The Brothers Grimly Page 3 of 4
Then, In The Common Room . . .
One wall of the common room shimmered and disappeared. Then Abim walked out. Putting on a pair of heavy latex gloves, he bent to pick up the small quivering mess on the floor with a glass slide. The two brothers had been crushed by the fall and now occupied the approximate volume of a dime. Abim viewed them on the microscope on the same table as the dollhouse he’d put them in to die. “Quite dead,” he said, satisfied.
Abim thought about the years of enduring stagefright while his brothers had plotted in secret to kill their parents. How when the triplets had suddenly developed their powers he, Abim, had been forgotten by everyone. His fondest wish! To not be noticed at all by anyone until he wanted it. It had taken him years to get over the burns he’d suffered, for his other powers to reach this level.
He was ready now. After years of watching his brothers’ immature contests and destruction, Abim had simply taken their power as they died. Even with all three brothers’ worth of power, it would never be enough to bring back either parent, but their mother HAD been pregnant with their younger sister . . . so much more life. Her remains were in stasis, her power protecting her. Abim had found her before his skin had finished blistering, wrapped her in a bit of his costume, and fled to seek medical attention. In time he had taken over most of her power, as her protector surely had a right to, and would now use it and the power of three to bring her to full life. The glass orb that held her remains was wrapped in a box tied with a magic knot that would drain all needed power into the finely crafted spell of life instantiation. He would simply tidy up a bit first. It wouldn’t do to greet his baby sister with STUBBLE. Her skin would be delicate.
Abim had watched Zall childishly steal Zimme’s shaving kit. Those two had always done things like that. Well. Fifteen minutes after that theft, Abim had swapped his own shaving kit for the stolen one. Abim reflected upon how the Fool’s Day had gone as he shaved. The razor was amazingly good as he thought it would be, or maybe the shaving cream was just really high quality–he wasn’t sure which. He fought back a smile, thinking of how the competition had gone. Wouldn’t do to cut himself–he had to look his best as he greeted his little sister properly for the first time.
He picked up the package and paused. Was the television still on? His sister deserved something better to hear in her first moments of full life than the Twilght Zone theme music! Still holding the package, he stormed through the door and picked up the remote. There was movement in the corner of his eye as he switched off the television. Turning, he saw a glimpse of a huge, black-and-white eye through the boarded-up window as a giant hand crushed him and his sister’s orb with the rest of the room.
