Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Paxing and Speeing
We're paxing (packing) and eventually speeing (sleeping ala Reborn) today. So story of my life right now:
Moving in 11 days to OR, Portland area. Don't have a place yet so I might end up homeless for a week (fun times). Eventually things will work out.
Moving in 11 days to OR, Portland area. Don't have a place yet so I might end up homeless for a week (fun times). Eventually things will work out.
Monday, March 2, 2009
A Color: Red
Even the heavy scent of asphalt and exhaust didn’t block out the sound of the humming voices. Ina walked though the city covered by the worn musty old hooded sweater and in dusty earth covered jeans that hugged to him. His hair was long and fell into his face and his body was bony and underfed. It felt like a balancing act with bricks on a toothpick ever time he stepped. The entire cityscape was a maze to him, a maze full of the body odor of hundreds of crammed up people.
After a long walk down the street, getting bumped into and thrown aside by people, Ina caught the smell of something familiar. An old brand of cigar - the musky sweet and light smell pulled him towards it and down the alley. The alleyway was littered with the sounds of crinkling cans, thick oil ghastly lifted up and the sound of wind moving though the gnarled bricks with telephone wires whipping up ahead. It grew cold; as the wind was much strong in this claustrophobic alley then it was near the rush hour traffic.
The cigar smell clung to the wind and Ina felt his way along the broken bricks of the left wall. His feet struck a garbage can that was lying on its side. The sound echoed though the alley and up with the whipping wires. The collision sent him stumbling along the wall until he stopped slipping on cans and bottles. His fingers scratched along the sharp glass like grit of the bricks and his soft un-weathered skin was cut open. Breathing heavily he took a moment as he held onto the wall, small red dabs of blood being soaked up by it.
The cigar smell faded just to be replaced with the sound of shuffling feet and a zipper being released added with rumpling thick fabric. Acid filled the wind-hallowed breeze. Urine, like sticky hot droplets spraying into his face. By the sound of it the man was taking his leek a good few feet away. The smell still struck Ina dead on. Backing up and feeling along the walls he made his way out of the alley and back to the warmer and congested street. He felt his way long, keeping in stride with the footstep thumps around him.
Night came in and the warmth left his face, and left him without direction. The warmth of the sun told him where on the compass he was facing. Ina found a place to sit on plastic like soft wet grass. It soaked into his jeans and brought chills up his body. His fingers were sore and hurt when he pulled his arms around him for warmth. He was lost in a dark putrid and clattering maze.
* * *
The rain fell hard all around as Vince walked the streets. His tall poster in its long expensive black coat spoke of power and nobility. His long hair that fell beyond his rump and his bangs to his shoulders spoke of beauty. Vivid blue eyes seemed to flash every once in a while as cars drove by. In the night orange streetlights made his black hair seemed iridescent like raven feathers and his pale skin seemed sickly yellow.
As people passed they bowed and muttered a ‘my liege’ or ‘sire’ to him. He was a known face in the city being the son of Ruthar Chambolt, one of the noble family heads on the city council. He ignored them for the most part though at times Vince would scowl or roll his eyes. It was as though… he had no time for their praise. Honestly it disgusted him.
The sound of someone stumbling around in the grass caught his attention. He was ready for an inebriated human rat to stumble into his path. What he saw made him cock his head to the side slightly and pause to take a longer look. A young man, feeling the wall as he walked. His hands were wrapped and his feet were in old broken and split leather shoes. His hair fell around him disheveled and to his thin childlike face. Despite his homely clothing and hair Vince got the distinct impression that this young man was not a bum. At least not a common one.
Clearing his throat he walked closer to him, watching him like the stranger was a wild animal that was injured and curious. This person seemed so out of place and Vince couldn’t tell for the life of him why he was hugging to the wall.
The stranger reached the edge of the brick work and his near hand reached out for the next thing to grab. Vince slid his hand into place. The stranger gave a sudden slight gasping squeak of surprise.
Giving a light laugh, Vince said, “Hey. Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you. You look pretty lost.”
The stranger nodded slightly. “I suppose so.”
“Well usually someone knows if they’re lost.” Vince frowned a little bit. “Or is it that you don’t have a place to go?” He guided him onto the sidewalk and looked him over again.
