Powerless (Book 1): Powerless (38 page)

“Do
they
not
comprehend
that
the
world
has
just
stopped?”
he
silently
despaired.

But
they
just
continued
about
their
mundane
daily
tasks.
This
was
so
surreal
to
Lee
who
just
wanted
the
world
to
stop,
if
only
for
a
little
while
and
acknowledge
what
just
happened;
that
there
was
a
big
hole
in
the
world
and
nothing
would
fill
it.

Pulling
the
car
in
at
the
house
where
Lee
and
Tom
grew
up
together,
Lee
peered
out
seeing
in
his
mind
the
memory
of
two
boys
going
off
early
in
the
morning
to
play
golf.
The
younger
carrying
the
clubs
of
the
older,
just
so
he
was
important
to
him.
He
saw
the
two
boys
going
off
to
school
together
with
the
older
passing
on
words
of
protective
wisdom
to
the
younger.
A
comforting
sadness
passed
through
Lee
knowing
he
would
carry
those
memories
with
him
for
the
rest
of
his
days,
but
would
never
have
the
chance
to
make
new memories
or
grow
old
with
his
brother.
He
would
never
be
able
to
share
new
experiences.

He passed
through
the
gate
and
walked
to
the
door.
Jennifer
was
parking
the
car;
Lee
turned,
waiting
for
her,
not
wanting
to
go
inside
without
her
comfort
by
his
side.
As
he
turned
he
saw
another
memory,
that
of
a
young
man
walking
up
to
the
house
carrying
with
him
his
army
gear
in
one
hand
and
a
pair
of
shiny
boots
in
the
other,
wearing
a
familiar
smile
on
his
face.
The
memory
of
that
time
passed
right
through
him.

Jennifer
approached
him
and
gently
spoke,
“Are
you
ready?”

Dipping
his
head,
Lee
said,
“I
will
never
be
ready,
but
it's
still
going
to
happen…”
so
he
turned
and
walked
into
the
house.
Walking
by
the
sitting
room
he sensed
his
brother’s
presence
there
and
was
not
ready
to
face
the
reality
just
yet.
So
he
walked
into
the
kitchen
and
was
met
by
a
mass
of
mournful
faces,
each
with
a
look
of
sorrowful
acknowledgment
for
Lee's
heartache.

Lee
eventually
turned
and
walked
into
the
sitting
room
where
his
brother
lay
in
a
coffin.
He walked
up
to
the
edge,
but
did
not
believe
the
lifeless
body
to
be
that
of
Tom.

The
person
that
lay
in
front
of
him
was
pale
and
cold.
This
couldn't
have
been
Tom;
Tom
had
bright
rosy
cheeks
and
a
cheeky
smile.
So
once
again
he
slowly
ran
his
fingers
through
his
short
greying
hair
and
with
the
familiar
feeling
of
what
passed
through
his
fingers
Lee
was
unable
to
fathom
that
he
was
actually
looking
at
his
brother.

Lee
couldn't
help
but
notice
that
the
shirt
Tom
was
wearing
in
the
coffin
was
tight
around
his
neck
and
he
also
knew
that
this
wouldn't
have
been
comfortable
for
Tom.

Resisting
the
urge
to
open
the
button
to
make
Tom
comfortable,
he resigned
himself
to
the
fact
that
Tom
couldn’t
feel
the
tightness
around
his
neck.

*

The
next
two
days
passed
by
in
a
haze
for
Lee;
spending
most
of
the
time
stood
at
the
front
door
, he
greeted
each
mourner
who
came
past
with
his or her
condolences.
There
were
people
there
he
was
sure
had
never
met
Tom
before,
but
were
curious
as
to
what
happened.

Lee
greeted
each
mourner
in the
same way.

“Hi,
I'm
Lee,
Tom’s
brother…”
and
then
would
usher
them
into
the
sitting
room
where
Tom
was.

“Tom’s
remains
are
through
here,
and
there
is
food
in
the
kitchen…”
he’d
say
pointing
down
the
hall.

One
person
interrupted
Lee's
greeting
as
he
delivered
the
same
words
for
what
felt
like
a
thousand
times
before.

“Hi,
I'm
Lee,
Tom’s
brother…”

The
man
spoke
over
him,
“Hi
Tom…”

To
Lee’s
surprise
and
amusement
he found himself responding,
“No,
no.
I'm
Lee.
Tom
is
the
one
in
the
coffin…”
Everyone
around
Lee
looked
in
shock,
but
Lee
knew
that
Tom
would
also
have
found
this
amusing
and
just
laughed
to
himself.

On
the
second
night
Lee
tried
to
get
some
sleep. Running
his
hands
through
his
own
hair
, he
was
comforted
that
it
felt
the
same
as
Tom’s.
Returning
to
his
apartment,
he
laid
his
head
to
rest
for
a
while,
eventually
managing
to
find
some
sleep.