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Authors: Shawn Clements
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Jacob's door he knocked once and opened it, not willing to be blocked out this time. There was
too much pain and upset, and he wasn't going to take silence for an answer, not when he needed to
see Jacob's eyes. He slipped into the room and leaned back on the closed door, waiting.
"She's evil," Jacob said, staring the floor. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, rocking back and forth, cradling his cast.
"She's… ignorant," Jake said. He sighed and added, "And a mean old bitch."
44
Chris Owen
"You going to make me apologize?" Jacob asked dully.
"I probably should, but no. I told her to get out."
Jacob looked up at him, his eyes damp with angry tears. "She said she was going to take me!"
"Not going to happen," Jake said with every ounce of conviction he had.
"She said that Aunt Cath would need help raising me and she was going to take me. That she was
sure Uncle James would help, too. I said I was going where my mom wanted, and that you and Tor
would do fine by me. She said--" He stopped suddenly and threw himself back on the bed.
"I can imagine." Jake walked to him and sank down on his heels, kneeling by the bed. "Forget her, Jacob," he pleaded. He wanted to ask about Jacob and Arkansas, and if that meant he was willing to come with him and Tor, but he didn't know if that would add to the stress or not. He left it alone
and reached out, put his hand on Jacob's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I won't let her say any-
thing more to you."
Jacob nodded and closed his eyes tight, sniffling a little bit. He was trembling under Jake's hand,
obviously trying to keep himself together; anger and hurt radiated from him and he opened his
eyes, looking up at the ceiling.
"Can I have a horse?" he asked, tears starting to flow, running down the side of his face and into his ear.
"After you learn to take care of one," Jake said, his voice suddenly tight. The weight on his chest was back.
"Okay." Jacob shook and Jake moved to the bed, gathering the boy up in his arms, his own tears forcing their way out again. "God, I miss her," Jacob gasped, sobs wracking him.
"I know." Jake held on, let Jacob cry in his arms until they were both shaking with it. His face was wet, his own tears going almost unnoticed as Jacob finally let go and cried for his mother, and for
himself.
It was a start, and an end, and Jake hoped he had the strength to carry them both through to the
other side.
45
Natural Disaster
The Dark
Chapter Twelve
There wasn't any light in the room when Jake woke up, just a lighter shade of black around the
window to let him know that night had fallen. He was stiff and sore, his eyes gritty in the aftermath
of his sorrow, and his arm was asleep where Jacob lay across it. It took a moment for Jake to figure
out what had woken him up, other than the discomfort of sleeping with his body curled protectively
around Jacob's.
A sound from the hallway came, a soft murmur of voices and quiet steps which reminded him of
the guests in 'Lissa's home. Most would be long gone, even those who hadn't fled in the wake of the
scene with Jess, and Jake assumed that only Tor and Cath and a very few others still remained.
Carefully, slowly, he untangled himself from Jacob and pulled a blanket over his nephew's sleeping
body, ignoring the way the nerves in his arm zinged as circulation was restored. Numb to the point
of calmness, he kissed Jacob's forehead and made his way to the door, braced for the light in the
rest of the house after the dark of the room.
Squinting, he shut Jacob's door behind him and turned to the living room, only to bump right into
Tor. "Hey," he said softly, automatically, wrapping his arms around Tor and leaning into his body, soaking up the warmth.
"Hey, you," Tor whispered. "Okay?"
"Okay. Everyone gone?"
"Just about. Hungry?" Tor's hand rubbed on Jake's back, slow and soothing.
Jake shook his head. "What time is it?"
"About nine. Do you think he'll sleep through the night?"
"No idea,"
too much pain and upset, and he wasn't going to take silence for an answer, not when he needed to
see Jacob's eyes. He slipped into the room and leaned back on the closed door, waiting.
"She's evil," Jacob said, staring the floor. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, rocking back and forth, cradling his cast.
"She's… ignorant," Jake said. He sighed and added, "And a mean old bitch."
44
Chris Owen
"You going to make me apologize?" Jacob asked dully.
"I probably should, but no. I told her to get out."
Jacob looked up at him, his eyes damp with angry tears. "She said she was going to take me!"
"Not going to happen," Jake said with every ounce of conviction he had.
"She said that Aunt Cath would need help raising me and she was going to take me. That she was
sure Uncle James would help, too. I said I was going where my mom wanted, and that you and Tor
would do fine by me. She said--" He stopped suddenly and threw himself back on the bed.
"I can imagine." Jake walked to him and sank down on his heels, kneeling by the bed. "Forget her, Jacob," he pleaded. He wanted to ask about Jacob and Arkansas, and if that meant he was willing to come with him and Tor, but he didn't know if that would add to the stress or not. He left it alone
and reached out, put his hand on Jacob's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "I won't let her say any-
thing more to you."
Jacob nodded and closed his eyes tight, sniffling a little bit. He was trembling under Jake's hand,
obviously trying to keep himself together; anger and hurt radiated from him and he opened his
eyes, looking up at the ceiling.
"Can I have a horse?" he asked, tears starting to flow, running down the side of his face and into his ear.
"After you learn to take care of one," Jake said, his voice suddenly tight. The weight on his chest was back.
"Okay." Jacob shook and Jake moved to the bed, gathering the boy up in his arms, his own tears forcing their way out again. "God, I miss her," Jacob gasped, sobs wracking him.
"I know." Jake held on, let Jacob cry in his arms until they were both shaking with it. His face was wet, his own tears going almost unnoticed as Jacob finally let go and cried for his mother, and for
himself.
It was a start, and an end, and Jake hoped he had the strength to carry them both through to the
other side.
45
Natural Disaster
The Dark
Chapter Twelve
There wasn't any light in the room when Jake woke up, just a lighter shade of black around the
window to let him know that night had fallen. He was stiff and sore, his eyes gritty in the aftermath
of his sorrow, and his arm was asleep where Jacob lay across it. It took a moment for Jake to figure
out what had woken him up, other than the discomfort of sleeping with his body curled protectively
around Jacob's.
A sound from the hallway came, a soft murmur of voices and quiet steps which reminded him of
the guests in 'Lissa's home. Most would be long gone, even those who hadn't fled in the wake of the
scene with Jess, and Jake assumed that only Tor and Cath and a very few others still remained.
Carefully, slowly, he untangled himself from Jacob and pulled a blanket over his nephew's sleeping
body, ignoring the way the nerves in his arm zinged as circulation was restored. Numb to the point
of calmness, he kissed Jacob's forehead and made his way to the door, braced for the light in the
rest of the house after the dark of the room.
Squinting, he shut Jacob's door behind him and turned to the living room, only to bump right into
Tor. "Hey," he said softly, automatically, wrapping his arms around Tor and leaning into his body, soaking up the warmth.
"Hey, you," Tor whispered. "Okay?"
"Okay. Everyone gone?"
"Just about. Hungry?" Tor's hand rubbed on Jake's back, slow and soothing.
Jake shook his head. "What time is it?"
"About nine. Do you think he'll sleep through the night?"
"No idea,"
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