The stranger bit his lip a bit. “Yeah.” He gave a slight nod.
“Ahhh… homeless?” Vince sighed.
“No. I have a home… but I’m hungry. I had to find something to eat. My grandpa couldn’t bring me any…” The stranger spoke of his grandfather with a quite voice, it was like the title was a gunshot to the chest to say. “I’m Ina.”
The stranger, or Ina’s, sudden introduction threw Vince off. There was no ‘my lord’ or ‘liege’. This man didn’t have a clue who Vince was! For some reason that just turned this stranger into Vince’s new pet.
“Great. I’m Vince, come on I’ll get you fed.”
* * *
Vince’s home was lavish with cascading drapes all around the room hanging off well-wallpapered walls. Ornate and lovely large vases were at every corner with living green foliage coming from them, all ferns of some sort with vines wrapping around the bottom of them. The furniture was dark stained hard wood and carved with attention to elegant detail and the sexual slop of curves.
As they entered in Vince gave a whisper to one of his servants who waited at the doors for him. They were all dressed in black attire and stood like sentries. The woman bowed her baldhead and headed out of the room with an elegant straight posture to her and her gown moving around her slight form.
In a bit dinner was served.
Ina’s stomach instantly started to hurt and his tongue swell at the smell of the dinner the servant put on the table. Vince watched with a sharp interest, Ina’s reaction would tell him where on the civilized food chain he was on.
Instantly Ina began to eat when he could feel, hear and smell it on his plate. He had some etiquette, he knew which fork to use for the salad and which knife for the butter but he ate so fast, like he was starved. His bony body build suggested this too. “Looks like you haven’t eaten in a while.” Vince mentioned as though it were just a passing interest.
“No I haven’t.” Ina picked up the glass and paused. He took a second smell. “What… is this?” he asked softly and cautiously.
“Red wine.” Vince told him with a smirk. “I suppose… you haven’t had it before? Tell me, Ina, what took your sight?”
Ina put the cup down and gave a cough at the dry bread in his throat. “I was born blind.” He told him honestly.
“How did you survive?” Vince was shocked. No one that he’d known had ever lived with a handicap. They were always executed. How did this one guy slip though the cracks?
“My grandfather was the executioner at the local hospital. When I was born he hid me. I never received birth records. I don’t know who my parents are or what my real name is. He took care of me though so… I didn’t need to know.” Ina tried to explain it with as little of words as possible but enough so that this guy wouldn’t ask much more. It wasn’t Ina’s favorite topic.
“Amazing.” Vince said honestly. “So you’ve never seen a color?”
“No… sometimes, in the day, I can see shadows though, where the light is the brightest I can see the darkness. But I’ve never seen a color. Grandpa talked a lot about them, trying to give me an idea of what they were though.”
Vince was quite for a bit then his morbid curiosity got the better of him. “Your grandpa… he’s dead isn’t he. How did he die?”
Ina didn’t like how Vince wanted to ask all the wrong questions but he felt he owed him for dinner. “He died of tuberculosis or something like that. He coughed to death.”
“Wow… that must be one hell of a way to go.” Vince laughed lightly. “Blood and everything in the lungs huh?”
Frowning Ina felt like he was being mocked! Or in some skewed way tortured by this savior. What was Vince’s deal anyways? “Stop it. It’s not funny.” He told him harshly.
“Well not to you but I’m the outsider looking in and it’s damn amusing.” Vince told him with a haunty laugh.
Ina started to cry. He didn’t want to but he was suck with some ass and there was nowhere else for him to go but here. It was bad, like being caged with a rabid ferret spinning in circles and laughing about how fun it was. Vince watched him for a moment. He’d made him cry and that gave him some sort of superiority, some form of higher satisfaction. Ina stood up suddenly. Anywhere was better then here. “Thank you for dinner I should go though.” He said wiping his face with his hands.
“No… Ok look I’m sorry.” Vince lied though his teeth. “I am. If you stay I’ll take care of you.” He offered. “Since you don’t have your grandpa and you’re blind, you’ll just die out there. Stay here and I’ll make sure you’re a perfectly cared for lil’ puppy.” He assured him.
For a long moment Ina weighted the options. He wanted to leave but didn’t want his grandpa’s years of hiding him and keeping him alive to go nothing. He nodded. “Promise you will? Do you honestly promise that you will take care of me? And what do you want in return?”
