The First Three Rules Read Online Free PDF

his brother from hurting himself. Trying to keep Rudy from hurting him.
    His mother had made caring for Rudy look so easy. After their parents died it became clear Rudy would never be able to function on his own.
    When he was younger Ellis had worked hard to keep his brother presentable and under control in public. If they drew the wrong kind of attention he would have wound up in foster care and Rudy in a home. And Ellis couldn’t let that happen.
    Rudy was his brother.
    His responsibility.
    His burden.
    But it didn’t stop Ellis from longing for the life he’d lost. The friends he never had. The impossible opportunities he would never get a chance to experience.
    The sound of Rudy humming kept Ellis company while he scraped the oatmeal off the floor and moved the microwave to the back porch.
    With the mess cleaned up a different kind of dread filled Ellis, because he needed another microwave. Trips into town were always potential disasters. Rudy couldn’t seem to understand most people didn’t want to be his friend. There were a few locals who were nice to him but the majority acted like his mental disability was a contagious disease. So Ellis never went out unless he had to.
    Unfortunately, today he had to.
    Rudy huddled on the couch in the living room shrouded in his comforter. A smear of drying oatmeal made a tan spot on the blanket.
    Ellis sat beside him. “Promise me you won’t do that again.”
    Rudy looked at the floor. “I was just trying to make breakfast. I had to make breakfast because I want you to be happy.”
    “I know, and I appreciate that. But you could have gotten hurt.”
    “Three sixes. I put it on three sixes because it had to cook.”
    “Please Rudy, promise me.”
    “And the bowls wouldn’t fit. So I put it all in one bowl.”
    Ellis massaged his forehead, but the pain wouldn’t stop. “Rudy, look at me.” When he didn’t Ellis took his brother by the chin. His bottom lip trembled. “Promise me, you will never touch the microwave again.”
    “Never?”
    “Never.”
    “But how am I going to make you oatmeal?”
    “I’ll make the oatmeal. Now promise me.”
    “I promise.” He tried to look away but Ellis forced his head back up.
    “Repeat after me. I will not touch the microwave. I will not put things in the microwave.” Rudy did. “Now say it again.” He did. “Good.”
    “Are you mad at me?”
    “Scared, not mad.”
    Rudy nodded. “Can I give you a present?”
    “As long as it isn’t more oatmeal.”
    “It’s not. I promise.” Rudy took a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. “I drew this for you after we came home from the post office. I wanted to give it to you then, but I had to wait, so you could help me write his name. I was going to ask you while we ate oatmeal. But now there’s no oatmeal.”
    Ellis smoothed out the wrinkles. Three stick figures held hands under a smiling sun. Crooked letters spelled out their names under two of them..
    “Who’s this?” Ellis pointed to the stick figure left blank.
    “That’s Jon.”
    “Jon?”
    “Yeah.”
    “How can that be Jon? We went to the post last week and we didn’t meet him until yesterday.”
    “I know. That’s why I didn’t know his name.”
    ********
    Jon pushed himself up on an elbow and waited for the numbness to drain out of his arm. The throbbing in his shoulder was echoed in his hips.
    It took two tries for him to get to his feet.
    When he picked up the gun the self loathing voice and the image of his brother in the barn never came. Neither did the screams from the warehouse.
    There was only Ellis.
    He returned the .38 to the side table. Then the phone rang.
    Jon could count on one hand the people who would call earlier than the sun could rise and he’d still have four fingers left over. He answered the phone.
    “Jon?”
    “Bored, Mike?” Jon cringed at the sound of his own voice.
    “I haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine.”
    “Then why