Sean's Angel ll
Know Thy Enemy
By:
Hal
(Copyright 2006 - 2007 by the
Author)
Editors: Radio Rancher & Str8mayb
The following is a complete work
of fiction. Any resemblance to
characters and real life persons is completely coincidental.
The following story contains
violence and erotic homosexual situations
and content. If it is illegal for you to read this, please leave now. Please do
not copy or distribute this story without the author's permission.
Author reserves all rights to this story.
><><><><><
Chapter 2
- Author's note: Well now, where were we? (That's an
author's note?){He thinks so}
-
- From the previous chapter....
-
- "How did you know my name? What is your name?" Sean
fidgeted as he started to stand. The hardness of the ground made him feel
uncomfortable.
-
- "My name isn't important. Promise me, that you'll find
Tom for me?" The teen kept his gaze on the horizon.
-
- "If there is anything I can do, it will be done." Sean
made it to his feet, and brushed the dirt and grass off his pants.
-
- "That's all I can ask.... thank you Sean." The boy turned
to walk further into the field.
-
- "Hey! How bout your name? So when I find Tom, he knows
who to thank." Sean resisted the urge to walk after the boy.
-
- "When you find him, and he is safe and sound.... tell him
Ian misses him." As he mentioned his name, the boy faded into nothingness as
the first rays of sunshine made their way across the grassy field.
-
-
- Author's note continued: How can this kid disappear?
Well, if I tell you, it would ruin this chapter, and your chances at reading
Close to the Heart.
- Hmm, as the voices of all the characters argue over who
gets to go first, I am wondering where this chapter will lead. There is no
telling....
- Now, on to
- (Well that's more like
it){I'll say.}
-
- Chapter 02
-
- Sean stumbled backwards into the tree. He stared at the
spot where Ian had disappeared. He tried to blink the tears away, but lost
as the trickles of sadness ran down his face.
-
- `Do you know your goal now, Sean?' The ominous voice
whispered into Sean's ears.
-
- "Why? Why couldn't I tell he was a ghost?" Sean mumbled
out as the torrents of sorrow burst forth, causing his chest to convulse.
-
- `You are not that powerful yet. Given time, and training,
you might be. Now, you know what you must do.' The morning sunlight caressed
Sean's cheek as the words faded.
-
- Sean slid down the tree till he sat on the ground. He
covered his face as the tears flowed freely. The rising sun's warmth took
the chill off the dawn. He brought his legs up, and wrapped his arms around
them as he rested his forehead on his knees.
-
-
-
- Cecelia woke up at her normal time. Her body
automatically knew what time it was. Preparing breakfast for the boys was a
challenge which took time. She rolled out of bed and headed for her bathroom
to get ready.
-
- When she stepped out of the shower and started to dry
herself off, she felt like something was missing. Wiping the steam from the
mirror, she looked at her reflection and pondered. `What on earth is this
feeling? What could be wrong so early in the morning?'
-
- She finished dressing and was prepared to head down to
the kitchen, but a tugging at her soul made her stop at the top of the
stairs. She looked at the boys' bedrooms, when the memory of the previous
night's sleeping arrangements came back. The boys just had to sleep in
Sean's room. A smile brightened her face as she started her descent
downstairs.
-
- Something pulled at her as she hit the bottom step. She
looked towards the master bedroom, and shrugged her shoulders as she
wandered to the kitchen. Her mind was set on the coffee maker, and the
caffeine that her body craved. She rinsed out the carafe and poured in fresh
water. Something taunted her instincts as she leaned up against the counter
and waited for the brewer to finish. An empty coffee cup sitting on the
table drew her attention away from the perking liquid.
-
- Cecelia walked over to the table and picked up the mug.
It was unusual for anyone to leave dishes around the kitchen, especially
since it was cleaned last night. She and Sean were the only ones that drank
coffee. A chill ran down her spine as her hands wrapped around the ceramic
vessel. A vision came to her as she looked at the ripples that formed in the
cold liquid.
-
- She slammed down the mug and hurried to the window that
faced the garage. The car was missing, and the immense door was still open.
-
- In a panic, she ran to Sean's bedroom and swung the door
open. It bounced off the wall with a loud thud. The boys didn't stir, but
Sean wasn't with them. Not wanting to panic, she walked over to the master
bath, and looked inside. She had to make sure.
-
- A tear ran down her cheek as she noticed it was empty.