Vince slyly smiled, knowing Ina couldn’t see it. “Oh I swear and you just have to be pleasant company. That’s it.” He assured him.
Ina gave a sigh. Well it was a promise and he trusted people’s promises… grandpa had never broken one. So he sat back down and put his trust in Vince.
* * *
That night, Vince gave Ina a room to himself. The darkness gave no leniency for him as he felt his way though the strange room carefully. His fingers touched many fine delicate room accessories. Some felt sharp and rough like a painted pattern on a wall, and others felt soft and smooth like the vases all around Vince’s home. The smell was fragrant of the plant life that lived all though this place. It was like living in a garden outside. Ina wished he could see it.
The carpet was soft on his feet and he could barely hear himself walking over it. After what seemed like an hour of slowly moving along the left wall, and evading furniture, or colliding with it, he found the bed.
Unlike the soft light fur of cotton, these sheets were cool at fist then burning hot and slick like ice. He’d never felt satin before. Slowly he sat down on the bed and started to get comfortable in the room.
The sound of soft heels slowly making their way up the hall followed by a good number of other feet caught his attention suddenly and he went ridged.
“In here?” A woman’s hushed voice asked. “From the streets? And you’re sure he’s a cripple?”
“Yes ma’am.” The voice was the same as the servant who served them dinner.
The door opened and the light came in. Blury shadows quickly stretched over him and bound him down. He started to call out but a thick cloth was stuffed in his mouth as a strong man held him down to the bed. His hands frantically tried to fight for freedom or to knock something over, but all they found were strong arms and then a woman’s face and her baldhead.
“Hurry up before Vince hears us. We have to get him out of here before my uncle Ruthar sees him. He’ll kill him on sight.” The woman’s voice said in a hissing tone. As a rough bag was suddenly pulled around him he could only hear her muddled voice though the sound of his head scraping along the floor. “Vince is insane… this cripple will destroy us if he’s found alive… here and alive. Take him to the Royal Cardinal’s third storage room. I’ll leave a note for Vince to find us there.”
* * *
Echoing from the shadowy city lights and busting car horns came a figure, tall and broad but slender and elegant in movement. Vince was all in black, and his destination was a large hotel’s back door, the Royal Cardinal.
A slit in the door opened and man with blonde shabby hair, rough worn skin and blue eyes seemed to size him up. “Lord.” Came the title in a gruff voice. The heavy slate gray door opened up only long enough for Vince to get in. Then it shut closed and the dark alley moved to the rhythm of the city like nothing ever happened.
A room with only one bulb tunneling down a yellowed dirty circle of light on the floor barely illuminated the walls of the dingy room. Sitting with leather restrains on his wrists and ankles, in a hard wooden chair was Ina. His eyes were closed and his dark hair fell over most of his face. He was tired and slumped down in the chair with resigned heavy breathing.
Also in the room, waiting for Vince, was a young woman who was wearing a very elaborate business like suit. It was all white with silver trims, leaving little room for color or expression save for the expanse of money she must have in her name. Her hair was pulled up into a scalp ripping tight bun at the back with out bangs. Only very light makeup was on her face and her lips had gloss not paint.
Vince entered into the room alone, the position of the door left him to be across the room from Ina and the woman. His eyes first darted to Ina sitting like a rag doll an then to the woman. “That belongs to me.” He said in a stern and arrogant way. “Return it.”
“Why?” the woman asked lifting up one eyebrow. “Cousin, you know the rules here. The handicapped are to be destroyed before they bring shame to the name of any noble family. The poor use them for food. Why do you a man who walks between both worlds accept him?” she seemed to almost be pleading for an answer as though Vince was dooming not just his status but hers as well.
Vince’s eyes closed as he gave a deep sigh. “Look Sophia, I don’t care and since you bound my property and have refused to give him to me after I gave you the courtesy of asking for him… I’m going to just cut this chase down.” He said pulling out a gun and aiming it on her.
Ina looked up and though he couldn’t see anything he could feel the intense emotions staring to stir in the room. “Vince… Vince what are you doing?” he asked in a panicked voice as he strained to hear every little thing.
