The Marble Tower

-4-

He'd been mixed up with this particular group of people since he was five years old.  After his mother hit the breaking point and his father dropped them like a hot potato for some cash.  He was given into the care of his older brother, who knew someone, and they never looked back.  It wasn't to bad.  As long as you stay out of trouble you're good.

The gang's hang out was an old mansion that had once been owned by some rich old guy that eventually went crazy and disappeared.  Nobody went near the place.

Robyn always woke up early.  Today was no different.

Until he got to the kitchen to see his older brother leaning against the wall holding a folded up piece of paper, tied shut with a red ribbon.  He looked worried.  But didn't acknowledge it when Robyn had entered the room.  So Robyn, in turn,  ignored his brother and grabbed a potato from a basket full of straw on the ground.  He had never understood why they kept their onions, carrots, and potatoes in with straw in a basket, but he also didn't care enough to ask.  He rubbed it on his shirt to brush some of the dirt off and bit into it.

"So you know anyone named 'Charles Sanders'?" 

Robyn looked at his brother.  "Never heard of him."

"This letter is from a 'Mr. Charles Sander' is addressed to you."

Robyn raised an eyebrow. "Well obviously not well enough to matter."  Everyone close to him knew that he had never learned to read.

"Which may be the reason  for why I'm so worried about it."

"Where'd you find it?"

"Under the mat." Ryder answered, and flipped the letter over in his hands for what seemed like the twentieth time in the past two minutes.  Then almost as if it was to himself he mumbled, "It just doesn't make any sense."

"The open it."

Ryder shook his head.  "It's for you."

He had to remember that his brother was, in fact, very smart.  "I can't read."  He shoved the rest of his potato into his mouth and mumbled a muffled, "Go on," He swallowed, "open it."

"Would you like me to read it out loud to you?"

Robyn rolled his eyes at the annoying reference to his childhood.  The time when he would demand a book be read to him so many times he would memorize it so he didn't have to read it and still seem smart.  Then let out a small chuckle at how dumb he was as a kid.  "Just read the letter."

Ryder flipped the letter over in his hands again.  "Alright."  And untied the ribbon.