The Tiffany Box- ONC 2021 Shortlister

24- The Snake And The Lamb

Ash didn't know how she felt but when she eventually got up to change out of the robe, there was a rock situated in the pit of her stomach. Looking over her shoulder she saw Eli crawl into Haven's lap, much to the protests of the kitten. That night when she slept, she cursed the dream that popped into her head, which was not hers, and tried to shove it to the back of her brain in hopes that she would conjure up something that made her feel like she did when Haven and Eli were stroking her hair.

When daylight poked at her eyelids, Ash woke up in a grumpy state having seen nothing but some old man's memories of his life back in India with his family and pets. As she swiped at the blinding light, the fading remnants of the dream wafted from her. She didn't care that the man had two goats, a monkey and a pack of dogs he adored. Ash just wanted to get out of the house for a while, so she quickly rose and got dressed. She assumed Eli and Haven were still asleep.

But as soon as she stepped outside, she saw Haven sitting in his garden. His eyes were closed and a soft breeze feathered through his hair. "Eli's already gone. Went to grab some wine for dinner," he said without opening his eyes. "Have you eaten breakfast? I made pancakes and left you some."

Ash kicked a small stone and watched it roll towards a daisy. "Naw. Not hungry."

"Where are you going?" Haven opened his eyes. Shielding them from the sun, he looked at her.

"Walk. Just around the outskirts. Not into town."

In Haven's mind, the outskirts were still safe-ish, the town was not. "Can I come with?"

Making a rising gesture with her hands, Ashlyn said, "You're always welcome in my party of one."

Catching up to her Haven gently bumped against her arm. "You aren't in a party of one. Not with Eli and myself."

Bumping him back, a small smile crept on her lips. "I'll remember that."

They headed down the road in comfortable silence. Trees spread before them gangly and leaf-less. Their bark was dry and their branches looked brittle. Under the scorching sun, the trees had little chance of survival.

Ash squinted at the sun. "I want to ask you something. If you don't want to answer you don't have to. In my dream, I saw the marks on your back. How long have you had them?"

Haven looked down at the dirt they disturbed as they walked. "I was born with them."

"You know what they remind me of?" When Haven shook his head, Ash continued, "wing wounds."

"They aren't wing wounds," Haven uttered almost inaudibly. "Just birthmarks."

"Eli might believe that," she said echoing his whisper, "I'm not sure I do."

"Because you think I'm God."

"Because I believe there's something more to you than meets the eye. I was drawn to you from my dreams. For years I longed to find you." She almost said, For years I longed to escape the asylum and find you, but nixed the idea of letting him know she really was insane...or so she was told.

Before Haven could utter an answer he thought would please her, the sound of a lamb bleating distracted him. Looking to the distance, he saw they'd reached an old garage. Haven knew it once belonged to an elderly gentleman who'd wave to him every time he passed by. He also knew the man died a few months ago. Looking up, he saw the sign had changed and now read Judah's Garage. Nearing the fence surrounding the place, they saw a burly man detaching a rotting plank. A toolbox rested at his side along with a carpenter's sawhorse and a few fresh planks resting on it.

As they passed the fence, the man looked up and set his hammer down. "Not too close, boy," he called to Haven. "You're bad luck. Divert your fairy ass from here." Pointing to another path the man went on. "Go spread your bad luck by the Davidson's place."

Grabbing Ash's hand, Haven looked at his feet and hurried his step. "Let's get out of here," he said through a curtain of pale hair.

Ash glared at the man. When Haven pulled her she stopped and would not budge. "What did you say?" she yelled. "He's none of those things. He's a good person, too bad I can't say the same thing about you."

"Look, miss. No disrespect to you" said the man as he got up and took a few steps towards them. "Albinos are bad omens and this one is the worst of his kind. I saw him gallivanting by my place a while back. Ya know what happened the next day? A dust storm that killed its ma," he pointed to the lamp. "My electricity went out for six hours. I missed Bonanza and the Dukes. Get his faggy ass out of here."

"This man is a gift from Heaven," Ash said angrily. "He is kind, he is comfort. He is The Light in this perpetual darkness."

The man put his hands on his hips and began to laugh. "Who do you think this freak is? Some angel? Jesus?"

"He is definitely holier than you."

"Oh, yah?"

Ash nodded.

The man grabbed his hammer. "Alright, miss. If you think he is from Heaven let's prove it." Stomping towards them, the burly man butted his way between the pair, grabbed Haven's arm and dragged him to the sawhorse. "If he's holy like you say, he'll heal, won't he?" Slamming Haven against the sawhorse, the man grabbed his arm and lay his palm flat.

"Stop!" Ash yelled as she ran to the man.

Before she could grab him and stop him, he turned and raised the hammer to her. "Back off!"

Ashlyn stopped and patted her pockets. There was no lighter. No aerosol can. Her eyes went wide realizing she was helpless to burn him.

"Let me go," Haven begged as the man used his large frame to pin him against the sawhorse.

"If you don't stop moving I'll do this to her instead." A nail was placed upon Haven's open palm. The man raised the hammer, ready to strike down when he let out an ear-shattering scream and backed away, dropping hammer and nail on the dusty ground.

Picking himself up, Haven turned to see a bronze snake slithering back into a patch of wild grass.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," Ash whispered breathlessly. Taking Haven's hand in hers the pair ran all the way back home. They did not stop until they'd slammed the door shut behind them.

Haven leaned against the wall, his whole body visibly shaking as he slid down onto the floor. When Ash looked at her hands, she noticed she was shaking as much as he was. "I'm never leaving the house without my lighter and can again," she said mostly to herself as she slid down next to Haven. "These people," she said in a shaky voice, "there's so much hate."

Nodding his head, Haven brought his hands to his face and drew in deep breaths.

"How can anyone hate you?" She reached for his pale hands and stole them from his face. Thinking of how horrible some people were when it came to others who looked different from them, she felt both rage and deep sorrow. Things had been kinder in the asylum. Ash understood the world was a mad place full of mad people. "There's nothing to hate about you." Bringing his hands to her lips, Ash opened his palms and kissed them.

They sat in shocked silence as rays of sunlight reached for them and covered them in warmth.

Leaning his head against Ash's shoulder, Haven stared ahead of him thinking of how he had just been saved by a little brown snake. 

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