Cecelia looked at the sleeping boys and covered her mouth to hinder the
whimper that was fighting to escape her lips.
-
- "My poor boys... what will they think when they wake up?"
Cecelia whispered as she crossed the room. She had to do something, and
quick.
-
- She closed the door behind her trying not to make any
more sounds. She had enough to deal with already, and hated to have the boys
stressed out as well. She didn't want to find out what those boys were fully
capable of if they woke up in a bad way.
-
- Cecelia ran back to the kitchen, and in a momentary lapse
of memory, forgot where the phone was. She looked around till her brain
kicked into gear. The wall seemed to be so far from where she stood. She
crossed the kitchen in record time and yanked the phone from its cradle. The
receiver kept slipping out of her grip as she tried to hold it.
-
- The third time it fell, it took all her strength not to
scream. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. The loud exhale snapped
her back into reality. Cecelia felt determined not to allow this to rule
her.
-
- She bent down, and picked up the phone again. Her
fingers, as if on instinct, knew what numbers to dial. Her mind was in chaos
as to who to call at this time of day.
-
- "Hello?" Marty answered the phone on the fourth ring. It
was too early for him, as he stifled a yawn.
-
- "Hello? Marty?" Cecelia's eyes opened wide when she
realized who it was.
-
- "Yes. Who is this?" Marty sat up in his bed. This was a
situation he needed to be alert for. A call this time of day was never good
news.
-
- "Marty! This is Cecelia..." Cecelia tried to catch her
breath and organize her thoughts.
-
- "Cecelia? What's going on? Is there something wrong?"
Marty was now standing. He thought he recognized her voice.
-
- "Sean's gone... and so is the car!" Cecelia failed at
restraining her emotions. They burst forth and tears began to run down her
face.
-
- "What!? What time did he leave? Was he alone? Is this
another one of his episodes?" Marty was doing the pants dance, trying to get
dressed while he was on the phone. His mind raced as the thought of Sean's
disappearance sank to his core.
-
- "I... I... I don't know? I ... we... we were all asleep, and when
I woke up this morning..." Cecelia couldn't hold the bad feelings at bay. She
cried as her body fell against the wall, and she slid down to the floor.
-
- "Cecelia! You still there?" Marty balanced himself on one
leg, as the sounds hit his ear.
-
- "Yes... barely." Cecelia whimpered out as she tried to
regain her breath.
-
- "Thank God. Are the boys awake? Do they know?" Marty
finished pulling up his pants, and began to put on a shirt.
-
- "No. They're still sleeping. What should I do?" Cecelia
was curled up into a ball. Her voice cracked when the thought of having to
tell the boys Sean was missing again.
-
- "Don't worry. Just go about your morning as if nothing
happened. Just leave it to me. If there is anyway of finding him fast, I'll
do it." Marty tried to sound sincere, but the doubts of finding Sean alive
crept into his subconscious.
-
- "Just how am I supposed to act like nothing is wrong? As
soon as the boys wake up they will know..." Cecelia's voice trembled as the
words came out. She didn't want to be the one to tell them anything was
wrong.
-
- "Have a cup of coffee or whatever, I'm already dressed. I
need to get off the phone now, and make a couple of calls. I'll let you know
the second I find anything out, okay?" Marty finished the last couple of
buttons on his shirt, as he held the phone in the crook of his neck.
-
- "Yeah, okay. Uh, the second you find anything, right?"
Cecelia picked herself up off the floor. She wiped away the tears when the
reality hit her. If the boys came in and found her crying on the floor, they
would automatically know.
-
- "The second after. I need to go now." Marty hated to do
it, but had to hang up on her.
-
- "Thanks Marty." Cecelia let out the captured air in her
lungs in a loud sigh.
-
- "Don't worry, we'll find him." Marty closed the
connection. He stared at his cell phone at how quick it was before another
situation arose.
-
- Cecelia's hands trembled as she placed the phone back.
The hiss of the brewer let her know that the pot was done. She wandered
across the kitchen to get her morning fix. She mixed her coffee until it
splashed over the sides of the mug. Surprised at her own clumsiness, she
grabbed a towel and cleaned up the mess.
-
- Cecelia picked up her cup like it was made of eggshells,
and made her way to the table. She placed her coffee down, like it was the
last one on the planet. Her moves were delicate and meticulous as she sat
down. Her fingers wrapped around the ceramic container, like it was a
treasure. She stared at the liquid inside, till the steam stopped rising.
