Follow Your Passion: A Seamless Tumblr Journey
Chess Pieces
Stubborn
Tower
(Original characters/story)
@themerrywhumpofmay
Rex did it without even thinking.
He saw the farmer raise his rifle. Saw the finger tremble. Stockton flinched.
The crack of the gun.
Rex just didn’t think.
He just wanted to protect Stockton, his friend.
Rex raised his hand and pulled the bullet away from Stockton’s head. It flew past his friend and slammed straight into Rex’s guts. A blinding punch of paralyzing pain.
Yeah, he hadn’t really had the time to stop that too. Oh well.
Rex heard the wind leave his lungs and he crumpled to the ground. Honestly, the ground was just much more comfortable. The sun was at high noon so he closed his eyes against it, his eyelids red with its heat.
Someone was shouting. Probably Burden.
They had approached the homestead as carefully as possible. They needed some supplies and were willing to barter with the farmer. But the guy was scared. Rex couldn’t blame him. Bandits were everywhere. And they didn’t really look trustworthy to begin with.
So when Stockton and his big mouth had said something just the tiniest bit sassy, the farmer got a little more nervous than the situation really called for. Rex had tried to talk him down. So did Burden. But of course, Burden wasn’t a people-person. So Burden had made it worse.
Stockton had taken a step closer to the property line. And that was it. The farmer fired.
Thank god he only fired once. Rex didn’t think he could curve another bullet today. His belly hurt too much, every breath he took it felt like someone was digging a shard of glass into his intestines.
“My fucking ear!” Stockton was wailing.
Rex cracked his eyes when a shadow fell over him. It was Burden.
“Hey.” Rex whispered. “Stockton okay?”
“He’s being a little bitch.” Burden’s eyes looked Rex up and down.
Rex felt a crushing pressure on his wound and a soft keening wail escaped his lips.
“Sorry.” Burden was pale. Eyes wide. Burden was scared. When had Burden ever been scared? “I’m sorry but I gotta put pressure on it.”
Rex nodded.
Someone said something. Burden turned away, shouting an answer. “The moron fucking moved it. You’ve seen him move things before. He moved the fucking bullet! Happy?”
Rex closed his eyes again against the bright sun. It was a hot day. Why was he so cold?
“Okay, we’re going. Get ready.” Burden had turned back and murmured into Rex’s ear.
Rex nodded. He braced himself.
It wasn’t enough.
Burden’s strong arms slipped behind Rex’s shoulders and under his knees. As soon as he was lifted from the dusty ground, Rex screamed. Everything went quiet. His ears rang.
When Rex opened his eyes again, his head was turned upward. He saw the sun and sky disappear, replaced by the roof of a porch and then a doorway. The cool darkness of a home. He heard Stockton’s voice and the soft sobs of someone else. Stockton was explaining something.
“I’ve got you, Rex.” Burden said softly and Rex felt it. He felt the vibrations of Burden’s words through his chest.
Rex leaned his head against Burden’s shoulder and just tried to breathe through the pain.
“Where can I put him? There a table somewhere?” Burden shouted.
“In here!”
Rex heard a sweep and the sound of many things hitting the floor. He angled his head downward and saw dozens of chess pieces rolling across the hardwood floor. And then he was laid out on a table, hard and shuddering beneath him.
Rex eyed the dusty light fixture above him.
Burden came into view again.
“Hey.” Rex whispered.
Burden tried to smile. “Hey.”
“Stockton okay?” He asked again.
“He’s still a little bitch, but he’s an alive bitch.” Burden sighed. “Pressure again.”
Blinding pain in his gut and Rex’s ears began to ring. Tears slid from his eyes and trailed down his cheeks and into his ears.
“Ow.” Rex said softly.
Stockton came into view, covered in blood.
Rex reached out and grabbed Stockton’s arm. “You’re hurt.”
“Just my ear.” Stockton turned to show Rex a bloody, dark wound on his ear. A chunk of cartilage was just missing.
“Too bad it wasn’t your mouth.” Burden grumbled.
“Mister, I am so sorry.” The farmer’s tear-stained face came into view. “I’ve never shot anyone before, it’s just some people have been showing up lately and-”
“It’s okay.” Rex tried to speak around the pain. He swallowed hard. “It’s okay, what’s your name?”
