~Don't hate me! I was at camp for a week with no nook! I have a reason for not updating!
Alright.
Back to stabbing you in the feels!
Jk, I don't mean that.
But I will make you cry *maniacal laughter*
Ok, I'm done.
I've been up way too late the last week, don't judge me!
~
Marsha pushed open Harvat's gate and marched up to his front door. The boy was washing clothes in a bucket, covered in sweat and dirt. He showed no emotion on his face, but the way he wrung the shirt he was cleaning made her think of someone strangling another person. It broke her heart.
Bill hardly glanced up at her. He didn't know who she was and didn't know she wanted to help him or that she was Lewis' owner. He'd been trying to collect as much money as possible on the streets to buy his way to freedom.
Now he sat doing laundry in the sweltering heat. He was tempted to pour the water over his head to cool himself off, but he thought better of it.
Marsha knocked on Harvat's door. "Harvat!" She yelled. "Open up, ya lazy cow!"
It was several minutes before the door opened. Harvat stood in his long underwear, hair sticking up and stubble covering his face. He reeked of liquor. "What do ye want, woman?"
"You're slave," Marsha said.
Bill's head shot up in surprise. He'd been eavesdropping on the conversation and he couldn't believe his ears.
"My slave?" Harvat asked in surprise. "Why would ya want that scrawny kid?"
"Please," Marsha said. "His brother is deathly ill and he wants his brother. If he doesn't see him, it will break his heart. You're slave might be enough to save him."
Bill hardly heard the rest of Marsha's sentence after he heard that Lewis was sick. He'd jumped up, tipping the wash bucket over in the process and ran over to Marsha. "What's wrong with him?"
Marsha looked over at Bill sadly and shook her head with a shrug.
Before Bill could run to Lewis, Harvat grabbed his arm. "Yer not goin' anywhere, ye runt!"
Bill couldn't slip out of Harvat's grip, but Marsha was done with this man. Before Bill or Harvat knew what was happening, Marsha had punched Harvat in the face so hard that he smacked his head on a low hanging tree branch and fell unconscious.
Bill hardly noticed. "Where's Lewis? I need to see him!"
Marsha put a hand on his arm. "He's at my house. Follow me."
~
Bill ran to Lewis' side and collapsed next to his little brother. Lewis opened his eyes and gave Bill a sad smile. "Hey," he croaked.
Bill swallowed, then started to brush Lewis' hair back from his face. "Hey," he whispered. "How are you holding up?"
Lewis' small smile fell. "Not too good."
Bill took his brother's hand. "You're not gonna die on me, kid. You can't!"
Tears shined in Lewis' eyes. "Bill. I'm scared."
"Don't say that," Bill warned. "You'll be fine. You'll see." His voice broke at the end.
"I'm the sixth person to get this," Lewis said. "And no one else survived it."
Bill tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He opened him mouth, but nothing came out. "I..." Tears started to flow down my face. "No. You're not dying on me." His grip on Lewis' hand was tight.
"Bill..." Lewis whispered. Bill leaned in close to hear what he was going to say. "This isn't your fault. Some things...just have to...happen."
Tears continued to flow down Bill's face. "Shut up," he said. "You'll be...fine. You're...not g-gonna...d-die." Bill's tears turned into sobbing. He grabbed his brother. "You can't die!"
Marsha grabbed Bill by the back of the shirt and pulled him back. It was too late. Lewis' face was pale and no breath came from his lips.
~
Bill refused to leave his brother's side. He sobbed throughout the night and never slept. Everytime he glanced at his brother, it would make him cry harder. Why wasn't it me? He'd think. Or, What now. Or just things he'd say to Lewis that he found himself whispering out loud.
In the morning, Marsha was debating weather or not to take Bill back to Harvat, but decided if he wanted the boy back, he could get him himself. The boy was hunched over and sobbing dryly. She silently shut the door and Bill didn't even move.
About an hour later, Harvat marched up and almost knocked a hole in the door. Marsha calmly opened the door. He shoved her out of the way and stormed up the stairs. He checked every room until he found Bill.
Bill didn't even fight back when Harvat grabbed him, but he fought feebly until Harvat cuffed him hard on the ear.
As soon as Harvat brought Bill "home", Bill sunk to the ground and started sobbing and couldn't stop. It just got worse when Harvet started to whip him, telling yelling at him that it was his punishment for running away. After that was done, he threw Bill in the barn and locked the door.
Bill collapsed in his straw bed and sobbed himself to sleep.
~theshipper101~
FEELS!!! FEELS!!!!
Sorry, not sorry.
It's critical to the plot!
You guys'll never forgive me
