~stolen from the master.~
...a sound of wings...
"Is that it? Is that all I get?"
"Sorry, kid." She smiles. Little half-smile, but I understand what she means.
"Well, hell." I look over my shoulder, at the tiny form left behind. "Do I get to find out what happens now?"
"Do you want to?"
"Yeah...No" I can see more now, remember all sorts of things. "I...my Mom will be coming to get me for the...christening soon."
We're moving through the house now. I can see into the other rooms. Mom, resting her hands on the dressing-table, and she's strong, because despite the pain, she's pulling herself upright, won't show it. Stopped taking the medication to have me, and it wasn't worth it, Mom. What did you do it for? In front of another mirror, small boy in a dark suit. Pale hands on a pale skull. Less hair than I was born with, poor kid. And that's going to be hard for him. Don't let the bastards grind you down, Alex. We're never going to find out how we would have got on, now. I'd have been a whining pest, dogging your heels when you came home with girls. You'd have pulled my hair, because you were jealous. And there's Dad, bounding up the steps. Actually made it back from a meeting in time, because I'm more important than money. You need to tell Alex he's important too, Dad, or you'll lose him. I squirm round.
"Why me? I'm going to break them apart. Again."
"Just doing my job." Dark eyebrow quirks against pale skin. "Who else would you have me take? I could take your mother..."
That will happen soon, anyway. From here, I can see the shadow behind her.
"Your father..."
Shattered remnants of Empire. Two small kids left at the mercy of the corporate world.
"Your brother..."
And I can't answer that one. I'm the second chance, not the second choice.
Out of sight and out of mind. People forget about the older brother. Wasn't he in some kind of accident? Little freak. Get rid of the old broken toy, put a nice shiny new one in its place. Like the teddy bear - Alex gave it to me, and Dad threw it out, because it was dirty.
But there isn't a choice. I know that. Shrug and smile wryly.
"No. We all do what we have to. Maybe I'll have better luck next time..."
...close my hand over the ankh...
...a sound of wings...
"Is that it? Is that all I get?"
"Sorry, kid." She smiles. Little half-smile, but I understand what she means.
"Well, hell." I look over my shoulder, at the tiny form left behind. "Do I get to find out what happens now?"
"Do you want to?"
"Yeah...No" I can see more now, remember all sorts of things. "I...my Mom will be coming to get me for the...christening soon."
We're moving through the house now. I can see into the other rooms. Mom, resting her hands on the dressing-table, and she's strong, because despite the pain, she's pulling herself upright, won't show it. Stopped taking the medication to have me, and it wasn't worth it, Mom. What did you do it for? In front of another mirror, small boy in a dark suit. Pale hands on a pale skull. Less hair than I was born with, poor kid. And that's going to be hard for him. Don't let the bastards grind you down, Alex. We're never going to find out how we would have got on, now. I'd have been a whining pest, dogging your heels when you came home with girls. You'd have pulled my hair, because you were jealous. And there's Dad, bounding up the steps. Actually made it back from a meeting in time, because I'm more important than money. You need to tell Alex he's important too, Dad, or you'll lose him. I squirm round.
"Why me? I'm going to break them apart. Again."
"Just doing my job." Dark eyebrow quirks against pale skin. "Who else would you have me take? I could take your mother..."
That will happen soon, anyway. From here, I can see the shadow behind her.
"Your father..."
Shattered remnants of Empire. Two small kids left at the mercy of the corporate world.
"Your brother..."
And I can't answer that one. I'm the second chance, not the second choice.
Out of sight and out of mind. People forget about the older brother. Wasn't he in some kind of accident? Little freak. Get rid of the old broken toy, put a nice shiny new one in its place. Like the teddy bear - Alex gave it to me, and Dad threw it out, because it was dirty.
But there isn't a choice. I know that. Shrug and smile wryly.
"No. We all do what we have to. Maybe I'll have better luck next time..."
...close my hand over the ankh...