-
- "What'll I ever tell the boys?" The realization that her
drink had gone cold didn't register until it hit her lips. Cecelia almost
spit it out in disgust.
-
- "Now I need to get out of this stupor... and get some hot
coffee." Cecelia took another gulp. She stood up and went back to the
counter. She was going to dump her cold drink, but instead lifted the mug to
her lips for another drink.
-
- "Hmm, I wonder... how this would taste chilled?" Cecelia
thought out loud. The taste of the cold sweetened caffeine excited her taste
buds. Without further thinking, she turned towards the fridge. A couple of
dispensed ice cubes were added to her cup.
-
- "I think I've found my morning drink..." She snickered to
herself, and then went to figure out what to do for breakfast.
-
- Marty stared at his phone. He knew what he had to do, but
hesitated. He pushed the numbers as if he was getting shocked from the
buttons.
-
- "Come on, answer, damn it!" The frustration was more than
evident in Marty's voice.
-
- "*Yawn*, McCabe Enterprises, Security Division." Gordon
hated his cell phone, especially when it was just after sunrise.
-
- "Well... it's about time." The icy tone of Marty's voice
oozed with contempt.
-
- "Good morning to you too Marty." Gordon took a moment and
looked at his caller id.
-
- "You better be ready, on a moments notice, remember?"
Marty had his business tone, and made sure that Gordon would not miss it.
-
- "Yes sir. How may I be of service?" Gordon jumped out of
bed. This had to be a serious situation for Marty to call directly.
-
- "It's Sean... again." Marty's voice failed him. He was
worried, and it came out in his silence.
-
- "What?! What happened, give me the details." Gordon
attempted to dress himself with one hand.
-
- "Sometime, in the middle of the night, I can only guess.
He took the car out of the garage. At least that's what we can guess so far.
He hasn't called or shown back at home yet." Marty sat on his bed, and put
his shoes on.
-
- "Is that all? So, he hasn't gone off the deep end again?
Err, sorry, had an episode?" Gordon fell back on his bed. If this wasn't an
emergency, why bother?
-
- "You do know who this is right? And the boys? You have to
realize what they are capable of..." The forced tone came back into Marty's
voice. To him, this was a serious matter.
-
- "Sorry sir. Won't happen again. I will have the tracking
device activated within the minute." Gordon walked over to his computer and
sat down.
-
- "Well?" Marty was impatient. The tone of his voice
changed, to that of an ice queen.
-
- "I said with in the minute. It's early, give me a break."
Gordon had always hated Marty and his pushiness.
-
- "If something happens to him, because you didn't act fast
enough... I'll be sure to let the boys know it was your fault!" The door can
be heard as it slammed. Marty was in his car, and his temper had begun to
flare.
-
- "He is, or rather the car is, located on Highway 17, on
the outskirts of town. I think it's that area Dale abandoned working on."
Gordon spat out the details as fast as he could.
-
- "Meet me there, in 15 minutes. I'm already on my way."
Marty didn't want to waste any more precious time.
-
- "No problem. As soon as I get my shoes on, I'm out the
door." Gordon's words never made it through. The dial tone was all the
response he got back.
-
- Marty kept a close eye on the road. The last thing he
wanted was to get into an accident on the way there. He glanced at his
watch, still too early for much traffic. In that minor distraction, he
almost hit a pedestrian who had just entered the crosswalk.
-
- "Damn kid. What the hell was he thinking?" Marty slammed
his hands against the steering wheel after he almost ran over the boy.
-
- The young boy dropped his backpack as Marty swerved to
avoid hitting him. The young man was in a hurry as well, but to where?
-
- Marty realized that was too close a call. He had to pay
more attention. His mind raced at all the possibilities of the outcome.
`What if he was kidnapped, and being held for ransom? Or maybe, he had
another episode, and hurt himself? Maybe, he just decided to go out for a
drive, and got carjacked.' The visuals of those thoughts made Marty grip the
steering wheel tighter as his foot pressed down more.
-
- Marty made the last turn, before entering the long
stretch that led up to the field. He loosened his grip when the thought
`what if he just went out for a drive, to get out of the house?' assaulted
his brain. Marty pressed his foot to the floor, hitting 95 mph before he saw
Gordon's car.
-
- "Well, where is he?" Marty was talking and halfway out of
his car before the engine stopped turning.
-
- "I just got here. No sign of Sean, but the car hood is
still warm." Gordon walked up to Marty with his hand extended.
