Alone? CR Drabble
OK WARNING! I've had a bad week so this is what I've come up with-a scary story. Shades of the 'Night' chapter here-reference to past abuse and nightmares. Skip if you want.
This one's for sienata coz I miss her and BFF. xox
Ennis was going to Chicago. It had to happen sooner or later. He'd missed out on conferences and workshops before as he didnt want to leave Jack but eventually he realised that is he wanted to progress and make partner at the Vets then he had to get out there and meet other people and see what was going on in the Big Wide World.
Jack managed ok the first 2 days as they were a Thursday and Friday. He worked all day, came home, sorted out the animals, then himself. Read or watched TV and waited for Ennis to phone. Went to bed with a dog or cat on the bed in place of Ennis. Not the same but better than nothing. On the saturday he went and saw Ennis' horse. Explained to her why she wouldnt get ridden that weekend, fed her, groomed her, talked about Ennis with her and generally kept her company for a while. He spent all afternoon outside in the river swimming or in their little boat trying to get the other 2 dogs used to it there way Brazos was. He was packing up at dusk when he heard the phone ring. Oars in hand and wetsuit still on he ran in the house to answer the telephone.
"Bet you 10 bucks you're dripping on the floor" Ennis said as soon as he answered. Jack laughed because of course it was true. He put the oars down and talked to Ennis whilst at the same time finding a towel and mopping up the trail he was leaving behind him. They had a nice long chat and Jack went to bed happy in the knowledge Ennis would be back the following evening.
He was woken in the night by Brazos growling. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he realised, somehow but unquestionably, that someone was in the house. The only thing to hand was a book and a mug but he grabbed them anyway and made his way slowly to the lounge. He could make out the silhouette of a man sitting on the couch.
"Jonathon Twist Junior" said a voice Jack recognised instantly and had hoped he'd never hear again, "I've found you at last".
Jack's legs buckled under him and the book and mug fell from his hand as his father rose from the couch and took steps towards him. Jack slid down the wall as his muscles turned to jelly.
"It's been so long but I have bided my time. This punishment is long overdue and who would even care now if this was the last one you ever got?" Sneered his father, now standing over him. Jack cowed underneath his glare and his bladder emptied immediately and obviously. His father had a satisfied grin on his face. Jack noticed he had one of the boat oars in his hand. Suddenly his dad was bent over his face inches from Jack's. "Same pathetic child I see" he sneered. Jack could smell the beer on his breath. Not the nice comforting beer smell of what Ennis sometimes drank that brought to mind barbeques and long summer nights, but the cheap, nasty, stale smell of drunk old man and mean hurtful words. Jack vomited involuntarily. He then gagged, once, twice, stomach twisted and heaving with fear.
"My God" his father exclaimed, "someone should have put you out of your misery a long time ago." At that moment Brazos came from nowhere and launched himself at the man, but Jack's father kicked out and there was a whimper and a thud. Jack retched but there was nothing more to come. His body had emptied itself as if it was giving up. He was terrified but frozen to the spot as if he somehow knew this day would come and he'd get what he was owed.
"I know what you are" his father said menacingly. "You put me away, you ruined my life but still people thought I would care what became of you. And Yes, I know what became of you" he continued with a look of disgust and pure evil. "You always were an embarassment. I'm going to finish you off and then wait for him and sort him out too. Show him what a worthless weak coward he's ruining his life with".
Jonathon Twist senior then smashed the bottle of beer he was holding. The sharp edges caught in a shaft of moonlight menacingly. "Bad boy" the man said, "Filthy, dirty faggot" and he raised the oar in one arm and the broken bottle in the other.
Everything went black.
-
Jack woke up, the taste of bile still in his mouth. He was back in his bed. Someone else was there, not an animal. "Ennis?" he asked desperately, hoping against hope.
"It's ok Jack, you're ok. Nightmare. You're ok. That was a really bad one, huh?". Jack could now focus and he saw Ennis looking on him with great concern. Jack's stomach heaved with relief.
