19t

hJune,
2012.

“
Guy,youbewoman?Wakashar
pshar
pbef
oreIbur
sty
ourhead”Thunder
'sv
oicer
oar
edl
i
ke
t
hatofaroar
ingl
i
on.

Itai
l
edbehindhim,car
eful
l
yplaci
ngonefri
ghtenedf
ootaf
tert
heot
heronar
oughl
ycement
ed
fl
oorthatbar
elyal
l
owedmyf eetgl
ideov
erthem.

Thehall
waywassomewherebetweendarkandil
l
uminated.I
twasanaccesswaytothe
numerousr
oomscontai
nedintheabandonedbui
ldi
ng.Theairi
nther
efel
tdryandchoki
ng,
i
t
fi
ll
edmynostr
il
sandmademef eel
sick.

"
Mixedf
eel
i
ngs"

(
Fordescr
ibi
nghowIf
eltt
hatmoment
?Thephr
ase"
mixedf
eel
i
ngs"woul
ddoj
ustf
ine)

Iwasonav eryt
hinl
i
nebet
weenchoosi
ngtor
unoutofThunder
'ssi
ghtt
oapl
acewher
ehe'
d
nei
therseeormeetmeort
ail
i
ngbehi
ndhimli
keonedumbass.

IfThundercoul
dr eadmi nds,hewoul
dn'thav
ebeenpleasedtor eadminebecausemymi nd
screamed"Cowar dice"atthatmoment.Iwasbegi
nni
ngt oloosebraver
yforthedecisi
on
Thundercompelledmet omake.Hehadsweett al
kedmei ntojoini
nghi
scultgroup—themost
respect
edandfear ed—inschool.

“whenwegeti
nthere,
wakeduptoanyy
ouseesit
ti
ngatthecent
reoft
heroom.Kneelbef
ore
him.I
nugo(
hav
ey ouhear
d)?
“Thosewer
eThunder
'swor
dsbeforewegoti
ntothei
nit
iat
ion
room.

Wegottothever
ylastr
oom whi
chthehal
lwayhoused,Thunderst
eppedi
nandturnedtogi
ve
mea“sheyyounoSabisayyousupposef
oll
owmeent er"ki
ndoflookbef
oreIj
oinedhi
m.

Af
ami
l
iarf
igur
esati
nthecent
reoft
her
oom.Iwal
kedupt
ohi
m,knel
tbef
orehi
m andmadet
o
gr
eet
.

Hel
i
ftedhi
sfaceandourey
esmet.

“
BroOke“Iexcl
aimedi
nut
tershock

"
Namycapony oudeycal
lBroOke?"Thequest
ionendedwit
hahardki
ckt
hatsentmedownon
t
hef
loor
.Thundergotpi
ssedoffwi
ththeti
tl
ewithwhichIr
efer
redt
ohi
scapon.

“
Myel
derbr
o,aCapon?Br
o.Okeacul
ti
st?No!
“It
hought
.

“
Thunder
“Caponbegan.“
Weyt
hatmanweyWeki
dnapt
oday
?Gobr
ingam come“hesai
d.

Thunderdi
sappear
edandappear
edaf
terawhi
l
e,dr
aggi
nganagedmanwhowasbl
i
ndf
olded
andheldboundandchai
n.

“
Comott
hatcl
othforhi
m ey
e“sai
dCapon.Thunderdi
dashewascommandedandf
oranot
her
t
ime,
myeyeswelcomedahear
tbr
eaki
ngsi
ght.

Papawastheagedman.Hisey
esmetmi
neandhet
hrewhi
smout
hopen.Hewaspr
obabl
ytoo
weakort
ooshockedt
outterawor
d.

“
Oldman“caponcal
l
edonPapa'
sat
tent
ioni
nav
oicet
hatsoundedf
ami
l
iart
ohi
m.

“
Oke"Papamanagedt
ofor
cet
henameoutofhi
smout
h.

Capon—Br
otherOke—wasf
umi
ngwi
thr
age.Hi
schestwentupanddownl
i
ket
roubl
edwav
es.
“
Don'
tOkeme"Heblurt
edout
.“Wher
ewerey
ourfeel
i
ngsonthatv
erydayy
oudr
ovemeoutof
t
hehouse?Youdi
sownedme,ol
dman.Youhadnoremor
se"hesaid.

★★★★★★

Thet
rut
hlaysomewher
einhi
stor
y.

Bro.Okeusedtobemyf ather
'ssonunti
llt
hedaywhenheretur
nedhomefrom schoolwit
h
somecarryov
ers.Papaventedvenom onhim,hecur
sedthedayOkebecameapr oductofhi
s
l
oins.Hedrovehi
m outofthehousewi t
hdefensi
vecl
aimsofnotwant
ingtot
rainauselessson.

“Waitforme, I
'
llbebackinthemostbrutalway
"ThosewereBr
o.Oke'
swor
dsbef
orehel
eftt
he
houset hatday.Thatst
atementneverrangawarni
ngbel
li
nmyheadunti
ll
PapaandIst
ood
beforeBroOket heCaponinthatcultr
oom.

★★★★★★

“
I'
vegotnomuchthi
ngst
osay.I'
djustr
epayy
oubyaski
ngy
ourbel
ovedsont
otakey
ourl
i
feby
t
hegun."Br
ookesai
dtopapa,
pointi
ngatme.

1,
2,3.
..
.

(
Thunderhandedmeapi
stol
atBr
oOke—hi
scapon'
scommand)

4,
5,6.
..

(
“fi
re“capon—Br
oOke—commandedme)

7,
8,9.
..
..
.

(
Papa'
swasont
hef
loor
.Hi
sfor
eheadgotahol
efr
om t
hebul
l
etIf
ir
ed)

Capon—Br
oOke—l
eftt
her
oom ami
dstanger
,bi
tt
ernessandt
ear
s.
"I
'
m sor
ry,
Papa.Iam nohuman;I
'mj
ustt
hemonst
ery
ouract
ionsmade.Goodby
e,Ol
dman"
.He
sai
dwit
hbitt
ernessi
nhishear
t.

"
Kpua"

(
Thatwast
hesoundoft
hegunshott
hatt
ookCapon—Br
oOke'
sli
fe.
).

Heshothi
msel
fbar
elyt
went
ymet
ersawayf
rom t
heent
ranceaf
terhehadl
eftt
her
oom.

Mynamei
sMar
vel
andt
hisi
sast
oryofhowIl
ostPapaandBr
oOkemyCaponofabr
other
.