“Oh, Ed.” The farmer named Ed wiped his eyes on a handkerchief. “Eddie Lang.”
Rex held out a hand to Ed, only just now noticed his own fingers were covered in blood. “Nice to meet you Mr. Lang. I’m Rex. These are my friends Burden Chatham and Stockton T. Hunt.”
Ed Lang hesitated a moment then took Rex’s hand warmly. “Just Ed is fine. It’s nice to meet you. I am so so sorry I shot you, Mr. Rex.”
“Not a bother, Ed.” Rex’s eyes were drawn to a fallen castle chess piece on the table beside him. “I’m sorry we interrupted your chess game.”
Ed sniffed and smiled a little. “Oh, I was just playing against myself. It passes the time.”
“I haven’t had a good game of chess in years.” Rex wheezed.
“Alright.” Burden growled. “Enough. Mr. Lang- Ed, got any medical supplies? Better yet, there a doctor nearby?”
“Next farm over.” Ed answered. “Checked in with her a week ago, she takes supplies and pills as payment for services.”
“We can make that work.” Burden’s hand left Rex’s wound. “Stockton, pressure.”
“Right, yes, sorry.” Stockton winced when he looked at the damage to Rex’s guts. He went pale and then green.
“Don’t throw up on me.” Rex begged. “Please.”
“I won’t.” Stockton reassured him. “It’s the least I can do for my savior.” Rex rolled his eyes. “Sorry about your ear.”
“Don’t worry about it. Gives me character.” Stockton grinned.
Rex smiled.
Burden reappeared, speaking to Stockton. “We’re going to get the doctor. Ed says to watch his aunt. Thirty minutes tops.”
Burden leaned close to Rex, putting a hand to Rex’s cheek. His fingers were rough and warm. “Can you hang on thirty minutes?” Burden murmured.
Rex nodded, looking into Burden’s eyes, the only kind and soft part of Burden.
Burden nodded too. Then disappeared.
The house fell silent.
Stockton frowned. “What aunt?”
“Me.” Came a soft voice from across the room.
Stockton screamed, jostling his hand against Rex’s wound. So Rex screamed.
Stockton whirled around and Rex turned his head as best as he could.
There sat a wizened old lady, perched in an armchair with a tv tray in front of her. Several playing cards were laid out on the tray in a pattern.
“Pardon us, ma’am.” Rex nodded as best as he could considering the angle. “I would stand and introduce myself but-”
“You may have heard, I’m Stockton, this is Rex.” Stockton cut in. “Have you been sitting there the whole time.”
“The whole time.” Ed’s aunt repeated. “I’m Hazel Lang.” Her wrinkled mouth twisted into a smile. “I’m surprised Ed shot you.” She looked to Rex.
“Me too.” Rex grunted.
“Two birds, one bullet.” She commented.
Rex didn’t dare laugh, but it was a little funny. “Playing solitaire, Miss Lang.”
“Tarot.” She replied.
“Neato.” Stockton said.
“Should I do a reading for you?” She asked.
Rex thought for a moment. “Can’t think of a better opportunity, honestly. Read away.”
Both Hazel and Stockton worked to keep Rex alert and responding as Hazel Lang explained shuffling the deck. Rex clumsily cut it with his bloody fingers. And then she began the reading.
Hazel laid out three cards on the table beside Rex’s head. “This is a basic reading, son: past, present, and future.”
“Okay.” Rex blinked and tried to keep everything in focus.
They had changed out towels for his wound a few times. Rex had lost count. Each time Stockton went to grab another he’d looked more and more worried.
Hazel flipped the first one.
“What’s it?” Rex slurred.
“The Devil.”
He lost time as Hazel explained that this was his past.
That made sense.
The second one was flipped. “This is the present. The Ten of Swords.”
“Can… I see?”
Miss Hazel held the card out. A man lay on the ground, pierced by many swords.
“That…that sums it up.” He sighed and closed his eyes.
“And the future. Oh.” Hazel Lang fell silent.
Stockton asked. “Is that one bad?”
“Generally.” Hazel answered.
“Give it to me… s-straight, Miss Lang.” Rex opened his eyes. Colors were blurring together.
“The Tower.” The elder pronounced.
The front door banged open. Rex heard Burden’s voice from far away.
“Sounds ‘bout right.” And Rex fell into darkness.