Colus

-Colus-1

[Ch1:]2

A silent fog whispered into our sleepy town, as it enclosed its gentle fingers around our forest, and wrapped ghost-like its hands around our homes, hushing everything it touched to a cold silence. The forest was now a bitter cold, so desolate no animal would dare think twice of entering into its branches. By noon, the snow that laid on the fresh soil was a blur faded into a white void, all to pale to see, and all to quiet to hear. The river stream that once flew violently dropped to a silent hush, and the sky above was dusk, while the October moon hung low inside a evanescent cloud, shining a radiant orange. All was soft; all was quiet - all except for the violent beating of blood that drummed inside my head & heart pulsing so rapidly inside my veins. I exhaled, over and over - counting: "One, Two Three, Four, Five, Six, One, Two Three, Four, Five, Six." My eyes were shut tight as the pinching cold vapor bit at my skin. Throbbing my flesh to a stinging pain. It didn't matter. None of this, not anyone, not even myself. I could hear the tap, tap of the blood dripping off the metal axe, drip, drip, as it fell onto the white snow. Tap, tap was its pulsing sound. None of it mattered anymore. It was finished, all was calm. I dropped down to my knees and hung my head low and sobbed. As each tear faded into the snow. Not even a remedy of crying and tears could remove the burden that I know will anchor my heart down for the rest of my life. I snatched the silver cross that hung around my neck - and placed it into the snow. I stared up towards the heavens above.3

"Forgive me my lord, you're work has been done, but my sorrows will never mend."4

"Why?" you might be asking yourself. Why, or better yet, how - how could a simple, gentle boy commit the unthinkable? making the town drop to silent, as well as leaving himself the only single standing survivor. Murdering everyone he once loved, betraying them left and right, as if they were bugs. I asked myself these same questions, but only found the past to dwell upon.5

So, how did this all happen?6

Let’s go back - way back. Back before the insanity began.7

Summer was nearly over. The green leaves were turning to a crispy brown on the old maples that surrounded our town like a forest. I was working out back with my father. My blue overalls were all torn up and baggy as hell - but still I worked. I was stacking wood out back to prepare for the winter that was soon to come. My sister, Beth was on the front porch of our house, reading. Her legs were crossed, and her flowered dress hung down on the porch like a blanket. I called out to her.8

"Beth!"9

"What!” she relied with anger.10

"Come on over, pa wants you."11

"Ahh... In a minute, in a minute."12

"In a minute pa's gonna not gonna ask you so nicely."13

"Fine, I'm coming."14

She went out back to help pa with some things, when I herd a voice calling me.15

"Colus!"16

I sighed, and said to myself. "Shit, its Billy."17

"Colus! Come over here!"18

"What do you want with me?"19

"Never mind that, you'll see in a minute. Hurry! come! come!"20

"Hold on a sec."21

"Why is everything around here always about waiting?"22

"Dammit Billy, I said hold on!"23

Billy was the town's trouble maker. He was a total jerk, but he was a hell of a good shot with a rifle, and he meant well. So heaven forbid all, we placed him in charge of looking over the town. He even built himself a nice watch tower… that is along with the help of everyone else in the town. A latter reached all the way up to the bottom of the square tower, and in case of emergency, he could pull it up so nothing could get up to him. We don't remember just why we placed him as towns watch out man, nothing ever happened here, but just in case a wolf or some strange animal happened to find our town, we placed the best asshole we knew in charge - Billy.24

I went out back to where Beth and pa were working.25

"Pa, can I go play with Billy?"26

"Ok, don't cause any trouble."27

"How is that even possible? You know Billy."28

"Unfortunately, yes - just don't let him break anything."29

"I'll try."30

I ran over to where Billy was. He was bent over, and was poking a dead bird with a stick.31

"Look Colus! Look"32

"Yeah, what's so great about it?"33

"It's a humming bird, aren't they usually gone by this season?"34

"You dumbass, It is gone! It's dead!"35

"No, no I mean gone, like you don't see any."36

"You moron, that's why it's dead!"37

"Ya think?"38

I sighed heavily, and bent over to where he was.39

"Yes Billy, gone means dead."40

He thought for a second.41

"But what about my pa. He's gone - but he ain't dead."42

"Billy, he's gone because he left to work in another town."43

He looked over to me. His eyes were sympathetic for himself.44

"I know that - it's just... I miss him."45

"I know Billy, I know."46

I patted him on the shoulder, and we both stood up.47

"So how about it, let's go back into town - I recon the feast is about done."48

"Okay, but what about the bird?"49

"You silly man, leave it be. It's better lying in the dirt dead, than stuffed in your pocket, dead."50

We started walking back into town.51

"You're probably right Colus. You've always been the smart one."52

"True - but I can't shoot a rifle as good as you."53

He laughed.54

"Ha! That’s true. No one in the town can shoot as good as I can."55

"Yep, that's right!"56