Wanted
8
"Well would you look at that? Babies come home."
The laugh started, and it seemed as though it wouldn't end. Cedar stepped back into the room. There was no point darting. Jake had always been faster. How he had got up here, Cedar didn't ask, that man had always had a way. Cedar stepped to sit down when a hand stopped him. The voice which followed was firm. "You don't sit less I say you can, you got it?"
Cedar looked to Hendrick for help, none came. the man was beaten by someone he had raised. Cedar gulped. So this was the problem? Jake was in charge. "Jake. Please may I-" He was cut off. The air came from his lungs and his eyes bulged. Jakes fist had hit his stomach and wrenched up. Cedar hit the wall his eyes closing, gasping for the smallest of breaths he couldn't manage one, air would have been sacred, that thing he took for granted he longed for. As his eyes closed completely he knew this was the end.
****
Ridley had left the house looking for his brother, he had called his dad and they were now sat together, too close for anyone who asked Ridley, in his fathers car. A Mercedes. "So you let the kid just run off, with your car no less?"
The man scoffed,
Ridley ignored him knowing one thing. The was simply the way of Norman Chaucer. He could not feel good about himself unless he were able to criticise someone else. So Ridley took it. After all, he had been the one who called his father asking for help. He had been the one who had let Cedar out of his sight, all because he couldn't keep grip on being the adult. When the boy got back, he would sort him out. Take charge, control.
Ridley glanced at his father, a man who had a far better driving skill, a man with surprising patience. "Do you know Hendrick Alinson?"
"I know of him. Never met him. Why?"
"Cedar.."
"You're caught up with a serial killer? Is that what you're telling me son?"
"Yes."
He sighed with the - everyone knows - this is not good sigh. He averted eye contact and focused on his driving like he was trying to complete some complicated chemistry experiment which if it went wrong, would blow up the class. He said nothing for a moment.
"Is Cedar with him?"
"I think so."
He nodded and sighed once more taking a left down a road which Ridley had not even known was there. He closed his eyes as his father increased speed, pushing the car up to 80. He held onto the door, knowing now what it was like to be in the car when he was driving, yes he was nervous - at best.
"I want to warn you son. Alinson, he aint what he used to be, he aint even the worry."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, it's his back up man you ought to worry about."
"Back up man?"
"You remember Jake Tonnings?"
He did, he said nothing, only lost colour from his face.
The laugh started, and it seemed as though it wouldn't end. Cedar stepped back into the room. There was no point darting. Jake had always been faster. How he had got up here, Cedar didn't ask, that man had always had a way. Cedar stepped to sit down when a hand stopped him. The voice which followed was firm. "You don't sit less I say you can, you got it?"
Cedar looked to Hendrick for help, none came. the man was beaten by someone he had raised. Cedar gulped. So this was the problem? Jake was in charge. "Jake. Please may I-" He was cut off. The air came from his lungs and his eyes bulged. Jakes fist had hit his stomach and wrenched up. Cedar hit the wall his eyes closing, gasping for the smallest of breaths he couldn't manage one, air would have been sacred, that thing he took for granted he longed for. As his eyes closed completely he knew this was the end.
****
Ridley had left the house looking for his brother, he had called his dad and they were now sat together, too close for anyone who asked Ridley, in his fathers car. A Mercedes. "So you let the kid just run off, with your car no less?"
The man scoffed,
Ridley ignored him knowing one thing. The was simply the way of Norman Chaucer. He could not feel good about himself unless he were able to criticise someone else. So Ridley took it. After all, he had been the one who called his father asking for help. He had been the one who had let Cedar out of his sight, all because he couldn't keep grip on being the adult. When the boy got back, he would sort him out. Take charge, control.
Ridley glanced at his father, a man who had a far better driving skill, a man with surprising patience. "Do you know Hendrick Alinson?"
"I know of him. Never met him. Why?"
"Cedar.."
"You're caught up with a serial killer? Is that what you're telling me son?"
"Yes."
He sighed with the - everyone knows - this is not good sigh. He averted eye contact and focused on his driving like he was trying to complete some complicated chemistry experiment which if it went wrong, would blow up the class. He said nothing for a moment.
"Is Cedar with him?"
"I think so."
He nodded and sighed once more taking a left down a road which Ridley had not even known was there. He closed his eyes as his father increased speed, pushing the car up to 80. He held onto the door, knowing now what it was like to be in the car when he was driving, yes he was nervous - at best.
"I want to warn you son. Alinson, he aint what he used to be, he aint even the worry."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, it's his back up man you ought to worry about."
"Back up man?"
"You remember Jake Tonnings?"
He did, he said nothing, only lost colour from his face.