Brigit's Flame February 2011 Third entry: Snapshot
This is a continuation of weeks 1 and 2 for February. They can be found here: http://merthin.livejournal.com/241333.html and here: http://merthin.livejournal.com/242693.html respectively, though a synopsis is included below.
Biff (real name Trent) beat up Devin on the playground at school. After Devin was defeated, a tall, late-teenager boy (Tony BlackHawk) approached our fallen hero and told him he must choose the path of the rabbit (to run away) or the bear (to fight) and that he should go to the hill on the east side of town once he has decided. There, Tony has promised to help him, but Tony also told Devin that he needed to hurry as Tony would only be there for the summer.
In part two, Devin decides upon his path and seeks out Tony at the prescribed location. After a difficult and dangerous climb up the hill, Tony rewards Devin with seemingly random-acts of work which are, in fact, the start of his training.
---
Devin trained hard all summer with his new friend and mentor Tony BlackHawk. - It turned out Tony wasn't some mystic figure disappearing into the mists of time at the end of the summer. Rather, he was graduating high-school and moving to California to continue his schooling at Berkeley. He had studied several kinds of martial arts from an early age, first with his father and then with various other masters. He also honored his Native American heritage by intermixing the teachings of his family with those of the eastern philosophies. He had found them to be more similar than he had expected.
Devin was never quite sure why Tony had offered to help him. It may have been because Tony had chosen the path of the wolf who teachers "her" cubs how to hunt, but there were likely other factors involved.
While trying to find his new locker on the first day of school, Devin's head was still full of the good-byes he had said the previous evening. Tony had promised to visit over winter break, if he could afford the flight back and in the mean time had set Devin a significant number of things to practice diligently.
*FLASH*
Devin was startled out of his reverie by a camera flash near his face. "That's right, Cutter, make sure you get a couple a' good shots of his face before I mess it up. We'll send them all to his mommy so she can remember what he looked like."
It was the unmistakable sound of Biff's voice, though somewhat deeper now and seemingly further off the floor. Devin glanced around to see Biff standing near him and he was at least several inches taller than he had been at the end of the previous school year. "Cutter" he recognized as Collin, one of Biff's devout cronies from last year. It looked like he must have received a digital camera for his birthday as he kept shoving it near Devin's face and snapping additional pictures. There were at least three others there he recognized as friends of Biff. For a moment, panic gripped his heart and he felt like trying to run or find a teacher, but he stopped himself and quietly took a breath. He had trained for this meeting and after a moment, his training kicked in.
"Biff!" Devin exclaimed with mock delight. "It's so good to see you." He put out his hand and shook Biff's started hand. The grip was weak, probably from surprise. "And Collin, right? Or is it Cutter, now?" He went to shake his hand, but since the camera was still there, slapped him gently on the side of the shoulder instead. He then went through and greeted several of the other, now shocked boys in Biff's group as if they were long-lost friends.
"I'm really sorry, Fellas," he said loudly as his shook the fourth boy's hand, one rather large Gerald Levee, though he seemed to go by "Crusher" now. "I would love to stay and chat, but I'm looking for my new locker. I hope we can catch up later," and with that he slithered between them and walked quickly away.
After lunch, everyone was let outside to enjoy a little of the warm fall day. Biff's gang had regrouped and were trying to herd Devin away from the teachers supervising the groups of children. Devin refused to cooperate though he never ran away. He simply slipped between them and stood clear. In desperation, Gerald tried to grab his shoulder in full view of one of the teachers, but as he laid his hand on Devin's shoulder, he was surprised as it closed on empty air. Devin said from his other side, "You should be careful, Crusher. You could hurt someone like that," and then he skipped away.
When school ended, Devin headed for the bike racks to retrieve his bicycle and head for home. He wasn't even remotely surprised to find Biff and half a dozen other kids (all younger than Biff) encircling the rack where his bicycle was stored. As he approached he waved at them and called, "Hey Biff, did you have a good first day back?"
Biff stood with his arms crossed, trying to appear even taller than he really was, glaring at him. "It's gonna be a great day, once I'm done with you."
"You're not done with me?" Devin looked up at him, now fully in arm's reach, trying to look as innocent as possible. "But school's out for today. What else is there to do? I know, you must want to play before we go home."
"Yeah, that's right Dick-head, I wanna play with you." He made a grab for Devin, but Devin ducked and skipped away.
"Okay," he said over his shoulder. "There's a nice space right up here," he pointed to a flat, grass-covered area between two buildings. Devin skipped over to it and turned to wait.
Biff's group approached more slowly and Devin overheard Cutter say, "Biff, I think you must have hit him harder than I thought last spring. The kid's nuts."
"Nuts or not, he's getting tromped." Biff cracked his knuckles as he lumbered up.
The six boys made a large open circle around Devin expecting him to bolt, but he simply stood there, waiting calmly.
"You finally going to stand there and take it?" Biff asked as he entered the circle.
"You have something for me?" Devin attempted to keep the fear he felt out of his voice and continue to present the "innocent" look.
"Yeah, I've got something for you!" Biff rushed him like a drunken pro-wrestler. Devin watched him come, making no move to turn and run. Biff was almost on top of him before Devin slipped aside, using his back foot to trip his hulking adversary.
*FLASH*
Devin turned in time to watch Biff sprawl face first on the grass, gasping for breath. The others who had started to egg Biff on were suddenly silent, frozen in amazement. Collin stood frozen, the camera still in his hands. Their hero had fallen without even one blow landed.
Devin paused, waiting for a moment to see if Biff would get up. When he didn't, Devin leaned forward slightly and said, "I'm sorry Biff, but I have to get home. Maybe we can play again tomorrow." Devin maintained the false innocence in his tone and demeanor and then skipped away to retrieve his bike.
