The Rise of the Grim Reaper: Sylvan Sasha Whitney

    IT WAS SNOWING OUTSIDE, flurries carried down from the heavens on a cold December wind. Snow blanketed the suburban neighborhood that stood outside my living room window. Mama and Otets often told me that if I had remembered Russia the winters here in America would pale in comparison.      “Sylvan, honey, when did you say your friends would be here by?” My mama asked, her light soft voice carried from within the kitchen into our dining room where I was setting the table.      I turned away from the window at her call, glancing towards the kitchen despite being unable to see it from here. Our home, small as it was, was our own slice of heaven. Only a single story with two bedrooms, and yet my parents treated it like their castle. Mama loved hosting large gatherings, just like the Christmas dinner she’s hosting tonight.     “Umm, they said that they would be here sometime around six thirty so that we would have plenty of time to play.” The cold laugh that had erupted out of Leo’s mouth as he said those words sent a shiver through me as though something bad was in store, but, I just ignored the feeling.      “Play? Why honey, you children are already fifteen! Almost adults, hearing you speaking of playing with your friends sure does tickle me silly.” Mama said, laughter and a smile reaching me through her voice.       As I walked into the small gray kitchen I looked at my mama. She looked not a day over thirty with her lightly tanned skin and chocolate brown eyes, she was tall for a woman but still shorter than most men. I had inherited all my traits from my mama, looking like her identical twin only years younger. My otets was a short man with black hair and warm blue eyes, creamy skin that screamed for sunlight. My mama and otets were expecting another child soon, a boy the doctor said, Ruslan-Slava was to be his name.      They could never decide on what to name him; my mama wanted to name him Slava meaning person of fame while my otets wanted to name him Ruslan meaning lion man. In our native tongue of Russian my parents would ceaselessly bicker, their Russian stubbornness rearing its head. My mama wanted my little brother to become charismatic and to get along well with others. Meanwhile my otets wanted my little brother to be a strong and proud man that would stand up for his family. Both names were beautiful in their own ways and I loved both of them, so I offered a solution. He would have two first names, hyphenated so that both of my parents could call him what they wish.      My mama was nearing her ninth month of pregnancy and both Otets and I were anxious for our soon to be new family member. With her tummy round she walked around our home as if she weren’t pregnant at all, not letting Otets or I dote on her or be overly protective. She would often softly sing Russian songs in a tone of nostalgia and slight sadness, but never saying she regretted moving to the States with my otets when I was young.      Shaking off the memories I glanced at my mama as she waddled over to my otets as he entered the kitchen, each sharing a brief kiss of greeting. Otets helped her finish cooking dinner before we brought all of the food to the dinner table, around six forty in the evening. Breathing a sigh of relief I sat at the table waiting for my friends to arrive.      Not long after we had the table set our doorbell rang and mama went to stand to answer the door.      I grabbed her shoulder, lightly pushing her back into her chair. “Net. Ya poluchu dver’, mat’.” I said, telling my mama that I would get the door.     Mama huffed in annoyance yet still let me push her lightly back into her seat. She was a woman of strong views and wills, she wasn’t used to being handled like fine china. But she did love how Otets and I cared enough to dote, even though we both knew she would be fine without it.     I walked over to the door, black shoes clacking on the hard wooden floors of our dining room as I passed under the archway that lead to a hallway. Turning towards the right I walked down the hallway towards the front door, my naiveté prompting me to ignore the strengthening bad feeling that rested in my gut.     Opening the front door I was happily greeted by the sight of my two best friends, Leo and Evelyn. They’ve been dating for months now but still managed to make me feel like I was never a third wheel and never will be. Quickly ushering them inside, I sat them at the dinner table, enjoying a Christmas meal with my family and friends.      