Author's Note: This was written for my Brokeback Mountain claim on the drabbles100 LJ community. The goal is to write one hundred 100-word-drabbles, each for a prompt (that's what the headings below are, the prompts from the table). I'm just explaining this because if your first instinct is to ask me to expand on these, well, I can't, it would sort of defeat the purpose :) I hope it's readable anyway.
001. Beginnings
"Goin a have to call Alma," he said, chewing on the inside of his cheek and running his finger along the door handle.
"Can stop by a phone in town," Jack offered, opening up the driver's side. "Don't got a come, you got better things to do."
Ennis looked up then, silence hardening into something like a silent commitment. "You sure I won't be no trouble, I'd be glad to come."
Jack tried to smile but wavered. "Any other stops you need fore we get up to Lightning Flat?"
"Nope."
"Good," Jack got in, Ennis close behind him. "Let's get."
002. Middles
"Bastard shortchanged us," Jack muttered, glancing over at Ennis who was smoothing out the measly bills.
"Didn't bring back all his sheep," Ennis said, but there wasn't much conviction.
"Fucker knows I need it," Jack continued, jaw tight and eyes burning the road ahead. "Don't know who he thinks he is, deductin from us like we're responsible for the weather."
Ennis folded up the bills and held them out. "Can have mine, you need em."
Jack shot him a look, the line of his body softening a little bit.
"Thanks, friend. You need it just as much as me, though."
003. Ends
Everyone else long gone, they stood like wary sentinels, watching over the proceedings as if to make sure everything was done right.
Jack's face was drawn, expression warring with each thud of earth on earth.
"Always said I'd celebrate," he whispered, choking out a laugh that bordered on a sob. "Can't much say I'm feelin like it right now."
Ennis scuffed his boot. "Ain't the way things ought a go."
Jack laughed-sobbed again. "Maybe for you." He crouched down and grabbed a handful of dirt, throwing it into the gaping grave with all his might.
"Good riddance, you fuckin bastard."
004. First
The stars were pale above them, grass damp below. Evelyn was asleep on the couch inside; the service had worn her out.
"Never did tell him what I thought a him," Jack said, exhaling a forceful white ghost in the air, arms laid out behind his head.
"Reckon you did today."
"Yeah." Jack turned over, back to Ennis. "Reckon I did." He was quiet for awhile, picking idly at the grass and staring ahead sightlessly before he asked, "Think he heard?"
Ennis chewed at a hangnail. "Chances are. Can't say I've given it much thought."
Jack nodded. "Hope he did."
005. Last
Evelyn sat in the chair, tucking her dress underneath her, resting her arms on the chair like she might blow away if she didn't, so much misplaced dust.
She carefully unfolded the paper, running her fingers over the script as she read, out of practice but necessity compelled.
"What's it say?" Jack asked, his foot tapping against the floor, ready to run outside if he needed to. Plenty of things to beat out there.
She raised her head slowly, tears glittering, suspended, holding out the paper.
"He left it all to you, Jack." They fell when she spoke his name.
006. Hours
She put a hand on his tense shoulder; if it had been anyone else, he would have jumped, but he soothed under her touch, jitters calming out of his muscles.
"Have some coffee, won't you?"
"No thank you, ma'am. Was thinkin bout goin after him."
"Let him be, son," she said, drawing him almost imperceptibly away from the window. "He'll come back when he's ready."
"He do this a lot?" Ennis asked, sitting at the table and smiling a little when she brought him a steaming mug.
"No," she said, wrapping her hands around her own. "But his father did."
007. Days
"Ain't even been here that long," Ennis said, tightening his grip on the black plastic.
"Been a lot longer than you said."
"Look, Alma, I got a friend who needs help. You know what it's like losin a daddy, huh? This don't change nothin. I'm comin back soon and we're gettin married, okay? You just got a give me time to settle things up here."
She was silent at his sudden rush of words, surprising in their wealth and vehemence.
"Sure enough." He cringed at the meekness that hadn't been there before.
"Alma, I'm—"
But she'd already hung up.
008. Weeks
Evelyn felt the days gather like a film over her, weighing her down closer to the ground with each subsequent one. The grave looked like a wound in the earth at first, but just like her, it was inexorably covered in the film of time, until the grasses started peeking up around the edges, and the dusts settled down over them both. Yet she couldn't sink down to join him.
Jack boiled over with a rage that scared both her and Ennis, hot and fierce, unabated even as the distance grew.
But she'd stay as long as her son needed.
009. Months
"How long it take them to sell your place when your folks kicked it?" Jack asked as they tossed out the feed, his eyes showing more interest than they had in days.
Ennis's mouth tightened but he answered evenly. "Day. Auctioned off, highest bidder. Wasn't regular sellin."
"Hmmm." Jack glanced back at the house, a dark expression flickering over his face. "Says in the fuckin will that I can't sell it less I live here for at least six months. What kind a bullshit is that?"
Ennis just shrugged, tossing feed, unwilling to agree aloud with the man Jack hated.
010. Years
"I'll make it," Jack slurred, pouring whiskey onto the unresponsive plot. "You just wait and see, old man. Bet I'll do it faster'n you did, too. Just watch me."
Ennis, having consumed a bit too much himself, just looked on, frozen in place.
"Didn't never want to help me, did you? Well, tell you what, you old bastard, I done and taught myself anyway. Even though you whupped me that day I said I was goin a rodeo. Went and fuckin did it anyway. What you think a that?"
His boot cracked against the stone, the only answer he'd get.