Ennis was up and out of bed whilst Jack was still trying to work out what had happened. Ennis led Jack into the lounge switching on all the lights as he went. He eased Jack down onto the empty couch. "Brazos," Ennis commanded, "Go sit with Jack". Brazos got up immediately and went and sat on the couch next to Jack, poked his soft wet nose towards Jack's down-turned face. "Jack I'm just in the kitchen fixing some stuff, ok? You just sit there and take some deep breaths ok?" Ennis called out from the other room as he busied himself pulling out mugs and jars and boiling the kettle.
Jack sat like a statue for a few more minutes as Brazos continued to try and get his attention. The dog lifted his foreleg and pawed at Jack's chest, then stuck out his tongue and licked Jack's face. This made Jack blink and he realiesd he hadnt wet himself, and if he had thrown up, it hadnt made it out of his mouth.
Ennis walked into the lounge and found Jack hugging his dog and crying quietly into the shaggy fur. Ennis put down his mug of coffee and a chocolate milkshake for Jack complete with chocolate straw and cream. He sat down opposite Jack and put on the table between them a bowl packed high with scoops and scoops of all different flavours of ice cream in a rainbow of colours. It was piled high and covered in chocolate sauce and nuts. He held one of the two spoons out to Jack.
"You want to tell me about it Little Otter?" Ennis asked gently. Jack unburied his face from Brazos' fur, reached out for the spoon but did not let go of Ennis' hand. He nodded slowly.
Ennis took a spoonful of ice cream and waited patiently.
"You know Chicago?" Jack asked tentatively.
Ennis nodded. He'd agreed at work that day that he'd go on the 4 day conference in 3 months time.
"Can I come?" Jack asked.
Ennis blinked, surprised. "Course you're coming. You dont need to ask. I always assumed we'd go together. I'm sorting it with my sister. She'll come up for a long weekend, bring the kids. House sit. Pet sit."
"Good" Jack said, closing his eyes as if he was blocking out something painful.
"Oh baby" said Ennis, catching on. "Did you dream you were left behind?" He paused and one look at Jack and he knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "And something happened?" Another pause, no confirmation but it wasnt needed. "Oh Jack. You know I wouldnt do that. You know that dont you?"
Jack nodded.
"I will never, EVER, ever leave you Jack".
This one's for sienata coz I miss her and BFF. xox
Ennis was going to Chicago. It had to happen sooner or later. He'd missed out on conferences and workshops before as he didnt want to leave Jack but eventually he realised that is he wanted to progress and make partner at the Vets then he had to get out there and meet other people and see what was going on in the Big Wide World.
Jack managed ok the first 2 days as they were a Thursday and Friday. He worked all day, came home, sorted out the animals, then himself. Read or watched TV and waited for Ennis to phone. Went to bed with a dog or cat on the bed in place of Ennis. Not the same but better than nothing. On the saturday he went and saw Ennis' horse. Explained to her why she wouldnt get ridden that weekend, fed her, groomed her, talked about Ennis with her and generally kept her company for a while. He spent all afternoon outside in the river swimming or in their little boat trying to get the other 2 dogs used to it there way Brazos was. He was packing up at dusk when he heard the phone ring. Oars in hand and wetsuit still on he ran in the house to answer the telephone.
"Bet you 10 bucks you're dripping on the floor" Ennis said as soon as he answered. Jack laughed because of course it was true. He put the oars down and talked to Ennis whilst at the same time finding a towel and mopping up the trail he was leaving behind him. They had a nice long chat and Jack went to bed happy in the knowledge Ennis would be back the following evening.
He was woken in the night by Brazos growling. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he realised, somehow but unquestionably, that someone was in the house. The only thing to hand was a book and a mug but he grabbed them anyway and made his way slowly to the lounge. He could make out the silhouette of a man sitting on the couch.
"Jonathon Twist Junior" said a voice Jack recognised instantly and had hoped he'd never hear again, "I've found you at last".
Jack's legs buckled under him and the book and mug fell from his hand as his father rose from the couch and took steps towards him. Jack slid down the wall as his muscles turned to jelly.