Vince smirked a little. “I’m here to rescue you.” He said over to Ina in a playful way then pulled the trigger. Ina screamed when his ears were nearly blown out by the bullet’s explosion. Sophia staggered back in shock. Her body sprayed blood out of her back like she was a drain just broken out of the wall. Sophia twitched and staggered with her shocked expression that held no life. She fell to the ground backwards and her head made a sickening thud as it hit down. Her limbs continued to twitch while the blood pooled out from under her. Then she was still.
Tears fell down Ina’s face while he was covered in blood and an echoing ring of the gun’s chamber still had him near deaf. He was dizzy, confused and terrified. He bit his lip to keep from acting like a complete wuss and crying like a blubbering baby. He didn’t fight the restraints since he knew that there were only three people in the room and the woman just fell.
Crouching down near him, Vince took an elegantly caved knife from under his coat and started to cut open the restraints. “Did they hurt you?” he asked him like Ina was a pet dog or cat. “I hope not. Either way…”
“Why did you shoot her? She was trying to save you!” Ina whispered.
Vince frowned as he pulled Ina to his feet. “I’ve always wanted to kill someone. She gave me the chance.” He said and gave Ina a pat on the back and then took his hand to guide him out. Ina suddenly felt like he was with a mad man… but that mad man was his only link to life.
* * *
After a night and half a day in hiding, Vince and Ina reached Vince’s home once more a mic turning on suddenly rang out. Ruthar, a strong and grizzled noble with a face of cast iron bore down on the two from a high up tower window. A loudspeaker went out over the courtyard of the estate.
“Guess what I found in the paper today. Guess who I found murdered today. Vince… you dishonor me and for that you will give back to this family what we gave you.” His voice avalanched down on them. “Your life.”
The house guards suddenly pulled out their weapons. As the sun hit noon the first bullet flew for them. “Kill them both.” Ruthar ordered.
Ina felt his limbs go weak and he started to pull Vince away from there. Vince grabbed him and shook his head. “Let’s run but not that way.” He told him as he ran him onto the grounds. He suddenly wondered what it would be like to die. Death had to be better then living like this. After all he couldn’t go back and ignore Ina, he couldn’t go back and not shoot Sophia. He had to go forwards but to do that was to die. Suddenly, like hitting into a huge bell, the ringing of certainly clearly echoed in his mind. He just had to find a place for it.
The sound of feet falling in time like clockwork echoed though the building. Vince, with Ina in hand, ran down the hall. “We have to hurry.” Vince told Ina with a strange confidant and carefree tone, “The garden isn’t far.”
“The garden? Why are we going there?” Ina asked out of breath as he stumbled blindly behind Vince, tripping on Vince’s feet every now and then. Vince tugged harder as Ina started to run out of breath and tears stung his eyes as much as his lungs stung from the frantic dashing.
“Because it’s the loveliest place I know of.” Vince said with a slight smile over his shoulder. “You’ll like it. It’s full of colors this season. All the flowers are coming into bloom and the sun is perfect this afternoon.” his voice became a wash of though and emotion, faded and strained with emotions and memories of eves past.
“I can’t see colors though.” Ina weakly protested but didn’t put any force behind his disappointment. He let Vince tug him along with complete trust.
“You will today.” Vince assured him with a knowing tone.
“How?” Ina’s heart started to jump and it felt like it skipped a beat when he was given such a promise with such confidant tones. Though he still felt like he was with a lunatic.
The armed men turned the corner, their sights locked on Ina and Vince. “Open fire!” Ruthar demanded with a cutthroat tone. The bullets started to fly.
Vince ducked behind a large angelic statue as bullets cut though the stonework of the body. The wings were unscathed. Vince looked up at them, the light of the sun now filtering though the statue and falling on him and Ina, the shadow of the wings spreading out behind them. When the bullets paused for reload, Vince sprinted from statue towards the large pane glass window of a river under the starry night sky. The glass shattered; in retaliation it shattered Vince’s left arm and shoulder blade. The glass cut him along his arms, his torso and across his forehead. Ina, behind him, was minimally cut by the jagged pieces left in the framework and the metal holding the pane pieces.
They stumbled into the garden as lead started to rain down on them. Vince pulled Ina behind the water fountain. “Ina… are you ready?” he was breathing heavily and sweat mixed with the blood falling down him. “Are you ready to see color?”
