Children of the Pomme - Book 1

by Matthew Fish

  Mark had a handful of coins in the air when Emily walked into the room just after lunch.

  “How’s my little Shit-kitten doing today,” Emily announced as she attempted to distract Mark from his training. “What have you got up there, about five bucks up there, nice…?”

  “He’s going to get them all onto that target,” Maddie said as she pointed to a new white and red target on the center of the concrete wall. “Or, he could get them all onto that one on the side…or split them up and send four into each of the five targets.”

  “So no more…trancelike zombie shit?” Emily asked as she continued to talk in a louder than normal voice.

  “He’s broken of that,” Maddie said as she smiled. “Only took one morning. Go ahead, try it out—tell him what to do.”

  “Alright, nipples,” Emily said as took a few steps forward and whispered into Mark’s ear. “One in the top right, two in the middle, six in the bottom right, what is that…ahh…math…hmm…just toss the rest into the top left…no wait, leave on for the bottom left.”

  Mark nodded as he wordlessly entered into a series of gestures; he flung his arm up and closed as he sent the first coin into the center of the top right target. Two coins found their mark in the target in the middle as six flew to the bottom right. With a long sweeping upward display with tightly squeezed fingers ten coins struck into the top left target shredding it completely. With one final, short gesture Mark sent the last coin into the bottom left target and then turned to Emily and cocked his head slightly to the side. “Shit-kitten…?”

  “Popped into my head this morning,” Emily said as she waved in front of her, “You know—Caesars always calling us duckies, or ducklings, or whatever the fuck it is with him. So I’m calling you Shit-kitten today.”

  “Been a slow day for you then?” Maddie asked as she shook her head. “Good job, by the way, Mark.”

  “Yeah,” Emily added shortly as she turned to Mark. “We need to work on projecting.”

  “Of course,” Mark said as he nodded to Maddie. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

  “See you later,” Maddie said as she nodded back and smiled at Emily. “Good luck with your projecting.”

  “Yeah yeah,” Emily said as she dismissed Emily’s pleasantries. “Let’s go.” Emily added as she placed an arm around Mark.

  “Wait…” Mark started to protest just as he felt his stomach sink into that roller coaster drop feeling. His ears rang for a moment as they popped from the pressure. As he opened his eyes he found that they were near the tree line and the house was just off in the distance.

  “Sorry,” Emily said as she started to walk off into the woods. “You have to be quicker if you want me to wait.”

  “I just wanted to prepare myself a bit, that’s all,” Mark said as he attempted to keep up with Emily’s hurried pace.

  “Well when the shit hits the fan it isn’t going to warn you, Shit-kitten,” Emily said as she rested her back against a tree. “Let me just catch my breath—that one was a bit further than normal.”

  “No problem,” Mark said as he nodded. The sky was a perfect blue as they stood beneath the translucent emerald leaves of the forest beyond Caesar’s house. A soft and gentle wind blew warm summer air against Mark’s arms and neck. It was a surprisingly pleasant day, an earthy smell filled the air and birds chirped their various songs in the distance.

  “Alright,” Emily said as she reached an arm out to Mark and then paused. “We’ll go on five?”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Mark said as he took a heavy breath in.

  “One,” Emily spoke as she swiftly reached for Mark and placed her arm around him and projected further into the woods.

  “Fuck,” Mark said as he held onto his stomach. He stumbled for a moment and hid behind a tree as he lost the contents of his stomach. “I thought you were going on five…”

  “Sorry,” Emily said sarcastically. “Did you not get the part where I said something about…you know, not having any warning when everything goes to shit?”

  “I wanted to talk to you, by the way,” Mark said—as he remembered back to the kiss he shared with Maddie. He actually wanted to talk to her about a few things that had been on his mind…especially since her visit to his room that night. “I’m glad we’re finally getting the chance…I mean just us.”

  “Nope,” Emily said as she grabbed a hold of Mark as they disappeared in a gust of wind.

