Post 1418 Saturday January 7
The given words at Sunday's Whirligig are - siblings, meek, prowls, spring, inhale, fear, pressed, remind, sleep, hungry, lamb and wolves. I employed all but one.
Not all siblings get on. But few suffer as Harry did back in his childhood. His twin Jackson couldn’t have been more different. Harry, as meek as a lamb, Jimmy controlling, cruel.
They didn’t have much as kids. Father disappeared soon after they were born; Mother struggled to make ends meet, and she wasn't particularly interested in them anyway. The boys shared a tiny bedroom throughout their growing years. Harry dreaded the word ‘bedtime’ for as often as not he couldn't sleep. He would press a pillow to his ears as Jackson prowled around like a hungry wolf, muttering, groaning, cursing. Mother knew but did nothing about it fearing what Jackson might do to her. He had struck her many times over the years.
One spring night, their fifteenth birthday it was, Jackson disappeared. Harry and his mother made no attempt to find him. 'Gawn feral' she said. 'Good riddance to the little bugger'
Twenty years have passed. Harry has kids of his own. He's a good father. Still he has trouble sleeping; still, he hears his brother's voice muttering, cursing, groaning; reminding him of his miserable past. Tales of a macabre half-human are oft told in the village pub. About strange sounds; about sightings of a creature creeping on all fours between the trees on the village green around midnight, usually after one too many beers! Jackson, they call it......
I'm reminded of a song from 35 years ago!
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Yikes! This was a sad and creepy tale!! I think of all the children (and parents) who sleep lightly at night in fear of what family members might do, either as a result of mental illness or intoxication. I knew one man who used to lock their master bedroom door every night and barricade it because he feared that his stepson would make good on threats he had uttered in anger. It is no wonder that he still sleeps very lightly now.
ReplyDeleteWhere did those thirty five years go - superb story as ever Keith -
ReplyDeletelovely tale, a bit creepy though...
ReplyDeleteSounds like my early childhood with a bully brother...luckily I survived with just a few scars and broken bones.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great story. How very difficult this had to be for the family.
ReplyDeleteExcellent tale! But please don't remind me how long ago that song came out. ~rolls eyes~ I owned it as a single on vinyl! Now Duran Duran's greatest hits are on my iPod (yes, I'm clinging to that technology).
ReplyDelete