The Rise of Black Cross

   I got up from my bed. I was shaking with sweat coming out from my body. I felt very sick to my stomach. It was the worse nightmare I have had. But to me, it seems so real. What the hell was that? I thought to myself. I must be gaming way too much. I need to stop doing these all nighters.

   "Hey, Kaine get up. Your going to be late for class if you don't hurry up getting dressed." I looked to see my mom was at my doorway, looking at me with her annoyed look.

   "Yeah I'm up so relax alright?" I replied.

   "Don't give me that. You should be the one waking yourself up not me."

   "Okay I'm up." I tiredly got up from my bed and stretched myself.

   "I'm going to take your brothers and sister to school, so get dressed and eat your breakfast. Your too skinny as it is."

   "Alright fine. I got it. Don't worry about me."

   My mom shook her head and sighed saying, "You know, I really wish you just stop fooling around and get your life together."

   My mom then left.

Yeah? What life?, I grimly thought to myself as I was getting dressed.

   My name is Kaine Garcia. I live in a city called Chicago in this "great" nation of United States of America for most of my 21 years of living. I'm the eldest son with two younger brothers and youngest sister. Me and my family live in a rented house with everything a lot of people don't have such as good food, a bed to sleep in, a bath to clean yourself and more. You may think that a guy like me is happy of what he got. Well... I'm not actually.

   These days I just been living my life day to day with no real plans of the future. Me and my family are at odds at each other since I look at the world one way and them the other. They say I'm too pessimistic and should be more positive but... how can I when I see so much wrong with me and everyone in the world? Anyways, right now I'm in college and trying to find a part time job but its difficult for me to get one these days.

   So I'm 21 year old who is the eldest son who has no job and been living with my family. Which is not good in my book. What I really want is something different in life like I don't know... like something amazing happens everyday. But the only thing amazing stuff happens for me is through the shows I watched and the games I play. And I really wish I can step into their worlds but I can't. I tell myself these days, "I really wished that I just leave this world."

   After my time from college, I was going back home when so much wind and rain bombarding me all over. Shit. Why is it still raining after all this time? I'm going to get sick if I don't hurry. These pass few weeks, there was abnormal weather going on the news. I didn't think about it at first because it wasn't as severe and wasn't affecting the city much, but these days there are more storms coming in to the point that people are thinking a big tornado or hurricane is building up and will come into the city. But I think its just global warming at work or Mother Nature is pissed off for some reason.

   Finally, I got to my house. I unlocked two doors and went inside feeling the warmth I really needed. I took off my boots and went straight to my room. I put my backpack down and sighed. I take off my jacket off, put on my dresser and started to take out my laptop. I always look at videos and play PC games in my laptop so I can past time. I never really study hard for college even though I should for myself. But I didn't care and just study in the last minute usually. I go through watching either Youtubers playing videogames or seeing them react to TV shows.

   In the laptop, I looked up a show in YouTube that a lot of guys don't want to be caught with. My Little Pony or MLP for short. Its animation show about this 6 colorful ponies in a magical world learning the value of friendship and other stuff. Normal guys wouldn't even be watching this in my opinion but I can't help being drawn to it. I guess its because I can relate to some of the characters or that I wish I can live in that world because comparing to mine, its shitty and boring here while everyday in theirs is something new.  But whatever the reason, I just can't help but feel that's the life I want despite that the show is a bit girly to me.

   "Kaine! Dinner!" It was my mom yelling from the kitchen.

   I grumbled because I don't like to be interrupted. I went downstairs with my family already started eating. I got my fork, my plate of rice beans and chicken, and sat down quietly starting to eat. My family was talking about their normal day of work and school while I just eat in silence.

   "So how's college Kaine?" My mom asked.

   "Nothing much." I said.

   "Really? Did you learn something at least?"

   "Just some political stuff and words in Spanish."

   "Kaine. Please don't be like this." Her tone was turning annoyed and frustrated.

   "Its like that every time I go to class." I replied in annoyance.

   " You should be more concern about your classes. You don't want to fail like before."

   "I know mom."

   "I know, I know and yet you still failed."

   "I'm doing my best, okay?"

   "Your 'best' hasn't helped you for the past three years."

   "But I'm trying."

   "Then try harder!"

   "I AM!"

   I yelled at her while stabbing my food with my fork hard. My family went silent. I stared at my mom and she did the same.

   "Don't you dare raise your voice at me." She whispered angrily. "You are lucky that you are still here. I would have kicked you out but I didn't because I don't want you to be out in the streets doing God knows what. You should appreciate what you have." "I am!" "No you don't! You don't even have a job at your age. You need to be responsible and do your part of the house."

   "I'm trying mo-"

   "Enough of 'I'm trying' and start doing!"

   I got up with my half finished plate, put it in the sink almost breaking it and went to my room. My mom followed me trying to stop me. I went to my room and just when I was closing the door, my mom's hand block the way.

   "Look Kaine, I don't know what's wrong with you but I'm telling you for your sake not mine." She said to me in her stern attitude. "You need to get out of this whatever your going through and be a man."

   "Well maybe I don't want to be a man!" I yelled loudly. She looked at me dumbfounded. "I'm tired of hearing your shit everyday of being responsible and a man. I'll admit, I should be responsible and get a job but if I did, I will be living the same routine over and over. I don't want that okay?!"

   "Well maybe you should leave then! You'll see how hard it is out there and you'll wished you never left. If you keep being like this, you'll end up like your real father."

   That moment I snapped. "Fuck you then! I maybe like him in some ways but I won't leave for some gang. I don't care if he end up dead in the street, he chose his gang that exploits and kills people over his own family. If I leave, it would be something very important like helping people or something."

   "And how would you survive out there with no money huh?"

