just breathe {cato} blitz

99

Ninety-nine looks up long enough to see someone he cares for standing in front of him. It's impossible to forget how close Hevy was to flunking out, but thankfully with a few encouraging words that never happened. Nobody wants to end up as a failure. Nobody wants to let people down.

That's all I have ever done.

When his words reach his ears, Ninety-nine takes a moment to repeat them a couple times. Sometimes being okay is impossible, but right now he has to be okay. Others are around watching, and he's sitting on the sidelines watching his dreams float by. He wants to hold a weapon. To fight. To do something amazing.

But he can't.

A heavy sigh leaves his chest, and his eyes drop to the floor; "Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking about things."





137 words

99

Explaining how hard it is watching people live out their dream while he put weapons on racks after they're used is difficult. Hevy is a good man, and he's right. Dwelling on the past won't get him anywhere, but Ninety-nine struggles with that realization. His brother succeeded without him, and maybe Hevy is a brother in his own way. A sorrowful grin spreads across his face as his eyes meets the eyes of the man standing beside him.

"Yeah, you're right." He sighs as the words really hit home. "Can't change the past. All we can do is learn from it." His words trail off as his voice lowers. "It's difficult, though, because my parents don't see that."

Eighteen years old, and he let them down, and it's the absolute worse feeling in the world.





136 words

99

Just take a step back and breathe and live in the moment. Sometimes that's all it takes to turn a crappy moment into something wonderful, but right now it's the last thing on his mind. All the mistakes. Everything. They're all crashing down, yet the words of Hevy echoes through his mind, and Ninety-nine stands still. Fighting isn't his strong point. He's just a scrawny kid that couldn't do anything, but his friend cares.

His heart is heavy and bleeding as a blackhole sucks the life out of him.

A life is always worth living, and dwelling on this, his mistakes, tears him apart.

"But how can I do that? I failed. I wanted to fight. I still want to fight. But I failed."

Failure.

That's all I am.





122 words

99

Hevy's question tears through his mind. It's something he never thought of, and it's almost foolish. Ninety-nine doesn't know how to properly fight. He doesn't know how to hold a weapon or how to slice people apart, yet it's something that's intriguing. The thought of teaching people, of lifting them up when they're down, of making them into better individuals is a terrifying thought, but maybe it's another dream worth chasing.

His eyes meet the eyes of his friend, and for a moment all the fear is gone. Maybe this is a new lease on life, and maybe it'll help him live his dream.

"I can try, but I don't know if anyone would follow me. I'm not good at fighting, but maybe I can try."

A smile spreads from ear to ear, and for the first time since this morning, all his worries are gone. As long as he's chasing his dream, nobody can hold him down.





158 words