Hell & Heaven

My feet are hot today...yesterday they were cold...yesterday was like heaven...today like hell.

Yes there is a correlation, but this we will call a coincidence. Heaven and hell on earth, I can feel it in my toes. Anyway...I’m an accountant. That’s what I tell people when they want to know what I do...It’s just easier that way.

“Hey, Sudheer. You doin’ alright today?” my brother asked.

He was nothing like me, you know. Raised in the bustling city of New York all his life. I was just here, adopted into this land--this culture--by age 13 by a wealthy family who just wanted to pose as the nurturing kind. But I saw through it all.

I actually don’t have a job. I stay in the basement of my parent’s house and play mind craft, zelda, and roblox all day. My mom says I need to do something better with my life, but what she doesn’t know is that on the CIA website, they are looking for experienced gamers. Yes, gaming, just when everyone thought it was useless, it’s actually a skill…

“Yeah I’m good, just looking for a job at last,” I muttered as my brother came over. He wanted to look at the screen, but just as he peaked over my shoulder I had submitted the application. The screen went black.

“You’re so full of it, you know that?” my brother pushed my head with his hand before walking away.

Well that was strange. I thought I had a little bit of battery left on my ipad.. Oh well.

I grabbed a cupcake mom left on my study desk and put my headphones on with Montero streaming through the speakers. I guess there was nothing more to do than wait and see. It’s not like there would be anything wrong with applying, after all the worst that could happen is them saying, no.

But I didn’t know that the worst that could happen is them actually saying, yes....

Especially how they would go about doing so.

Sccrrrreeeeeeeccccccchhhhhhhhhhh.

In the matter of seconds I saw a simple standard smiley face appear on my screen.

Turning my head over to see my brother walking up the stairs out of the study, my mouth dropped in horror as gunshots rang throughout the room; he was being shot multiple times--each shot a step forward until fallen in his own blood.

I can fix this...I can fix this…

“Get out now.” I heard a ringing in my ear and the voice of a woman.. I took the headphones out of my ears...But I heard it again, “GET OUT NOW.”

I knew I had to listen, whoever shot through my basement window could shoot me too...I ran up the stairs and hid in the kitchen crouched down on the floor under the sink. I would have run outside for my life, but the shooter was out there...this was the safest place.

Suddenly I began sinking into the floor. What the????? I was panicking now. As if some form of quicksand I gradually went head deep, suffocating until I fell straight through onto the sofa I had just been sitting on moments ago.

“You’re so full of it, you know that?” I moved my head so that my brother couldn’t push me, which startled him. “Bro, don’t forget to take your meds.”

“Take your meds.” I heard the voice again…

I grabbed the bottle of antipsychotics off the desk and my can of diet soda, popped a pill and swished it down as fast as I could...

Something’s off with me today…

My brother walked over to the spot where he was shot what I thought was a moment ago. I jumped up and pushed him out the way just as the window shattered.

Now it was me. The piercing bullets ripping through my flesh as my brother fell down and banged his head, knocking him unconscious. I crawled up the remaining stairs to the spot under the kitchen sink. But this time, all truly went a blur until I awoke in the psychward’s holding chamber--gunshots gone.

“Really? This is what we’re doing? Wake up…” But I was already awake, that voice again.

I haven’t heard that voice in so long. But that’s another story. This time was different.

“Agent Vikram. Report. Wake up. Agent activated,” My eyes were already open, but then they opened again. How it is even possible, I don’t know. But I was on that sofa again, and my brother just about to push my head. I let it happen. “Good...Very good...He’s responding correctly,” I heard them.

But something was off this time. Everything in this study was painted white. As my brother walked out of the room, I screamed. While turning towards me he gave a small smile before the shot ensued. No, no, no.All became black. “This is but a mere simulation. Your name is not Sudheer. You were never adopted.” Lies...lies...lies! I began to bang my head with my hands.

“He’s awake now,” a faint voice said.

As my eyes opened for a third time, my mother and father were beside me ridden in grief.

“He’s dead, and it’s all your fault,” my mother looked at me with distaste. My father was unable to look at me. “Where in the hell did you get a gun?”

My feet are cold today...yesterday they were hot...yesterday was like hell...today like heaven.