Bloody Hands.

The night was pitch black because the moon was too shy to come out from the clouds. With a restless heart, I stood there waiting for my brother. I knew what I am doing is a sin. But sometimes, the path of sin is the only path forward. I agreed to this for mom. She really needs my help.

'I broke the window. Come on. It's time.'

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

'Don't you want to help mom?'

He always uses the mom card. Do I love my mom? Yes, I do, but that doesn't mean what we're doing is right. Because of his dumb idea, we're sitting right outside a stranger's house in the middle of nowhere. A simple mistake could derail our whole plan.

Mom needed money, and she was never going to ask me for help. But I wanted to help her. She has done enough for me, maybe more than enough. Being a single mom in this patriarchal world is pretty painful. I know that. That's why I asked my one-minute older twin brother for help. Never did I think he would come up with a plan for a heist to save the family. Mom will have a heart attack if she finds out about this.

'She won't know about this. I swear on dad.' He talked as if he knew what I was thinking.

'Woah, calm down. I will go in.'

We never talk about our dad unless it's necessary. So I knew he was serious. He always comes up with all these stupid ideas that get me in trouble. But mom thinks it's me who does all this. But this time, he might be onto something. But I think the same thing every other time until things start to go sideways. Yet, I was ready to take the chance one more time.

I opened the door and went inside the dark kitchen. The whole place was filled with a foul smell. If my expert brother is correct, a man lives in this house alone with a priceless gold chain of his ancestors. Many have seen him roaming around in his courtyard with the chain around his neck. I just have to find him, sedate him with chloroform, and steal the chain. If I am lucky enough, he will be sleeping with the chain around his neck. Just take it and leave.

While slowly sneaking towards the bedroom, I looked back to make sure my brother was behind me. I stopped in the middle of the darkroom when I saw a hammer in his hand. What's that?"

'Nothing. It's just for protection."

As I stood there, unsatisfied with his answer, the lights went on. The next thing I heard was a man screaming in fear. While I looked around to find the source of the scream, I heard a bang. A strange man fell onto my arms with a bleeding head. His helpless eyes reminded me of someone I knew. 'Dad?'

As I was trying hard to figure out what was going on, I heard my brother's voice coming from the door. With a bloody hammer in his hand, he was screaming, 'Come on, let's go.'

As I started to run, following my brother, I knew things have gone wrong. I could feel the warmth of the blood splattered all over my face and clothes. Slowly my vision began to blur. I could no longer see my brother. Darkness covered my eyes. I continued to run into the dark path in front of me.

After running for some time, I reached my house. I got in through the back door. Just like I did at that stranger's house earlier. I felt the guilt growing inside me. I should find my brother. I searched the whole house for him, but he was not there. Where has he gone? I need him.

I tried hard to bottle up my emotions so I won't wake up my mom. She was sleeping. After working all day long for me, she deserved the rest. She needed the sleep.

I searched for my phone to call my brother. I need him now. The eyes of the man began to haunt me. I could feel my mind going out of control. I couldn't handle it. The phone was not in my pocket. It was there, it was there when I went inside the man's house. It must have slipped out. I bit hard on my arm to feel some pain. I fucked up big time. Mom's going to lose it when the police come for me. She won't take it. She can't take it.

I began to hear sirens from far away. Where is my brother? Where is he when I need him? I felt a sudden weight in my left arm. It was the hammer, soaked in warm blood. Wasn't it in his hands? I saw him run away with it. How did it get here?

My head began to spin. I could hear the sirens getting louder. The police are coming for me. They will drag me away from my mom. They are going to make her sad again. I won't let that happen. She doesn't deserve that. She doesn't deserve any of this. 

'Free her. Free her from the pain you will cause. The pain she is about to feel.'

I could hear my twin brother again in my head. He always comes up with all these bad ideas that get me in trouble. But this time, I think he is onto something. As I moved towards my snoring mom, I could hear the sirens nearing. I can't let them take me away from my mom. I smelled her beautiful black hair with the soothing smell of jasmine. I lifted the hammer as my brother told me. With a full swing, I bashed the hammer into her head. All of a sudden, the sirens in my head went silent. I stood there looking at my hands covered in my mom's warm blood.