Apocrypha

Chapter 12

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

CARVED INTO THE SIDE of the tree was Gabriel's name. This large and ancient pine tree had lived on these grounds for centuries. It was a tradition that started long ago when people who were accepted as residents of the house would carve their names into the bark.

Gabriel's was found right under Horatio's name. He tried to carve it next to Lysander's, but it was occupied by Virgilia's.

Now, he was an official member of the house. He can consider them as family. Or perhaps not family just yet. Friends, perhaps.

It was just a few days before the carnival. Lysander put on his coat and prepared to leave for some downtown grocery shopping. Before Lysander could leave, Gabriel reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Can I come with you?" He asked. They both looked down and Gabriel let go quickly.

"You want to come shopping with me? Are you sure? It's pretty boring."

Gabriel huffed. "I've been stuck in this house and the surrounding areas for over a month. Just let me go out! Please?"

The other man took mental pictures of Gabriel begging. He wondered how Gabriel would look in bed underneath him. But he pushed those dirty thoughts aside.

"Let's ask Kari," Lysander replied. They walked to one of the bathrooms on the first floor and saw Kari leaning her leg on top of the sink. Her leg was covered with a white foam while she held a blade in her hand.

"What?" Kari said, not looking up.

"What are you doing?" Gabriel asked.

"Shaving my legs." Kari grunted. She nicked herself with the blade and blood started to pour out from the small wound. A bit of toilet paper was placed on the wound to soak up the blood. Kari decided to put her leg down.

"You know what, fuck this. I'm leaving my legs however I want." She then turned to the two men that had been watching her. "What do you two want?"

"I'm going to town for the weekly shopping and Fred Jones wants to come with me."

"Fred Jones?" Gabriel asked.

"The blonde hair." Lysander told him. "Can he come with?"

Kari had been wiping the foam from her legs using a towel. "Sure. The townspeople already know he's here and have been waiting to see him. Just make sure he covers up."

The men thanked her and left to get Gabriel ready. He used the same cloak he had during his journey and put it over him. They went to the front lawn, near where Kari's car was located. Several bikes were on racks.

"This one will fit you. It's Alcibiades', and you two are both large." Lysander pulled out a bike that was black. The wheels had mud crusted into the grooves. Lysander pulled out his bright blue bike and attached the trailer behind it.

Luckily, Gabriel knew how to ride a bike. It wasn't a fun memory, as he remembered his father yelling at him for crying when he skinned his knee on the concrete. At least he learned, he told himself.

And soon, they were biking away from the house and towards the town.

THE DIRT PATH was still the same as Gabriel remembered it. Only this time, the deciduous trees on the sides had their leaves fallen into orange and yellow shades on the floor. And the air was much colder.

The bikes were fit for the rough trail but were shaky. Gabriel almost fell over a few times while Lysander chuckled, knowing he was going to have to get used to it in the coming weeks.