A Call to Action

Brendan was woken up by a nightmare. The Bradwield Terror had had his head in a vice grip. His puny head had been like a tennis ball in its hands as it slowly crushed it, savoring each moment, a hideous grin on its face.

He was now back to reality. He sat up in his bed and wiped sweat from his brow.

The sun was high up in the sky. He looked at the alarm clock on top of his cupboard beside his bed; the time was 07:10 A.M.

Samantha was fast asleep beside him. Her nudity was politely wrapped inside the sheets as she lay with her front side on the bed and her face facing the opposite wall. She moaned, shifted and her face turned toward Brendan. Her eyelids flashed and they slowly opened, heavy with sleep.

'Good morning,' she whispered. Her face beamed like the sunlight.

He reached down and kissed her on the cheek, 'Good morning,' he responded. 'Last night..,' he began as he took off his pajama shirt, 'did we..?' He pointed at her then himself then back at the bed.

She nodded, a delightful smile on her face.

He made a heavy sigh and threw himself back on the bed beside her. He laid the same way she did, their eyes the same level.

'Are you telling me you don't remember anything from last night?' she asked him.

'I do, but hardly. It's even hard to believe.'

'I know,' she began gently stroking his hair. 'Do you have plans for today?'

He shook his head. 'Why?'

'I just thought we could spend this day together. Since it's the weekend, I was thinking maybe it would be just the two of us.'

'What about your parents? I'm sure they're worried about where you are right now.'

'I can't go back there now, Brendan. I need some air. Come on, I'm sixteen not five…too much grief could kill me.'

'Grief?' He was trying hard to understand her.

'Yeah, grief: my brother, my mom and my dad too has been acting really weird these days.'

'What do you mean?'

She sat up, drawing the blankets like a wave onto shore, to cover her naked body. 'He's been telling me that no matter what happens to me, he would protect me and that he will always love me.'

'Maybe he's talking about the incidents occurring now,' he assured her.

'I don't think so. It's the way he says it, it's like he's trapped in another world when he says these things to me…it's like he's under some kind of spell. It scares me when he does that.'

Brendan remembered what her dad had told him at the dinner; about him making a stupid decision when he was younger. He wanted to bring it up again but he decided to keep his mouth shut. He stood up and went over to his wardrobe to get some clothes. He turned his eye to her, 'Whatever happens Sam, I will protect you. I promise I will never let anything happen to you.'

'You're starting to sound like my dad,' she said rolling her eyes.

'Maybe…but I'm not exaggerating,' he said as he put on a black t-shirt and a pair of dark-blue jeans.

She raised an eyebrow and shrugged passively.

He took a camera from his cupboard, 'Say cheese…'

'Cheese!' She forced a grin.

He took the picture and returned the camera inside the cupboard.

'Let's go downstairs; Miriam's probably done with breakfast by now.'

'You can go ahead,' she threw her back onto the bed; 'I'm not feeling like breakfast yet.'

As Brendan descended the staircase, he could smell bacon and sausages sizzling in the kitchen. He stopped by the entrance. Miriam was by the stove, cooking.

'Morning, Miriam.'

She stopped cooking, turned towards him then curtsied, 'Good morning, Mr. Payne. Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes.'

He nodded and headed for the living room and he switched on the TV. Despite his attitude towards the news, he could not just sit back and guess what was going on.

Most news channels were talking about the path of destruction left by the Bradwield Terror. Brendan stopped on one which looked interesting:

'In Bradwield, this very morning, fourteen people have died under the hands of the B.T and twenty-one have died under the hands of the Finch in the space of only three hours. The Finch, who escaped from police custody the same day she was apprehended, is said to be on a killing spree. Because of her incomprehensible power, the police are hesitant to arrest her. She is parading the streets, killing anyone in sight on Ceremonial Street and the B.T is on the highway just behind the court house, demanding that the Anonymous reveal himself. Experts are overwhelmed by this and they are saying Kennan Rodgers' theory is being fulfilled. They are calling this madness, the "Dawn of Supremes". All citizens are urged to stay indoors until the Mayor comes up with a way to resolve this matter. The Flicker and Black Ice have not been spotted yet.

This is Cindy Copperfield reporting for Bradwield Future.'

Brendan dropped the remote control on the couch. How could anything or anyone be so callous? Thirty-five people murdered in one morning? THIRTY-FIVE! And the police could never hope of apprehending these criminals, and the sad truth was that the police was the only hope the people were putting their faith in. But guns could never stop the Finch. Bullets were not strong enough to pierce through the flesh of the monstrosity they called the Bradwield Terror. As far as he was concerned, Brendan knew he was the only chance Bradwield had. The only chance they despised however. Orders were to shoot Anonymous on sight.

He knew one thing though; the Dawn had to be stopped. He quickly but softly tiptoed upstairs to his room. He pulled his costume from under his bed then he grabbed his backpack from his wardrobe and stuffed the Anonymous attire inside it.