1- forgiving who you are, what you stand to gain (3/5)
As they walked back out into town square, Boney padding over from his waiting place to trail them again, Claus was laughing, stuffing the money into the back pocket of his jeans. “What a dope, dear lord.”
Luke gave Claus a quizzical look, a sinking feeling in his stomach. “What did you do this time, oh my god-”
“Hey! He should have been checking that pheasant better, Luke. Its not my fault he didn’t see the places I cut off the tentacles.” Claus shuddered a little at the memory, though he seemed almost grossly amused by it at the same time. “It was like a squid, or something. A real fucking freak. But now it’s dead, and it doesn’t need to suffer anymore. I did it a favor.”
At Luke’s huffy glare, he added, “And, I did us a favor. This should help cover the cost of the hole in the side of the barn, if we even want to try rebuilding it back all the way. I say we just put up a fence and be done with it, sheep be damned.”
Luke suddenly clasped his hands to his chest, almost gasping. “But they’ll get cold!”
“They still have half a roof, and they’re covered in wool. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Claus shrugged, uncaring, while Luke just grumbled a little. Claus sighed in an exasperated way, grabbing Luke by the shoulder and shaking him a little, while Luke let himself go limp. “Will you cheer up a little? Please? Like, at least try to not rain on my parade for five seconds?”
“But you lied to Nichol, who’s only ever been fair to us,” Luke found himself whining, crossing his arms. “He doesn’t need to buy stuff from us, y’know. He does get stock from all the new industrial farms and whatnot.”
“Yeah, but they like our supply of shit because then they can resell it at a higher price and call it ‘organic,’ whatever that means,” was Claus' counter, pointing his finger in the air as if he’d come up with a great argument. “So, we get paid, and we can afford to, y’know, live.”
“Don’t fucking start, I know you don’t like it.” Claus' tone darkened a bit, making Luke’s mouth snap closed. “But c’mon dude, we need soap, and clothes, and-“
“But we used to be able to just… get that stuff. We didn’t need to work ourselves to death to be taken care of before.” Luke was making an active effort to keep his voice down, trying to detract from the stares they were already getting. Of course, there were the people who’d always lived in Tazmily, and they were bad enough- Luke had always felt slightly displaced with them, even before the clear economic divide. But now, coupled with the newcomers that had shown up one day, he felt as off-center as ever in town. The newcomers were the worst, though; he didn’t know any of their names, and he always felt like there was something ever so off about them, though he couldn’t place what.
“Yeah, and we used to be stupid kids who relied on our parents for everything. And now look at us!” Claus straighted a little, grinning. “We’re about ten times as self sufficient as any other kids in town, Luke. We’re like…” He waved his hand in the air, as if trying to physically catch the words he wanted to say. “Honorary adults,” is what he settled on.
“Maybe don’t talk so loudly?” Luke’s eyes drifted suspiciously over to the soldiers at the edge of the four way street, off towards the way to the beach. They were chatting amiably amongst themselves, but even still, just the sight of them made Luke nervous. He and Claus weren’t exactly supposed to be living on their own, they were technically too young to be. Of course, with their father missing, they didn’t exactly have a choice, meaning they had to lie through their teeth most of the time. Luke chose not to talk about it, while Claus carried most of that, like usual- he wasn’t a very good liar, and he didn’t want to push their luck.
Claus followed his eyes and grimaced a little, quickly adding, “But only because Dad’s been sick. Once he’s feeling better, everything will go right back to normal.”
Luke could have actually whimpered at the concept- going back to normal? Nothing had been normal for years, and the idea of going back to something even resembling it… He just wrapped his arms around himself in a makeshift hug, saying nothing. He could feel himself zoning out, but he forced himself to remain fully awake, keeping pace with his brother as they turned down the eastward path.
They walked past the mayor’s massive, in-town, family home, towering over the smaller townhomes and apartments around it. Even the family’s shiny, black car out front seemed to gloat, hollering out to Luke as he passed, “We’re better than you!” He just glared defiantly back, following behind Claus as he began to cross the small, stone bridge ahead of them.
The bridge was one of the few remaining structures of old Tazmily, untouched by the new construction plans. It and the old prayer sanctuary close to the forest had been left alone, one out of request of the current residents, and the other out of it simply needing no improvements. Walking across it now, pointedly avoiding looking at the swiftly rushing river below, Luke found it cosmically funny that they found no need to fix the old, crumbly bridge, but still thought it was necessary to splice and dice the actual wildlife living on the island.