Ina was shaking. He had no clue what was going on. Dear god he didn’t want to die. He nodded, taking a deep breath and waited for instruction.
“Good. Here it is.” Vince suddenly hugged him as the stampede of hatred over took them and they were torn to pieces. Ina screamed but it was cut short as he fell to his side, for a moment, it seemed like he saw the shadows the light gave off turn into a color… pain and desperation… it was red.
After a long walk down the street, getting bumped into and thrown aside by people, Ina caught the smell of something familiar. An old brand of cigar - the musky sweet and light smell pulled him towards it and down the alley. The alleyway was littered with the sounds of crinkling cans, thick oil ghastly lifted up and the sound of wind moving though the gnarled bricks with telephone wires whipping up ahead. It grew cold; as the wind was much strong in this claustrophobic alley then it was near the rush hour traffic.
The cigar smell clung to the wind and Ina felt his way along the broken bricks of the left wall. His feet struck a garbage can that was lying on its side. The sound echoed though the alley and up with the whipping wires. The collision sent him stumbling along the wall until he stopped slipping on cans and bottles. His fingers scratched along the sharp glass like grit of the bricks and his soft un-weathered skin was cut open. Breathing heavily he took a moment as he held onto the wall, small red dabs of blood being soaked up by it.
The cigar smell faded just to be replaced with the sound of shuffling feet and a zipper being released added with rumpling thick fabric. Acid filled the wind-hallowed breeze. Urine, like sticky hot droplets spraying into his face. By the sound of it the man was taking his leek a good few feet away. The smell still struck Ina dead on. Backing up and feeling along the walls he made his way out of the alley and back to the warmer and congested street. He felt his way long, keeping in stride with the footstep thumps around him.
Night came in and the warmth left his face, and left him without direction. The warmth of the sun told him where on the compass he was facing. Ina found a place to sit on plastic like soft wet grass. It soaked into his jeans and brought chills up his body. His fingers were sore and hurt when he pulled his arms around him for warmth. He was lost in a dark putrid and clattering maze.
* * *
The rain fell hard all around as Vince walked the streets. His tall poster in its long expensive black coat spoke of power and nobility. His long hair that fell beyond his rump and his bangs to his shoulders spoke of beauty. Vivid blue eyes seemed to flash every once in a while as cars drove by. In the night orange streetlights made his black hair seemed iridescent like raven feathers and his pale skin seemed sickly yellow.
As people passed they bowed and muttered a ‘my liege’ or ‘sire’ to him. He was a known face in the city being the son of Ruthar Chambolt, one of the noble family heads on the city council. He ignored them for the most part though at times Vince would scowl or roll his eyes. It was as though… he had no time for their praise. Honestly it disgusted him.
The sound of someone stumbling around in the grass caught his attention. He was ready for an inebriated human rat to stumble into his path. What he saw made him cock his head to the side slightly and pause to take a longer look. A young man, feeling the wall as he walked. His hands were wrapped and his feet were in old broken and split leather shoes. His hair fell around him disheveled and to his thin childlike face. Despite his homely clothing and hair Vince got the distinct impression that this young man was not a bum. At least not a common one.
Clearing his throat he walked closer to him, watching him like the stranger was a wild animal that was injured and curious. This person seemed so out of place and Vince couldn’t tell for the life of him why he was hugging to the wall.
The stranger reached the edge of the brick work and his near hand reached out for the next thing to grab. Vince slid his hand into place. The stranger gave a sudden slight gasping squeak of surprise.
Giving a light laugh, Vince said, “Hey. Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt you. You look pretty lost.”
The stranger nodded slightly. “I suppose so.”
“Well usually someone knows if they’re lost.” Vince frowned a little bit. “Or is it that you don’t have a place to go?” He guided him onto the sidewalk and looked him over again.
The stranger bit his lip a bit. “Yeah.” He gave a slight nod.
“Ahhh… homeless?” Vince sighed.
“No. I have a home… but I’m hungry. I had to find something to eat. My grandpa couldn’t bring me any…” The stranger spoke of his grandfather with a quite voice, it was like the title was a gunshot to the chest to say. “I’m Ina.”
