(MxM) Tales Of A Shifter (P1) - The Meeting

Chapter 63 - Nightmare

The Drums that Ezekiel had led Brandon to were seven giant cylindrical towers that climbed at least six feet into the air, covered in clean white plastic, with pipes the color of aluminum sprouting out the back of each one that then branched off past grass and soil into the earth.

Brandon quickly guessed that the pipes led either to a river or a well deep beneath the surface.

Ezekiel walked over to the first and closet Drum and tapped it with the palm of his hand.

"These are the Drums..." He explained. "They are normally filled by those pipes in the back which are fed from a giant river situated to the north behind my house.

"That's nearly seven miles away from here." Brandon exclaimed after thinking about what Ezekiel had told him for a quick moment.

"Yup, just about." Ezekiel agreed. "My family and a few of the Clans men dug the pipe trails a couple years back. But in the winter the river behind the mountain freezes and we have to hall all the water out here manually, it's grueling work. But.....not as grueling as the old pumping mechanism we installed. Hold on, I'll be right back." Ezekiel grunted as he, turned, grabbed at bars in the side of the tank, raised his foot and started climbing the side of the drum, gracefully, much like he did everything else that Brandon had watched him do.

Once Ezekiel reached the top of the drums built in ladder, he fiddled with something Brandon couldn't see because of the difference in height, but Brandon distinctly heard something clanking and rattling, before Ezekiel pulled back and climbed down the ladder holding a chain in his hand, connected to a thick lock.

Ezekiel unceremoniously tossed the chain into the grass bedside the tank then looked at Brandon saying. "Okay, so this is how these drums work." He began to explain. "At the top of each one of them is a thick green handle, you have to turn that handle to open the water passages, down at the bottom of the tank. And once I've filled one trough I'll signal you to cut the water. Ill carry it back and bring a new trough....and well just do that about thirteen times."

"Simple enough... "Brandon began, walking past Ezekiel and standing next to the built in ladder. He looked up then back at Ezekiel. "Why did you say that it was grueling work?"

"Well see, it's simple enough......for two people right?" Ezekiel began to answer him. "But when there's just me, I have to climb up and then back down the drum after I fill each trough with water." Ezekiel sighed.

"See, when we built them, we forgot to add stoppers at the bottom of the tanks...." Ezekiel said half smiling, half grimacing at the mistakes of the past. "Oh well, nothing to do for it, but to stop and start the water each time I get ready to fill up troughs it can be a painfully long process." Ezekiel stopped, shrugged and steeped back. "Okay....Brandon, you climb up and we'll get started."

"Alright." Brandon replied and without hesitation he turned to the ladder; a simple eight inch tall pole, installed into the outer wall of the drum and started to pull himself up. Instantly the tear in his side tried to protest, but Brandon pushed through the resistance and slowly started to climb the rungs.

"Hey, you know that might be easier if you took those slippery gloves off of your hands.

"Thanks....but no thanks." Brandon breathed as he clambered up the fourth rung.

"You're serious about those gloves...I don't get it. "Ezekiel commented, before he turned and started to walk away. "All right, take it slow, and I'll be back with the first two troughs by time you make it to the top

Brandon nodded his head, and focused on the ladder. He stumbled a few times at first as his stiches protested if he twisted the wrong way, but he was soon at the top of the Drum. The "pump" turned out to be a circular, thick metal handle, painted a dark green that contrasted heavily with the white Drum and metal parts that it was attached to.