A.N.: Well now that I've posted the prologue, I'm stuck with writing this fiction until I finish. Not even sure how long it's going to be but I'll just start it anyway. I do know where it's going to end up but there's no way I'm telling you that yet!
Just thought that I should inform you that I'm now changing the story to third person. I find it easier to write so I hope you don't mind.
Chapter 1:
"Everything on earth has its own time and its own season"
Joseph and his mother, Isabel, had been living in Adra for almost a year. It was a lovely coastal town and 14-year-old Joseph had formed some strong friendships. The best of these were with Diego and Carlo.
The three boys managed to get into all sorts of mischief together. Diego was always the instigator, the one who thought up all the crazy pranks. Carlo was the one that planned them all, making sure the idea was hole-proof. Joseph was the peacemaker and watch guard. He made sure that if any of their plans were too dangerous, they would not carry them out. And if they passed this standard, he would make sure to watch out for any trouble that may come their way. He was their safety.
Isabel was not at all impressed with the antics Joseph got himself involved in when with his best friends, but she held to the thought that Joseph was somehow influencing them. The thought of what Diego and Carlo would do without Joseph's watchful eye was just too much for the ageing mother.
So she let the boys alone. Except, of course, when they all needed a good scolding for any new prank they pulled that disrupted someone else's peace. These were the times that she made sure she showed her displeasure.
But most the time, the boys behaved themselves. They played their games, went on adventures across town, or just spent time in their hideout just above the beach.
It was on one of these days where they decided to meet up at their hideout that Joseph dared to question his mothers' judgement.
Isabel approached Joseph as he was packing some food up to take with him to the hideout.
"Joseph, I have been thinking" Isabel started, noting how Joseph instantly stopped what he was doing, recognising her tone.
"I think it's about time we moved on from this town. Something just isn't feeling right and you know how I can't stay in one place for very long".
Isabel stood silently, waiting for Joseph to say something. He was just standing with his back to her, staring out the window.
"No" Joseph finally whispered.
"Excuse me?" Isabel asked politely, momentarily stunned that her son would disagree with her.
Joseph turned and faced her. His expression was a mix of anger and sadness.
"I don't want to leave. There's nothing wrong with this place, mamá. I don't see any danger at all" Joseph pointed out, his voice growing stronger and more confident with every word.
"I know you don't, sweetheart. But I can feel something is just not right" Isabel explained.
"No. Everything is right, mamá, you just don't want to see it" Isabel looked shocked at this but Joseph carried on.
"I finally have really good friends, a great place to live and you want to change all that? Again? We never stay anywhere long enough for me to make friends and when I finally do, you want to leave?" Joseph was almost yelling by this stage.
"Joseph, don't you dare yell at me" Isabel said in a quiet but firm voice.
"You know full well that I'm not doing this just to break up your friendship. It's the way we live, Joseph, and I've always told you that".
Joseph clenches his jaw in order to stop himself yelling again.
"But don't you ever get tired mamá? Don't you ever want to just stop moving and settle down somewhere for good?" Joseph pleaded, wanting to change his mothers' mind.
"Where is all this coming from, Joseph? You never question me" Isabel demanded, hands on hips whilst frowning down at her stubborn son.
"I never questioned you because I always thought you were right. But now I just think you're being silly. There is no danger here and I don't want to leave my friends! I'm not going to leave and you can't make me!" Joseph yelled before snatching up his food parcel and running out the door.
Isabel sat down heavily on the nearest chair. She ran her hands through her greying hair, praying for strength and wisdom on how to deal with her now rebellious son.
"Oh, Joseph. What am I to do?" Isabel whispered to herself.
Diego and Carlo had obviously influenced her son more than she realised.
OoOoOoOoOo
"Hey Joe!" Diego yells as Joseph approaches the hideout.
"Hey guys" Joseph mutters as he stomps into the small room.
"What's wrong with you?" Carlo asks bluntly as he looks up from another of his many drawn out plans.
"I just had an argument with mamá" Joseph mutters.
Diego and Carlo exchange shocked glances.
"What about?" Diego asks, knowing full well that he had never in his life heard Joe speak out against his mother.
"She wants to move again. She wants to leave town. Apparently it's not safe anymore" Joseph shrugs.
"What? She sounds crazy if you ask me" Diego asks, pulling a face.
"Well what did you say to her?" Carlo asks, ignoring Diego's comment.
"I told her I wasn't leaving and that she can't make me" Joseph stated, not feeling any guilt at all.
"Good" Diego exclaims, slamming his fist down on the bench Carlo was working at.
"Watch it! I'm working here!" Carlo warns Diego, shoving his arm of the bench.
"Well forget your argument, Joe. We've come up with another brilliant idea and we're going to pull it off tonight!" Diego states, puffing up his chest.
"Great" Joseph says with more enthusiasm than he feels, "tell me about it".
"Well…" Diego starts, explaining the plan to Joseph with much excitement.
OoOoOoOoOo
It was all going horribly wrong. Joseph could feel it.
What was originally supposed to be a simple plan of putting flaming piles of cow dung in the silent Town Square, was rapidly turning into a very dangerous tangent on behalf of Diego. He was planning something stupid, and different from the plan they had all analysed together, although he wouldn't let on what. Joseph knew that something was going to go terribly wrong.
"Diego!" Joseph hissed from his hiding place where he was watching out for any people coming their way.
"What?" he half whispered back.
"What are you doing? You should be finished by now!" He called back.
"Don't worry!" Joseph heard Diego call back, "you're going to love this!"
Carlo appeared around the corner, the opposite direction from Diego.
"Hey Joe! What's the hold-up?" He asked in a hurried whisper.
"Dunno. Diego's doing something else and he's taking his time at it" Joseph explained, whilst straining to look around the corner.
"Don't worry, I'll go get him" Carlo rolls his eyes, preparing to stand.
"Wait!" Joseph grabs Carlo's arm and stops him, "I think I can hear him coming".
They both fall silent, listening for any signs of their friend.
Suddenly, a horrifyingly close explosion shatters the silence and knocks them both to the ground.
Choking on the dust and small debris floating around them both, Carlo and Joseph scramble to their feet and look over the low wall they were hiding behind. The horror they see will forever be seared into their minds.
The Town Square was a mess. There was debris, dust, and cows dung everywhere. What could have been an almost comical sight was suddenly made too real when they both caught sight of Diego, just on the other side of the wall from them both.
"He's not moving" Joseph vaguely hears Carlo whimper.
Diego is lying face down on the ground. His head is turned away but they can both tell his skin is blackened from the explosion. There seems to be blood all over him, covering his bare skin, clothes and even some of the ground surrounding him. His clothes, what's left of them, are all tattered and shredded.
Carlo and Joseph both scramble over the wall and move quickly over to their fallen friend.
"Diego?" Carlo whispers as he rolls Diego over.
Carlo retches blindly as tears stream down his face. Joseph stares in horror at the once handsome features of his friend.
He is almost unrecognisable. There are cuts all over his blackened face and blood covers most of it. His eyes are the most haunting of all. They are dark, stained with blood, opened and unseeing.
Joseph didn't know how long he stared into his once lively friends eyes but the next thing he knew, he was being pulled away from Diego by many hands as voices screamed out all around him.
It was a moment he would never forget for the rest of his days.
A.N. Ooo cruel place to leave it, I know, but that's just the way things are. Please let me know what you think. Chapter 2 of 'EHIT' coming soon…