“The Void Between”

There was nothing, and yet there was everything. It was so cold, yet very peaceful in a sense. The boy in the leather jacket sunk down, deeper and deeper into the void. There was complete darkness, except for a faint sparkling.

It was Sir Day, and the market was bustling with stupid, noisy, rich people in the best way possible. Danny stumbled into a fancy looking gentleman, apologizing, as he slid the man’s wrist watch into his right pocket. Sir Day always meant good business, with all the pompous snobs paying more attention to their hair than their wallets. Every Sir Day, hundreds of merchants, vendors, and traders come from across the void. It’s the only holiday a year, where those from Center and Edgeland come together to celebrate Sir, their “perfect leader”. But Danny, like most of Edgeland, couldn’t care less about their tyrant of a ruler. So instead of celebrating Sir, the Owens family prefers to celebrate each other by giving presents. Maybe it’s a dumb tradition, but it’s sure of lot better than worshiping some ignorant moron.

It was turning dawn already, which meant it was about time to be finishing up. Danny started on his way to Joe’s with his coat weighed down by the day’s haul. 

Danny emptied his pockets out onto the counter, trinkets rolled across its smooth, dusty surface. Joe rummaged through the assorted items with his typical grimace, “Listen kiddo, I can do fourteen for the watches and eight for the rest.” Danny let out a light scoff, his breath visible in the frigid air. “Please, I could take this a shop over and grab forty for the lot.” Joe shook his balding head in a disapproving manner. “Don’t play with me boy, we both know I’m the only one who’ll trade with the likes of a thief.” The boy didn’t try to defend himself, anyone with half a brain knew that Edgeland kids like Danny only got expensive stuff one way. Joe made a good point, but it still made him boil.

It’s not my fault the Edgeland is dry of resources and the center sells necessities at ludicrous prices. I’ve just got to provide for my family and this is the only way I can. Sure I’m not a saint or anything, because I don’t try to be one, but how else am I supposed to take care of Zac, Sophie, mom and Edwin. I’m all they’ve got ‘cause my old man had to go off and die trying to play hero. He had worked in the market for Charlie Creed, some jerk who was half his age and height. He would spit on and insult my father daily, but dad never stood up for himself. He just smiled through his grueling and humiliating work, always saying that everything was all right. 

One day Charlie Creed was finally getting what he deserved. He had disrespected the Chief and was getting beaten to a pulp when my father jumped in the way to defend him. The idiot.

He was sent to the void the next day… leaving his family to fend for themselves. He knew the consequences for interfering with the Law enforcement in Edgeland, the same punishment for any and every crime, but that didn’t stop him from throwing away his life. Danny clenched his fists. He would never abandon his family like that, never. 

Snap snap. Joe had his thick, hairy fingers an inch from Danny’s face. “Done daydreaming boy, I’ll do thirty total, take it or leave it.” 

Danny scrubbed his mind free of his father and shook hands with Joe as he gathered his credits. Thirty would be enough for the last present he needed. 

Knock Knock. Zac marched to the door swinging it open for his older brother. “Hey Danny! Guess what, I helped Mom and Sophie start a fire out back so we can all be warm when we trade presents!” Danny smiled at the white haired boy; it was a trait passed down from their father, their mother was the only one in the family without the Owens signature chalky white. Danny tightened his cap, struggling to hide the hair he had grown to despise. “Come on Danny!” Zac grabbed his brother by the wrist and yanked him across their home’s broken floor boards to the back door. They stepped outside to a bright and crackling fire. 

“Mom look, Danny’s here!” Danny hugged his mother and siblings. “Hey guys, I brought you guys some presents for Sir Day. Here mom—Sophie—some warm gloves—there you go—and this one’s for you Zac.” He knelt down beside his younger brother and removed a dark leather jacket from his bag. “I’d noticed you staring at it when we went to buy string from Kabelo’s.”

Zac grinned ear to ear as he ran his hand across the cold leather, and down it’s fine tan colored stitching. It was perfect. Zac gave his older brother a hug. Danny could be tough at times, he had gotten more closed off over the years, but he’s always managed to keep a certain warmth to him. 

“Here let’s see how it fits.” Danny held the jacket forward. 

Zac slipped it on, the supple leather massaging against his skin as he slid his arms through the sleeves. It reminded him of the jacket their father used to wear, though he knew Danny wouldn’t like the connection, so he kept that part to himself. It was a little big on him, but other than that it looked good. Everyone gave their compliments, even little Edwin gave a fun-size round of applause. Zac smiled brightly, but suddenly he remembered the present he made for Danny. His smile faded gradually as he realized how piffling it was compared to the gift he’d just received. Zac took the small, poorly wrapped box, and quietly shoved it into his new leathery pocket. 

