People think it’s strange that me and my brother fall asleep hugging.
They issued us names because something had to tarnish the blanks on the labour registration. Our bodies had matured to the point we could begin work to appease the Gods for the sins of our past lives. Devils had been circling us eternally; perching on our shoulders, spewing decrees venomously. Carrying heavy loads around for the rest of this life would leave no space on our shoulders for hellions to convene.
Shortly after the escape we witnessed a couple of society humans uttering strange sounds. At various points in the conversation their expressions appeared to freeze. It seemed silly keeping the mouth agape like that. What if insects flew in?
To fit in with the society humans we exercised to train our facial muscles to mimic those shapes and sounds. My jaw hurt for days. Microexpressions aren’t possible to fake, but the majority divine our smiles as genuine. Possibly because we never heard laughter for the first 8 years of our life something in our brains failed to develop properly. We always act happy around others because we feel so much melancholy inside. This feeling we wouldn’t wish to infect any with it, so we smile to save them all.
Alone at night my brother and I hug crying. When the ammunition for tears has run dry, salt water gets loaded down our throats to manufacture into crystal clear vomit. The first time a full meal was offered to us it only took a quarter of a burger before our stomachs closed to open the way for nausea. We’d fantasised about eating a full meal since the first night hunger annihilated sleep. Together we cried and vomited our way through our first meal to completion.
My brother felt so blue inside that the skin outside his eyes dyed purple.
They called him a druggie. Society shunned us, so my brother shunned food. Before I realized my brother was evaporating he was reciting a deathbed speech:
‘This feast of the Society and Temple humans must end. Now remain no more pieces to tear off. Don’t you see, Thuy? Suiciders aren’t permitted inside Heaven. The obituary will say I died from malnourishment or a broken heart. Beautiful loophole. Give everything to the Gods and everything shall be given to you. Promise me you’ll never smile for them. My Siamese devil, I’m levitating to heaven because I’ve been painting this hell with my skin and bones.’
Cry mode malfunction.
Body sweating tears.
Heaven can help me too?
Painful memories will still endure.
Who can give hope to the hopeless?
Dead or alive, there is nothing.
Inside the temple.
Silent Chanting.
‘G.U.N.S - Gods United Neutralize Sinners.’
Water tower an easy climb.
Pour the poison.
Murder victims always go to heaven.
Body surges.
Cry mode re-activated.
Brother, I saved everybody like we used to dream. I hope you’ll be happy in heaven and find someone to cry with.