October Challenge, Off*Beat
Title: Cahokia
Fandom: Off*Beat
Author: MisterTalbot
Challenge: October, Had to use: Snake, Snow, Cave
Pairing/Characters: Tory(in my icon)/Colin
Rating: PG
Warning: Nothing more gruesome than would be found in original fairy tales. Writing might be a little stiff.
Summary: Tory is out of his element on a mountain.
Author's Note: This is a very offbeat Off*beat fic.
Tory leaned on Colin’s shoulder as they navigated the rocky terrain of the cave. Finally able to rest on a large rock, Tory pulled up the leg of his pants and tugged off his boot. His ankle was swollen and sore, but showed no sign of poison-just as Colin had promised. As if he knew what he was thinking, colin added, “I told you the snake wasn’t poisonous.”
Normally Tory wouldn’t have said anything, but he was cold, hurt and several levels of annoyed. “Well, it’s still your fault. Who goes hiking for Halloween anyways?”
A moment of hurt flickered on Colin’s face, but quickly replaced by his stoic expression. “I didn’t expect a snow storm to hit and for you to be bitten by a snake.” He hesitated a moment. “I’m sorry it’s been such an awful time.”
Unable to look at Colin’s face, Tory returned his attention to his leg while Colin started a fire with what dry timbers they’d found on their way. While he concentrated on building the flames, Tory took out his cell phone and resignedly turned it off. He hadn’t had any reception since heading up the mountain.
“Don’t worry, they’ll find us. I’m sure your mother’s already harassing the park rangers.” Colin’s back was to Tory and his voice little more than a whisper, but when he turned to sit beside Tory, he didn’t look as sad as he sounded.
“And if not?”
“We’ll walk down the mountain in the morning.”
“Yeah, right.” Tory gestured to his swelling leg.
“Your body is just reacting to the strain. Here.” Against Tory’s complaints, Colin rested Tory’s leg in his lap, pulling a bandage from his stuffed bag. As he started wrapping, Tory began a cavalcade of “ouch.”
“Once upon a time-”
“What are you doing? Ouch.”
“Distracting you with a story.”
Tory raised a brow then closed his eyes and leaned against the cave wall.
“Fine. Long ago, outside a small town, there lived a curious little boy with his curious little sister. The boy’s name was Jack and his sister was Jill.”
“Did they go up a big hill?”
Although it was obvious Colin wanted to do more, all he did was say “No” and continued with the tale.
“Jack and Jill’s mother had died when they were young and their father was a stern but loving man. Some days he would dote upon them and other days he would paddle them if he felt his dinner wasn’t perfect. It all depended on how many wild geese he killed that day.”
“Wild geese?”
“Yes, their father was a poacher and made a living selling the skins of animals. And while he could catch and sell anything, he especially liked wild geese. So every night when their father returned, one of the children would go up to him and ask, ‘How many geese today, Father?’ And if he answered below four than it was a bad night and the child who asked would be punished. If it was a good night the other child would come out of hiding and they’d eat dinner.
“One night Jack would ask and the next Jill would ask, keeping their chances of a beating equal. But otherwise their lives were happy. They both worked hard to keep the house, but both had time to do what they enjoyed most-Jill with her sewing and Jack with his carving. His father had even given him a small hatchet to cut wood for the carvings since Jack wasn’t big enough to wield the axe for cutting wood.
“And some days, when their chores were done but it wasn’t time to start dinner, they would go out and play in the woods. They loved to swim and fish in the pond and feel free to do what they liked. And they always made sure to be home in time to make dinner for their father.”
As Colin continued he threw blankets on the ground next to the fire and helped Tory settle in before sitting beside him.
“One day, lounging by the pond, they fell asleep. When they woke up, the sun was beginning to hide behind the hills. And even though they ran as fast as they could, by the time they reached their home, their father was waiting, pacing back and forth by the table. He roared when he saw them. Raising his poaching knife, he stalked his two cowering children, saying that he’d skin them just as he had their mother.
“Terrified, Jack threw his hatchet and it buried itself in their father’s knee. He was so shocked from the attack that he fell backwards, hit his head on the kitchen table and went unconscious. Jack pulled the hatchet from his knee but he didn’t wake.
“Knowing that if they left him like this that he would hunt them, but unable to kill him, as he was still their father, Jill took out her needle and thread and carefully sewed her father’s eyes and mouth shut. When she finished, she and Jack ran outside. Then they transformed into wild geese, just as their mother had done so many years before, and they flew away.
“When their father awoke, he was enraged. He tore at the stitches, but Jill was such a good sewer that they wouldn’t come undone. And though he was blind, he grabbed his poaching knives and his gun and began sniffing, searching for his children.
“And to this day he searches, sniffing and limping, killing any wild geese he comes across, looking for his children.”
As Colin finished, Tory opened his eyes. “What a horrific story.”
“All the old fairy tales are like that. And didn’t you want a scary story? It’s Halloween after all.”
“It wasn’t really scary, since it’s not real and I’m not a goose.”
“Of course.” Colin lied down next to Tory, drawing close beneath the blankets.
Tory felt safe with Colin’s arms around him. Being in the wilderness, lost and hurt was far scarier than any story. But Colin seemed so happy here. He hadn’t had any episodes, even with the strain of climbing the mountain. And even with all their bad luck, he never seemed bother. “It’s like you know it’ll be okay.”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, nothing.” Tory slipped his hand over Colin’s Smiling, he closed his eyes, “Will you tell me another story?”