  Mark’s ears were screaming in pain as they appeared in what appeared to be some kind of small canyon with a trickling waterfall overhead. “Shit…I…really think I’m going to pass out.”

  “Worth it though for the view…?” Emily said as she sat down against a sand covered boulder that sparkled in the sunlight. “I mean, if you like this sort of thing.”

  “I’ll let you know when I’m…not dying,” Mark said as he collapsed on the large boulder beside her. “Yeah…this is pretty…”

  Emily propped Mark against her shoulder as she looked up at the waterfall, “You’re not going to die…although it is hard the first three times in a row like that. I thought this would be something you like…didn’t realize Illinois had places like this.”

  “I…neither did I,” Mark said as he caught his breath and rubbed his ears with his fingertips. “How far are we?”

  “Not as far as I’d like us to be,” Emily said with a disappointed look on her face. “So…I’m done for about ten minutes—what did you want to talk about?”

  “Two nights ago…”

  “Nothing we need to talk about, Shit-kitten,” Emily said as she rested her hand on Mark’s shoulder. “I don’t always leave when I should…I’m glad I didn’t—thank you for standing up for me to Caesar. I don’t think anyone else would have done that.”

  “You heard?”

  “I was listening at the door,” Emily admitted with a short evil little grin. “You know me…I’m always sneaking around—I haven’t gone up to the third floor yet though. That creepy old man probably has some kind of curse or something.”

  “Maddie spoke up for you as well,” Mark said as continued to rest against Emily’s shoulder.

  “Yeah,” Emily said as she let out a short sigh. “I guess she’s kinda okay too. Still a snobby girl though, I’m sure she thinks she’s better than me….probably is in a lot of ways.”

  “What’s been up with you?” Mark asked. “You haven’t been…acting like you. I mean, sometimes, but not really all the time?”

  “You mean with Caesar at dinner?”

  “Yeah…”

  “You had it right,” Emily said as she patted Mark on the head like some kind of pet. “One can only be called worthless so many times until they start to wonder if there is any truth to it.”

  “You’re definitely not worthless,” Mark said as he felt sad for Emily.

  “Well, I’m glad to hear it,” Emily said as she got to her feet, almost causing Mark to fall over.

  “Can we talk about what happened that night you came into my room?” Mark asked as he regained his composure. He knew, or least he felt that he knew how Emily felt about him…or rather, didn’t. Still—he wanted to know why it happened. “Just…I just want to know what that meant…”

  “I thought I told you,” Emily said as she folded her arms beneath her chest. “It was just a thing…just sex. We’re not really compatible, you and I. We’re friends…Mark. It wasn’t supposed to change things—so don’t let it. I was right by the way, wasn’t I?”

  “I kissed Maddie,” Mark admitted.

  Emily paused for a moment and looked at the sandstone ground beneath her feet. She kicked it up a little and a little tornado formed and danced playfully. “Yeah…I figured that’d be something. You know, I could sense something was there. Even if she’s, you know, old and kinda boring. It’s not like I didn’t tell you to go for it—I’m happy for you. I had a feeling…I didn’t come see you. I kinda wanted to talk to you—but yeah, you probably had a busy night.”

  “I
didn’t sleep with her,” Mark said as he looked confused.

  “Your loss,” Emily said a she continued to kick at bits of sand and stone. “How many guys get to say they slept with two girls in the span of two nights? I think that’s right up there with threesome action…was she at all interested in that?”

  “I wanted to,” Mark admitted. Although he wasn’t sure if he should be admitting such things, as they made him feel and probably seem like a pretty big douche bag. “But she didn’t…yet.”

  “Well, don’t wait too long,” Emily said as she down against the stone beside Mark and looked down to the ground. “After all, you two little Shit-kittens are mortal. You don’t have that long. You should find out whether or not she’s any good first—then like, do the whole kids and grow old thing. That is what is best for you, after all.”

  “What’s best for you?”

