My Brother Was Taken by the River

I turned and yanked the door open.

Laughter erupted behind me, sharp as knives stabbing into my back.

The cuts on the soles of my feet made me limp badly. Every step down the staircase felt unsteady, the world swaying beneath me.

"Dylan!"

Travis chased after me.

He was still wearing swim trunks and slippers, clutching a half-eaten slice of cake in his hand.

"What are you running for? Your dad hasn't even assigned your punishment yet."

I kept walking.

He rushed down the stairs in a few quick strides, grabbed my shoulder, and yanked me back hard.

"I'm talking to you. Are you deaf?"

I slammed into the wall, the back of my head crashing against the metal fire hose cabinet with a loud clang that made my ears ring.

"Move."

Travis took another bite of cake, cream smeared across the corner of his mouth. The grin on his face made me sick.

"How do you talk to your father like that? He raised you all these years, didn't he?

"And look at you. You look like some trash collector off the street. Nothing like the son of a swimming coach–"

"You done?"

The smile vanished from Travis's face. He leaned in close enough for the sickly sweet smell of cream to hit my face.

"What the hell did you mean by that comment? 'Why wasn't the one swept away by the current you?' You were cursing me?"

I stared straight into his eyes.

"I wasn't cursing you. I just think the one who deserved to die wasn't my brother.

"It was you."

The punch landed before the last word finished leaving my mouth.

Blood burst from my nose, running over my lips and dripping onto the stairs.

Travis shook out his hand and stepped back.

"What the f*ck did you just say?"

I wiped my nose. The back of my hand came away covered in blood.

"I said the one who should've died was you."

Another punch. Then another.

I doubled over as acid surged up from my stomach.

Travis kicked me hard in the shoulder, sending me crashing into the stairwell landing. The back of my head slammed against the wall again.

"What are you, huh? A useless piece of sh*t who couldn't even survive a little river current, and you think you can talk back to me?"

I curled up on the ground, my mouth full of the metallic taste of blood.

Then my phone vibrated.

I fumbled it out.

A text message from the police.

[Dylan Shaw, we have located your younger brother downstream near Roaring Spine Dam.]

Travis was still yelling at me, but I could not hear him anymore.

I pushed myself up from the floor. I needed to find my brother.

But Travis blocked my path again.

"Did I say you could leave?"

I turned and punched him square in the face.

That punch carried every ounce of strength I had left.

From the corner of the second-floor stairwell came the sound of hurried footsteps.

Dad came charging down the stairs.

"Dylan! Stop right now!"

He caught up to me in a few strides and slapped me across the face.

This slap was harder than any before. My head smashed into the wall, my teeth cutting into the inside of my mouth as blood trickled from the corner of my lips.

"Who taught you to hit people?

"You think strong people solve problems with their fists?"

I laughed.

Blood slid into my mouth, salty and warm.

"You taught me that, Dad.

"Weren't you the one who said if someone blocks your path, you crush them?"

Dad froze for a moment.

From upstairs, Travis's voice rang out, trembling as if he were about to cry.

"Mr. Lancer, he punched my nose! I think he broke it–!"

Dad exploded with rage, pointing straight at me.

"Apologize to Travis right now!

"Get on your knees and apologize!"

I held myself upright with what little strength I had left, biting down hard on my lip.

"No.

"I won't apologize."

Dad raised his hand, ready to strike again.

Just then, a police officer in uniform walked up the stairs. Behind him were two others, one carrying a camera and another holding a case.

"Is Dylan Shaw's guardian here? We're from the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

"We discovered the body of a young boy on the riverbank downstream near Roaring Spine Dam. Based on physical characteristics and preliminary DNA matching, we have confirmed the deceased is your younger son, Ian Lancer.

"We need you and your family to come with us to identify the body."