Biff (real name Trent) beat up Devin on the playground at school. After Devin was defeated, a tall, late-teenager boy (Tony BlackHawk) approached our fallen hero and told him he must choose the path of the rabbit (to run away) or the bear (to fight) and that he should go to the hill on the east side of town once he has decided. There, Tony has promised to help him, but Tony also told Devin that he needed to hurry as Tony would only be there for the summer.
In part two, Devin decides upon his path and seeks out Tony at the prescribed location. After a difficult and dangerous climb up the hill, Tony rewards Devin with seemingly random-acts of work which are, in fact, the start of his training.
---
Devin trained hard all summer with his new friend and mentor Tony BlackHawk. - It turned out Tony wasn't some mystic figure disappearing into the mists of time at the end of the summer. Rather, he was graduating high-school and moving to California to continue his schooling at Berkeley. He had studied several kinds of martial arts from an early age, first with his father and then with various other masters. He also honored his Native American heritage by intermixing the teachings of his family with those of the eastern philosophies. He had found them to be more similar than he had expected.
Devin was never quite sure why Tony had offered to help him. It may have been because Tony had chosen the path of the wolf who teachers "her" cubs how to hunt, but there were likely other factors involved.
While trying to find his new locker on the first day of school, Devin's head was still full of the good-byes he had said the previous evening. Tony had promised to visit over winter break, if he could afford the flight back and in the mean time had set Devin a significant number of things to practice diligently.
*FLASH*
Devin was startled out of his reverie by a camera flash near his face. "That's right, Cutter, make sure you get a couple a' good shots of his face before I mess it up. We'll send them all to his mommy so she can remember what he looked like."
It was the unmistakable sound of Biff's voice, though somewhat deeper now and seemingly further off the floor. Devin glanced around to see Biff standing near him and he was at least several inches taller than he had been at the end of the previous school year. "Cutter" he recognized as Collin, one of Biff's devout cronies from last year. It looked like he must have received a digital camera for his birthday as he kept shoving it near Devin's face and snapping additional pictures. There were at least three others there he recognized as friends of Biff. For a moment, panic gripped his heart and he felt like trying to run or find a teacher, but he stopped himself and quietly took a breath. He had trained for this meeting and after a moment, his training kicked in.
"Biff!" Devin exclaimed with mock delight. "It's so good to see you." He put out his hand and shook Biff's started hand. The grip was weak, probably from surprise. "And Collin, right? Or is it Cutter, now?" He went to shake his hand, but since the camera was still there, slapped him gently on the side of the shoulder instead. He then went through and greeted several of the other, now shocked boys in Biff's group as if they were long-lost friends.
"I'm really sorry, Fellas," he said loudly as his shook the fourth boy's hand, one rather large Gerald Levee, though he seemed to go by "Crusher" now. "I would love to stay and chat, but I'm looking for my new locker. I hope we can catch up later," and with that he slithered between them and walked quickly away.
After lunch, everyone was let outside to enjoy a little of the warm fall day. Biff's gang had regrouped and were trying to herd Devin away from the teachers supervising the groups of children. Devin refused to cooperate though he never ran away. He simply slipped between them and stood clear. In desperation, Gerald tried to grab his shoulder in full view of one of the teachers, but as he laid his hand on Devin's shoulder, he was surprised as it closed on empty air. Devin said from his other side, "You should be careful, Crusher. You could hurt someone like that," and then he skipped away.
When school ended, Devin headed for the bike racks to retrieve his bicycle and head for home. He wasn't even remotely surprised to find Biff and half a dozen other kids (all younger than Biff) encircling the rack where his bicycle was stored. As he approached he waved at them and called, "Hey Biff, did you have a good first day back?"
Biff stood with his arms crossed, trying to appear even taller than he really was, glaring at him. "It's gonna be a great day, once I'm done with you."
"You're not done with me?" Devin looked up at him, now fully in arm's reach, trying to look as innocent as possible. "But school's out for today. What else is there to do? I know, you must want to play before we go home."
"Yeah, that's right Dick-head, I wanna play with you." He made a grab for Devin, but Devin ducked and skipped away.
"Okay," he said over his shoulder. "There's a nice space right up here," he pointed to a flat, grass-covered area between two buildings. Devin skipped over to it and turned to wait.
Biff's group approached more slowly and Devin overheard Cutter say, "Biff, I think you must have hit him harder than I thought last spring. The kid's nuts."
"Nuts or not, he's getting tromped." Biff cracked his knuckles as he lumbered up.
The six boys made a large open circle around Devin expecting him to bolt, but he simply stood there, waiting calmly.
"You finally going to stand there and take it?" Biff asked as he entered the circle.
"You have something for me?" Devin attempted to keep the fear he felt out of his voice and continue to present the "innocent" look.
"Yeah, I've got something for you!" Biff rushed him like a drunken pro-wrestler. Devin watched him come, making no move to turn and run. Biff was almost on top of him before Devin slipped aside, using his back foot to trip his hulking adversary.
*FLASH*
Devin turned in time to watch Biff sprawl face first on the grass, gasping for breath. The others who had started to egg Biff on were suddenly silent, frozen in amazement. Collin stood frozen, the camera still in his hands. Their hero had fallen without even one blow landed.
Devin paused, waiting for a moment to see if Biff would get up. When he didn't, Devin leaned forward slightly and said, "I'm sorry Biff, but I have to get home. Maybe we can play again tomorrow." Devin maintained the false innocence in his tone and demeanor and then skipped away to retrieve his bike.