“What’s that you got there Zac? A gift for me?” Danny leaned in a little closer but Zac stepped back awkwardly. “N-No, I—well, I’m gonna to give you your gift at the end of the day actually.” Danny tousled his brother’s messy, white hair. “Whatever weirdo, I’m going back to work.” “But you just got back.” It seemed like Danny was always working now, or what he called working at least. Even Zac understood there were some iffy parts of what his brother had to do to provide for the family. But he also figured it was about time he learned for himself what exactly it was.

Danny was back at the market, back at work. There was no sign of Chief or his men, nobody watching him—nobody except a curious white haired younger brother. Zac watched entranced as Danny shifted through the crowd with ease. He found it hard even as a spectator to follow how someone’s necklace would disappear from their neck into the back of Danny’s hand. His brother was amazing, truly someone worth looking up to.

Zac felt that he needed a supreme gift for someone he admired so much, but due to his utter lack of credits, there was only one way he was going to get one. 

Danny was at the pawn shop haggling prices with Joe again. “I’m telling you Joe, I know what gold looks like.” “Sure it’s gold, gold plated you fool!” “Swear it’s some deja vu, boy comes in here two three times a day acting like he know more than someone who been doing this longer than he been alive,”Joe muttered out loud. Danny was about to retaliate when he heard a shrieking young voice. “OWENS! GET BACK HERE, I’ll KILL YE’!” 

What did I do? That’s a kid’s voice right. I only steal from empty-headed adults so what’s he yelling at me for? No… his voice was too distant, he couldn’t be talking to me, but then who—

A leather jacketed boy emerged from a dense crowd stumbling to the ground, panting, eyes wide with fear. 

Zac?

The Chief was yelling further back in the crowd now. “Where’s he at son, which way’d he go? I’ll catch that damn thief!”

Danny kicked up dust as he sprinted to his brother. He slid to a halt beside him. “Come on, quick!” He grabbed Zac by the wrist and turned to run. As he yanked him by the arm a pair of red and gold sneakers fell from the inside of his jacket, tumbling to the dirt. What the hell? There were too many questions plaguing Danny’s mind.

Did he steal those? Chief was calling him a thief—Zac isn’t a thief, he’s a bright kid and innocent kid. He wants to become a doctor when he grows up, not a criminal. What’s going on!

Danny shook his head aggressively.

This isn’t the time to be asking this kind of stuff. We’ve gotta get out of here.

Zac was dead quiet, he had a pained look on his face as he stared into the ground. He couldn’t meet Danny’s eyes, he couldn’t move, he couldn’t breathe. He’d just wanted to be like his brother, to get something that showed he appreciated him. 

Zac felt like his insides were twisting, stretching and trying to escape through his mouth. He gasped for air, but the icy wind tore down his throat and shriveled his lungs. His fingers were stiff from the cold but his forehead burned, sweat forming and drying immediately against his dry skin. He couldn’t quite tell what was going on, everything was a blur, he was weightless, his legs were dangling uselessly but he was moving somehow. He could hear Danny’s voice, but it was like listening from under water. He hadn’t been hurt but his heart throbbed wildly and felt a panging in his temple. 

Danny was starting to slow down, his body wasn’t conditioned well enough to keep carrying his brother. “Come on Zac, snap out of it! We’re almost there.” Danny had never used his scrawny arms for anything more than reaching around into people’s pockets. 

Come on, our house is right over the slope. Keep going.

Zac had started to regain his senses. Danny was moving at a slow trudge now, gritting his teeth, forcing his body to keep moving. Just a little more, please, just—he collapsed at the front door. 

“Danny… Danny I’m sorry…” Zac’s eyes were growing red from holding back tears. “I just, I wanted to get you something nice for once… and, and I saw how easy you took things in the market… so I thought… ”

Danny wrapped his arms around his younger brother and squeezed tight. “No… you’re not the one to blame here.” He hid his face in Zac’s messy white hair. 

I’ve failed. I’ve failed Zac as a brother. I’ve failed Sophie, Edwin… mom. I’m the one who should be saying sorry. I was supposed to be a big brother worth looking up to, but I’m just a thief. I’m a rotten and pathetic person and that’s why I’ve failed. I’ve failed my family, just like my father. 

There was a sound of plates breaking and metal utensils cascading to the floor. The door swung open. “My God! Daniel, Zachary! Are you okay? I got a radio message that my son was seen stealing, I—I—” Daniel helped his brother to his feet. He lifted his head slowly, meeting his mothers sweet, sorrowful eyes, they were brimming with tears. The brothers walked inside, their mother removed Zac’s jacket with her shaking hands and hung it on the rack by the door. Sophie and Edwin sat together on the tattered sofa by the window, they didn’t seem to understand what was going on. Danny glanced over to his brother, whose arms were wrapped around his knees, staring into space. Their mother was listening back to the radio message in the kitchen with her hand cupped over her mouth.

