#this-time-we-bagged-him

[redheadedtwigs]

"You know, you are a real pain in the ass." ((Baee)

         ❝ You only say that because you have a disdain towards my family.              Although, the feeling towards you is                                                                      mutual.”

[thcrnypain]

"I can talk my way out of anything."

"Yeah, uh-huh. That’s what they all say.”

[stitchedseam-blog]

"Too bad that didn't kill me." ((Hello!~))

 He scoffed at her comment, fingers lightly wiping the blood away from her forehead.  There was no use in being angry at her for not knowing their plan had been flawed.

                    "No, if you were dead then who would                          keep those other two idiots in line for me?"

   His eyes met hers and he gave a light smile. His generosity was unusual to say   the least, but Shock was still vital to his ultimate plan, and he could not allow a   job as simple as this one to take away his prized pawn. Whoever had rigged the   building for intruders would pay dearly, now in blood as well is gold.

[im-in-stitches]

Drabble: Save Me

He should have been watching her more closely. Even years after the fact, the thought haunts him to this day. Call him cruel, call him heartless, call him whatever it is you choose but no one, not even Oogie himself can deny that in his own twisted way, he cares about his kids. It may not be love, exactly, but it’s something and more than anyone else has ever done for them.

She couldn’t have been much older than nine or ten, the boys holy terrors at seven and six. By then, they were already learning the joys of breaking and the art of pain. Playground tyrants, Oogie was loath to take them anywhere but they had been whining to be fed for hours now and he was too hungover to bother actually cooking. Like any parent in his position, he turned to the modern miracle of fast food.

Hot meals and a place to run wild were all just a car ride away, and without any qualms about nutrition or other people’s children, it was just what Oogie needed. He had herded the boys into the big, plastic play structure while Shock helped him handle the food. The restaurant was busy, but not crowded and it didn’t take long for them to find a table by a line of windows and adjacent to the playroom. From here, Oogie could keep the boys close enough to shout if needed but with enough distance that the odds of anyone actually figuring out they were his responsibility were slim. With any luck, they’d all be able to eat their fill and he’d get a bit of a break before Lock and Barrel got them kicked out.

It had happened while his back was turned, which is usually the case though Oogie wouldn’t know this until after. Barrel had taken the notion into his head that jumping from the top of the slide into the ball pit was clearly the best use of his time. This would’ve been fine with Oogie, except the boy kept neglecting to tell the other kids to get out of the way. If anything, he seemed to be targeting them, each landing slightly closer than Oogie would’ve liked. Lock, as always, was egging him on. Shock was laughing, she felt she was too old for the playrooom, even now, and had chosen to keep Oogie company at their table. She was a good kid in her own way, quiet and thoughtful, smart too. The man would never admit it, but he liked having her around. He had only been gone for a few seconds. Barrel had taken off like a shot as soon as he had seen Oogie coming and was now in hiding. It was in those few seconds that things had gone terribly, terribly wrong.

"Shock? Kiddo? What’s wrong with you now?"

There was no response, save for a faint, strangled sound that Oogie almost didn’t hear, the place was so noisy. At first he had thought Shock was goofing around, she was making some ghastly faces and kept hitting his arm. If it had been one of the boys, then Oogie wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but Shock didn’t play games, not with him anyway.

"Shock? Sweetheart?" he tried again, a spark of concern flickered in his belly as she grasped at his jacket. Her hand was small, her fingers slim, but the grip strong and frantic. She made a grasp at her throat with her other hand, and it was then Oogie knew. In a flash, he had jumped up and pulled Shock into his grasp, turning her around so her back was to his chest. He wrapped his arms under hers bear hug style and placed his clasped hands just under her ribs. A quick jerk upwards and Shock heaved. He did it again, and again, muttering "breathe, baby, breathe" as though it were a mantra.

A crowd had started to gather. Someone asked if they should call an ambulance but Oogie waved them off. The boys were with him now, clinging to his pantlegs and not quiet crying but certainly close. Oogie ignored them, his whole world brought down to him and Shock. He kept thrusting his hands against her abdomen, hoping against hope he wouldn’t break her ribs. With a cough, a sputter and finally a gasp, the bread that had caught in Shock’s throat flew out of her mouth and onto their table. She took her first, few fragile breaths beneath Oogie’s hands, which shook along with her. They didn’t stay long after, Oogie already dragging Shock and her brothers out to the parking lot, his threats of legal action echoing behind them. It was only once they were out by the car and free from prying eyes that Oogie gathered his kids into his arms. The boys were crying in earnest now, dribbling snot and tears against his sleeves while Shock soaked his shirt.

"You’re such idiots." he whispered into the girl’s hair "All of you have gotta be the dumbest kids sateside. Don’t you ever scare me like that ever again. Buncha morons, honest to God, you all got any idea how much funerals cost these days? I can’t afford to bury any of you, you need to be careful with yourselves cause I certainly ain’t gonna bother. Especially not if you’re all gonna act like idiots."

There was no harshness in his voice despite his words, only kindness made gruff by fear. The kids hiccuped and whimpered has he hugged them all in turn. This day, and the fear that came with it, would pass. Oogie would feed Shock applesauce and soup for a week and she would rail against him for it, but that too would be forgot. Oogie would be the one who would remember, the only one who would have the slightest inkling about that day and the time his strange, little family was almost ripped apart at the seams.

[im-in-stitches]

"Please don't be angry.." ((Hello!!))

"Oh sweetheart, believe me, anger got dropped a few towns back." 

 "I am absolutely furious."