The stranger, or Ina’s, sudden introduction threw Vince off. There was no ‘my lord’ or ‘liege’. This man didn’t have a clue who Vince was! For some reason that just turned this stranger into Vince’s new pet.
“Great. I’m Vince, come on I’ll get you fed.”
* * *
Vince’s home was lavish with cascading drapes all around the room hanging off well-wallpapered walls. Ornate and lovely large vases were at every corner with living green foliage coming from them, all ferns of some sort with vines wrapping around the bottom of them. The furniture was dark stained hard wood and carved with attention to elegant detail and the sexual slop of curves.
As they entered in Vince gave a whisper to one of his servants who waited at the doors for him. They were all dressed in black attire and stood like sentries. The woman bowed her baldhead and headed out of the room with an elegant straight posture to her and her gown moving around her slight form.
In a bit dinner was served.
Ina’s stomach instantly started to hurt and his tongue swell at the smell of the dinner the servant put on the table. Vince watched with a sharp interest, Ina’s reaction would tell him where on the civilized food chain he was on.
Instantly Ina began to eat when he could feel, hear and smell it on his plate. He had some etiquette, he knew which fork to use for the salad and which knife for the butter but he ate so fast, like he was starved. His bony body build suggested this too. “Looks like you haven’t eaten in a while.” Vince mentioned as though it were just a passing interest.
“No I haven’t.” Ina picked up the glass and paused. He took a second smell. “What… is this?” he asked softly and cautiously.
“Red wine.” Vince told him with a smirk. “I suppose… you haven’t had it before? Tell me, Ina, what took your sight?”
Ina put the cup down and gave a cough at the dry bread in his throat. “I was born blind.” He told him honestly.
“How did you survive?” Vince was shocked. No one that he’d known had ever lived with a handicap. They were always executed. How did this one guy slip though the cracks?
“My grandfather was the executioner at the local hospital. When I was born he hid me. I never received birth records. I don’t know who my parents are or what my real name is. He took care of me though so… I didn’t need to know.” Ina tried to explain it with as little of words as possible but enough so that this guy wouldn’t ask much more. It wasn’t Ina’s favorite topic.
“Amazing.” Vince said honestly. “So you’ve never seen a color?”
“No… sometimes, in the day, I can see shadows though, where the light is the brightest I can see the darkness. But I’ve never seen a color. Grandpa talked a lot about them, trying to give me an idea of what they were though.”
Vince was quite for a bit then his morbid curiosity got the better of him. “Your grandpa… he’s dead isn’t he. How did he die?”
Ina didn’t like how Vince wanted to ask all the wrong questions but he felt he owed him for dinner. “He died of tuberculosis or something like that. He coughed to death.”
“Wow… that must be one hell of a way to go.” Vince laughed lightly. “Blood and everything in the lungs huh?”
Frowning Ina felt like he was being mocked! Or in some skewed way tortured by this savior. What was Vince’s deal anyways? “Stop it. It’s not funny.” He told him harshly.
“Well not to you but I’m the outsider looking in and it’s damn amusing.” Vince told him with a haunty laugh.
Ina started to cry. He didn’t want to but he was suck with some ass and there was nowhere else for him to go but here. It was bad, like being caged with a rabid ferret spinning in circles and laughing about how fun it was. Vince watched him for a moment. He’d made him cry and that gave him some sort of superiority, some form of higher satisfaction. Ina stood up suddenly. Anywhere was better then here. “Thank you for dinner I should go though.” He said wiping his face with his hands.
“No… Ok look I’m sorry.” Vince lied though his teeth. “I am. If you stay I’ll take care of you.” He offered. “Since you don’t have your grandpa and you’re blind, you’ll just die out there. Stay here and I’ll make sure you’re a perfectly cared for lil’ puppy.” He assured him.
For a long moment Ina weighted the options. He wanted to leave but didn’t want his grandpa’s years of hiding him and keeping him alive to go nothing. He nodded. “Promise you will? Do you honestly promise that you will take care of me? And what do you want in return?”
Vince slyly smiled, knowing Ina couldn’t see it. “Oh I swear and you just have to be pleasant company. That’s it.” He assured him.
Ina gave a sigh. Well it was a promise and he trusted people’s promises… grandpa had never broken one. So he sat back down and put his trust in Vince.