Halfway through our dinner I noticed that something was off more so than usual with Leo and Evelyn. They just seemed odd; Leo had this glint in his eye that I couldn’t place, the same with Evelyn. Both of them never put down their steak knives even after the steak was already eaten. Their hands gripped the knives so fiercely their fingers whitened from the force. Shaking off my worry I tuned into the conversation just to hear Evelyn speak of hers and Leo’s plans.      “Well, Mrs. Whitney, as a matter of fact Leo and I were planning on going on a vacation after tonight. Just the two of us.”      “Oh really, dear? And your parents approved of this, yes?” My mama asked, slightly surprised.     Evelyn had always had rather strict parents. Not to mention that the two were only fifteen, neither of their parents would have approved of such a thing.     A deadly glint flashed through Evelyn’s eyes as her grip on her steak knife tightened before it was masked by a blindingly fake smile. “But of course! I wouldn’t dare to go against mother dearest.” Anger flashed through both Leo’s and Evelyn’s eyes, before they masked it again.      “So what’s the special occasion of this visit?” My otets’ deep voice rumbled.      He was right, Leo and Evelyn almost always had other plans when important holidays rolled around.      “Just tying up loose ends I suppose.” Leo answered for Evelyn, an evil smirk tugging at his and Evelyn’s lips.      I glanced away, ignoring their weird behavior, and continued eating my food. Only fifteen minutes later Leo and Evelyn stood claiming it was their time to leave. My mama, being the good host she was, stood up to walk them to the door.     Only to be greeted by a steak knife slashing out towards her stomach. Cutting it open, with blood spewing through her lips. Time seemed to freeze as I watched my mama’s stunned and shocked face as she grabbed her womb, as if trying to make sure that my little brother was okay. Pain contorted her features as she let out a blood curdling scream. With one swift motion Leo cut open her jugular, sending her blood spewing like a geyser painting our once brown oak wooden dining table in a blood red while leaving the knife in her throat.      I watched helpless as the life poured out of my mama. My mama that couldn’t even hurt a fly, one of the most caring yet badass people the world had to offer. I was in shock; jaw unhinged as I sat staring at my mama as she dropped to the floor, lifeless.     My otets roared, tears streaming down his face as he reached out to attack Leo. Obviously he wasn’t expecting Evelyn to jump on his back with a warrior cry and stab him repeatedly in the chest, laughing the entire time. As they continued to rip into my otets I felt an undeniable cold hard rage surge through my veins as I watched my otets slowly fall to his knees as his murderers who were once my best friends cackled in delight.      Reaching toward my mama I pulled out the knife that was lodged in her throat and jumped on Evelyn’s back, surprising her. Laying the cool blade against her skin I cut into her throat from ear to ear.      “This is for my family.” I whispered in her ear, my voice silent with a calm rage that made me see red.      Blood erupted from the deep cut like a volcano, a deep red stream rushing down her chest while staining her clothes. The rage that poured off Leo in waves was unimaginable as he stared me down, after watching who seemed to be the only girl in the world he loved have the life drained out of her in front of his own very eyes. I released Evelyn and we both watched as she flopped to the floor, as lifeless as my mama and otets.     “You b***h!” He roared as he lunged for me, pulling a knife out of his jacket and slicing my arm with it.     Grabbing me by my hair he smashed my head against the dining table, multiple times, before I was able to regain my bearings and stab him in the wrist a few times. With Leo hissing in pain while cradling his wrist I started to stab him, blindly, in any area that I could reach. Soon his kicks and punches ceased their relentless assault on me and he stared up at the ceiling, any sign of life within him long gone.      Standing up I stared at what my home had become, a bloody destroyed mess as I stared at the mangled remains of my family and those that killed them. I stared at my mama’s womb, the womb that had yet to bare my unborn brother into this world. His life was stolen from him before it could even begin.      I glanced at the muted TV that showed two familiar houses, Leo’s and Evelyn’s, and their massacred families within. According to the news reporter they had a psychotic break, murdering their families before running away. Only moments later did the police charge into my home their guns pointing at me as they screamed for me to drop my weapon. I did as I was told, not caring anymore. Nothing mattered, because everything was taken away from me.