Day 670: 5 Minute Freewrite: Wednesday - Prompt: red curtain
Captain Hamilton down in Tinyville could tell by the sound of his cousin's voice exactly how his cousin was doing, and he could hear that it wasn't good. The Spirit of God had alerted the Tinyville captain to call his cousin in Big Loft after work, and he had done so.
Captain Lee's voice had been shaky; he had been weeping, had experienced some kind of breakdown – not that he said any of that, but, the two cousins knew the other's signs. The difference was that Captain Hamilton had his big family supporting him. Captain Lee lived alone. Bad things happened when men like that were alone when they didn't need to be.
“Harry, you know I was just thinking – Aggie and I messed up and bought a whole bunch too much of that new summer beef special they have over at the farmer's market – come on down and get some, and we'll also give you a bunch to take home!”
A big sigh, but, Captain Hamilton knew that Lee would surrender …
“I'm coming, Ham ... I'm coming.”
Hours later, after tons of refreshing fun at the table, the two Special Forces veterans who had gone to police work were alone, and Captain Lee shared what had so upset him...
“They were just boys, just stupid boys, like the type out of school that do muggings … they were so dumb they were trying to knife me in front of the police station … officers just waltzing down the stairs of headquarters, with enough guns and bullets to cut down every man, woman, and beast in range, and here they come... the DeVille boys, almost through the red curtain, before even touching me...
“If they had touched me, Ham … you know how it is … it's a reflex for us. One of them had a deficiency in his neck, the other in his ribs. It's all so obvious when you know. Almost through the red curtain, so close … I could almost smell their blood, shed to the ground … so close …
Captain Hamilton gently, carefully reached out and touched his trembling cousin on the shoulder … that was even a risk when men like him were having flashbacks, but the two were evenly matched, and Captain Hamilton knew how to recall his cousin to himself before any serious harm had to be done on either side.
“I don't know how much longer I can do this,” Captain Lee said. “My kill record is 185. I'm on a desk job. How is it that people keep wanting to offer themselves up to me to be killed?”
“Stay with it, Harry,” Captain Hamilton said. “Some things need to be sorted out, and you're part of the sort. I see you were able to speak to the cowardice of those little boys, if you are still at no. 185.”
“Little boys in barely grown bodies – yes, I was able to frighten them off, but it was so close, so close … if the Spirit had not told me what to say the very second I needed it, they would have been full of holes perhaps even before reaching me. But He did. He did. I just have not been able to stop thanking Him … not again through the red curtain of blood … oh, I cannot thank Him enough.”
“Then that's Who we know You can rely on,” Captain Hamilton said gently. “Stay with it, Harry, and come eat with me and my big family every day and stay the night and the weekends, until you feel better. It's Reserve weekend anyway, and after training, you and I are going to go have some fun. …”
https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/day-671-5-minute-freewrite-thursday-prompt-super-food
Posted using Partiko Android
It must be great to have a cousin like that. I understand captain Lee's feelings. I will never understand stupid boys/young or not young adults. These kind of people... I dont't know. 🤔
Posted using Partiko Android
The problem for young/not young adults who basically bully their way through life: sooner or later if they don't mature, their number comes up with somebody who WILL put them through the red curtain and think nothing about it. The two captains keep each other level, cousins and best friends since just childhood ... but in our society, that is more and more rare, which is partially why we have all these mass shootings as men who are isolated and also have the capacity to kill on a mass level don't feel that anyone cares enough about them to be a reason NOT to do it. In almost every case, that pattern of isolation is noted. That's why the two captains take the other's calls, any time of the day or night... they know what they are doing for each other and those around them, and they also have a bigger supportive environment. I try to write the truth of what people need, even though many do not have it...
If it comes to isloation I believe it has more to do with the feeling to be isolated and the way being raised/the society perhaps and character.
In certain countries and societies it is nearly a normal thing to do, also for those who are not isolated. I would say even more common to those who have friends.
It is a way to ventilate frustration or show power... if you can not use words, are not able to communicate you go out and shoot.
We do no longer ask how, what, why. Do not care if there is a good reason for what happened, if others we're hurt. I would not be proud on my granny, not defend her if she accused people out of her hate and blindness.
One of my grannies was like that. She preferred to stay blind for what was going on. It was the way she saw it or told herself it was. I can not say I liked her much. Already as a young child I fought her, in my eyes, strange ideas about people and situations.
🙁💕
Posted using Partiko Android
The character of the society does count ... but it is still important to care how, and why, because prevention is worth a pound of cure. When an individual crosses the line, it is too late for them ... but there is a lot to be said for understanding how that person got to the line, so that others may be steered out of that path when possible.