Pineapple 30, Butter Rum 5, FOTD
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Pre-NIEE
Challenges: FOTD (hacienda: A large estate, especially one used for farming or ranching.), Pineapple 30 (‘til death do us part), Butter Rum 5 (eyepatch)
Toppings & Extras: Butterscotch
Word Count: 1,040
Rating: PG-13
Summary: They never truly expected it.
Notes: Warnings: Parent death, child abuse. Back to the past and probably more depressing than yesterday’s. My apologies. Resh is just nine and, at this point in his life, went by Alex - his full name is Alexander Resh Solaris. He is Alex, his father is Alexander.
Alex stood at his father’s side, staring out over the fields that stretched below them. Usually, he, his older sister and his father would be out working the fields along with those Alexander Solaris hired, but there was something that had his father spooked. There was no one out in the fields today, partially because of this silent thing that had Alexander standing stiff and hard at his son’s side and partially because the crops were barely growing, so there was not much in the way of work to do.
Alex glanced up at his father for the fifth time in less minutes and shifted, not sure what they were doing. “Dad?” he asked quietly when he realized his father still had not moved in the slightest.
Alexander lay a hand on Alex’s head, effectively silencing him. They stood silent for at least five more minutes and then, “Look,” his father said, breaking his silence.
The boy glanced up to see Mr. Rast approaching at a jog. “Alexander!” he called, slowing as he got to easy speaking range. “Jonathon Carris and his ilk are at it again.”
Alex distantly recognized the name as one of the men who lived in town and owned his own farm, although not as big as theirs. He was fairly certain his father had had problems with him before.
Alexander pursed his lips. “Of course they are. Thank you, Bernard.”
“You have to do something about them.”
“I am merely the mayor. It is not my job to silence unhappy people when they have every right to be unhappy.” Alex was disturbed at how very tired his father sounded.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope I do too. Come, Alex, it’s time to go help your mother with lunch.”
The boy took the offered hand and headed back to the house with his father. “What’s Mr. Rast worried about?” he asked.
“Adult things and the fact this is the third year in the row of drought and bad crops.”
“But Nick says we’re gonna get rain soon, his granny promises and she knows stuff like that.”
“Some people don’t like to go on the basis of someone’s grandmother,” Alexander said and shooed his son into the house ahead of him.
Lunch was a quiet affair. Even his little sister, Nicole, seemed to sense the mood in the room, even if Alex could not pinpoint it exactly, and concentrated on her meal. After, his mother took the two girls upstairs to play, but Alex refused to join them, feeling like someone needed to be with his father. Instead, he curled up in the old comfortable chair in the corner of Alexander’s study with a book and started working his way through it.
He was just dozing off, comforted by the heat of the room and the routine, when a noise snapped him out of it. “Dad?” he asked instantly as Alexander rose from his desk and headed for the door.
“Stay here.” Then he vanished out the door, leaving it swinging.
Alex hesitated only a minute before trailing quietly after him. He slipped into their large sitting room just behind him and crouched behind one of the chairs, knowing his father would scold him if he saw the boy. He peered out, watching as Alexander came to a stop in the middle of the room. Again, he heard a crashing noise and he jumped, barely keeping himself from making noise of his own.
Nothing happened for just long enough he was about to show himself and ask Alexander what was wrong when the door on the far end of the room burst open revealing four men. The one in the lead was tall with icy blue eyes, but what scared Alex more than anything was the sword he held in his hand. His father was unarmed. The men clustering in behind the leader were similarly armed and all looked furious.
“So, Solaris, what have you got to say for yourself?” the leader said, smirking.
“This won’t solve anything, Carris,” his father said calmly.
“Ah, but it’ll make us feel better! And who knows, maybe the gods just don’t like you anymore.”
“You can’t possibly believe the drought is caused by that. It is just how nature has played out. We’re all in the same boat here, Carris.” His father spread his hands in a peaceful gesture.
“Except you’re still livin’ pretty and we’re all gettin’ poorer,” one of the others snapped. “Let’s kill him, Jon, and get it over with.”
“No!” Alex burst, popping up from behind the chair to the surprise of all five men. “No, leave my dad alone!”
“Alex,” Alexander said, voice caught somewhere between stern and panicked. “Carris,” he started.
The blue-eyed man smiled and Alex shivered. “Don’t worry, Solaris, I don’t kill children.”
“Carris, this isn’t necessary, please.”
Carris ignored him, eyes still on Alex. “Boy, ready to learn your first lesson on how the world works?”
The boy’s eyes were huge as he stared back.
It happened in a flash, so quickly Alex could not even think to react until it was over. With one well aimed blow, blood went everywhere and his father went down. His head, oh gods, his head just…loose and no, no, NO.
“Dad, Dad, no, Dad,” he screamed, sprinting forward, having no plan of what to do, just needing to make his father better.
One of the men got to him first, wrapping his free arm around the boy’s chest.
“Let go of me, let go!”
The man spun him around and slapped him hard across the face. Alex yelped in pain, focusing on the fact the man had an eyepatch over one eye. It was odd, he knew, but it was better than thinking about what lay beyond him.
The man smiled toothily. “As soon as my eye is better, you and I are going to have a lot of fun, boy.”
“Taggert, keep an eye on the boy while we find the rest of the family, okay?”
“Sure thing, Boss.”
“Let go of me,” Alex yelled, trying to tug out of his grip.
