| STORY 2 Page 26 |
| "The animals. Shouldn't they be showing up, in pairs?" "Still a smart ass, are we O'Connell?" "It keeps me alive." "Yeah and walkin' bowlegged, I see," he snickered. "I suggest if you don't wanna get shot in the other side of your ass, you get in the Titanic and fire that puppy up." "OH! You saw that did you?" "Saw what?" "The name on the bow, of course!" Rick squeezed his eyes shut, and rubbed his forehead hard, then turned to Evie and squinted one eye open at her. "Tell me I'm wrong," he groaned. She grinned up at him. "Sorry Sweetheart. The SS Titanic." ~*~*~*~*~ The song lilted over the desert, filling the loneliness as Kit sat high atop a camel he had bought in the market place and promptly named it O'Connell. He based it on the fact that the animal, was tall, ugly and loped along like a gorilla and it liked its rider as much as the man, that said he was his uncle. Well that was okay. Kit didn't want another relative. They had a habit of turning up dead too many times. More bodies on the ground he didn't need. He was just fine alone. And when he was done, he'd see Mom , Pop, and Papere again. Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away; To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away, I'll fly away. "Gotcha!" Rick grinned as he looked through the telescope at the camel and rider. "Give your soul to God boy, cause your ass is mine!" I'll fly away, Oh Glory I'll fly away; in the morning When I die, Hallelujah, by and by. I'll fly away, I'll fly away. �Izzy get lower! No! Lower dammit! Get lower!" "What do you want me to do goddamn skim the ground?" "Close, but not that close," he snapped tying a rope around his waist and securing it to a sturdy piece of planking. "Now get just a little lower." When the shadows of this life have gone, I'll fly away; Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away, I'll fly away. He climbed up over the side while the passengers of the small craft watched in shock and disbelief. "Rick have you lost your mind?" Evie cried out. He grinned at her and rolled up his sleeves. "Nope. Give us a kiss for luck, Babe. I'm goin' fishin'." "More like going mad," Jonathan said looking at Ardeth, who nodded in agreement. "Quit jaw jackin' and get over here and help you two! Izzy, goddammit, get lower! You can't expect me to catch a big fish if I can't reach it!" Just a few more weary days and then, I'll fly away; To a land where joy shall never end, I'll fly away, I'll fly away. Rick began to climb down the netting till he hung, by one hand on the netting and one above him on the rope. His legs dangled and the balloon glided closer, to it's quarry. Just a few more feet. He could hear the song Kit was singing. Carrie Anne sung it to him when he was little, he remembered. He reached out, as the balloon drew closer. Just a little...bit...more...Common...Common... I'll fly away, Oh Glory I'll fly away; in the morning When I die, Hallelujah, by and by, I'll fly away....WHAT...THE...FUCK? Kit was lifted by two hands while a pair of muscular legs locked around him. He jerked his head up in stunned disbelief as he looked into the face of a man he was beginning to dislike with each passing breath. "You sorry sonuvabitch! Put me the fuck down!" He jerked but Rick held tight, grinning at the kid's anger. "Bastard! Let me go, you sorry old sonuvabitch...Let me go and I'll see if I can scrape your nuts off my knee!" "Keep talkin' tough guy! Izzy, Go right! Right!" Rick grinned like a lunatic as the balloon veered right yet again, as Kit threw out every filthy word Rick had ever heard and then some. As soon as Rick was satisfied, he looked down at Kit and said. "You know what Junior? If you cooled off you'd live longer!" Kit glared up at him. His eyes crystal blue daggers. "GO TO HELL MOTHER ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! Rick smiled when he saw Kit hit the oasis pool and heard the audible SPLASH! "Izzy turn this tub around and set her down." Marion ([email protected]) February 11, 2003 If there was anything Rick was not going to do it was to let the screaming, kicking, dirty, selfish, immature scraggly little snot in his arms down, much less let go. Even if it was the last thing he did Richard O�Connell was not going to let Kit get away from him again. They were going to sit down and have a nice long talk when they made camp and this time Rick was going to get some answers. Maybe he would ask Evelyn to come with him. He could tell that the kid was sweet on her. Now Rick had had some tough times when he was a kid, and had probably seen more that Kit had, but the kid had it where it counted, that much he could tell. If he wasn�t always kicking him in the balls, kneeing him in the groin, or plain and simple annoying the hell out of him then maybe he could grow to like him, maybe even love him. He viewed Kit sort of like the challenge of coming to know Jonathan, only a sharp mouth and about two hundred right hooks harder. In light of recent events Rick knew that the two of them had been acting extremely immature, but he had to hand it to the kid, he certainly could handle himself in a fight� For right at that very moment he was clawing and scratching Rick�s arms so hard he thought Kit might be breaking the skin through the light shirt he was wearing. Finally after what seemed like an eternity Izzy landed the god-forsaken craft in the sand and Kit and Rick bounced jarringly to a stop, both trying to get up to escape the scalding hotness of the desert�s floor after being in the cool pool of the oasis. Kit who was still entwined in Rick�s limbs could not get up and finally gave up and collapsed into the heat and Rick�s arms. Then, something extremely odd happened. Kit became extremely quiet. Not a peep, which was unusual for him with his instantaneous comebacks. Then, Rick noticed that he was shaking. Was he actually crying? Kit�Mr. Tough-Stuff? A quick look down at him confirmed Rick�s worst fears. Indeed he was crying. Had he hurt him that badly? He didn�t think so� He had seen what Kit could withstand, and he had not been squeezing him that hard. Holy SHIT! Did I make him cry? Rick�s thoughts were coming fast. �Hey Kit� are you ok?� Rick nudged him gently. �Leave me alone� I am fine.� With that he started to struggle again. |