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writing_shadows2010-10-31 06:09 pm
lslaw.livejournal.com) wrote in writing_shadows2010-10-31 06:09 pm
Entry tags:
Afterlife - November challenge
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mistress_fran and apologies for anyone else whose characters I have borrowed, abused and/or horribly killed.
She found him at the grave; he had been fairly certain that she would. She wasn't stupid, after all, and she'd always understood him better than the others. He felt her pain, her anger, and he pitied her, but he also sensed the others with her, the shotgun in her hands, and he heard the soft click of the hammer being drawn back.
He closed his eyes and lashed out, channeling the Puritan's rage against the modern world into their weapons.
"I h-hope I didn't hurt you," he said. He stood and turned to face Maggie Kemp as the pieces of shotgun fell from her hands. Mickey McLaughlin was staring at the remains of his pistol in disbelief, while Baz held a crowbar in his left hand, his right arm in a sling. "And I hope T-thomas and Duncan are recovering w-well. P-please convey my ap-pologies."
Baz hefted his crowbar; Solomon lifted his hand and the Puritan's sword was in his grasp, ephemeral matter becoming hard, cold steel. "Don't make me break the other arm," he warned, his stammer vanishing into certainty for a moment. "I've n-nothing against you; against any of you."
"And Ellis and Joe?" Maggie demanded.
Solomon stepped forward. "Joe k-killed me," he said softly. "I c-came back, so I w-wasn't going to m-make a fuss of it, but then... Ellis killed m-me again."
Maggie's face twisted in rage. "And Theresa!"
"The f-first time, I had a ch-choice. Come b-back or stay dead." His hand tightened on the hilt of the sword. "I c-came back for her and...
"The second t-time I died, no choice. I c-came back... b-but there was a p-price. D-death took her in my place."
Maggie snatched the crowbar from Baz and swung it at Solomon's head. He made no attempt to protect himself, but the blow glanced harmlessly off his Shroud. When she swung again, he caught her wrist. "I felt her die, M-mrs Kemp. I r-remember it as though it was m-my own. If I th-thought I'd st-stay dead this t-time, I'd let you kill m-me, g-gladly. But that would j-just kill someone else. M-maybe you. I w-won't do that to her m-memory."
"I'm sorry, Mrs Kemp." He released the sword back to the Puritan and withdrew from the Boneyard. "I won't see you again," he said. "And you won't see me."
He turned and he walked away from Rain's grave, never to return.
mistress_fran and apologies for anyone else whose characters I have borrowed, abused and/or horribly killed.She found him at the grave; he had been fairly certain that she would. She wasn't stupid, after all, and she'd always understood him better than the others. He felt her pain, her anger, and he pitied her, but he also sensed the others with her, the shotgun in her hands, and he heard the soft click of the hammer being drawn back.
He closed his eyes and lashed out, channeling the Puritan's rage against the modern world into their weapons.
"I h-hope I didn't hurt you," he said. He stood and turned to face Maggie Kemp as the pieces of shotgun fell from her hands. Mickey McLaughlin was staring at the remains of his pistol in disbelief, while Baz held a crowbar in his left hand, his right arm in a sling. "And I hope T-thomas and Duncan are recovering w-well. P-please convey my ap-pologies."
Baz hefted his crowbar; Solomon lifted his hand and the Puritan's sword was in his grasp, ephemeral matter becoming hard, cold steel. "Don't make me break the other arm," he warned, his stammer vanishing into certainty for a moment. "I've n-nothing against you; against any of you."
"And Ellis and Joe?" Maggie demanded.
Solomon stepped forward. "Joe k-killed me," he said softly. "I c-came back, so I w-wasn't going to m-make a fuss of it, but then... Ellis killed m-me again."
Maggie's face twisted in rage. "And Theresa!"
"The f-first time, I had a ch-choice. Come b-back or stay dead." His hand tightened on the hilt of the sword. "I c-came back for her and...
"The second t-time I died, no choice. I c-came back... b-but there was a p-price. D-death took her in my place."
Maggie snatched the crowbar from Baz and swung it at Solomon's head. He made no attempt to protect himself, but the blow glanced harmlessly off his Shroud. When she swung again, he caught her wrist. "I felt her die, M-mrs Kemp. I r-remember it as though it was m-my own. If I th-thought I'd st-stay dead this t-time, I'd let you kill m-me, g-gladly. But that would j-just kill someone else. M-maybe you. I w-won't do that to her m-memory."
"I'm sorry, Mrs Kemp." He released the sword back to the Puritan and withdrew from the Boneyard. "I won't see you again," he said. "And you won't see me."
He turned and he walked away from Rain's grave, never to return.