Taggert’s smile merely grew. “A lot of fun,” he repeated and arched back his fist.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy universe, Pre-NIEE
Challenges: FOTD (hacienda: A large estate, especially one used for farming or ranching.), Pineapple 30 (‘til death do us part), Butter Rum 5 (eyepatch)
Toppings & Extras: Butterscotch
Word Count: 1,040
Rating: PG-13
Summary: They never truly expected it.
Notes: Warnings: Parent death, child abuse. Back to the past and probably more depressing than yesterday’s. My apologies. Resh is just nine and, at this point in his life, went by Alex - his full name is Alexander Resh Solaris. He is Alex, his father is Alexander.
Alex stood at his father’s side, staring out over the fields that stretched below them. Usually, he, his older sister and his father would be out working the fields along with those Alexander Solaris hired, but there was something that had his father spooked. There was no one out in the fields today, partially because of this silent thing that had Alexander standing stiff and hard at his son’s side and partially because the crops were barely growing, so there was not much in the way of work to do.
Alex glanced up at his father for the fifth time in less minutes and shifted, not sure what they were doing. “Dad?” he asked quietly when he realized his father still had not moved in the slightest.
Alexander lay a hand on Alex’s head, effectively silencing him. They stood silent for at least five more minutes and then, “Look,” his father said, breaking his silence.
The boy glanced up to see Mr. Rast approaching at a jog. “Alexander!” he called, slowing as he got to easy speaking range. “Jonathon Carris and his ilk are at it again.”
Alex distantly recognized the name as one of the men who lived in town and owned his own farm, although not as big as theirs. He was fairly certain his father had had problems with him before.
Alexander pursed his lips. “Of course they are. Thank you, Bernard.”
“You have to do something about them.”
“I am merely the mayor. It is not my job to silence unhappy people when they have every right to be unhappy.” Alex was disturbed at how very tired his father sounded.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“I hope I do too. Come, Alex, it’s time to go help your mother with lunch.”
The boy took the offered hand and headed back to the house with his father. “What’s Mr. Rast worried about?” he asked.
“Adult things and the fact this is the third year in the row of drought and bad crops.”
“But Nick says we’re gonna get rain soon, his granny promises and she knows stuff like that.”
“Some people don’t like to go on the basis of someone’s grandmother,” Alexander said and shooed his son into the house ahead of him.
Lunch was a quiet affair. Even his little sister, Nicole, seemed to sense the mood in the room, even if Alex could not pinpoint it exactly, and concentrated on her meal. After, his mother took the two girls upstairs to play, but Alex refused to join them, feeling like someone needed to be with his father. Instead, he curled up in the old comfortable chair in the corner of Alexander’s study with a book and started working his way through it.
He was just dozing off, comforted by the heat of the room and the routine, when a noise snapped him out of it. “Dad?” he asked instantly as Alexander rose from his desk and headed for the door.
“Stay here.” Then he vanished out the door, leaving it swinging.
Alex hesitated only a minute before trailing quietly after him. He slipped into their large sitting room just behind him and crouched behind one of the chairs, knowing his father would scold him if he saw the boy. He peered out, watching as Alexander came to a stop in the middle of the room. Again, he heard a crashing noise and he jumped, barely keeping himself from making noise of his own.
Nothing happened for just long enough he was about to show himself and ask Alexander what was wrong when the door on the far end of the room burst open revealing four men. The one in the lead was tall with icy blue eyes, but what scared Alex more than anything was the sword he held in his hand. His father was unarmed. The men clustering in behind the leader were similarly armed and all looked furious.
“So, Solaris, what have you got to say for yourself?” the leader said, smirking.
“This won’t solve anything, Carris,” his father said calmly.
“Ah, but it’ll make us feel better! And who knows, maybe the gods just don’t like you anymore.”
“You can’t possibly believe the drought is caused by that. It is just how nature has played out. We’re all in the same boat here, Carris.” His father spread his hands in a peaceful gesture.
“Except you’re still livin’ pretty and we’re all gettin’ poorer,” one of the others snapped. “Let’s kill him, Jon, and get it over with.”
“No!” Alex burst, popping up from behind the chair to the surprise of all five men. “No, leave my dad alone!”
“Alex,” Alexander said, voice caught somewhere between stern and panicked. “Carris,” he started.
The blue-eyed man smiled and Alex shivered. “Don’t worry, Solaris, I don’t kill children.”
“Carris, this isn’t necessary, please.”
Carris ignored him, eyes still on Alex. “Boy, ready to learn your first lesson on how the world works?”
The boy’s eyes were huge as he stared back.
It happened in a flash, so quickly Alex could not even think to react until it was over. With one well aimed blow, blood went everywhere and his father went down. His head, oh gods, his head just…loose and no, no, NO.
“Dad, Dad, no, Dad,” he screamed, sprinting forward, having no plan of what to do, just needing to make his father better.
One of the men got to him first, wrapping his free arm around the boy’s chest.
“Let go of me, let go!”
The man spun him around and slapped him hard across the face. Alex yelped in pain, focusing on the fact the man had an eyepatch over one eye. It was odd, he knew, but it was better than thinking about what lay beyond him.
The man smiled toothily. “As soon as my eye is better, you and I are going to have a lot of fun, boy.”
“Taggert, keep an eye on the boy while we find the rest of the family, okay?”
“Sure thing, Boss.”
“Let go of me,” Alex yelled, trying to tug out of his grip.
Taggert’s smile merely grew. “A lot of fun,” he repeated and arched back his fist.