Kristin

          The will to prevent a younger brother from having any kind of luck was a powerful force: one that had it's grimy little hands wrapped around Fredericks throat from they day he heard young Ben's bornig cry. And it had a death grip on Frederick's little spiderman nighties with it's sharp tallons. Like some psychopathic form of schadenfruede; Frederick would rather die than see Ben happy, sucessful, and independent. Frederick would not admit it, but the cause of his irrationality was, in fact, jealousy. It consumed him.
       When Ben was just the size of a bread loaf Frederick crept into the nursury and found Ben happily playing with the zoo themed mobile above his crib. Within a few minutes Frederick switched a few lions and elephants out for some broken glass and barb wire before slinking away into the night. It would not do Frederick justice to say that he wanted Ben dead, but just that he wished he wasn't there, or at least that he would be a true and utter failure to his brother's amusement.
       Near his first birthday, Ben's first word was "bitch" thanks to Frederick. Doctors found twelve lego pieces up his nose thanks to Frederick. At three he could smoke cigars thanks to Frederick. And when he first learned to ride a bike he broke his collar bone thanks to Frederick. But however hard dear Freddie tried to be rid of his younger brother he never quite succeeded. In an attempt to leave Ben at a convenience store Frederick was conned into buying window washing fluid and forgot about the whole thing. Freddie was very forgetful. In fact, when he tried to broil Ben like a thanksgiving ham he forgot to turn the oven on and when his parents came home he had to make up an interesting story about a game of hide and seek.
         Over the years Ben matured and the homacide attempts grew more and more intracate until one day. The family was gathered around the Thanksgiving table, enjoy eachother's company and myrth when Ben held up a piece of the turkey. "This," he said, "is the wishbone. It is the most philosophical bit of the turkey, determining triumph and defeat. Won't you share it with me Frederick?"
        So both of them grasped a root of the wish bone and stared into the other's unwavering eyes. But before either could count to three and break the bone which would shape destiny, turn fate, and judge the luck and mortality for each...