Writing Prompts (Week 1) - Steel Tension

_{This is a story based on @themarkymark's week 1 writing prompt, tension. You can find the week 1 writing prompt here. The prize pool is currently 42 Steem. I hope a few of you will decide to try your hand at it.}

There was always tension between me and my brother. When we were little, he was just that little kid always following me around. I often took him for granted. He was a bit of a pain. It's not like I didn't like him though. At least not at first.

He'd follow me around all the time. He wouldn't let me go anywhere without him. It was a real pain in the ass. I couldn't have any fun with my friends without him hanging around. I remember quite a few times trying to ditch him. Sometimes it wasn't in the best of places. I claimed it wasn't my fault that he couldn't keep up. I knew better though.

Then the next thing I knew, I was in high school, then college. He ended up tagging along then too. At first I was alone for a bit, but then he actually managed to skip a few grades and start early in my high school, then even in my college. By college he was only a year behind.

He was always that annoying little brother chasing after me. He ended up following me to high school then college, then even getting a job at the same corporation that I did. Then he ended up staying with me.

I could never get away from him. I could never be on my own.

Then something strange happened. He surpassed me.

One day he was starting a lowly position at the same company that I worked at, then the next thing I knew, he was getting a raise, then another. We ended up moving into a nicer place because we were both earning more. I suggested getting our own places, but he wanted to keep living together. He was always at my side.

He wasn't my "little" brother anymore though. He'd occasionally bring home girls. He started dating one. It felt like he was surpassing me in that too. I had a few girlfriends, sure, but his current one seemed so much more serious. Any day now he would probably ask her to marry him, and then he'd finally be out on his own.

Then something happened I never expected. He got another raise. He was my boss now. Not only my boss, but many people's. He was at a major position in the company. My kid brother still lived with me in a two bedroom apartment, and he was practically running a company where I worked. There was still the owner and the CEO, but he did most of the daily operations.

I should have noticed the troubles he was shouldering. I should have, but I didn't. I should have noticed something was wrong when he was no longer in sight. He was just a little boy lost in the woods, but I didn't notice because I was too busy trying to go out on my own.

It turned out that the girl that he thought he was in love with was going out on her own too. I just wanted some time alone...but she didn't consider his feeling at all.

Who am I kidding? I never did either.

She broke his heart though. He never even told me. She kept coming around for a while, then only a few days ago, she was gone. He knew about her affairs, but he still loved her. It was too much for him eventually though.

All the while, something was happening at the company that no one knew anything about, except those that were culpable.

It turns out that the reason my brother ended up in his position is that the former one holding the position practically ran the company into the ground. He lied and falsified reports, and the CEO was asleep on the job. He probably wouldn't have noticed even if the reports had been fully accurate. He spent most of his days on the golf course. His time in the office was mostly just signing papers without even reading them.

My little brother was in fact being groomed for that very position.

But it was too much.

He had the weight of the entire company on his shoulders and he was still just my kid brother, always trying to be at my side.

Funny, the other day he had just asked me about moving into a nicer place. He showed me pictures of what looked lime a million dollar condo. Hard wood floors. Granite counter-tops. A marble shower. I asked why we needed such a place, and if we can even afford it. He said he didn't know, but yeah, he could afford it.

I ended up just wondering how he could afford such a place and just how much they were paying him. What I should have been wondering is why he felt like he needed such a place. He was never the type of person to spend money like that. What I should have realized is that it was just a desperate attempt to feel like it was all worth it, so he could keep going. He should have known that a fancy apartment wasn't going to do much for him. Just a nicer place for him to come home and read or get on the computer. What he really needed was help.

I didn't see that my brother needed me, because I was too busy trying to run away.

So that's what brought us to here.

The tension between us had become quite literal.

Now, just a taught steel cable was between us.

You see, my brother felt like it was all too much. He couldn't see a way out for the company, and it was all on his shoulders. He felt like he couldn't do anything.

I didn't see any of it. He only told me while he was standing on the ledge. Trying to talk him off of it was useless. He just walked off.

But then, something must have changed. As he was falling, he must have had a change of heart. His survival instinct kicked in at the last moment. He grabbed one of the cables for the window washing platform. Except it wasn't able to hold up to the sudden weight. The mount on the roof broke. I was only able to grab the cable at the last moment.

Now, my brother is finally trying to leave me, and it's everything I can do to hold on.

_{Image by makamuki0 Nov. 5, 2014 CC0 (source)}

_{I had planned on editing this after I was done...there were a few parts that I wasn't really happy with...but I kinda like it as a freewrite. It has a raw appeal. If that means I don't win, oh well. Though I dunno if I could have edited it to winning quality anyway, if that was the case.}