The Grin

Up until that moment Scott had not had to think about his brother for 15 years.

In those 15 years, when the guilt had finally been pushed deep into the recesses of his mind and he could finally look at himself in the mirror again, he had built a name for himself in his local community. He began to ascend the corporate ladder at their father’s company and last fall took it over as CEO. After the grief subsided he finally married Anne and with her had 2 lovely daughters, with a son on the way. He coached his eldest daughter’s softball team, went to Mass every Sunday, and was a counselor for a small support group. He was even being recruited to run for public office. It was just for a seat on their tiny city’s council to succeed retiring public servant and beloved community member Jeff Smith, but the local party had confided in him that they foresaw a future in politics for him. 

He knew what they said about him at dinner parties. You haven’t met Scott Clayton? He’s a good man, great father. Shame what happened to his family, but he took such great care of his folks after that tragedy. He heard it so many times over the years that he had finally begun to believe it himself.  He left the man that he was 15 years ago to die and a new Scott had sauntered off, ready to finally take his life seriously and leave the past behind him.

It was this past Tuesday afternoon when the past decided to catch up to him. He had left the office for lunch, taking a brief moment to fix his tie in the reflection of the window of the building and admiring the haircut he had just recently received. Anne was right, he thought to himself, it does look good. He began to make his way to the local sandwich shop, a daily ritual for him.

 As he navigated through the crowd, blissfully unaware that life as he knew it was coming to an end, he was distracted by an email from a prospective client. Although initially reluctant, the client had agreed to hire Scott’s firm, potentially expanding it from a small regional group to a national business. 

He began to excitedly text his wife to plan a celebration tonight. He had messaged her earlier today, but she had not responded. That’s odd Scott thought to himself, noting that she is usually very punctual in her messages. Maybe she’s in a meeting or something. He took a moment away from his phone to briefly glance up to the crowd in front of him when the stranger made eye contact with him. 

He did not recognize the disheveled man at first, but there was enough familiarity to the look the man was giving him that he immediately put his phone away.  As the stranger began to limp his way it began to dawn on Scott who he was. This man certainly had less of a clean cut look-his beard was frayed and tangled, his teeth had yellowed and some had rotted away, and there was a prominent scar running from his temple down to his right cheek-but there was no mistaking the look in his eyes. It was Zach.

“Hello Scottie,” Zach, grinning like a madman, a crazed look in his eyes  “Long time no see.”

All the color quickly disappeared from Scott’s face as he came face to face with the man he had buried in a shallow grave nearly 2,000 miles from where they now stood. 

“Z-z-zach,” he began to stammer, the famous Scott Clayton wit vanishing with the return of the memories he had successfully blocked for over a decade, “I can’t believe you’re okay. I thought you were dead.”

“Well you tried to make sure of that didn’t you?” Zach said, keeping his tone level and his smile high.

Scott’s eyes darted around the street, thinking of anything he could say to make this even remotely better to save himself from what was about to come.

“I have not had a drop to drink since that night. I can help you get back on your feet. I am a changed man-”

“Oh I know all about how you’re different!” Zach interrupted. “You did change-you became everything that I was! You stole my place at dad’s side, you MARRIED my fiance, you even took my house!”

“It was an accident. I did everything I could to save you  but I was so drunk that-”

“Don’t blame the booze-being the golden child was all you ever wanted, and you took everything from me the first chance you got!”

Two cops were making their way around the corner. His facade quickly crumbling, Scott made a last ditch effort to run. Maybe he could get to his car, get his family, and drive off to start a new life together, there was time there was hope- but he was held in place by the firm arms of his older brother.

“Now it is time to take it away from you.”  Zach sneered, motioning for the officers to join the pair of brothers.

As he stared at the cops making their way towards them, he began to envision what the rest of his life was going to be. Zach will have him arrested for what he did, he would tell the wholetown about how their trip to South America did not end with Scott getting separated from his brother and barely escaping the wilderness alive- that instead, Scott had tried to murder him. He will lose his job. His parents would likely disown him. 

Anne will leave him, of course. He will never see that loving look she had on her face this morning- she won’t even be able to look at him now that she knows he’s a monster. He will say that he did this all FOR her, that they had belonged together, and why can’t she understand that they deserved to be happy.  She will say he’s a sociopath and guarantee that he will never talk with his children again.

He will once again be the talk of the town. Did you hear about Scott Clayton? He’s been living this lie. You think you know somebody. His poor wife and kids. The talk will increase when he is sentenced to twenty years to life in prison. 

All of this was yet to come, and the weight of it all would crush him soon. However, the only thing that Scott could focus on as the world closed in on him was the grin Zach had on his face. It was the same one Scott had when he returned home so long ago, ready to take the life he thought he deserved. The feeling of knowing you can’t change what happened, so the best you can do is move forward and take what you can get.

He felt unstoppable.