Stories of Siv Spencer Theophane
Till death do us fight
Siv awoke four hours later, the family that was still apparently sleeping was the only thing preventing him from screaming. He had never slept so much, and his body had collected all the warmth available in the room. On the one hand he didn’t want to wake up to old routine but on the other hand he was eager to explore. He hung his legs robotically over the side of the sofa, blinked numerous times and rose from his place of slumber. His head looked up at the clock, remembering the time he had rested to have been 8:15pm. With this in mind he estimated the quantity of time it would have taken him to fall sound asleep in a strange environment and came to an approximation of 10pm, but although Siv’s mind was calculating so precisely, he had trouble believing that he could have slept for such a long time, his eyes followed the arms of the clock showing 2:03am. He wandered around the living room and into the kitchen. He was too excited to eat, he saw a small step that appeared to lead into a laundry room or merely a room with a washing machine inside, he walked into the room and to his right was a computer. Siv couldn’t help but grow a smile as wide as the room, the sole thing he missed was his stories and his research. Everything that was saved into computer number 8-1-9 was gone forever, he gave a shallow and final sigh to mourn this loss before rushing to the computer.
He wondered for a second where everybody else was hiding, there were surely all awake by now. Though once the computer hummed to life his mind became a blank imitation of intelligence, his eyes and thoughts focused solely on the screen in front of him. Siv was happy to find that the computer kept time, which meant that he could determine how long to spend on each activity he did; this organization he was not only forced upon but also provided his own enjoyment. He spent two hours nineteen minutes and a fifth of a minute becoming acquainted with the computer, he had discovered that it had a high-bandwidth internet connection, which pleased Siv to a height that he couldn’t explain. He felt at home on the computer wherever he was, but research seemed pointless to him now that he was living in the depth of his studies. But then, he came across the computer’s calendar, when the screen stood still. His cursor refused to move, Siv’s feelings for the computer grew quickly from love to hate, it was fighting him. Preventing him from his happiness. The calendar had failed to load properly and the whole computer had stopped. Siv’s eyebrows burrowed toward the edge of his nose, he feared moving his hands in the event of unexpectedly tightening and evidently destroying the family computer.
Appearing from nowhere, Siv began cavilling blasphemous words of old Latin. Siv stood from the seat as tight as a fist and walked away feeling inferior and empoisoned by his failure to expert a simple machine. Only then did he consider Calhoun, and whether or not he had awoken. Siv didn’t make the effort to creep, already assuming that the family were awake. He went upstairs and turned left, staring at the closed door of Calhoun’s room. Siv pulled down the handle not knowing any better and pushing the door open, Calhoun greeted him, but his voice was so muffled that it sounded like ’hollo’ rather than the simple hello he had tried to project in his voice. The desired drift of the conversation was lost when Siv looked at Calhoun’s face, it made Siv think twice about entering and he even asked for consent before stepping inside. His hard exterior was gone, Siv’s face was that of surprise. He hadn’t expected something to happen so soon, and he didn’t want to lose Calhoun. His body was like a long essay, the cliché of life passing before ones eyes was clear in those of his. His words sounded ceremonial and lifeless;
“Till death do us part…my boy that is not a vow but a goal”
He choked on every other word, Siv was overlooking him from a standing position where he could see the entirety of the bed of which Calhoun was laid, but Calhoun’s eyes were seemingly having trouble focusing on Siv, Calhoun’s eyelids were flashing as if he didn’t know whether to keep them open or closed. They shone like a crystal from the leaking cover building up over his eyes, Siv felt like bursting into tears as well, but his stubborn veil over his emotions had become such a habit that Siv didn’t realize it existed. Siv wanted to help if he could, and so he conjured his voice to once again speak.
“Should I get you-”
“They regret taking us in, their welcome does not account for their suspicion” his hostile signature appeared to have returned.
“Norris was right” Calhoun continued, his speech regaining strength. “I never thought Holland would be proven right, but he was. This world will be the death of me, and you Siv, listen to me” his voice grew louder. “You have not often said more than two words to me, your silent watcher act won’t help you. Give words to your thoughts, don’t follow orders your entire life”. Siv stood over him, amazed at his bravery to stay upright. Siv wanted to convince Calhoun he wasn’t just a silent watcher, but he couldn’t summon the right words to say, so he surrendered to an appreciative nod, Calhoun looked disappointed.