-
- Marty stopped in his tracks and put his hand up to shield
his eyes from the rising sun. He looked around the vast flat lands in search
of a person.
-
- Gordon knew a handshake was out of the question. He
rested his arm, and began to look as well.
-
- "Oh my God! Is that him?" Gordon raised his arm in the
general direction of the large tree.
-
- "Oh shit! Stay here, and get ready to call for an
ambulance." Marty was unsure and didn't want to find out. The prospect was
so-so, being that the figure they saw, was sitting up... barely.
-
- Gordon got his cell out, and was ready to act in the
blink of an eye. He watched as Marty crept out onto the field towards the
tree.
-
- "Sean. Sean! You alright?" Marty decided that being
stealthy wasn't worth the risk of surprising him. He knew what Sean was
capable of, and if he was unstable it posed a high risk.
-
- Gordon's sweaty palms lost their grip on the phone. He
almost dropped it, and fumbled with it while Marty called to Sean.
-
- Sean lifted his head, his blood shot eyes looked like
burning coal. He blinked his eyes as he tried to focus on who was talking to
him.
-
- "Sean? It's Marty... Are you okay?" Marty stopped a couple
of yards away, still unsure if this was the right thing to do.
-
- "Marty?" Sean tilted his head, and continued to blink.
-
- "Do you know where you're at? You disappeared last
night." Marty took another step forward.
-
- "Hmm." Sean noticed his surroundings. He felt the hard
tree behind him, and relished in the breeze as it caressed his skin.
-
- "Do you remember?" Marty's nerves were getting the best
of him. He wanted to know if this was Sean, or someone else.
-
- "After a long sleepless night, what should I remember?"
Sean tried to straighten his legs out, but sitting in his position for so
long, made it difficult.
-
- "Do you need some help?" Marty fidgeted. He still had
this unnatural fear of Sean.
-
- "It would be nice." Sean struggled to stand, but his legs
had gotten numb over time.
-
- "Is he okay?" Gordon hollered out. He noticed movement,
but didn't know if it was natural or not.
-
- "Yes, he is. Stay where you're at, I might need some
help." Marty motioned with his arm to remain there.
-
- "You guys were worried about me? That's nice." Sean
smiled from ear to ear, like the child that ate the last cookie.
-
- "Cecelia called me a bit ago. She was frantic..." Marty
closed the distance between them, and reached for Sean's hand. He wasn't
able to finish his sentence as the electrical discharge from Sean crawled up
his arm.
-
- "Marty?" Sean gripped onto the offered hand, unaware of
what was happening.
-
- "Wha.. what a..what are you.. doing to .. me?" Marty's
body went rigid as he tried to communicate through clenched teeth.
-
- "Holy sh..." Sean released his grip and looked at his hand.
There was the sound of static, and steam rose from his fingers.
-
- Marty's legs gave out from under him. He fell to the
grass as his eyes closed.
-
- "Gordon! Get your ass up here now!" Sean's voice cracked
as he tried to yell. His parched throat wasn't ready for such an audible
assault.
-
- "What the..." Gordon sprinted for his life. He watched from
the side of the road, but wasn't aware of anything unusual.
-
- "Marty... Marty?" Sean moved his body away from him the
best he could. His legs were starting to tingle as the sensation returned.
-
- "What the fuck? Marty comes up here to help you, and now
I have to help him?" Gordon couldn't believe his eyes.
-
- "Something... happened when he touched me. I'm not sure,
but I think he's okay." Sean looked away as he mumbled.
-
- "I think this is more than just `something'." Gordon
knelt down to check for a pulse.
-
- "He's alive, at least." Gordon kept an eye on Sean as he
stood back up.
-
- "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" Marty sat up and
looked around.
-
- "You okay? You were just..." Gordon watched as Marty stood
up.
-
- "I was just what? Why are you staring at me?" Marty's
voice sounded full of disgust.
-
- "Marty?" Sean looked at the man, who seconds ago, was
unconscious.
-
- "Yeah? Oh, sorry, here let me help you up." Marty reached
his hand out.
-
- Sean was reluctant to touch him again. He stared at the
figure in front of him.
-
- "Something wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Marty had a slight smile plastered on his face.
-
- "Matter of fact, I have." Sean gave in, and grabbed the
outstretched hand.
-
- "I know you have, I was just kidding." Marty helped Sean
stand up, and kept his hand firmly in his.
-
- Sean's eyes went from his hand, to Marty's face. There
was a sense of awareness about Marty, that wasn't there before.