  “Bahaha,” Emily snorted as she picked up a stone from the ground and threw it into the small creek. “Surviving…not being homeless, I could name a lot of things, but it doesn’t mean I deserve them or that I’m going to get them.”

  “Do watch movies?”

  “Doesn’t everyone?” Emily asked as she shot Mark an odd look as if to ponder the point he was attempting to make.

  “I thought that I would spend a lot of time thinking about things,” Mark said as he attempted to compose himself. “That I wouldn’t rush to a decision on anything…then I remembered this movie I watched when I was like thirteen or something and this line stuck in my mind. It was called like ‘Into the Wild’ and it was about this young guy who just wanders off west and just…spends his life living how he wants.”

  “Haven’t seen it,” Emily said as she shrugged. “Thanks for the lackluster summary though.”

  “There was a line in it,”

  “The line that stuck,” Emily added. “You mentioned it once. So when’s the wedding date for you and ol’ Maddie…you don’t have to spell it out with movie quotes or whatever…I get it, you love her. I’m sure she loves you. I don’t know how many times I can tell you to go for it before it becomes pretty redundant.”

  “It was, something like ‘If you admit that life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed,” Mark said, ignoring Emily’s little rant.

  “Leo Tolstoy actually…” Emily whispered.

  “So you read?”

  “I’ve read in the past, yes—or yeah, okay,” Emily admitted. “I get bored. There are a lot of books in my room.”

  “You know what I’ve always hated in books?” Mark asked as he got to his feet and let out a heavy sigh.

  “Awkward pithy vampire romance…?” Emily asked as she shrugged and tossed another stone into the river.

  “Love triangles,” Mark answered simply.

  “Don’t worry,” Emily said as she let out a short little laugh, “I’m not going to get in your way—you’re pretty dense, you know that? I pegged you for a bit smarter than….”

  “I’m in love with you,” Mark stated as he attempted to stand his ground as it felt as though the world might give way beneath his feet. He was never this brave—he had never been so bold. He liked Maddie that was true—he had even wanted to be with her, however…he could not see a life without Emily. Even if she was a bit off at times and…a Perpetual. It was her quirks that drew him in, that kept her always on his mind. By all accounts of reason, he should be with Maddie—but, removing reason from the situation…he wanted to be with Emily.

  “Well that’s just…retarded,” Emily said as she got to her feet.

  “Is it?” Mark asked, feeling rather defeated at the response.

  “Of course,” Emily said as she began to pace around the sandy surface of the creek side. “You…belong with Maddie. That’s what kind of life you’re going to have. She’s like you…plus you know—she’s nice, and I’m kinda screwed up. You know, Caesar is not wrong about me, I’ll push everyone away…eventually.”

  “Are you just trying to push me away?” Mark asked.

  “What do you want from me?” Emily asked as she plopped down upon the sandstone boulder she had been sitting on before. She buried her face in her hands. “I’m…I tell you things because it’s what’s best for you. Maybe, I don’t always mean them. Maybe…I thought that I could be with you that night and that I’d have you for that night and be okay with it. That I could always remember it, and that’s how…we’d always be together…it’d always be a memory I would have with me. Then…I could just let you go and you’d be with the person you should be with…and I’d be okay with it, because…yeah, you’d believe me when I would say things that I didn’t mean and things would go according to plan until you decide to bring up this Leo Tolstoy, Christopher McCandless reason stuff…”

  “So you…did see the movie?” Mark said as he attempted to unravel the words that Emily had quickly rattled off. He was pretty sure he was getting shot down…however, he wasn’t quite sure yet. He gave it a moment and decided that he was being stupid.

  “It’s a book too,” Emily said as she shook her head. “Okay, I read books—and I do embroidery. I’m not as cool as all that…I’m pretty close though—so don’t go spreading rumors to the contrary.”