Yet another thing that had been changed, however, was this entire side of town. Aside from the bridge, it looked almost completely different; old man Wess’s house had been torn down, ripped to the ground and replaced instead with a stony, squat, brick building the color of sickly clouds. To Luke, it looked like his perfect idea of a prison, though of course, it wasn’t far off- it was an old folks’ home. A prison of it’s own sorts, where the only crime committed by the people inside was living past fifty- something Luke doubted he’d be able to accomplish at this point.
The cattle ranch over here had also been replaced with a training facility for the Masks instead, spanning the entire length of the place. Luke wasn’t sure what had happened to the cattle that had lived there, but he hoped they were okay. Still, he got a strange sinking feeling when he thought about it, his brain going to more unsavory places- the chimera lab was always accepting fresh meat, after all. The thought of that place always made him feel ill- even if they weren’t exactly a threat to humans, he still never wanted to end up there, as copious amounts of suffering typically overwhelmed him. In this, he knew he wasn’t exactly special. He wasn’t an empath, or something equally as made up and ridiculous.
Luke just then noticed yet another thing that had stayed the same, though it had an ominous air about it- the unused gallows, now looking a bit more polished than they had been, sitting cozied up to the entrance of the Masks’ training camp. Luke wasn’t sure if they planned to use them, but he really didn’t want to know.
Claus led Luke up the hill to the old folks home, his steps becoming almost stiff as they approached the door. They made a pleasant ding as they slid open in front of them, whooshing air into their faces like they always did; Luke somewhat basked in it, feeling a little overwhelmed by now of the heat outside, while Claus almost growled. Boney trotted away from them, obediently sitting down in the shade of a nearby tree.
Claus marched in a stilted way into the lobby, ignoring the various people sitting around in rocking chairs and such. These were more people that had immigrated to the island, with most of the residents not being exactly old enough to be confined here yet- Luke just assumed most of the older people had died with the previously lack-luster medicinal care they had. After all, now they had hospitals with all kinds of plastic, sanitized goodies to keep you living past sixty, while before you just kind of sat around and waited to die. He supposed it was an improvement, but he would have much rather been put in the ground in the old cemetery then forced to live in this little boring enclosure of brick and mortar.
Claus walked up to the receptionist’s desk, tapping his fingers on the counter to gather the attention of the woman behind it- yet another classic resident of Tazmily, Nan, was the one working the counter. She reclined in her cheap-looking office chair, chewing a wad of minty gum loudly, reading a book with a mostly shirtless man on the cover, snapping to sudden attention when Claus finally cleared his throat. She blanched at the sight of them, practically throwing the book under her desk, while she tried for an embarrassed smile.
“Oh, it’s you two, so lovely to see you!” She chuckled nervously, while Claus adopted that same, silky smile as before, nodding. Luke tried to copy him, but he knew deep down it looked more like a grimace- he had a hard time with stuff like that on occasion, typically feeling like he was just roleplaying as a human rather than actually being one, or something.
“Yeah, you two,” Claus replied amicably, though Luke could see a slight twitch in his neck, the only thing indicating how annoyed he already was of this whole experience. “And how’s your day been, Nan?”
She shrugged. “Not too bad, just another day at the office, you know? How’ve you been?” She was seeming to relax a little more as the small talk droned on, leaving Luke with the desire to bash his head into the desk, just to speed things up a bit. Instead, he opted to gently nudge Claus in the back, which seemed to convey his message just fine.
“Well, we’re here to see our grandpa, which I’m sure you assumed.”
Nan just nodded, typing something into the computer that sat to her left. Luke assumed it was some sort of visitor’s log, or something, though muffled sounds came from it. Maybe it was some sort of tactic to make people more productive? Motivating little jingles?
“Alec’s in the same place he always is, I’m sure you know where to find him.” She smiled, starting to snap her gum again as she did so. Luke almost sighed. How’s it fair that she’s got candy, and we don’t? I should’ve just asked about it at the shop, now we’re not getting some for sure.
Claus tipped his head to her, before backing away from the desk, letting out a small “thank you,” which Luke parroted. He walked over to the stairs off to the side of the room, while Luke glanced back at the reception desk, finally getting a look at Nan’s computer screen. It looked like some sort of card game, like solitaire or something. He sighed under his breath, following after Claus without a word about it. So what if she wanted to spice up her work day? It was none of his business.
