Friday, December 2, 2022

My stomach twisted, anger and pain boiling in my chest. “Victor Sato stole my childhood. You can’t convince me otherwise.”.

“So, you want to steal another’s childhood? You know how that feels,” Duke said.

“I want justice.”

“No, you want an eye for an eye,” Duke said. “But you don’t realize what it will cost.”

Duke pulled me back to our previous hiding spot and forced me to peer through the window. As the kids watched, Victor read instructions for setting up the Nintendo. The boy who opened the package shook with excitement.

“Do you recognize the young boy?” Duke asked.

“He’s Victor’s son.”

“Yes, but you know him. Look at the back of his head.”

The boy had curly black hair with a colored spot mixed in.

“He has a blonde birthmark… Helix has a blonde birthmark,” I said.

I remembered Helix Sato as a brilliant scientist who won awards for his work, but now all I could think of was a domestic terrorist..

“I don’t understand. That boy has a great mind and a bright future. What happened?”

“You happened,” Duke said.

“I use the forget spray on the entire family. They don’t remember anything from after Christmas morning.”

“But Helix remembers his father and misses what you stole from him… what you plan to steal from him.”

Helix becomes responsible for the loss of too many lives. My mind started to remember the future I kept creating.

“I don’t want this,” I said. “But why does it keep happening?”

“Because you won’t let go,” Duke said.

There was something in Victor’s eyes as he watched his family get ready to play the Nintendo. He seemed distant.

“Do we know why Victor built the bomb?” I asked.

“RayBae Systems fired him a few weeks ago,” Duke said. “A distraction for a company coverup.”

“Okay, perhaps we can use what we know to clear his name,” I said. “Why didn’t I think of this before?”

Duke smiled. “I tried to get you to see a better way, but you wouldn’t listen until now.”

 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

Romans 12:21

This flash fiction story was written by Jaron Camp. Jaron is a storyteller and a professional ghostwriter who enjoys using his gifts to write for the LivingItOut. When he's not developing fictional worlds, researching, and writing, Jaron enjoys watching sports, participating in family game night, and spending time with his wife and four kids.