The Power of Hate
The Power of Hate
The ten-year-tiger cub opened up his new video camera as he got out of the car. He wasn't sure why he had to get all dressed up just to go to his cousin's house. Not that he was complaining, since he should have been in school, getting to hang out with his favorite cousin just made everything that much better. He panned the camera around and the bright sunlight cast rainbows in the fresh snow. It was really warm and the snow on the sidewalk and driveway had already melted away leaving a sharp contrast between the black cement and the virgin white snow. The only disturbed area was from all the cars lining the curb up and down the block.
The cub smiled as he recorded all the black, white, and silver cars that, to him, looked nearly identical before turning the camera toward the custom '67 cherry red Mustang sitting alone in the driveway. It belonged to his cousin's best friend Tyler, a sixteen-year-old fox, but Nathan was the only one that had actually driven it since he was the only one with a license. They had spent countless hours working to get the car restored after Tyler's dad had given it to him before leaving to fight in the war.
The cub slowly moved closer making sure to film every detail. Tyler and Nathan had even let him help work on it. They never yelled at him or told him to go play elsewhere like his Dad did; and they didn't call him names or make fun of him for being a little overweight like the kids at school. They didn't even yell at him when he accidentally spilled pop on the brand new custom seat covers that they had spent so much money on. Tyler just shook his head and said "Well, that's what seat covers are made for; to protect the seats." As far as he was concerned, Nate and Tye were the perfect older brothers and heroes.
As he got closer to the car he immediately noticed that something was wrong. The brand new paint looked like someone has taken sandpaper to the sides and across the hood. As he runs up he can see something had been sloppily spray painted in black paint on the car. However it had been sanded off so that the words couldn't be read even though splotches of paint were left behind. He ran his hand across the sanded area and then clenched his fist. As he walked around the side he noticed that the passenger side window had been broken in and there was still glass on the ground and inside on the seat. He could just see a brick inside on the floor mat. It had writing on it but he couldn't read it from the outside. What he did notice was that the seat was dry so whoever broke the window had to have done it that morning after the snow had melted off. He was just opening the door to see what was written on the brick when his mother yelled.
"Jaden, get away from that car and in this house before you catch something."
"Coming, Mom." Jaden said as he ran toward the two-story white house. The last thing he wanted to do was anger his parents today. He didn't want to risk having to go home before getting to hang out with Nate and Tye. As he got inside and took his coat off Jaden was surprised to find that there were a lot of furs milling around and they were all wearing dress cloths.
After he hung up his coat he turned around only to find that his Mom had already disappeared into the mass of black suits. He tried to get through the mass and into the family room but he just kept getting pushed back toward one of the walls. Finally giving up he pulled on a wolfs paw and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where Nate is?"
"Yeah, he's right where his kind belongs. Now get lost." The wolf said as he turned his back on Jaden.
Jaden didn't understand what that was supposed to mean. This was Nathan's house so of course this is where he belonged but that didn't tell him which room he was in. He continued to ask others but most of them just ignored him or told to go away. Worse yet he kept hearing them saying the same things over and over when he was able to move. Things like "Where he belongs", "In a better place", "Parent's fault", "Nasty surprise", "Tried to warn them", and "He was just like that". He didn't like what they were saying because it was things that his father often said about the furs he didn't like, the news, and even about Jaden sometimes.
Finally he found Tyler's mom, alone and sitting in a corner of the kitchen. He almost didn't recognize her since she looked so sad. She was crying with her tail across her lap. She was worrying at the fur and causing it to look even more disheveled rather than straitened. He made his way over to her and gave her a big hug. After the way he'd been treated in the rest of the house he decided not to ask about Nate. Instead he'd try another approach, "Aunt Jess, where's Tyler? I can't find him anywhere," after all Nate was never far from Tyler.
Jessica looks down at him, as she dries her eyes, and it almost seems like she didn't recognize him at first. "I . . . I think he's upstairs in Nathan's room."
"Thank you, Aunt Jess." Jaden said, before heading back through the mob and to the staircase.
He paused at the foot of the stairs and looked around to see if anyone was watching. It wasn't that he was afraid or anything. It's just that he very rarely went upstairs. Most of the time they were either out working on the car or Nate would bring his Wii down to the family room if they had to be inside. Jaden took a deep breath, if he was going to find out anything he'd just have to go up there and ask since no one else seemed to know he even existed.