  “Alright,” Mark said as he nodded. “I umm, I’m going to go. I think I’ve made as much of an ass out of myself today as I probably could have—so I’ll just…if you could point me in the right direction I’ll be on my way.”

  “We have to project…” Emily said as she shrugged. “Unless you’d like to climb up the canyon...”

  “I’ll just go around,” Mark said as he began to walk off into the woods.

  “What are you doing?” Emily asked as she stood the same place looking somewhat bewildered. “You’re just going to go?”

  “Yeah…I um—I need to go,” Mark said as he turned and nodded and continued to wander off.

  “It goes around for miles,” Emily said as she stood there, dumbfounded.

  “I need the walk!” Mark shouted as he disappeared into the woods. “I’ll be back at the house whenever I get back!”

  I don’t know what I was thinking. I just convinced myself that she could never feel the same way and that thought rang in my head over and over like a deafening church bell. It blocked out all other rational though—all I knew was that I was heartbroken. I had done something brave…at least, something I had considered brave, and it had backfired terribly. I walked for hours replaying the conversation over and over in my head, just thinking of all the things that I had said wrong…or just had not come out right. I was never good with telling people how I felt about…well, anything. I wished that I had some kind of time machine so I could go back and say something different—something better so that things would not be as awkward as I dreaded they would be by the time I got back. It was nearly eight, judging by the sunset, by the time I caught sight of the mansion. As I entered the house, I was met by Caesar, who was throwing a fit over my disappearance for hours, next came Maddie—who met me with a smile.

  “You alright…?” Maddie asked as she placed her left arm on Mark’s back as he stumbled on a stair at the entry. “You had us all worried.”

  “Worried…” Caesar muttered as he shook his head and placed his arms on Mark’s shoulders. “You are to never venture out on your own, do you hear me, boy? I do not mean to be gruff but you nearly had me to tears! I feared I would be forced to place a call to Captain William and tell him that our young Conductor had been abducted…or worse!”

  “I’m sorry,” Mark said as he nodded to Maddie and Caesar as tears came streaming down from his eyes. “So…Emily made it back alright?”

  “She did, and went straight to her bedroom,” Maddie said as she looked at Mark. A concerned look came over her face as she paused for a moment as if attempting to catch a stray thought. “What…happened between you two out there?”

  “I’m sorry Maddie,” Mark said as he felt a terrible sinking feeling. “I told her that I loved her—and i
t didn’t…I don’t know, I thought my whole life was just…playing it easy and I did what I felt right then. I’m sorry.”

  “But, what about us…?” Maddie asked as her eyes began to water.

  “I did what I thought I had to do and I’m sorry but I didn’t think about you in that moment,” Mark said as he attempted to reason with both himself and Maddie. “I really do care about you, and you are one three people in my life right now that I even consider a friend. I just…I didn’t know that I felt so strongly about Emily. It was just there…and I noticed it, so I said it.”

  “Did I not tell you that attempting any kind of relationship with that girl would be messy?” Caesar said as he gave Maddie a big hug and shot Mark an angered look with one bushy eyebrow raised high. “What a terrible thing to do to our dear Madeline—to bed, no dinner. Think about your mistakes and we shall talk of this on the morrow.”

  “Did you mean it?” Maddie said as she reached for Mark’s arm as he began to walk away.

  “I did,” Mark said as he nodded. There was no point in being dishonest. He had caused this trouble—now he must deal with it as best he could. “I’m sorry.”

  “The boy is just confused,” Caesar said as he took Madeline into the other room. “I said to bed with you!”

  “Right…” Mark said as he exhaustedly climbed up the spiral staircase to the second floor. He shuffled down the hallway and paused just outside of Emily’s door. He raised a hand to knock; however, he allowed it to fall aimlessly to his side as he hung his head down low and turned to enter his own bedroom. Mark stripped out of his sweaty clothing and into a clean pair of hunter green boxer shorts and a black t-shirt. He climbed into bed and stared up at the ceiling as time passed. After about an hour a soft knock came at the door.