Ari looked up, grinning across at Denby, watching the small Cardigan Welsh Corgi frolic around him, barking at the various noises the wind made in the wheat field, “Oh Denby, you’re such a clown.” He murmured, going back to cutting down the wheat slowly with his sickle, pausing every now and again to bundle it into manageable stacks. He jumped the next time that Denby began barking, looking around wildly because it wasn't his usual huffing and puffing over a bit of blown around wheat. He sounded thoroughly vicious, and Ari couldn't help but wonder what exactly was wrong. He looked around a bit, and it wasn't until Denby tore off over the field in the direction of the house that he actually because to worry. Ari took off after the dog, looking around him all the time for any sign of the short-legged creature. It was a good ten minutes before he reached the house and saw exactly what had Denby going crazy. The entire home had been engulfed in flames, with tall pillars of fire standing in front of the door. Ari screamed with fear, running to the window as he heard the frenzied screams of his four sisters and his parents, "Zara! Micha!! Leilah! What's happened?? Anyone?" He saw a small hand reaching out of the window, no doubt about it that it was his youngest sister Deidra. He ran to the window, reaching in for her, and grabbing her hand, "Deidra, come on now, help me here!!" he screamed as he pulled fruitlessly at her hand, feeling her weight was like lead. Suddenly he heard a loud cracking pop noise, and he looked up, panicking as a large rafter came crashing down on him, pinning his arm on the window sill. He screamed, wrenching his arm out from under the beam, his shirt torn, and suddenly aflame. He knew that his arm had likely been crushed, and he could no longer feel his fingers as he tore the flaming shirt off himself, stomping on it, watching helplessly as his home burned to the ground.
Ari looked around the barn, counting the animals and patting Denby carefully. His life had turned into a living nightmare in the past few months. Not only had he lost his home, and his entire family, there was a rumour that the reason the fire had been set was because of his father's gambling debts. How could he, a singular teenager be expected to pay those debts that his father had left to him? It was unreasonable, but no matter how he tried to explain it, the authorities could not guarantee him any protection. As it were, most of them were just volunteers from neighboring farms, come together in a small committee to try making the small village a better place, safer for their children. Ari was devastated, and had decided to sell off the animals, keeping only two of each. Male and female, with the hopes of breeding them, eventually, perhaps being able to make a new start for himself, a new life. It was at this point that Victor stepped back into his life, quite literally.
"Ari?" Victor asked quietly, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back.
Ari jumped, turning quickly, "Yes? Who- oh. Victor, hello." he said quietly, looking down, "I haven't seen much of you since-“
"I know. I apologize for not being there for you sooner. Things haven't been quite the same in my life, as you know. I miss Zara very much, and I didn't know if I could face you after everything that had happened. You all look so similar, you know. Not that it's a bad thing, love." Victor said, pacing the small barn, patting the animals heartily.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything, I just didn't...I don't know anymore Victor, it's so very difficult to even make it through day to day life. How does one get up in the morning when you no longer have anything to live for? My whole family is just GONE. I have debts so high that I can't even begin to think about fully paying them off, and it's all thanks to my no good invalid of a father!" Ari spat, throwing down a handful of feed. He watched as Denby scrabbled away, his claws throwing up dust and debris as he ran off, "All I have are Denby and these animals. The wheat is useless to me. I can't even begin to harvest it all by myself and Ted and Emmett have left our services when they realised that I didn't have any way of paying them for their time. I'm sure they've found some other farm to do better on. I don't know what to DO, Victor!" he half-shouted, sighing heavily.
Victor tilted his head, looking at Ari carefully, "You know, I think I might be able to help you, Ari. There are so many things that I need done at my house, and on my own farm...and I know you need a place to live. I would be most pleased if you would come live with me."
“I couldn’t possibly ask that of you, Victor. I know you loved my sister, but that doesn’t mean that you have some debt owed to me, or something. If anything, it is I that owes you. You’re the one that sent Ted and Emmett to work for us. We would have been lost so many years ago without your help. I know what a terrible thing it was for you to lose Zara so close to your wedding day. I also know that I can never really replace her, if that’s what you’re looking to do.” Ari said plainly, looking up at him carefully, worried he’d be angry with the conclusions he had drawn.
“Ari, I’m not asking you to replace her, I’m asking you, as a friend, if you want to come to live with me, at least until you can get back on your feet. If you’re happy there, then you need not move, but it’s something I’d very much like you to consider. I want you to be able to survive, even if you think you can’t. And I know you’ve been sleeping in this barn, not only is it unsafe, it’s just getting too cold at night for you to consider doing that still. We can sell off all your animals, and I will help you pay off your debts. It’s no use arguing with me. I’ve already decided.” Victor said, looking Ari in the eye, his determination clearly reflected there.
“Alright. I guess I have no other choice when you put it that way, do I?” Ari muttered, letting his blonde bangs fall into his light brown eyes, looking down at his feet, noting how very dirty they were against Victor’s clean, newly made turn-shoes.
“You’re absolutely right. You don’t have a choice. Why don’t you pack up Denby’s things, and we’re going to get you some new clothes, and get you settled in at my place.” Victor said with a very chipper tone.
“Right, yes. Denby…you don’t mind him coming with us? I mean, he’s a pretty messy dog, and he’s not particularly house trained, but I don’t like him sleeping outside. I usually would sneak him inside in the middle of the night, you know. Mama hated that so much. He always ended up in my bed with me, or squished between Zara and Micha-“ Ari stopped, suddenly interrupted by a flow of tears to his eyes, the thought of the both of them gone overwhelming him. He couldn’t continue to keep the feelings so bottled inside like he had since the day of the fire. He let it all flow freely, sobbing softly into his hands, not caring how he looked to Victor, but muttering a sniffled, “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I can’t help this. I’m sorry. I don’t want to be the only one left. I could have stopped it, if only I’d paid more attention. I could have helped. I…I had Deidra’s hand. I had her little hand, and I let it go. I let her die. I could have at least saved her.” Ari babbled, his speech stuttered and interrupted by muted sobs, his throat feeling as though it had closed, “Victor, what do I do?” he cried.
“Come here.” Victor murmured, reaching out to Ari, taking him by the shoulders before enveloping him in a tight hug, “It’s hard, I know. I miss them all too. I’m sorry you feel like that, but you have to know that you couldn’t have done anything. If they’d seen you, or knew you were alive, they would have found you and killed you. You’re lucky they left so soon after they’d started the fire.”
“No. No! I would rather be dead than to think that I’m LUCKY for surviving this. I don’t want to be lucky, I want my family to be alive!” Ari yelled, pushing Victor away, “Stop. I don’t need you, please. Don’t make me go. I want to stay here with Denby and remember them. I want to rebuild our house, and make them proper graves. They don’t deserve to sit here in these ashes like this! They don’t! They deserve so much better, and I need to make it right. I need to make sure that they’ll be remembered!”
“Ari, you’re being hysterical now. This is unacceptable. You’re going to come live with me, and you’ll help me out, and you’ll work off the debts that I’ve paid off for you. Stop it this instant, or I can promise you that I’ll sell you out to them. I will make sure they find you and take the payment out of your hide!” Victor yelled, stomping his foot in a very final way.
Ari jumped, swallowing hard before looking up at Victor, “All right. I guess I really don’t have a choice, do I?” he murmured, wiping the tears off his cheeks forcefully, “Okay. I’ll come with you, I guess.”