A white haired boy wearing a dark leather jacket has been identified by several witnesses as belonging to the Owens family. This boy was seen attempting to steal goods from another citizen, he will therefore be punished according to the law of The Edgeland. He will be sent into The Void Between. If the boy does not meet with the district’s chief at The Edge within the next two hours, law enforcement will be sent to the family’s household to escort them to The Edge, where they will be sent collectively into The Void Between.

Zac’s chest was rising and falling at a rapid pace. 

He didn’t deserve this. He shouldn’t have to be the one to go. It wasn’t his time. Danny looked around the battered house, taking his family in, one last time. He had already decided what had to happen, but it didn’t make it any easier. He drew a deep, deep breath and let it out.

Danny removed his cap, letting a mess of white hair fall down over his ears. He stepped over to the coat rack, removing his brother’s leather jacket, and slipping it over himself. His shaking hand stretched toward the wooden door. He looked back. There they were, staring back at him. Danny knew if he spent any longer meeting their gaze, he wouldn’t be able to leave. He blinked away his tears as he veered back to the door. His hand was trembling uncontrollably now, but eventually he fumbled his fingers around the brass knob. It rattled in the loose splintered wood.

“Danny…?”

“Zac… Sophie… Edwin… Mom.”

“I think it’s about time I take my responsibility the right way.”

He smiled. His eyes were shut with tears dripping down passed his chin and collecting on the broken floor boards. 

He pushed the door open. Stepped onto the frozen earth. And sealed the door with a nearby copper rod. Goodbye.

There was a barrage of pounding on the door, cries muffled by the thick oak walls of their home. Danny couldn’t look back, he kept moving forward. A crestfallen trudge turned into a stumbling jog, to a determined sprint. 

It’s too late for me. I’d decided the only way to provide for my family was to rely on crime, and the misfortune of others. This whole time I’d been telling myself I only did it because I had too. But the truth is, I liked it. But now when seeing what it brings, it only sickens me. Zac… you’re the second oldest, it’s your turn now. Don’t make the same mistakes as I did. It’s not too late for you, you have a bright future ahead, and it’s up to you to make it. I’m sorry your brother won’t be able to watch you get there. 

Danny lifted his head, slowing to a halt, he was there. The Edge. The Void Between.

Chief was the only one there. He gave a smug, despicable grin. “Well if it isn’t Danny Owens, you white haired bastard. I’ve had my eye on you since day one I tell ye’. Heh! Seems only yesterday it was yer father I was sendin’ down ‘ere to The Void.” Danny’s face contorted. He knew he didn’t care for his father yet, for some reason, it set something inside him ablaze. He bit down on his lip drawing blood.

“Well let’s get this over with shall we?” He grabbed the boy by the collar of his leather jacket, and shuffled him forward towards the Void. Chief tossed him to the ground, his body slid forward in the wintry dirt. Danny screwed his eyes free of dust and looked down into a black abyss. 

There was nothing, and yet there was everything. He hated it, but couldn’t help but admiring it’s beauty. 

“You know how this works, don’t ye’.” Chief pointed his chin toward a thin stretch of rock over the void. Danny lifted himself to his feet. I guess this is it. He stepped onto the slender but sturdy piece of black earth. He was at its end, looking outward. It was darkness as far as the eye could see, except for a faint sparkling in the distance; though he must have been imagining it, as a moment later, he blinked, and it was gone. So this is the end.

Danny ran his hand down his brother’s leather jacket. He tried to recall Zac’s bright smile when he gave it to him. He was always—Danny’s finger caught on something near the jacket’s pocket. He reached inside to find a small, poorly wrapped gift box. 

“Chop Chop Owens! I’ve got a game to get to.” Danny ignored the hefty man, there was nothing more he could do to him. 

He continued with his box. Carefully he took apart it’s wrappings and opened up a small case inside. It was a roughly polished copper locket. He could see clearly where it had been hammered and welded, Zac must have made it himself. Danny slid his thumb around the edge, clicking a small lever which unlatched the shiny brown lid. Inside was a folded piece of paper. Danny continued to tune out Chief’s roaring as he unfolded the piece thoughtfully inside his palm. 

It was an old photo. One of the family. Danny smiled and then noticed his father standing in the back, sporting his ridiculous smile. Danny wanted to be angry, he wanted to hate him. But suddenly he paused, and realized… exactly who the ridiculous one was. He had hated his father all this time for getting Voided for someone else’s sake. But now, he understood. He understood who his father was. And it made him smile, a stupid smile, a smile that shined bright despite the depressing, horrible situation he was in. 

And then he jumped.