father would his son after a particularly good little league game.
Jason looked at his brother in relief and then went over to stash the secret journal in his pack.
"Remember, not a word to anyone. Not Hector. Not Eldon. No one."
"Understood."
"I will make sure you have the time and supplies to carry on with your work. And it's important work, brother. You could even say it's more important than securing our next meal or finding safe shelter. It's History with a big H. As long as we honor the work and secure it for posterity, it will live long after we're gone."
Jason couldn't help feeling something like pride at the notion of his importance. He knew it was bullshit. He knew Marcus was a mad man. But still…
"The boy…" With the notebook stowed in his pack, Jason turned his gaze to the hydraulic lift pit. Puddled mud slicked the floor surrounding the pit. A mewling whimper issued from the darkened crater.
"Go ahead, pull him free." Marcus hefted his pack and weapons, readying to leave Concord behind for good. "But, Jason…"
Jason stopped short of the pit and looked back at his brother, ready for him to sadistically change his mind.
"Just know the next time I need to pressure you… I won't be nearly so kind."
Jason nodded and hurried to the edge of the pit. He went down on his belly and reached into the murk below. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and when they did, they alighted on the boy's clear blue eyes.
The boy cried out in fear and tried to shift away from Jason's extended hand.
"No, shhh… No, it's okay. I'm going to get you out of here."
"The God-man… he wants to drown me."
"I won't let that happen. Don't worry. I'll protect you. Just take my hand."
The boy gaped at Jason's swollen lip, his split cheek, his nearly closed eye still leaking tears, blood, or both.
"Trust me," Jason pleaded. He reached farther into the pit, bridging the gap to the reluctant boy. How bad I must look for him to not want to leap into my arms? "Please…"
The effort to keep his head above the slurry seemed to hit the boy all at once. He gave in and grunted as he whipped out his hand until it slapped against Jason's. As Jason put all of his weight into tugging him out of the pit, the slurry didn't seem to want to give him up so quickly. His slight seventy pounds felt ten times heavier.
Jason started to slip in the mud toward the pit. "Marcus…"
His brother stood with his thumbs hooking the straps of his backpack, seemingly without a care in the world.
Jason's heel caught on the raised metal lip at the edge of the pit. He pulled hard until the muscles in his back and shoulders felt ready to snap. The boy lifted higher until he grabbed the edge with his free hand and leveraged himself even higher. And in one fell swoop, he pulled free of the muck and flopped onto the shop floor next to Jason.
"You were…" Jason panted, glaring at Marcus. "Just going to let me… fall in?"
"Not at all, brother. Just wanted to see how you react to the new world testing you."
"That wasn't the new world testing me, you evil fuck."
Marcus tried to laugh away Jason's anger, but it never reached his eyes. His lips pulled into a taut line and he turned away, letting his attention fall to the dead electrical tools and the water-logged centerfold epitomizing the beauty of a bygone age.
Jason got to his feet and then helped the boy up as well. He would have to figure out where to track down some clothes for the boy; he still wore nothing more than an undershirt and boxers. He trembled uncontrollably, either from shock or exhaustion, Jason couldn't tell. Covered in the filth from the pit, he looked like he would never get clean again no matter how hard he tried.
"My name's Jason."
"I know." The boy hugged himself for warmth even though the day was a scorcher. His eyes had sunken since Jason first saw him huddled behind the tree in the middle of town. "That's what your girlfriend called you."
Jason shot a glance at Marcus and he
Jason looked at his brother in relief and then went over to stash the secret journal in his pack.
"Remember, not a word to anyone. Not Hector. Not Eldon. No one."
"Understood."
"I will make sure you have the time and supplies to carry on with your work. And it's important work, brother. You could even say it's more important than securing our next meal or finding safe shelter. It's History with a big H. As long as we honor the work and secure it for posterity, it will live long after we're gone."
Jason couldn't help feeling something like pride at the notion of his importance. He knew it was bullshit. He knew Marcus was a mad man. But still…
"The boy…" With the notebook stowed in his pack, Jason turned his gaze to the hydraulic lift pit. Puddled mud slicked the floor surrounding the pit. A mewling whimper issued from the darkened crater.
"Go ahead, pull him free." Marcus hefted his pack and weapons, readying to leave Concord behind for good. "But, Jason…"
Jason stopped short of the pit and looked back at his brother, ready for him to sadistically change his mind.
"Just know the next time I need to pressure you… I won't be nearly so kind."
Jason nodded and hurried to the edge of the pit. He went down on his belly and reached into the murk below. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, and when they did, they alighted on the boy's clear blue eyes.
The boy cried out in fear and tried to shift away from Jason's extended hand.
"No, shhh… No, it's okay. I'm going to get you out of here."
"The God-man… he wants to drown me."
"I won't let that happen. Don't worry. I'll protect you. Just take my hand."
The boy gaped at Jason's swollen lip, his split cheek, his nearly closed eye still leaking tears, blood, or both.
"Trust me," Jason pleaded. He reached farther into the pit, bridging the gap to the reluctant boy. How bad I must look for him to not want to leap into my arms? "Please…"
The effort to keep his head above the slurry seemed to hit the boy all at once. He gave in and grunted as he whipped out his hand until it slapped against Jason's. As Jason put all of his weight into tugging him out of the pit, the slurry didn't seem to want to give him up so quickly. His slight seventy pounds felt ten times heavier.
Jason started to slip in the mud toward the pit. "Marcus…"
His brother stood with his thumbs hooking the straps of his backpack, seemingly without a care in the world.
Jason's heel caught on the raised metal lip at the edge of the pit. He pulled hard until the muscles in his back and shoulders felt ready to snap. The boy lifted higher until he grabbed the edge with his free hand and leveraged himself even higher. And in one fell swoop, he pulled free of the muck and flopped onto the shop floor next to Jason.
"You were…" Jason panted, glaring at Marcus. "Just going to let me… fall in?"
"Not at all, brother. Just wanted to see how you react to the new world testing you."
"That wasn't the new world testing me, you evil fuck."
Marcus tried to laugh away Jason's anger, but it never reached his eyes. His lips pulled into a taut line and he turned away, letting his attention fall to the dead electrical tools and the water-logged centerfold epitomizing the beauty of a bygone age.
Jason got to his feet and then helped the boy up as well. He would have to figure out where to track down some clothes for the boy; he still wore nothing more than an undershirt and boxers. He trembled uncontrollably, either from shock or exhaustion, Jason couldn't tell. Covered in the filth from the pit, he looked like he would never get clean again no matter how hard he tried.
"My name's Jason."
"I know." The boy hugged himself for warmth even though the day was a scorcher. His eyes had sunken since Jason first saw him huddled behind the tree in the middle of town. "That's what your girlfriend called you."
Jason shot a glance at Marcus and he
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