"It's been so long but I have bided my time. This punishment is long overdue and who would even care now if this was the last one you ever got?" Sneered his father, now standing over him. Jack cowed underneath his glare and his bladder emptied immediately and obviously. His father had a satisfied grin on his face. Jack noticed he had one of the boat oars in his hand. Suddenly his dad was bent over his face inches from Jack's. "Same pathetic child I see" he sneered. Jack could smell the beer on his breath. Not the nice comforting beer smell of what Ennis sometimes drank that brought to mind barbeques and long summer nights, but the cheap, nasty, stale smell of drunk old man and mean hurtful words. Jack vomited involuntarily. He then gagged, once, twice, stomach twisted and heaving with fear.
"My God" his father exclaimed, "someone should have put you out of your misery a long time ago." At that moment Brazos came from nowhere and launched himself at the man, but Jack's father kicked out and there was a whimper and a thud. Jack retched but there was nothing more to come. His body had emptied itself as if it was giving up. He was terrified but frozen to the spot as if he somehow knew this day would come and he'd get what he was owed.
"I know what you are" his father said menacingly. "You put me away, you ruined my life but still people thought I would care what became of you. And Yes, I know what became of you" he continued with a look of disgust and pure evil. "You always were an embarassment. I'm going to finish you off and then wait for him and sort him out too. Show him what a worthless weak coward he's ruining his life with".
Jonathon Twist senior then smashed the bottle of beer he was holding. The sharp edges caught in a shaft of moonlight menacingly. "Bad boy" the man said, "Filthy, dirty faggot" and he raised the oar in one arm and the broken bottle in the other.
Everything went black.
-
Jack woke up, the taste of bile still in his mouth. He was back in his bed. Someone else was there, not an animal. "Ennis?" he asked desperately, hoping against hope.
"It's ok Jack, you're ok. Nightmare. You're ok. That was a really bad one, huh?". Jack could now focus and he saw Ennis looking on him with great concern. Jack's stomach heaved with relief.
Ennis was up and out of bed whilst Jack was still trying to work out what had happened. Ennis led Jack into the lounge switching on all the lights as he went. He eased Jack down onto the empty couch. "Brazos," Ennis commanded, "Go sit with Jack". Brazos got up immediately and went and sat on the couch next to Jack, poked his soft wet nose towards Jack's down-turned face. "Jack I'm just in the kitchen fixing some stuff, ok? You just sit there and take some deep breaths ok?" Ennis called out from the other room as he busied himself pulling out mugs and jars and boiling the kettle.
Jack sat like a statue for a few more minutes as Brazos continued to try and get his attention. The dog lifted his foreleg and pawed at Jack's chest, then stuck out his tongue and licked Jack's face. This made Jack blink and he realiesd he hadnt wet himself, and if he had thrown up, it hadnt made it out of his mouth.
Ennis walked into the lounge and found Jack hugging his dog and crying quietly into the shaggy fur. Ennis put down his mug of coffee and a chocolate milkshake for Jack complete with chocolate straw and cream. He sat down opposite Jack and put on the table between them a bowl packed high with scoops and scoops of all different flavours of ice cream in a rainbow of colours. It was piled high and covered in chocolate sauce and nuts. He held one of the two spoons out to Jack.
"You want to tell me about it Little Otter?" Ennis asked gently. Jack unburied his face from Brazos' fur, reached out for the spoon but did not let go of Ennis' hand. He nodded slowly.
Ennis took a spoonful of ice cream and waited patiently.
"You know Chicago?" Jack asked tentatively.
Ennis nodded. He'd agreed at work that day that he'd go on the 4 day conference in 3 months time.
"Can I come?" Jack asked.
Ennis blinked, surprised. "Course you're coming. You dont need to ask. I always assumed we'd go together. I'm sorting it with my sister. She'll come up for a long weekend, bring the kids. House sit. Pet sit."
"Good" Jack said, closing his eyes as if he was blocking out something painful.
"Oh baby" said Ennis, catching on. "Did you dream you were left behind?" He paused and one look at Jack and he knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "And something happened?" Another pause, no confirmation but it wasnt needed. "Oh Jack. You know I wouldnt do that. You know that dont you?"
Jack nodded.
"I will never, EVER, ever leave you Jack".