* * *
That night, Vince gave Ina a room to himself. The darkness gave no leniency for him as he felt his way though the strange room carefully. His fingers touched many fine delicate room accessories. Some felt sharp and rough like a painted pattern on a wall, and others felt soft and smooth like the vases all around Vince’s home. The smell was fragrant of the plant life that lived all though this place. It was like living in a garden outside. Ina wished he could see it.
The carpet was soft on his feet and he could barely hear himself walking over it. After what seemed like an hour of slowly moving along the left wall, and evading furniture, or colliding with it, he found the bed.
Unlike the soft light fur of cotton, these sheets were cool at fist then burning hot and slick like ice. He’d never felt satin before. Slowly he sat down on the bed and started to get comfortable in the room.
The sound of soft heels slowly making their way up the hall followed by a good number of other feet caught his attention suddenly and he went ridged.
“In here?” A woman’s hushed voice asked. “From the streets? And you’re sure he’s a cripple?”
“Yes ma’am.” The voice was the same as the servant who served them dinner.
The door opened and the light came in. Blury shadows quickly stretched over him and bound him down. He started to call out but a thick cloth was stuffed in his mouth as a strong man held him down to the bed. His hands frantically tried to fight for freedom or to knock something over, but all they found were strong arms and then a woman’s face and her baldhead.
“Hurry up before Vince hears us. We have to get him out of here before my uncle Ruthar sees him. He’ll kill him on sight.” The woman’s voice said in a hissing tone. As a rough bag was suddenly pulled around him he could only hear her muddled voice though the sound of his head scraping along the floor. “Vince is insane… this cripple will destroy us if he’s found alive… here and alive. Take him to the Royal Cardinal’s third storage room. I’ll leave a note for Vince to find us there.”
* * *
Echoing from the shadowy city lights and busting car horns came a figure, tall and broad but slender and elegant in movement. Vince was all in black, and his destination was a large hotel’s back door, the Royal Cardinal.
A slit in the door opened and man with blonde shabby hair, rough worn skin and blue eyes seemed to size him up. “Lord.” Came the title in a gruff voice. The heavy slate gray door opened up only long enough for Vince to get in. Then it shut closed and the dark alley moved to the rhythm of the city like nothing ever happened.
A room with only one bulb tunneling down a yellowed dirty circle of light on the floor barely illuminated the walls of the dingy room. Sitting with leather restrains on his wrists and ankles, in a hard wooden chair was Ina. His eyes were closed and his dark hair fell over most of his face. He was tired and slumped down in the chair with resigned heavy breathing.
Also in the room, waiting for Vince, was a young woman who was wearing a very elaborate business like suit. It was all white with silver trims, leaving little room for color or expression save for the expanse of money she must have in her name. Her hair was pulled up into a scalp ripping tight bun at the back with out bangs. Only very light makeup was on her face and her lips had gloss not paint.
Vince entered into the room alone, the position of the door left him to be across the room from Ina and the woman. His eyes first darted to Ina sitting like a rag doll an then to the woman. “That belongs to me.” He said in a stern and arrogant way. “Return it.”
“Why?” the woman asked lifting up one eyebrow. “Cousin, you know the rules here. The handicapped are to be destroyed before they bring shame to the name of any noble family. The poor use them for food. Why do you a man who walks between both worlds accept him?” she seemed to almost be pleading for an answer as though Vince was dooming not just his status but hers as well.
Vince’s eyes closed as he gave a deep sigh. “Look Sophia, I don’t care and since you bound my property and have refused to give him to me after I gave you the courtesy of asking for him… I’m going to just cut this chase down.” He said pulling out a gun and aiming it on her.
Ina looked up and though he couldn’t see anything he could feel the intense emotions staring to stir in the room. “Vince… Vince what are you doing?” he asked in a panicked voice as he strained to hear every little thing.
Vince smirked a little. “I’m here to rescue you.” He said over to Ina in a playful way then pulled the trigger. Ina screamed when his ears were nearly blown out by the bullet’s explosion. Sophia staggered back in shock. Her body sprayed blood out of her back like she was a drain just broken out of the wall. Sophia twitched and staggered with her shocked expression that held no life. She fell to the ground backwards and her head made a sickening thud as it hit down. Her limbs continued to twitch while the blood pooled out from under her. Then she was still.
