for thine is the kingdom

           ‘  do you want me to get you a cake that says sorry for pushing you but thanks for not shoving me into water? ‘ she leaned against his back more comfortably. ‘ i ain’t gonna change my attitude cause you got friends around. how can i make up for it? ‘ 

     He barked a laugh and gave his head a shake. “You know exactly how to make up for it, woman.” The hand keeping her steady gave her thigh an unkind squeeze before hiking her up properly again. “But... you could always just stick around today instead. Help me clean up? I could getcha drunk?”

           ‘  i think it’s pretty obvious which is the answer. ‘ he gave a pause before speaking. ‘ hels bells can be pretty pushy i can’t tell her no. ‘ an amused chuckle his hand reached out to give him a pat on the back. ‘ get in here though. i got beer, gonna start the ribs soon. ‘ he put his hands in his pockets and walked over and back up the stairs. ‘  anything you want? if you don’t want beer i got soda. ‘ 

     “Beer’s fine, thanks.”

     He followed Andrew up the porch steps before disappearing into the house. Any nerves he might have thought he should have didn’t make themselves known. Ike felt good, happy to be finally doing something for Helena, after she had done so much for him.

     He looked at the other man. “Is, uh...” He chastised himself for forgetting the name, “Helena’s brother here? Or did he take off, too?”

        ‘  hey can i ask you a thing? ‘ they put their hands into their shorts pockets. leaning over a little. ‘ can we get out of here? like away away. i don’t know how to explain it just far. ‘ 

A lazy shrug of a shoulder.

                          “How far’s away away?”

A deep breath — the scent of gunpowder and smoke, something he was familiar with. The less familiar scent of deep fry and wet grass. The even less familiar, very distinct scent of him — grease and the particular tangy scent of his sweat and something else. Hand stuffed in the pockets of his sweatshirt still, he remained silent, taking in the image of the park spread below them.

But then he turned, not only to watch him from the corner of his eye; but to fully look at him, shoulders rolling in a gesture that seemed very unlike him; a light shrug, almost careless in its demeanor, gaze tired and crooked smile without a tinge of weight to it.

”Why would they?” There was one of those ever so slight changed to his expression, and ever so slight creasing of his forehead, as though quirking one brow. “They’re not human, they’re birds. They latch to their own kind.”

     Something undeniably profound and sentimental in that phrase. Paired, too, with the way the older man looked directly at Isaac, hiding anything discreet and careful. 

     You don't look at me like that enough. He wanted to say. 

     Instead he laughed, and gave his head a shake. There was some mutter about how you're probably right, before Ike bent down to stabilize himself on the cement barrier. He jumped down onto the grass below and squinted through the trees towards where the pond should be. The pleasant hum in his limbs and veins seemed to purr at the idea of dipping his hands in the water and he nearly laughed at himself. Was it possible he felt young again? Or was it just he often never indulged this much? He looked Merc's way. 

     "If this is lame we'll go, okay? I really could use a beer."

Ernest Hemingway, The Garden of Eden 

Favorite scenes from The Book of Eli pt. 1

The Audience

It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so pitiful; the way anything that seemed to ‘suit him’ also terrified him to his very core. Being dragged into the deep, dark abyss, a pair of ragged claws, swallowed by the ink-black waters; flocks of blackbirds flying overhead, screeching.

He shrugged the memory away.

Almost instinctively, he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt back over his head as both the sight and sound of a large crowd became more evident. “As far as you want ‘em, so long as you give 'em 'nough time.” Stuffing both hands into the pockets of his hoodie, he allowed himself a narrow smirk under its shade as he watched the other form the corners of his eyes. “It’s much easier than trainin’ a dog — all you 'ave to do’s keep 'em someplace for a certain period of time, then keep 'em someplace else for an equal amount. Whenever they leave one destination, they will instinctively fly to the other.” Sounded familiar enough, he realized as he spoke — sounded as though he were right to say birds suited the Mercenary. Where you go, I follow. Smile growing wider with something of a quiet, near inaudible huff, his face was swallowed entirely by shadows as he looked to his feet.

     "Oh. Hm." 

     There wasn't a trace of anything dismissive in his tone -- only the quiet noncommittal reply that came from Ike thinking genuinely on that. There was something in that phrasing, instinctively fly to the other, that ached like a bruised and sore rib. He didn't know why, couldn't rationalize if it was his lifted mind playing and tasting the words and adding significance. He didn't think so. But it didn't matter either, he knew that. 

     They stood at a cement ledge just then, about a four foot drop to another grassy hill. Through the park's trees and shrubs, Ike fantasized he could see the little pond, surrounded by the flowers that made him sneeze and the birds that he thought must be sleeping. He made no move to jump just yet, and looked that way. 

     "Shame they don't latch on to people, huh."

Silent Hill 2