Barbarians Blood

Chapter 14

Darkness. That is all that Sawyer saw. He wasn't sure where he was or how he got there. The last thing he remembers was the stone ceiling collapsing as he and his family fought. It was just like last time. But unlike last time he didn't get out without getting hurt. This time he had gotten pinned under some of the rocks and he was sure he had hit his head on something. But now he didn't feel hurt, actually, he didn't really feel anything.

"Pawpaw!"  A small little boy's voice yells.

Sawyer turned around and saw a little boy running past him.  Sawyer was confused. The little boy resembled him in a way. The forest green eyes, tanned skin, the messy dirty brown hair, the only thing the boy didn't look like he had was all the tattoos and scars.

"There's my little sailer," an elderly man happily said.

Sawyer watched as the old man picked the little boy up. The two stood by a boat.

"Pawpaw, can I go with you?" The little boy asked.

"Haha, of course, you can," the old man laughed.

Sawyer watched as the two walked onto the boat. The little boy looked so happy as they begin to sail further out on the ocean. Then it went dark again. Looking around Sawyer tried to find what happened to the old man and little boy, but he could only see darkness.

"Now son when the guests get here what should you do?" A tall woman asked.

Sawyer couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was his mother talking to the little boy. That means Sawyer was reliving his past. Fear gripped his heart at the thought of being dead. Surely he wasn't, but he can't seem to remember what happened after the latest fight with his parents. Why had he even went back to the place he swore to never return to?

"Stay quiet and not make a mess," the little boy, the younger him said.

"And?" His mother pressed on.

"Never say a word about sailing," younger him said.

"Good, now go to your room until it's time for the party," his mother said.

"Yes, mother," younger him said looking down at the flour.

Sawyer watched him walk out of the living room. He remembered this party. It didn't matter how many years have passed since that day.

"Bubba look," a younger boy said.

The little boy who resembled Thomas all too much was standing high up on one of the upper window edges.

"What are you doing up there?!" Younger him shouted.

"I was playing with the water," little Thomas said," like what you do."

"But I know how to get back down after launching myself into the air," younger him said.

Sawyer could tell that younger him was agitated. He was too. Ever since Sawyer was born his parents were strict. But after Thomas, his parents had gotten worse. No matter what he did it was always wrong.

"Just stay there," younger him said," I'm coming up."

Sawyer watched as younger him summoned some of the ocean and launched himself up next to his brother. As soon as his feet touched the window ledge there was shouting. Then the rushing footsteps indicated that someone was coming.

"Thomas!" Their mother's voice shouted.

"What the hell are you two doing up there!?" Their father shouted.

Sawyer watched as his parents looked up at their two children. Their mother screeched out in terror as her eyes landed on them. 

"Mama, look how high up we are!" Thomas shouted gleefully.

"How did you two get up there?" Their father asked.

"We used the water," Thomas said.

Sawyer watched as his parents got both Thomas and him down from the window. Their mother grabbed ahold of Thomas as their father grabs ahold of little Sawyer's arm and began to drag him away. He watched as his father pulled younger him into his room and pulled out a leather belt and began to beat younger him. As he shouted and cried for his father to stop, his father shouted at him. When his father was done he walked out of the room and locked the door. Trapping younger him in his room in the dark. Sawyer watched as younger him curled up into the fetal position on the ground and cried. It was only the first of the many, many beatings that he was going to endure.