Tears fell down Ina’s face while he was covered in blood and an echoing ring of the gun’s chamber still had him near deaf. He was dizzy, confused and terrified. He bit his lip to keep from acting like a complete wuss and crying like a blubbering baby. He didn’t fight the restraints since he knew that there were only three people in the room and the woman just fell.
Crouching down near him, Vince took an elegantly caved knife from under his coat and started to cut open the restraints. “Did they hurt you?” he asked him like Ina was a pet dog or cat. “I hope not. Either way…”
“Why did you shoot her? She was trying to save you!” Ina whispered.
Vince frowned as he pulled Ina to his feet. “I’ve always wanted to kill someone. She gave me the chance.” He said and gave Ina a pat on the back and then took his hand to guide him out. Ina suddenly felt like he was with a mad man… but that mad man was his only link to life.
* * *
After a night and half a day in hiding, Vince and Ina reached Vince’s home once more a mic turning on suddenly rang out. Ruthar, a strong and grizzled noble with a face of cast iron bore down on the two from a high up tower window. A loudspeaker went out over the courtyard of the estate.
“Guess what I found in the paper today. Guess who I found murdered today. Vince… you dishonor me and for that you will give back to this family what we gave you.” His voice avalanched down on them. “Your life.”
The house guards suddenly pulled out their weapons. As the sun hit noon the first bullet flew for them. “Kill them both.” Ruthar ordered.
Ina felt his limbs go weak and he started to pull Vince away from there. Vince grabbed him and shook his head. “Let’s run but not that way.” He told him as he ran him onto the grounds. He suddenly wondered what it would be like to die. Death had to be better then living like this. After all he couldn’t go back and ignore Ina, he couldn’t go back and not shoot Sophia. He had to go forwards but to do that was to die. Suddenly, like hitting into a huge bell, the ringing of certainly clearly echoed in his mind. He just had to find a place for it.
The sound of feet falling in time like clockwork echoed though the building. Vince, with Ina in hand, ran down the hall. “We have to hurry.” Vince told Ina with a strange confidant and carefree tone, “The garden isn’t far.”
“The garden? Why are we going there?” Ina asked out of breath as he stumbled blindly behind Vince, tripping on Vince’s feet every now and then. Vince tugged harder as Ina started to run out of breath and tears stung his eyes as much as his lungs stung from the frantic dashing.
“Because it’s the loveliest place I know of.” Vince said with a slight smile over his shoulder. “You’ll like it. It’s full of colors this season. All the flowers are coming into bloom and the sun is perfect this afternoon.” his voice became a wash of though and emotion, faded and strained with emotions and memories of eves past.
“I can’t see colors though.” Ina weakly protested but didn’t put any force behind his disappointment. He let Vince tug him along with complete trust.
“You will today.” Vince assured him with a knowing tone.
“How?” Ina’s heart started to jump and it felt like it skipped a beat when he was given such a promise with such confidant tones. Though he still felt like he was with a lunatic.
The armed men turned the corner, their sights locked on Ina and Vince. “Open fire!” Ruthar demanded with a cutthroat tone. The bullets started to fly.
Vince ducked behind a large angelic statue as bullets cut though the stonework of the body. The wings were unscathed. Vince looked up at them, the light of the sun now filtering though the statue and falling on him and Ina, the shadow of the wings spreading out behind them. When the bullets paused for reload, Vince sprinted from statue towards the large pane glass window of a river under the starry night sky. The glass shattered; in retaliation it shattered Vince’s left arm and shoulder blade. The glass cut him along his arms, his torso and across his forehead. Ina, behind him, was minimally cut by the jagged pieces left in the framework and the metal holding the pane pieces.
They stumbled into the garden as lead started to rain down on them. Vince pulled Ina behind the water fountain. “Ina… are you ready?” he was breathing heavily and sweat mixed with the blood falling down him. “Are you ready to see color?”
Ina was shaking. He had no clue what was going on. Dear god he didn’t want to die. He nodded, taking a deep breath and waited for instruction.
“Good. Here it is.” Vince suddenly hugged him as the stampede of hatred over took them and they were torn to pieces. Ina screamed but it was cut short as he fell to his side, for a moment, it seemed like he saw the shadows the light gave off turn into a color… pain and desperation… it was red.
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