   "By picking off a dead corpse if I have to!" My mom was shocked at that sentence. Even I was taken aback of what I said.

   "Kaine," mom said sadly, "you better find out what you want. And know this: I try so hard for you to get yourself up and become a good person. I'll I want is what is best for you. You have it easy and I guess its my fault for that because I worked hard when I was sixteen with you and didn't want that for you. But now when I push you, you don't do much of anything besides school. What happen to you Kaine? Me and your dad who has been with you since your a child has always loved you. People at your school talked about you and said good things about you. You have a great future ahead of you and yet you keep messing up like if its on purpose or something. Just what exactly you want Kaine?"

   I looked down from her. These days, all I do is going to college and hopelessly looking for a job that no one has given me. I never looked much into the future for me and just wished I left and set out with no plan in my mind. But I was afraid of leaving because I don't want to leave my family like my real dad and was afraid of losing all my comforts of life. So I just said many times before to her:

   "I don't know."

   We stand there which felt like hours to me. Mom then said

   "You better decide quickly. Because I don't know how long I can take it. You always been loved, you just lost realizing that."

   She finally let go of the door. When I closed it, rage and sadness filled me. I started punching the wall to let all of my inner stress out. I started to throw my books around and almost broke my lamp. I finally flop to my bed with a pillow on my face. I felt tears coming out and was making my pillow wet.

She doesn't understand me. She'll never understand., I thought to myself. I was tired of fighting my family, tired of hearing how good I am, tired of going through the same shit I don't want to do. I just... don't know what to do anymore. What I really want is something amazing happen to me, something that could make me feel.. I don't know special I guess. I just want to leave this damn world filled with so many assholes that I don't want to deal with. I just want to fucking leave this god damned world.

   I hear the wind outside blowing hard outside in the dark rainy night. It was knocking on my windows hard. I'm going to sleep. Tired of this shit. I got up and saw my Bible on the floor. I never read it for months because I got sick of the moral lessons from God that doesn't work. I picked it up and toss it on the table. I kept it because one of my teachers gave it to me as a gift and never had the cold heart to throw it away. I then undress, put on my pajamas, turn off my lamp and went to bed.

   While trying to sleep, I thought of what my mom said to me: " You always been loved."

For who I am or what you want me to be? I thought. Then slowly I drift to sleep.

   I woke up suddenly. I don't know why and thought my time clock in my head just messed up again. I looked at my phone by my bed and it shows 3:32 in the morning. I decided to get some water and go back to bed. I got up and went down to the kitchen quietly without turning on the lights.

   I hear the storm outside and couldn't help that it was stronger than before. The wind was loud and I can hear rain pounding outside. I better get back to sleep or this storm will keep me awake. I got to the kitchen and got myself a small cup. I turn the faucet on the sink and when I was about to fill my cup with water, I heard a voice say my name.

Kaine.

   I looked around and saw no one. I thought it was my tired mind tricking me. My cup was filled and started drinking when I heard the voice again.

Kaine.

   I then felt nervous and grabbed a knife where we kept clean utensils. I looked around again and search all over the first floor of the house. It was a small house so it would be hard for someone to hide. I then went back to the kitchen again and finish my cup. I left it in the sink but when I was leaving I heard it again.

Kaine. Outside.

   I was freaking out. I am hearing this voice from somewhere but to me it sounds like the voice is speaking to me directly to my mind. And it wants me to go outside? In this storm? I was hesitant, but I don't want to risk having whoever is here and could hurt my family. I kept my knife tightly in my hand and speed walk back to my room. I put my jacket and boots on quickly to make sure no one is outside. As I was getting dressed, I heard it again,

Kaine, go outside.

   The voice is definitely wants me to go outside. I got myself ready and went down back to the kitchen quietly. The voice said then,

Back, in the back.

   It wants me to go the backyard. I went to the door that lead to the backyard. I see through the window and saw the rain pouring outside but I see a weird light in the center of the yard. It was small but not small enough to be a lightening bug. I got my knife ready but I was shaking. Could the voice be coming from that light? A smart person would not go alone to whatever it is but I have a feeling I should do this by myself.

   I slowly open the door and step outside. The wind and rain push me back a bit by its ferocity but I went on forward. I stared at the light and it was moving around but not leaving as I draw closer. I am ready with my battle stance with the knife and draw closer. I don't know what I was doing, ready to cut or stab this light that mostly likely can't even get hurt by a kitchen knife. I got close enough that it was almost directly over my head. I kept looking at it afraid what would happen if I look away.

   I then try to talk to this light,

   "Who or what are you?"

   It didn't say anything. I asked again.

   "Who or what are you?!"

   The light again didn't say anything. I changed my question then,

   "What do you want?"

   As before it didn't say anything but it went up to the air and started to spinning around. I looked at the light puzzled and scared as I don't know what's it going to do. It was spinning faster and faster that it was making a vortex. The wind was so hard and fast that I have difficulty to move. I try to look at the light but the wind and rain was blocking my vision.

   The vortex the light is making is changing into brighter and then my body was being pulled up in the air. I was trying to get back to the ground but it was impossible with the spinning air lifting me up. I then start spinning around and drop my knife in the process. I then feel scared for my life, I started thinking I was going to die from this thing I foolishly followed. I started to think of my family and time wasted for doing nothing for them.

   I then grabbed my necklace my mom gave me as I started to feel lighter and spin faster. The necklace is inscribed with Saint Michael that was blessed when Jesus, Son of God has rise from the dead. It was special to me not because of that but my mom gave this to me. I hang on to it and pray hard in my head,

Mom, everyone I'm sorry. I wish I've been a better son, a better man. God please protect them.

   The vortex then gets brighter that it almost blinds me. I look up to the light that was creating this spinning funnel. Finally, I was pulled up and saw a flash. Then I fell.