Time Lapse

Chapter 19 ~ Pour More Oil ~

Nine years ago

Carnia trudged home along the same dry and dusty path, the sun casting shadows over the parched walkway. As he approached the lone, gnarled tree that stood sentinel on the edge of the path, he spotted Lelio, Jat, and Hite attempting to hide behind it. Their efforts were laughable; the three were too small to conceal Jat's round frame. Carnia kept his head down, trying to mind his own business, but he knew it was futile. Where Lelio went, his entourage followed- troubled boys whose fathers were all absent-toiling in vain to save their families from crushing debts.

Gots was a humble town, impoverished and still reeling from the local lords' recent exploits. A brief but bloody civil war had ended with the King's assassination by peasants, leaving the kingdom in chaos. Without a ruler, the people floundered. Now, the most prominent lord under the late King Lopid was poised to take control. The former king's family had been banished and exiled to distant lands.

"Hey, zaxeius, where do you think you're going without greeting us?" Leilo's voice rang out, cutting through the stillness. Jat, the rounder boy, seized the back of Carnia's ragged schoolboy collar. The bullies ensured his clothes grew dirtier with each passing day.

"Your friend Nemo hasn't been coming to school. Do you have any idea why?" Lelio walked in front, looking up to Carnia to speak. Nemo was one of their previous victims who stopped coming to school when his parents got sick. Now, it was time for the tormentors to set their sights on another kid.

"He's taking care of his family. Why?" Carnia asked, looking down at Lelio. He was already taller than all the boys his age, even the tallest in his school. But Lelio didn't back down; his presence was as insistent as his father's, a slimy peddler with a notorious temper. Leio's father squandered his meager earnings on brothel visits and lavish gifts to earn his son's forgiveness. As they spoke, the man was likely trying to sell a roadside rock as a 'wedding ring.'

"Well, you see, Nemo hung out with us, and since he's gone, we've been looking for a new friend to hang out with. Make sense?" Lelio's tone was clipped, his impatience clear. He detested repeating himself, and his short temper often led to fights.

"I'm sorry, I've got to help catch fish for tonight. My father's going to come home." Carnia replied, stepping forward and prying Jat's pudgy fingers from his collar.

"Whoa, way to rub that in zaxeius." Hite finally spoke, his voice unusually loud for someone who rarely talked at school. "You're making fun of us, aren't you?"

"No, just want to go home."

"This is why you don't have any friends, zaxeius!" Lelio jeered, yanking at the top of Carnia's head as if he were a show animal. Gah, but dinner was to be served tonight! Getting into fights doesn't help catch fish any faster.

Pop! Jat smacked Carnia on the back of the head, causing him to stumble forward. The bullying escalated quickly, the three boys surrounding him like a pack of wolves.

Carnia clenched his fist in the dirt, his mother's constant admonitions against fighting echoing in his mind. But it was too late.

"This is why none of your parents want to come back!" Carnia shouted, pivoting and landing a hard right hook on Hite's jaw. Lelio and Jat recoiled momentarily before launching their own kicks and punches.

The fight raged for several minutes, a chaotic flurry of limbs and curses. Missed punches turned into accidental hits among the bullies, their noses bloodied, lips split, and bodies bruised. The teacher would undoubtedly notice the bruises and scrapes during the morning lecture.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" A feminine voice rang out with an authoritative demeanor.

The boys froze. Atop Lelio with his fist raised, Carnia paused as Jat and Hite tried to pull him off. Slowly, he stood up, hunched and panting. A bead of blood tricked from one nostril, mixing with the dirt and sweat on his face. The others bore from their signs of battle- scratches, bloody lips, and the promise of sore limbs come morning.