-
- Marty's icy cold exterior had melted. There was a genuine
smile on his face, and warmth that he projected.
-
- "Sorry, I just didn't understand before. I do now
though." Marty pulled Sean into a hug.
-
- Sean's body was rigid. The thought of Marty embracing
him, was odd. There was more to that discharge than he thought.
-
- Gordon stood and watched them. He shook his head as he
turned to walk back to the cars.
-
- "Where do you think you're going?" Marty released his
grip on Sean, and directed his attention to Gordon.
-
- "I thought that everything was alright, and that I'd head
back home." Gordon's gaze went between the two men.
-
- "I see. I guess it'd be okay." Marty held his hand out to
shake.
-
- Gordon was reluctant. He could only guess what happened
to Marty when he touched Sean. He didn't want to be rude, so he took the
handshake. No sooner than when full skin contact happened, Gordon felt a
tingling run up his arm.
-
- "What the hell?" Gordon yanked his hand away as his skin
felt like it was crawling. He stood back and stared at his fingers.
-
- "Umm, you okay?" Sean couldn't believe his eyes, or other
senses. This was more than the usual weirdness he was getting accustomed to.
-
- "I think so... Sorry, guess I shouldn't just run off like
that." Gordon looked at Sean.
-
- "It's no problem. If you need to go, then go." Sean
examined Gordon's face. There was a difference in his eyes, like small
electrical discharges going off.
-
- "No, I guess we need to make sure you're good to go
first." Gordon tried to smile, but the sensations that ran through his body
made it difficult.
-
- "Well, I ..." Sean turned away from the men. He pondered
his thoughts as he looked across the barren field.
-
- "Sean?" Marty waited for his instructions. He knew his
day started early, but it was going to be filled with many new things.
-
- Gordon didn't want to find out what happened to Marty, or
when he was touched by him. He could feel it in his soul that things were
going to be different from now on.
-
- Sean put his hands behind his back as he stared at some
minuscule thing in the distance.
-
- "Gentlemen, this is what is going to happen..." Sean turned
and faced the two. His calm demeanor disappeared as a serious look came over
him.
-
-
-
- Cecelia was on her third iced coffee. She knew as soon as
the phone rang, or the boys woke up, her quiet time was over. It had been
some time since she called Marty, and had to trust her gut that things would
turn out.
-
- The smell of bacon wafted through the house, as she mixed
the final ingredients for pancakes. She remembered how her mother used to
make them like this, all by hand.
-
- She was busy mixing away, not paying attention to her
surroundings. She was oblivious to the eyes that watched her every movement.
-
- Cecelia turned towards the stove, the bacon was in need
of being turned. As she used the tongs to flip the cooking meat, something
out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned, and saw
nothing.
-
- Cecelia turned back to counter where the mixing bowl sat.
She dropped the utensil and screamed.
-
- "Sorry Granma. Didn't mean to scare ya." Brandon's
innocent look was being overworked. The smile on his face was a dead
giveaway.
-
- "How did you..." Cecelia clutched her chest like it would
help her heart from bursting from inside her.
-
- "How did I do what?" Brandon shrugged his shoulders like
he didn't have a clue.
-
- "How did you get in here? And where are your brothers?"
Cecelia looked around the kitchen expecting the twins to jump out and finish
the job of giving her a heart attack.
-
- "They're still sleeping." Brandon tried to peer around
her, to see what was being cooked.
-
- "Okay, but how did you get all the way in here, and not
make a sound?" Cecelia rested her hands on her hips, and gave him a stern
look.
-
- "What? Don't you think I can move on my own... sometimes?"
Brandon crossed his arms in defiance of the accusation.
-
- "Sorry hon. I just thought that you'd like some help
while you are kinda stuck to that chair is all." Cecelia went to Brandon and
gave him a hug.
-
- Brandon accepted the show of affection, and took the
opportunity to see what was for breakfast. The smile that was plastered on
his face was a sure sign he didn't answer with the whole truth.
-
- "Are you feeling okay sweetie?" Cecelia knelt in front of
Brandon and looked him in the eye.
-
- "Yup. Why?" The smell and the sight of the plate of
cooked bacon, made Brandon lick his lips.
-
- "Just asking... is all." Cecelia tried to keep a smile, but
her nerves were at their limits.
-
- "Did Dad come back yet?" Brandon looked around the
kitchen, as he changed the subject.
