Research Paper on Fictional Genre

Introduction

This paper seeks to demonstrate a fictional genre. It's a short story that keenly looks into the life of fictional characters, John and his younger brother. By the use of imagery and all figures of speech, it intends to narrate the journey the two brothers have gone through, the troubles that befall them and finally have a resolution.

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John was awoken from his deep sleep by the loud stinging sound of the alarm clock. His eyes fluttered reluctantly as he gazed lazily at the blank wall of his room. He immediately pushed his blankets to the ground, and feebly walked to the slightly open window. The sun was already up like a baby and was already painting the earlier dark sky into a lively beautiful blue sky. He could feel the cool morning breeze rubbing away sleep from his heavy eyes. This was starting to feel like it was going to be the best day ever. Hazy from waking up, he blankly stared at the grass on his porch as if his life depended on it. Fresh droplets of dew attached to the tips of the little grass were visible from a distance.

Feeling much awake, he picked up his blankets and neatly spread them on his bed. Today was his laundry day, and thus everything had to be set. He then bent over to reach two pairs of socks he had thrown under the bed. After he had put all his dirty clothes in the laundry basket, he picked up his towel, and hurriedly rushed to the shower. No sooner had John opened the stained old shower doors than he heard a loud knock on his front door. From the intensity of the knock, he was almost sure something was not okay.

He ran down the rough wooden stairs to the front door and less than twenty seconds later flung the front door open. To his utter surprise, there was no one at the doorstep. He could feel a rush of fury gushing through his body by now as he headed back upstairs, but he decided he was not going to let anything destroy his already optimistic day. Moreover, kids throwing stones while playing was becoming a common thing in this neighborhood to since school had just closed. John went upstairs again and checked in Mark's room, but there was no one there. "Where are you?" John mumbled to himself as cold chills of sudden worry ran down his stomach.

Mark was John's younger brother. He was three years younger than John though his physique made him look older than John. Both had been born in Seattle by their parents Martin Cliff and Mary Cliff. Later, when John joined College school, their father succumbed to colon cancer in the hospital, leaving them with only their mother to depend on. Mary, their mother, worked in a local restaurant as a caterer. The job was not constant, and in most cases, the pay was meager to cater for the education and daily needs for her sons. She later got another job at Bright Sounds Enterprises as a caretaker but was involved in an accident which eventually led to her death.

With no one left to fend for them, their lives came down crashing. Despite his enthusiasm, John's education came to a standstill as he could not raise the tuition fee. Luckily, he was offered a job as a home caretaker for one of their neighbors through which he was able to pay for his College Education. Mark, on the other hand, had totally lost every ambition in life. To reduce stress, he started using alcohol and smoking. What began as a joke later escalated into an enormous addiction. John put all his efforts to help out his brother to no avail. It all fell on deaf ears. He soon started arriving home late, drunk, and beaten up. His health deteriorated to the point of no recognition, but still, he wasn't going to heed to any advice. Today was worse since he hadn't slept at home.

With his heart pounding mightily against his chest cavity, John flew down the stairs into the kitchen, but Mark was not there either. Suddenly, he heard another knock on the back door, this time even louder. From where he was standing, he could see a figure of a person. He then dropped his towel and cautiously towards and opened the door. On the doorstep was a skimpily dressed older man. He had kinky white hair that had dusty edges. One of his two eyes was a bit swollen maybe from a bee sting.

"Hello, are you, John Cliff?" asked the old man in a raspy voice. "Yes, sir, that's me. How can I help you this morning?" John asked with a curious look. "I don't need your help, son, your brother does need it more," the man answered in a relatively raised voice. "Hurry up and get to Mrs. Lucy's." added the man as he turned to walk away. His tone was very disrespectful, and it was apparent that he didn't and wasn't going to like John soon.