The creaky wooden floors upstairs cried out as the pair walked across them, strolling past the various doors that lined the upper floor. Luke noisily tried to peer into the small windows on them as they walked past, catching glimpses of the people inside. Most of them were sitting around, eyes glued to various screens, but the one consistent thing in every single room was the small, pink box in the corner. All it did was show varying colors, letting out beeps of various pitches on occasion; they were something that was ever-present in now, in every home and business. Of course, the boys didn’t own one, with Claus insisting they were some sort of brainwashing device- he had no proof for this, which only cemented in Luke’s mind further that he was some kind of crazy.
Of course, Luke himself didn’t trust the man who’d been selling them- he’d also just shown up one day, with enough charisma to rival Claus, going on and on about the meaning of happiness, or whatever. He’d peddled his Happy Boxes™ to everyone in town, and in light of the things that had just happened, of course they’d latched onto them. It was the same reason they let the soldiers take over, simply because they felt like they needed them for their own protection. Of course, it seemed roundabout to Luke, seeing as the Masks were the ones making the chimera to begin with so…? Anyway, he wasn’t particularly fond of the man who’d sold the boxes, Fassad, but he didn’t think he was evil, or anything. Luke wasn’t convinced anything could be completely evil.
Claus finally stopped at one of the last doors in the hall, “Apartment 12B,” swinging it open without so much as a knock. He let it slam against the wall, announcing loudly as he stepped in, “We’re only gonna be here for like, twenty minutes, so don’t get too excited.”
He froze in his tracks, however, completely pausing in the doorway, while Luke pushed past him, confused. His eyes fell on Alec first, who looked somewhat embarrassed, before falling to Wess, who was standing next to him. Clearly, from the looks on their faces, they’d been talking about something they weren’t supposed to be. A general air of tension flooded the room, almost making Luke sick to his stomach. He looked to Claus instinctually, who shouldered past him slowly, narrowing his eyes at the two old men.
“What the fuck did we just walk in on?” His voice was cold and still, a strange menacing edge to it; it wasn’t something Luke was used to hearing from him, and it only furthered his anxiety.
Alec was the first to try and speak, sputtering out various attempts to soothe the situation, while Claus just breezed past them, snapping, “Will you shut up? Good lord, you act like we walked in on you killing someone, and I want to know why.”
Wess turned towards the boy, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to look intimidating, but it didn’t really work with how much taller Claus was than him. His white hair stood out all over his head, aside from the very top, where it looked as if it’d retreated down to the sides. Wess just glowered at Claus, snapping, “Young man, you have some nerve!”
“About as much as you,” was Claus' reply. He just crossed his arms, seeming agitated and indifferent all at once. Luke just cowered next to him, watching his sudden stand off with Wess, eyes wide. Did they really need to piss off these two adults? People who very well could just report them to the soldiers? Luke knew Alec probably wouldn’t, but there really was no telling what Wess would do if pushed.
Luke shakily stepped out from behind Claus, putting his arm out to separate him from Wess. He gave them both scared glances, forcing himself to say, “Can we not argue, please? We just came here to visit Grandpa, we don’t need to start anything.”
“It wasn’t me who started anything!” Claus' voice suddenly turned to a snarl, which only made Luke flinch. Claus just took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before continuing in a level voice. “Look, he has a point. We’re just here to visit, we didn’t mean to walk into whatever secret little old man club you have here.”
Alec and Wess exchanged glances, looking like some sort of parody of the two boys with their expressions. Alec leaned over to Wess, muttering something Luke could barely catch. “Maybe they could be helpful in some way?”
Wess gave a single, firm shake of his head. “They’re just children, for god’s sake. What do they know about anything? I still say it should be us who-”
“You know they’re not gonna let us leave this place, Vern. And we’re not exactly as spry as we used to be, there’s no avoiding the Masks.” Alec glanced nervously at the two children, before looking back to Wess.
Wess’s expression didn’t change, though he did let out a heavy sigh, almost accepting some sort of defeat. He looked from Luke, to Claus, and back to Alec, adding, “If you think this is a good idea, I’ll go along with it. I just don’t want any blood on my hands.”
Something about that phrase alone made Luke want to bolt out of the room, rushing out of the nursing home and back into the sunshine. But no, he stayed rooted to the spot, wide eyes trained on his brother, who appeared almost indifferent. Claus' eyes had narrowed even more, making him look almost sleepy as he pressed again, “Well?”
“We actually could use your help,” Alec finally said out loud, clasping his weathered hands in front of him. Behind his glasses, his small eyes darted from side to side, almost as if he felt trapped in what he was saying. “I don’t want to ask you boys to put yourselves into any amount of danger, but I feel as though we really don’t have a choice anymore.”