Fandom: Off*Beat
Author: MisterTalbot
Challenge: October, Had to use: Snake, Snow, Cave
Pairing/Characters: Tory(in my icon)/Colin
Rating: PG
Warning: Nothing more gruesome than would be found in original fairy tales. Writing might be a little stiff.
Summary: Tory is out of his element on a mountain.
Author's Note: This is a very offbeat Off*beat fic.
Tory leaned on Colin’s shoulder as they navigated the rocky terrain of the cave. Finally able to rest on a large rock, Tory pulled up the leg of his pants and tugged off his boot. His ankle was swollen and sore, but showed no sign of poison-just as Colin had promised. As if he knew what he was thinking, colin added, “I told you the snake wasn’t poisonous.”
Normally Tory wouldn’t have said anything, but he was cold, hurt and several levels of annoyed. “Well, it’s still your fault. Who goes hiking for Halloween anyways?”
A moment of hurt flickered on Colin’s face, but quickly replaced by his stoic expression. “I didn’t expect a snow storm to hit and for you to be bitten by a snake.” He hesitated a moment. “I’m sorry it’s been such an awful time.”
Unable to look at Colin’s face, Tory returned his attention to his leg while Colin started a fire with what dry timbers they’d found on their way. While he concentrated on building the flames, Tory took out his cell phone and resignedly turned it off. He hadn’t had any reception since heading up the mountain.
“Don’t worry, they’ll find us. I’m sure your mother’s already harassing the park rangers.” Colin’s back was to Tory and his voice little more than a whisper, but when he turned to sit beside Tory, he didn’t look as sad as he sounded.
“And if not?”
“We’ll walk down the mountain in the morning.”
“Yeah, right.” Tory gestured to his swelling leg.
“Your body is just reacting to the strain. Here.” Against Tory’s complaints, Colin rested Tory’s leg in his lap, pulling a bandage from his stuffed bag. As he started wrapping, Tory began a cavalcade of “ouch.”
“Once upon a time-”
“What are you doing? Ouch.”
“Distracting you with a story.”
Tory raised a brow then closed his eyes and leaned against the cave wall.
“Fine. Long ago, outside a small town, there lived a curious little boy with his curious little sister. The boy’s name was Jack and his sister was Jill.”
“Did they go up a big hill?”
Although it was obvious Colin wanted to do more, all he did was say “No” and continued with the tale.
“Jack and Jill’s mother had died when they were young and their father was a stern but loving man. Some days he would dote upon them and other days he would paddle them if he felt his dinner wasn’t perfect. It all depended on how many wild geese he killed that day.”
“Wild geese?”
“Yes, their father was a poacher and made a living selling the skins of animals. And while he could catch and sell anything, he especially liked wild geese. So every night when their father returned, one of the children would go up to him and ask, ‘How many geese today, Father?’ And if he answered below four than it was a bad night and the child who asked would be punished. If it was a good night the other child would come out of hiding and they’d eat dinner.
“One night Jack would ask and the next Jill would ask, keeping their chances of a beating equal. But otherwise their lives were happy. They both worked hard to keep the house, but both had time to do what they enjoyed most-Jill with her sewing and Jack with his carving. His father had even given him a small hatchet to cut wood for the carvings since Jack wasn’t big enough to wield the axe for cutting wood.
“And some days, when their chores were done but it wasn’t time to start dinner, they would go out and play in the woods. They loved to swim and fish in the pond and feel free to do what they liked. And they always made sure to be home in time to make dinner for their father.”
As Colin continued he threw blankets on the ground next to the fire and helped Tory settle in before sitting beside him.
“One day, lounging by the pond, they fell asleep. When they woke up, the sun was beginning to hide behind the hills. And even though they ran as fast as they could, by the time they reached their home, their father was waiting, pacing back and forth by the table. He roared when he saw them. Raising his poaching knife, he stalked his two cowering children, saying that he’d skin them just as he had their mother.
“Terrified, Jack threw his hatchet and it buried itself in their father’s knee. He was so shocked from the attack that he fell backwards, hit his head on the kitchen table and went unconscious. Jack pulled the hatchet from his knee but he didn’t wake.
“Knowing that if they left him like this that he would hunt them, but unable to kill him, as he was still their father, Jill took out her needle and thread and carefully sewed her father’s eyes and mouth shut. When she finished, she and Jack ran outside. Then they transformed into wild geese, just as their mother had done so many years before, and they flew away.
“When their father awoke, he was enraged. He tore at the stitches, but Jill was such a good sewer that they wouldn’t come undone. And though he was blind, he grabbed his poaching knives and his gun and began sniffing, searching for his children.
“And to this day he searches, sniffing and limping, killing any wild geese he comes across, looking for his children.”
As Colin finished, Tory opened his eyes. “What a horrific story.”
“All the old fairy tales are like that. And didn’t you want a scary story? It’s Halloween after all.”
“It wasn’t really scary, since it’s not real and I’m not a goose.”
“Of course.” Colin lied down next to Tory, drawing close beneath the blankets.
Tory felt safe with Colin’s arms around him. Being in the wilderness, lost and hurt was far scarier than any story. But Colin seemed so happy here. He hadn’t had any episodes, even with the strain of climbing the mountain. And even with all their bad luck, he never seemed bother. “It’s like you know it’ll be okay.”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, nothing.” Tory slipped his hand over Colin’s Smiling, he closed his eyes, “Will you tell me another story?”