panic attack.

Haru is crying still. "Mama!" he says through sobs.

"I'm sorry." I say the words over and over, grabbing his Ipod and earphones.

He was shaking. God, he shouldn't have had to hear a gunshot at this age. He shouldn't have had to have this happen to him on his birthday. I say the words again. I'm sorry.

I grabbed his hands and put the ipod and earphones into his palm, "I need to go help, mama. So I need you to be brave." God, he shouldn't have to do this at such a young age. "Can you do that for me?"

He nods, but hes still sobbing and still shaking when another gunshot goes off, causing us both to flinch.

"Im going to leave the room to help mama. And after I leave, I need you to lock the door. Then I need you to go hide in the closet. Put your earphones in and dont answer the door for anyone but me, papa, or mama. " I hadn't realized I was crying, "Okay?"

He holds onto my hand, tears on his face, "I donʻt want you to die too." he says.

I let out a sob, "I know. I need you to do this for me, okay?"

He nods and walks to the door. I shut it behind me and I heard the click of the lock, then Haru scrambled to the closet, shutting that door too.

I grab out my phone and start dialing his number, but he doesn't answer.

So I leave a message as I walk to his office, grabbing a gun from his desk, making sure there's bullets in it.

"Isamu, we need your help. This is really bad; the house is under attack." The phone beeps, and I put it into my back pocket. hurried out the door and down the stairs. Gunshots are still going off, and I look around the corner to find a security guard shooting at one of the intruders. I look across the living room to see Lyn, unharmed.

I let out a sigh of relief. She's hiding behind a wall, gun ready in her hand. A guy is heading toward her slowly, and I shoot at him. He falls. She looks over at me with a worried expression. I nod and make my way to the kitchen, shooting down the intruder and fending off the guard. The guard gives me a nod, his black hair falling a bit in his face. Another intruder comes up behind me and Lyn shoots. I kick the gun out of his hand and shoot him. "How many are there?" I asked the guard, his eyes a dark green.

"Just two more," he answers, and I nod, looking around the corner. I lean back when I see two intruders there, looking at the pricey art on the walls. I raise the gun in my hands as I step in front of the archway, shooting one of them down. The other aims his gun at me, and I move out of view. The guard goes to the other archway, aiming his gun at the intruder as he shoots wildly at where he saw me. The guard shoots, and the man goes down.

But just then, there was a shout behind us.

I turn around, raising my gun but stopping when I see Lyn on the floor, blood spreading on her pink clothes from her thigh and stomach. Even if there was someone I needed to shoot, I wouldn't be able to since the gun had no more bullets.

"No!"

I shouted, dropping the gun onto the floor and running to her.

"No,"

I dropped to the floor, holding her in my arms, sobbing.

"No,"

I brush her hair out of her face, grabbing her hand.

"No,"

I squeeze her hand so hard that she opens her eyes.

"No

I repeat the word over and over until she looks me straight in the eyes and squeezes my hand weakly.

"God, you know I hate this cringe shit," she says with a weak laugh.

"Fuck, Lyn, even when you're bleeding out in my arms, you try to start an argument," I say, my watery eyes widening.

She chokes on another laugh; it turns into a cough. Her eyes are watering too, her breath slowing.

"Can you take care of Haru for me?" She says, wanting to close her eyes.

I knew that the guard had called an ambulance. "You can take care of him when you get better." I say, the tears will not stop falling.

She pinches my hand with a sad smile. "You know I'm not going to make it," she exhales.

I let out a frustrated sob, "Dont say that." Her blood is on my jeans. on her white carpet. on my hands.

Our foreheads touch, and I squeeze my eyes shut. "I'm sorry," she says with her last breath.

She dies in my arms and I scream like I was the one that got shot. I'm sobbing so hard. Hatred is burning in me as if I'll burst into flames.

I dont know how long Ive been crying, but I feel the guard pulling me away from her, saying things I cant hear. I watch as they lift her lifeless body up. I watch as the paramedics take her away.

I turn and sob into this stranger's chest and he holds me to him like we know each other.

I've lost my brother, and now I've lost my sister.

I cry and cry and cry.