“Elaborate.” The word was almost like a bark coming out of Claus' mouth.
Alec opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out, the words drying up in his throat. Wess instead continued, his voice every bit as hostile as Claus’. “You two remember three years ago when my son Duster went missing, correct? Same night we found you out in the rain.”
“How could I forget?” Claus' shoulders slumped a little at the memory, while Luke just grabbed for his wrist, trying to keep himself steady in the wave of memories threatening to overwhelm him. He didn’t want to think about that night, even if it’s all he ever did.
“Yes, well… I was at the train station today during my walk I’m allowed every day, and I heard something jarring.” The intensity of Wess’s gaze was almost too much to bear, making Luke want to shut his eyes. He kept them open, however, instead just squinting a little.
“Bronson was talking about possibly having seen him, or something. It was Bronson or someone else that works at the factory, can’t remember who. Doesn’t matter- they spotted him at the club all the factory workers go to after their shifts. We were obviously going to go there to investigate the lead, but…” He scowled at the walls around them, his point clearly made.
“So, you want us to go instead?” Luke looked up at Claus as he spoke, feeling a sinking dread at the sudden spark in his eyes.
Wess grumbled something incomprehensible, while Alec nodded in a worrisome way. “If you would be so kind. We can take care of Boney for you while you’re gone as well- they don’t allow dogs in the club.”
“Or minors either, but I’m sure you’ll find a work around,” Wess scoffed, rolling his eyes.
“Luckily for you, it looks like I’m finally coming in handy.” Claus suddenly smirked, brushing Luke off of him as he started to almost gloat. “All those years of calling me, what? A worthless little brat? A troublemaking nobody? And here you are, begging for my help?” He finally laughed, though there wasn’t any sort of good humor in it. Wess’s scowl only deepened, but Claus didn’t seem to care anymore; he had the old man right where he wanted him for once, and Luke could tell it was oddly cathartic for him.
“I should tell you to go fuck yourself, but luckily for you, I’ve been itching to get out of town for months.” He cracked his knuckles, and stretched his shoulders a bit, almost impatient.
“You still need to watch your mouth.” Wess’s words only made him laugh again, in turn making the old man’s face glow an unflattering shade of red.
“You’re not in a position to start making demands, Wess. If anything, you should be extra nice to us.” Claus suddenly threw an arm around Luke’s shoulders, making him jump. “After all, we don’t have to do this for you. We could always just let Duster sort himself out. I mean, hell, maybe he doesn’t want to come back? Maybe he’s finally happy he’s gotten a break from you?”
Wess lunged forward, grabbing Claus by the collar, pulling him down so that they were exactly face to face. Claus just froze, grip tightening on Luke while Wess hissed, “I have had about enough from you, boy. Keep that shit up and see where it gets you, and that’s a promise on my end. Because one of these days, boy, you’re gonna get yourself into trouble you can’t get out of. One of these days, someone’s gonna cut you down to size.”
Claus finally jerked himself away, smoothing out the front of his shirt, looking almost disgusted as he spat, “Real mature of you, threatening a thirteen year old.”
An almost satisfied look had appeared on Wess’s face, and he nodded in an almost aloof way. “It’s best you two be going now, before it gets too dark. The walk takes about a day, so I’d bring camping supplies.”
“And please, for the love of all that is holy, be careful,” Alec added, genuine concern edging into his voice. This only seemed to irritate Claus further, who just rolled his eyes. Alec huffed a little at that, insisting, “I’m serious! You don’t know what’s out there at night! Especially in the train tunnel, where it’s all dark. You’re not only going to have to worry about chimera, but also trains.”
“Good lord, you don’t think I can handle myself or something, old man?” Claus almost smirked again, though the impatient huff that came from their grandfather only made his expression drop into disdain again.
“It’s not you I’m worried about, Claus. We’re all very aware of what you can do, it’s more Luke I was talking to there.”
Luke just stared at the floor while Claus stiffed beside him, his grip on his shoulders becoming almost iron-like. This wasn’t exactly anything new- he was aware of how pathetic he was. Really, he could hardly stomach any sort of harsh realities, which is something the adults never seemed to let him forget. He just closed his eyes tightly, not saying a word.
Claus, on the other hand, had his usual trouble of keeping his mouth shut. “Do me a solid favor and break one of your brittle ass hips while we’re gone, you old bastard. We’ll be going now, and maybe we’ll consider your offer.” He shook Luke a bit, not overly gentle about it. “C’mon Luke, we should leave. They’ve shown how wanted we are around here.”