“You are as weak as I thought” he said, and closed his eyes hoping for Siv’s dismissal. Siv stood there frozen, Norris Holland, the name sounded familiar but he couldn’t place it. Siv abided by Calhoun’s wishes and left the room, closing the door behind him firmly. Siv didn’t know where he was going to go from here, he didn’t know of Norris Holland, and what confounded him most was why he didn’t ask Calhoun there and then.
But more importantly,
He didn’t know whether the next time he saw Calhoun,
He would be alive.
He wondered for a second where everybody else was hiding, there were surely all awake by now. Though once the computer hummed to life his mind became a blank imitation of intelligence, his eyes and thoughts focused solely on the screen in front of him. Siv was happy to find that the computer kept time, which meant that he could determine how long to spend on each activity he did; this organization he was not only forced upon but also provided his own enjoyment. He spent two hours nineteen minutes and a fifth of a minute becoming acquainted with the computer, he had discovered that it had a high-bandwidth internet connection, which pleased Siv to a height that he couldn’t explain. He felt at home on the computer wherever he was, but research seemed pointless to him now that he was living in the depth of his studies. But then, he came across the computer’s calendar, when the screen stood still. His cursor refused to move, Siv’s feelings for the computer grew quickly from love to hate, it was fighting him. Preventing him from his happiness. The calendar had failed to load properly and the whole computer had stopped. Siv’s eyebrows burrowed toward the edge of his nose, he feared moving his hands in the event of unexpectedly tightening and evidently destroying the family computer.
Appearing from nowhere, Siv began cavilling blasphemous words of old Latin. Siv stood from the seat as tight as a fist and walked away feeling inferior and empoisoned by his failure to expert a simple machine. Only then did he consider Calhoun, and whether or not he had awoken. Siv didn’t make the effort to creep, already assuming that the family were awake. He went upstairs and turned left, staring at the closed door of Calhoun’s room. Siv pulled down the handle not knowing any better and pushing the door open, Calhoun greeted him, but his voice was so muffled that it sounded like ’hollo’ rather than the simple hello he had tried to project in his voice. The desired drift of the conversation was lost when Siv looked at Calhoun’s face, it made Siv think twice about entering and he even asked for consent before stepping inside. His hard exterior was gone, Siv’s face was that of surprise. He hadn’t expected something to happen so soon, and he didn’t want to lose Calhoun. His body was like a long essay, the cliché of life passing before ones eyes was clear in those of his. His words sounded ceremonial and lifeless;
“Till death do us part…my boy that is not a vow but a goal”
He choked on every other word, Siv was overlooking him from a standing position where he could see the entirety of the bed of which Calhoun was laid, but Calhoun’s eyes were seemingly having trouble focusing on Siv, Calhoun’s eyelids were flashing as if he didn’t know whether to keep them open or closed. They shone like a crystal from the leaking cover building up over his eyes, Siv felt like bursting into tears as well, but his stubborn veil over his emotions had become such a habit that Siv didn’t realize it existed. Siv wanted to help if he could, and so he conjured his voice to once again speak.
“Should I get you-”
“They regret taking us in, their welcome does not account for their suspicion” his hostile signature appeared to have returned.
“Norris was right” Calhoun continued, his speech regaining strength. “I never thought Holland would be proven right, but he was. This world will be the death of me, and you Siv, listen to me” his voice grew louder. “You have not often said more than two words to me, your silent watcher act won’t help you. Give words to your thoughts, don’t follow orders your entire life”. Siv stood over him, amazed at his bravery to stay upright. Siv wanted to convince Calhoun he wasn’t just a silent watcher, but he couldn’t summon the right words to say, so he surrendered to an appreciative nod, Calhoun looked disappointed.
“You are as weak as I thought” he said, and closed his eyes hoping for Siv’s dismissal. Siv stood there frozen, Norris Holland, the name sounded familiar but he couldn’t place it. Siv abided by Calhoun’s wishes and left the room, closing the door behind him firmly. Siv didn’t know where he was going to go from here, he didn’t know of Norris Holland, and what confounded him most was why he didn’t ask Calhoun there and then.
But more importantly,
He didn’t know whether the next time he saw Calhoun,
He would be alive.