He scurried up the stairs and once at the top he finally exhaled. He then gasped in surprise when he found that the landing and the hallway were completely empty. Obviously all the adults were staying downstairs. He was safe up here; at least until his parents finally noticed that he was missing. Maybe they wouldn't notice and he'd just be able to stay here instead. He shook his head knowing that would never happen, so he headed for Nate's room. As he got closer he kept hearing a voice, probably from the TV since it didn't sound like Tye or Nate, saying the same thing over and over. As he got closer he thought the voice sounded familiar but he just couldn't make out what was being said.
As he got to the door words become clearer but the only ones he could make out were "Kill yourself". He quietly opened the door and listened as the voice started again.
"I know what you are you filthy faggot. You should do the world a favor and kill your-self." The familiar voice kept saying over and over.
Jaden looked inside the room. Tye was sitting alone on Nathan's bed. He had a tablet computer and he kept playing the video over and over. He was crying and staring at a picture he was holding in front of the computer screen. Jaden knew that the picture was of the three of them right after Nathan had gotten his license. Jaden had carefully set up his camera on a tower of shipping boxes, set the timer, and run to get in the picture in time. He'd fallen down they were picking him up when the camera went off. Miraculously they'd all looked at the camera just as the picture was taken but Jaden had been crying so he had tried to convince them to let him take the picture again but Nathan had insisted that it was cute and he immediately uploaded it to his facebook page.
"Tye, are you O.K.?" Jaden asked, as he finally slipped into the room closing the door behind him.
Tyler jumped, quickly shutting off the video, and pulled a pillow up next to his leg hiding something. Jaden couldn't see what it was but like so many things happening today he decided to ignore it.
"Hey, Jay. Yeah, I'm all right. Does your Dad know you're up here?"
"No, the only person that might know or even care is Aunt Jess. So, do you know where Nate is? No one down there will tell me anything. I wanted to show him the camera Santa brought me for Christmas."
"Nate . . . He had to go away." Tyler said, as he started to cry again.
"When will he be back?"
"I'm sorry Jay, but he won't be coming back."
"How can he be in my movie if he isn't coming back? Besides, we need him here if we're going to get even with whoever busted up the Mustang."
"Well, maybe one day when you're big and famous you'll make a movie about him, and even though he can't come back, I'm sure he'll see it."
"But what about . . ."
"Jaden, get down here this instant! I don't want you to be alone with that, fox!"
"I've got to go, before Mom gets really mad, or worse she sends Father after me." Jaden said as he gets up and heads for the door. He stops halfway there and turns back toward Tyler. "I know Nate will be back, after all, you two are best friends and you're always together."
"Yeah, you're right. Nathan and I will always be together, no matter what.
Tyler said as he held out the picture. "Jay, I want you to have this. That way Nathan and I will always be with you as well. Just don't let anyone know you have it."
Jaden moved the camera to his left hand hitting the video upload button copying the camera's memory to Nathan's computer as he took the picture from Tyler.
"Why do I have to keep it a secret?" Tyler asked.
"Because they'll take it away and never give it back to you if they know you have it."
"Jaden! Where are you?" His mother yelled, from the landing.
"Sorry Tye, I've gotta go."
"Goodbye, Jay. I want you to remember that Nate and I will always love you, little brother."
"I love you too, Tye. See you later." Jaden yelled as he ran out of Nathan's room.
Jaden's mother grabbed his wrist and started dragging him down the stairs, "You're never to go around that boy again. He's one of those nasty-"
Jaden didn't hear what his mother said as a loud gunshot drowned her out.
"Tyler!" Aunt Jess yelled from the kitchen but Jaden knew she wouldn't be able to get past all the people gathering around the bottom of the stairs blocking the way.
"Was that?" Jaden's father asked as he shoved through the crowd.
"Probably, it's for the best if you ask me. At least now we won't have to worry about him infecting Jaden with his sickness." Jaden's mom said as she reached for their coats.
Jaden's father grabbed the video camera and roughly yanked it from Jaden's paw.
"Dad, what are you doing?" He asked as he realized the angry voice on Tyler's computer had been his father's.
"I'm erasing the memory. You don't want people like him in your movies."
Jaden started to cry and he pushed his hands deeply into his pockets hiding the picture. Now he knows where Nate went and that Tyler is probably with him. "I hate you! You're the one that should be dead!" Jaden yells. Then he turned, ran out the door, and across the snow. When he got into the Mustang he crawled across the broken glass, not feeling or even caring about the pain, into the back seat where he curled up and began to sob.