-
- "No... he hasn't. How did you?" Cecelia's jaw dropped at
the realization that he already knew.
-
- "Jacob and Amanda told me." Brandon turned his chair to
face her.
-
- "Oh? What did they tell you?" Cecelia's face started to
lose its color.
-
- "They said, that Dad was busy, and not to worry about
him. He'll be back soon." The drool from Brandon's mouth ran down the side
of his cheek.
-
- "Oh honey. He was gone when I woke up, and I didn't know
what to do..." Cecelia clutched her hands to her chest.
-
- "Don't worry Granma. Dad can take care of himself. And if
he can't, he has Jacob and Amanda to watch over him." Brandon wiped the
slobber off his face with his sleeve.
-
- "Oh. Okay, if you say so... I bet you're hungry, aren't
you?" Cecelia felt relief wash over her, the worst was out of the way.
-
- Brandon nodded his head while he licked his lips.
-
- Cecelia couldn't resist the angelic look on his face. She
turned around and grabbed a couple of pieces of cooked bacon, and gave it to
him.
-
- "Now, that's it till everything's done. Got it?" Cecelia
watched as he stuffed the crunchy delicacy in his mouth.
-
- "Mmm hmm." Brandon was chewing his food, and could only
grunt sounds.
-
- "Do you think you can help set the table?" Cecelia looked
around the kitchen, noticing how high up most of the dishes were.
-
- "Yes Granma. Member? Most of the dishes are still in the
washer." Brandon spun his wheelchair around and rolled over to the machine.
-
- "Okay then. Try to do what you can, while I finish up
breakfast. Your brothers should be out here soon enough." Cecelia turned to
take the last batch out of the pan, before they burned. After she placed
some more back in to cook, she grabbed the bowl of batter to make sure it
was mixed enough.
-
- While Cecelia stood at the stove and tended to the bacon,
and started the first batch of pancakes on the griddle, Brandon busied
himself with setting the table.
-
- Brandon was almost all set. The dishes had been left in
the washer, and the silverware drawer was low enough he could access it. All
he needed was a couple more juice glasses.
-
- "Morning Granma. Morning... Brandon!" Justin rounded the
corner into the kitchen, and witnessed glasses floating out of the cupboard.
-
- Cecelia, hearing Brandon's name, turned at the moment the
glasses started to careen to the floor.
-
- Justin glared at his brother as the shattering of glass
was louder than the crackle of cooking bacon.
-
- The sound of bare feet moving across the floor preceded
Jared as he appeared in the kitchen.
-
- "Is everyone alright?" Jared stood there in nothing but
his boxers, as his breath caught up to him.
-
- "Yes hon, I think everyone is okay." Cecelia did a double
take, to make sure no glass landed on Brandon. She noticed that Jared was
standing there, with no clothes on.
-
- "Oh, okay." Jared's face turned bright red, he felt
uncomfortable with Cecelia looking at him.
-
- "Bro, go get some clothes on, would ya?" Justin couldn't
help but point and snicker.
-
- Jared watched the faces as the smiles appeared.
-
- "I... I just wanted to make sure everyone was alright..."
Jared lowered his hands over his groin.
-
- "We're all fine hon. Go get dressed, breakfast is almost
done." Cecelia headed for the closet to get the broom and dustpan.
-
- Justin walked over to Brandon, to help move his chair out
of the way, and to double check on glass splinters.
-
- "You weren't supposed to see that." Brandon whispered as
Justin wiped away a few fragments.
-
- "It's cool. Just be more careful, k?" Justin winked at
his little brother and pulled the chair back away from the mess on the
floor.
-
- Cecelia had the broom and dustpan in her hands as she
approached the fragmented glass on the floor. She started sweeping before
arriving at the center of the mess, knowing that the shattered glass went
everywhere. Careful movements were taken to make sure the slivers wouldn't
get spread across the floor.
-
- "Justin, could you go put more pancakes on? It sure would
help out." Cecelia squinted at the floor as the bristles passed over the lip
of the dustpan.
-
- "Sure Granma. Anything to help out." Justin gave the
sight of impact a wide berth to make sure he wouldn't step on any glass.
-
- Cecelia gave the area one more go through. She didn't
want the boys to find any missed fragments the hard way. She stood there and
inspected the area, paying more attention to anything that glistened. Her
attention finally went to the cupboard where the glass had fallen from. She
looked from the glasses to Brandon, and back again. The distance between his
reach and the shelf was almost two feet.
