Stories of Siv Spencer Theophane

Siv wondered what an accepting friend would say, before he reminded himself that friendship was only going to push him down to the ground with Calhoun, but this new discovery that he had been in this world before would prove useful, this would be a relationship of convenience and nothing else. After all, he failed to see how he become friends with a man that substituted his name for a numeral. With these ideas in his head, Siv decided to let Calhoun relieve his anger with no interference as Calhoun’s fist repeatedly crashes into the edge of the stump with apparently painful force seen by the small trickles blood dripping onto the leaves that sat peacefully next to the piece of tree that showed no effect from Calhoun’s dynamic pounding. The quiet grunting Siv had heard earlier had been promoted to non-adjectivally vocal screams of rage, so much that Siv wanted to help him. But his head told him that there was nothing he could do, this was rage that had been built up and hidden for years, Siv could see that.

“Looky here, what has that tree ever done to you?”

Said a deep voice from behind them, the hunter had returned and looked more frustrated than they had seen him earlier. Calhoun’s screams must have scared away all the innocent animals, Siv thought to himself showing as little contempt as he could find possible. Siv thought about how humans would stack their stomachs with animal meat, but this reasoning didn’t diminish his sympathy for the life of which he had witnessed the end to, shot by the man that was once again talking to them.

“Does he mind doing that somewhere else?”

The man asked Siv, indicating Calhoun with his right hand, but Calhoun although silenced and turning to face the man, still flinched as if the man was going to slap him. With those large hands it appeared as if they were capable of tyrannically ripping both their heads from their bodies if he despised them enough, so Siv decided to keep him happy.

“I’m sorry sir, my fr-, my friend had some unfinished business in this area”

Siv had only referred to Calhoun as a friend for lack of another word. He had never heard of a person referring to another as an acquaintance particularly in such context. Siv couldn’t help but stare at the man’s machinery, it was dangerous but he had seen plastic children’s toys look exactly the same. He wondered if children were brainwashed into forceful speaking and violence, he had constantly heard of parents commanding their children. Siv didn’t know why, but his thoughts transferred to Calhoun, and he wondered if Calhoun had ever come close to having children. There were so many things we wanted to ask him about this world, and he would be sure to ask.

“Where do you fellas’ live?”

The man asked, and Siv was lost for words. Calhoun wasn’t far behind him anymore. He was at a distance to put a firm hand on his shoulder - of course he didn’t. But the protection was there; Siv could feel the newly motivated defensiveness radiating from him. The man just stared at them as if surveying a contrast between them, which Siv found rather crude. Siv looked back at Calhoun hoping he would answer the question, but his face held the same dread that his did.

“Wasn’t a hard question”

The man struck again, giving them both foreign looks. He moved a little and so did his machine, it was only a tiny movement but it made Siv choke on his own breath, until he heard Calhoun’s voice break the silence;

“Ispica”

Calhoun declared and the man’s eyes did a variety of spiral movements before the knowledge came to him.

“Isn’t that in Italy?”

Calhoun’s lower lip fell and his face became stiff with embarrassment. Siv was confused, and all the things he needed to talk to Calhoun about were piling up inside his head. Paper was always on his desk but never used, the irony became clear to him. Siv and Calhoun exchanged struggling looks before he replied.

“Ye-es…it‘s the only place I remember”

“Do you two not have homes in England?”

The man said humourlessly that tore Siv out of the conversation entirely. He appeared stubbornly intrigued and impatient with Calhoun. He no longer looked at Siv, and instead looked past him.

“It’s a long story but no sir we don’t”

It was Siv who answered him, through feelings of guilt that Calhoun was suffering from this only minutes after the recollection of his wedding.

“Where you going then?”

“I don’t know anywhere and Calhoun hasn’t been in this area for a very long time”

“You’d better come with me then”

He groaned these words and left Siv astonished even after him and Calhoun began walking with him, up until they approached what Siv knew to be a car. A form of transport that ran on fuel of sorts, and as far as he knew licences were required to drive them. Calhoun remained quiet with obvious unease, while Siv entered the car with curiosity in his eyes. Calhoun was saved the front of the car but chose to sit next to Siv, he appeared more timid than Siv had ever seen him in the short time they had known each other.

“My name is Bradley Emanuel and when we get home I’ll introduce ya to the wife and demons”

“Do you have children?” Siv forced himself to say, and then picked up his seatbelt. Calhoun watched as he began to yank and pull it.

“Never used a seatbelt before? Where are you two from?”

There was a long pause before Siv spoke.

“I’m sorry but-”

“-we don’t remember” Calhoun said too quickly, Siv let the seatbelt spring back into place and stared at him as if to say ‘why don’t you let the one with the intellect do the speaking?’, and Calhoun rose his eyebrows at him in disbelief, countering the argument by pointing to the seatbelt hanging lifeless against Siv’s lap.

“Right, I’m a bit suspicious of all this to be honest”

“I appreciate honesty” Siv managed to say to interupt Calhoun who had opened his mouth to speak.

“I can’t help you get to where your going if I don’t know where”

“We don’t know ourselves” Siv shot back.

The remainder of the journey was in silence, Siv had given up on the seatbelt and Calhoun seemed to have forbidden himself to look at anybody. Even when thanking Mr Emanuel for the ride he didn’t make any eye contact. Siv took one look at the house and stood backward onto the road. Calhoun looked backward and gave him a questioning look.

“I can’t do it…”