This last statement triggered John's remembrance of 4 days ago. Mark had been caught at Mrs. Lucy's, one of their neighbors, trying to break in through the window next to the backdoor. Mrs. Lucy had been very lenient with Mark, given that he had had too much to drink. She had worked for the Revival Church as a cook for over two decades now and was considering retirement. The last thing she needed was a thief to loot he few hard earned assets.

John could feel his muscles trembling and stomach twitching in fear. He had had many shocking incidences involving his little brother, but none ever surely felt like this. He immediately shot back to his bedroom, flew open his dusty feeble wardrobe doors, and put on his grey pair of trousers and a bright red shirt. He then raced across the living room, still trying to button up his shirt and picking his key which lay on the wooden chair next to the door, he flung himself out of the house.

As he headed towards Mrs. Lucy's', which was barely two blocks away, rhetorical questions crossed Johns mind. He had gone through so much in trying to fix up his brother, who was adamant about changing. However, he still loved Mark too much to imagine him in trouble.

From far, John could see a crowd at the junction close to Mrs. Lucy's gate. His hear by now was throbbed like the loud drums against his ribcage. As he approached, the air started getting colder, and everyone he met suddenly went silent and averted his look. Something has gone amiss, and he was just about to find out what. John apprehensively walked to the center of the crowd, which was by now dead silent as is waiting for him to address them.

"I am not coming down, am going to jump. Poohahaha, I want to fly high, so high like an eagle", said a very familiar voice from the top of a pine tree on the roadside next to Mrs. Lucy's. What John saw made him shudder to his core. His brother Mark was lying on a branch of the twenty meters tall pine tree. From where he was standing, he could note that his brother was not sober at all. For once in his life, John felt in depth the weight his parents had left on him. He had been told by his mom always to have faith but seeing his little brother atop that tree threatening to jump off tore his soul incredibly.

"Mark!!! What do you think you're doing?" asked John. "Hello brother, I need my stash back or else am going to jump. The bartender stole it from me yesterday,", replied Mark in a rather stern voice. John was now slowly recovering from the shock, and he could now make out the large wound on his brother's forehead. There also seemed to be clotted blood on his hair. Clearly, his brother had received a rough beating or had fallen accidentally. He suddenly pitied Mark. No one should have to go through this kind of slavery. Tears of grief cascaded down his cheeks, making it hard for him to see.

"Why do you do this to me, Mark? Didn't you say you'd start trying to be better? Why put me through all this pain and shame. I beg you brother; please come down now", pleaded John

"I am sorry for all the shame I put you through. I will end your misery now," said Mark unapologetically with much fury. With that said, Mark made a swift move to a nearby branch. Everyone gasped as John cried his eyes out, calling out for his brother to stay still. Mark missed a step, and he came tumbling down with his legs, touching the ground first. Women screamed men rushed, trying to save him while John froze.

The whole place was full of confusion. Mark lay motionless and unconscious in a pool of blood, and no one could tell if he was dead or alive. The sound of the ambulance broke the chaos, and Mark was given first aid and rushed to the hospital. He was unresponsive the whole time. John stayed by his side, crying and calling out to him to fight for his life. Everything seemed to be in a blur. On arrival at the hospital, Mark was taken to the emergency unit where, after several tests, the doctor reported that he had suffered broken bones and a severe concussion.

In no time, Mark went into a coma which lasted for two months, with him being completely unresponsive and the only part of him that gave John some hope was the faint heartbeat. When Mark got out of the coma, he couldn't remember anything that had happened. Almost his entire body was in bandages. Indeed, he was lucky to be alive. He wept bitterly as the whole ordeal was unfolded to him. He swore never to drink alcohol again, but John had heard those promises before.

He enrolled Mark in a rehabilitation center which he joined three months later after undergoing a thorough recovery process including tough physiotherapy. Throughout Rehab, Mark learned that expressing pain through self-destructing ways is as good as self-induced pain which is way worse and affects the loved ones more. He took part in community service, open discussions, and charity work. His near to death experience made him turn his life around. Now, he is celebrating five years of sobriety with his brother at his side, happy and content.