-
- "Is breakfast done? I'm starving." Brandon began to whine
and rub his stomach.
-
- "Yes dear. It should be." Cecelia tilted her head as the
facts didn't add up. Brandon was about three feet sitting in his chair, his
arms gave him a reach of less than four and a half feet. The cupboard was
almost 5 feet from the floor, not including the distance the counter kept
you back...
-
- "Ouch!" Brandon found a missed piece of glass. It was
embedded into the wheel on his chair.
-
- "Oh dear." Cecelia turned her head and noticed that
Brandon was clutching his hand. An inch long cut on his palm changed her
attention.
-
- "Now what?" Jared walked back into the kitchen, dressed
this time.
-
- "Jared, go to bathroom and get the first aid kit please."
Cecelia knelt in front of Brandon and examined the cut.
-
- Jared turned around and raced to the bathroom. He was
back in less time that it took for Cecelia to grab a towel to cover up the
wound.
-
- Justin stayed by the stove, and watched the activities
across the table from him. He shook his head as he realized what Brandon had
done.
-
- "The only place, we didn't look." Justin turned around to
hide the grin that was plastered on his face.
-
- "Here Granma. What do you need?" Jared looked at the back
of Justin's head, and tried to figure out what he missed.
-
- Cecelia hurried to patch up the wound. She washed,
sterilized, and finally covered it with gauze.
-
- Brandon shook his head at Jared. He didn't want his
brothers to say anything.
-
- "How many should I make Granma?" Justin noticed the
exchanges between his brothers, and like Brandon, didn't want Cecelia to
catch on.
-
- "I think that might be enough to start off with. Can one
of you finish setting the table please?" Cecelia finished giving the bandage
the final approval, the cure all, grandmother kiss.
-
- "When is Dad coming back?" Jared asked between setting
plates down.
-
- "I... am not sure hon. He was gone when I woke up this
morning." Cecelia felt the room temperature rise a couple of degrees. She
hadn't thought about that question, since Brandon came into the room. Now
with all three boys, the pressure was on and she was felt trapped.
-
- "Bro, he'll be back, when he gets back. You need to wake
up." Justin grinned as he placed the silverware down as he followed him
around the table.
-
- "Yeah, Jacob and Amanda said he had some place to go."
Brandon felt relieved for all the distractions.
-
- "Marty is working on finding out where he went, and
promises the second that he finds out, he will call." Cecelia wasn't as
blind as the boys were hoping for. She caught the glances that they
exchanged.
-
- "Marty?" Justin whipped his head around to look at
Cecelia.
-
- "I didn't know what to do, so I called him. Woke the poor
bastard up early too." Cecelia let her smile grow.
-
- "Yeah, but Marty?" Justin looked at his brothers, and
shook his head.
-
- "And what is wrong with Marty?" Sean opened the door and
popped his head in.
-
- "DAD!" All three boys let their enthusiasm show, or at
least heard.
-
- "It's about time, Mister." Cecelia glared at Sean, but
the relief shown on her face.
-
- "Marty apologizes for not calling. But he had some
`matters' to take care of for me." Sean was surrounded by the boys, and they
were all hugging him.
-
- "And what are these matters? And how did you sneak into
the garage, without us hearing you?" Cecelia placed her hands on her hips.
This was unusual for the boys not to be able to sense his presence.
-
- "Matters that will keep him busy, for some time. And as
far as sneaking, there was no need. You were all busy chatting away. I could
tell there was tension in here before I even drove into the garage." Sean
looked at her in defiance.
-
- "I see how it's going to be." Cecelia rolled her eyes and
turned to get the last of the cooking done.
-
- "Now go wash your hands." She busied herself with getting
the platters ready to set on the table.
-
- "Dad, where were you?" Brandon asked as he scooted his
chair across the floor.
-
- "Yeah Dad. Jacob and Amanda said you had `things to do',
but wouldn't say about what?" Justin looked at Sean and tried to judge his
reaction.
-
- "Lets eat first, then we'll talk." Sean let the boys lead
the way to the bathroom.
-
- Jared walked up beside Sean and wrapped his arms around
him.
-
- "Did you miss me?" Sean wrapped an arm around him.
-
- "It's scary to wake up, and you not be here." Jared
looked into his eyes.
-
- "I'm sorry son. It was very important that I go somewhere
early this morning." Sean noticed the moisture building in the corners of
Jared's eyes.
-
- "But... no note, or even a call!" Jared turned away to hide
the tears.
