The First Kill
Title- The First Kill
Characters- Theodore, Jimmy
Warning- Dead animal-ness
Drabble.
The first time Theodore ever killed was an accident. He’d been racing bikes with his cousin Jimmy, and not watching where he was going. When he turned his head, it was just in time to see the baby kitten and his wheel rushing toward it. He heard the wheel crushing the kitten’s ribs, cracking wetly underneath him.
The bike tipped over and Theodore spilled onto the road, skinning his knee and his cheek. His head slid on the pavement, stopping just in front of the baby cat that stared blankly at him.
Jimmy was next to him in a second, telling him it wasn’t his fault and trying to make sure he was okay. Theodore stared at the cat with wide eyes while Jimmy reassured him. To Jimmy, the look on his cousin’s face said he felt bad and couldn’t believe he’d just killed a kitten. The brain inside Theodore’s head said he felt sore, but wonderful at the same time from the fall, and that the way the blood and guts spattered around the small furry body lying in the road sure was beautiful.
“Theo! Are you okay? Oh my god!!” Jimmy threw his bike down in the middle of the road and ran to Theodore’s side, kneeling next to him and helping him sit up.
Theodore didn’t answer, just stared at the dead kitten and the way the beautiful shades of red swam when he sat up. He put a hand to the side of his head and pulled it away bloody. It was hot outside and the dry air smelled like blood, dust, and tar.
Jimmy looked around to see if any of the neighbors were outside and could help him move his younger cousin into his house. “Don’t worry, Theo. That kitten came out of nowhere… it’s not your fault, you couldn’t see him! I didn’t see him either, until it was too late….”
Theodore looked up at his cousin and saw three of him. “Jimmy, Can you go get your daddy? I dun’t think I c’n walk just yet.” Jimmy nodded and ran for his house to get help for his 13 year old cousin.
Theodore watched Jimmy run home until his head couldn’t take it anymore and turned itself to look at the kitten. “I’m sorry, kitty.” Theodore’s eyes shone with his unshed tears as he cocked his head to the side, squinting at the cat as if trying to make sense of why it wouldn’t get up. “You look pretty, though…like art.”
Theodore reach a pale hand toward the mess and gently touched it, petting its fur lightly and not noticing the squishiness of the blood congealing in the hot Alabama sun.
When he saw his uncle and cousin coming toward him he patted the kitten and put his hands back in his lap, wiping the blood on his jeans. He looked back at the kitten out of the corner of his eye, head starting to clear. “Don’t worry...I’ll come back and get you when I feel better tonight. I won’t leave you alone.”
Jimmy reached his side a moment later and helped him up, holding his between himself and his daddy, helping Theodore limp back to his cousin’s house. Theodore glanced behind them we he thought they wouldn’t notice.
“I’ll come back for your bike, later,” Jimmy told him.
“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it. I’ll get it on my way home tonight.” Theodore’s lips slanted upwards as he thought about the shoebox in his cousin’s closet, waiting to be filled with a new friend.
Characters- Theodore, Jimmy
Warning- Dead animal-ness
Drabble.
The first time Theodore ever killed was an accident. He’d been racing bikes with his cousin Jimmy, and not watching where he was going. When he turned his head, it was just in time to see the baby kitten and his wheel rushing toward it. He heard the wheel crushing the kitten’s ribs, cracking wetly underneath him.
The bike tipped over and Theodore spilled onto the road, skinning his knee and his cheek. His head slid on the pavement, stopping just in front of the baby cat that stared blankly at him.
Jimmy was next to him in a second, telling him it wasn’t his fault and trying to make sure he was okay. Theodore stared at the cat with wide eyes while Jimmy reassured him. To Jimmy, the look on his cousin’s face said he felt bad and couldn’t believe he’d just killed a kitten. The brain inside Theodore’s head said he felt sore, but wonderful at the same time from the fall, and that the way the blood and guts spattered around the small furry body lying in the road sure was beautiful.
“Theo! Are you okay? Oh my god!!” Jimmy threw his bike down in the middle of the road and ran to Theodore’s side, kneeling next to him and helping him sit up.
Theodore didn’t answer, just stared at the dead kitten and the way the beautiful shades of red swam when he sat up. He put a hand to the side of his head and pulled it away bloody. It was hot outside and the dry air smelled like blood, dust, and tar.
Jimmy looked around to see if any of the neighbors were outside and could help him move his younger cousin into his house. “Don’t worry, Theo. That kitten came out of nowhere… it’s not your fault, you couldn’t see him! I didn’t see him either, until it was too late….”
Theodore looked up at his cousin and saw three of him. “Jimmy, Can you go get your daddy? I dun’t think I c’n walk just yet.” Jimmy nodded and ran for his house to get help for his 13 year old cousin.
Theodore watched Jimmy run home until his head couldn’t take it anymore and turned itself to look at the kitten. “I’m sorry, kitty.” Theodore’s eyes shone with his unshed tears as he cocked his head to the side, squinting at the cat as if trying to make sense of why it wouldn’t get up. “You look pretty, though…like art.”
Theodore reach a pale hand toward the mess and gently touched it, petting its fur lightly and not noticing the squishiness of the blood congealing in the hot Alabama sun.
When he saw his uncle and cousin coming toward him he patted the kitten and put his hands back in his lap, wiping the blood on his jeans. He looked back at the kitten out of the corner of his eye, head starting to clear. “Don’t worry...I’ll come back and get you when I feel better tonight. I won’t leave you alone.”
Jimmy reached his side a moment later and helped him up, holding his between himself and his daddy, helping Theodore limp back to his cousin’s house. Theodore glanced behind them we he thought they wouldn’t notice.
“I’ll come back for your bike, later,” Jimmy told him.
“Nah, don’t worry ‘bout it. I’ll get it on my way home tonight.” Theodore’s lips slanted upwards as he thought about the shoebox in his cousin’s closet, waiting to be filled with a new friend.