-
- "Look at me son. If it were up to just me, I would never
have to leave you guys, ever. But there are things, that each one of us is
going to be called on to do. I'm sorry I didn't call. There was something
going on, that it couldn't be helped. Just remember, I will always love you
guys, and try my hardest to always be here for you. Okay?" Sean tightened
his arms around Jared.
-
- "I know. Jacob and Amanda said so... but I still missed
you." Jared was able to stop sniffling enough to speak.
-
- "And what else were those two up to?" Sean felt a
different energy around him as he looked at the boys.
-
- "Not much, I guess." Justin tried to mask his thoughts as
he shrugged his shoulders.
-
- "Is that true? Brandon?" Sean looked at him as Justin
helped wash his uninjured hand.
-
- "Huh?" Brandon gave his best innocent look as he
answered.
-
- "You seem to be the closest to those two. What else are
they up to?" Sean turned his body to face Brandon.
-
- "I dunno. Not much I guess..." Brandon enjoyed watching the
bubbles from the soap.
-
- "Do you want to talk about it?" Sean pointed to the hand
that wasn't being washed.
-
- "No." Brandon pulled his hand away from the water, as he
hid the other behind him.
-
- "I see. We better hurry up, before breakfast gets cold."
Sean stepped back and allowed Jared to go next.
-
- Cecelia had the platters set on the table when they
returned. The mountain of pancakes overshadowed the big plate of bacon and
sausage. It was a simple breakfast, but was balanced out by the sliced fruit
and juice.
-
- "Are you guys hungry?" Cecelia noticed the boys eyes, as
they nearly popped out their sockets.
-
- The nodding of heads made her hard work worth it. Not to
mention the ferocity with which they consumed the food. Once they were all
seated, the table was a flurry of activity.
-
- Not much was said, as all mouths were busy inhaling food.
Even Sean had a healthy appetite today.
-
- Cecelia grinned that the boys stomachs would never be
empty, or at least for very long. They enjoyed eating, as much as she did
cooking. It was a harmonious relationship.
-
- Sean stuffed the last piece of bacon that was on his
plate into his mouth. He was really hungry like his energy needed to be
topped off. He sniffed at the air, and looked towards the counter.
-
- "Yes, it's a fresh pot. If you wouldn't mind..." Cecelia
pointed to her cup that was still by the stove.
-
- "No problem. And my compliments to the chef." Sean gave
her a wink as he stood up.
-
- The boys watched Sean as he crossed the kitchen. He
picked up Cecelia's cup, then went to the cupboard and grabbed one for
himself. After he mixed his, he topped off Cecelia's. Without asking, he
went to the fridge and dropped a couple of ice cubes into hers.
-
- "How ... did you know?" Cecelia's jaw dropped when she
watched him.
-
- "I know lots of things." Sean grinned at her, and handed
her the now cooled down coffee.
-
- "Is there anything you don't know?" Cecelia lifted the
mug to her lips, and sipped at it.
-
- Sean reached into his pants pocket and produced the
charm. He moved his plate to the side and set the chunk of metal in front of
him.
-
- "I don't know who this belongs to." Sean drank from his
coffee as he thought about it.
-
- The boys exchanged glances. Justin and Jared stood up
together, and began to gather the dishes. Brandon had eaten more than
normal, and sat back and rubbed his tummy as if it would make the discomfort
go away.
-
- "Where did you find it?"
Cecelia craned her neck to get a better glimpse.
-
- "Out in the field, where we found Jared. I almost stepped
on it." Sean rested his chin on his hands as leaned forward and stared at
the object.
-
- A crash of dishes broke the awkward silence that
followed. Jared's mouth opened and closed, waiting for the sounds to catch
up.
-
- "Oh my God. I know who that belongs to!" Jared reached
for the pendant as his pulse began to race.
-
-
- To be continued...
-
- Authors note: Hmm, it's always interesting when I listen
to the characters, and write what they want. This chapter was fun, but I
have to ask myself, where this is going now. I guess only time will tell,
and only the next chapter will tell.
-
-
- Thank you to my editors for their help in making this
story into what it is today. Comments and criticisms are always welcome.
Please forward them to
old.weird.hal@gmail.com For those of you wishing to read ahead in the
story, you can find additional chapters at
http://www.tickiestories.us or
http://www.myspace.com/stories_by_hal or
http://crackerwriter.us/Main_Site.htm Thank you all and hope to hear
from you soon!