All That We Let In con.
Morning came all too swiftly. Sile awoke to the gentle patter of rain against the panes of her window and the roof she meant to thatch later. She found herself curled into Bengiman's gentle, cradling arms, her head resting upon his chest. She shuddered and immediately assessed the amount of clothing they were both wearing. Good goin' Sile. You did it again, didn't you? She chastised herself. Can't just find a nice boy for a romantic evening, can you? She glanced down beneith the blanket. Oh. Maybe not. Aye. Good job, lass. She was glad to know both parties' trousers were accounted for. She snuggled against him, and felt his arms around her tighten for a second in a sleepy embrace. Benjiman slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her, softly.
"Good morning, Sile." He wispered, looking down at her. She returned his gaze.
"Good morning, Benjiman." Sile sighed. He brought a hand up and stroked her hair.
"You're a very peaceful sleeper, love." He added. Sile giggled quietly. "Indeed, you kept me right at ease just by the rhythm of your breathing."
"Alright." She smiled, unsure of what to think, though confident that this was a compliment in his own way. "Did you sleep well?"
He nodded and stretched slightly. "Yes. Quite well. But who wouldn't sleep well with an angelic face next to them?" Sile's face flushed crimson for a second. "I haven't slept that well in some time. But, I do owe it to you and the fates for giving me such a woman to have in my arms last night."
She found herself practically swooning, hanging from his every word, her heart aflutter. "You're so sweet. A poet. That's what you are." She smiled.
"How'd you know?" He asked with a wink. They both laughed. A knock pounded at her door.
"Shit!" Sile wispered, jumping out of bed. "Just a minute!" She called out.
"Sile! Are ye decent, girl?" Ian called from the other side of the door. Sile scrambled over to it and opened slightly. Just enough to see out, not allowing Ian to peer in.
"Wha... what do you want?" She stammered. Trying to will herself to somehow grow a foot taller to block the entire doorway.
Ian raised an eyebrow. "I just wanted to tell you that I moved your tools. But to not worry about..." He saw a blur of motion within the room at alarmed him.
"About what?" She asked frantically.
"...About thatching the roof right now while it's...raining." He tried to glance over her but she countered his every move.
"Alright, good." She tried to close the door but Ian stopped her.
"Is there someone in there?" He asked suspiciously.
"No!" She scoffed. "Why would you think that?" She prayed to God that answer was good enough. It wasn't. He didn't buy it and pushed the door open inspite of her efforts. She jumped. "Oh! Well, ha! Yes, just my... em, friend Benjiman. He was... uh, just in town for a few days and needed a place to stay. Ha! He's just so... harmless! I forgot he was even here!" She lied. Benjiman, who had since sat up to find his shirt, senced the impending situation and just went with her story.
Ian wasn't convinced. "Why haven't I seen you around before?" He asked Benjiman.
Sile jumped right in. "Oh, well, he travels alot, ye know. Always going here and there." Ian glanced at her.
"If your friend can speak, let him do so." Ian looked back over at Benjiman, who had turned pale, unsure why Sile was suddenly so quick to create stories and deny the truth. "Where ye hale there, young man?" Ian asked.
Benjiman swallowed hard, terrified that this was what he thought it might be. He was horrified at the thought of causing trouble for Sile on the basis of something over which he had no control. "Oh, here and there."
Ian looked at Sile and back at Benjiman. "Speak up, son!" Benjiman's head over flowed with thoughts of utter catastrophy. But his soul told him to be honest. Benjiman looked at Sile.
"It's alright, Love." He said to her, not masking a word. Ian's eyes grew wide at the sound of him. "The name is Benjiman Taite. Born and raised outside of Liverpool." He offered his hand in amnesty.
Ian glared at him before turning is glare to Sile who just wished she could make Benjiman disappear with her, out of the brewing shit-storm. "What are you doing here?" He growled.
Benjiman jumped. "Back-packing. I was hiking from one coast to another. That's all. And Sile, well, I met her down at a pub and she offered me a place to stay on account of the rain." Ian's glare only intensified. His rage was undeniable.
"And.... what?! You accidently lost your shirt and tripped onto her bed looking for it?!" He roared.
Benjiman shook his head. "No sir! This... it's not what it looks like, honestly! She let me sleep here to keep warm is all." He pleaded for understanding. "Honestly!" Sile remained frozen in fear. He glanced at her. "I should go." He stood to get his pack. Ian quickly shoved him back to where he had been sitting.
"How old are you?" Ian asked, voice seething with hatred.
"Twenty." Benjiman answered.
Ian nodded. "And she's barely 18. What do you want with her?"
"Friendship. She's a wonderful person and I enjoyed the pleasure of her company. That's all." Benjiman insisted. Sile found courage within her and stepped up.
"Leave him alone, will ye? He's done no harm!" She barked. Ian turned towards her, boiling with anger.
"I haven't even gotten to you yet! You goddamned traitor! John would be spinning in his grave right now!" He spat, eyes red with malice. "You stun me, Sile. You've forsaken everything you've ever believed in." He paused as she recoiled from the sting of his words. "You speak of hell. Aye. Pack a bag, Lass. You're headed there." A silent tear slipped down Sile's face. "Don't tell me you can't see every friend you've ever lost to a British bullet in his face! Because I can see your brother clear as day!" His voice reverberated through out the entire house. Benjiman listened, stunned. Shocked. Indeed horrified. "And I thought you'd been brought up better, and yet you're in the arms of the enemy!"
"He's not involved in that!" She cried.
"But you are!" He yelled. Benjiman's horror mingled with confusion. He looked at her, silently begging it not to be true. She shook her head. 'No.' She mouthed to him. Please don't listen to this, Benjiman! Please! She cried into the silence of her mind. Ian saw the look of disbelief on the young man's face. "Oh, she didn't tell ye?" He sneered.
"Ian. Please!" Sile begged. "Don't!"
"Aye. She was involved." He continued. "She was fuckin' leathal. I can't even count the number of your kind she sent home in a box! And how many times she did it with a smile on her face." Benjiman's disbelief turned to disgust. "She'd kill ye soon as look at ye. I'm amazed you made it this far, I figured she woulda planted you the minute you got outside." He turned to Sile. "Aye, you've gotten sadistic now, lass. What do you do? Play with their hearts then slit their throats? Is that your game now? Should just stick with your assault rifle." He returned is stare to Benjiman. "And you should return to your Queen and country. And if you breathe a word of anything you saw here, so help me god I will hunt you down."
The tears cascaded down Sile's face. "Benjiman!" She pleaded. "Please don't... just.." He refused to make eye contact with her. "Look at me! Please." She spun to Ian. "You're sick. You're no better than those you've killed! Because just like them, you're so blinded by hate you can't see anything else! You lost your cause! You're just a murderer!" She shot back at him. Ian swung a hand back ready to strike her, but equally as fast Benjiman scrambled between them.
"Woah!" He shouted, sheilding her from the pending blow. "I will not allow that." He felt Sile sobbing and wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe she was trying to end the cycle of hate and violence by not being a part of it anymore. "
Ian laughed in his face. "You don't know shit." He looked at them both. "Get out of my house, and never come back. Like I told you, you breathe a word of this location, so much as a name or the color of the paint on my walls, it will be the last breath you draw. Stay the fuck away from Sile." He glanced at her specifically. "You, on the other hand will be staying right here. You'll be living elsewhere come next week. And I'll find the place for you. But I will not have you putting my family in danger for the sake of some quick fuck you'll forget in a week." Sile raised her head.
"Fuck you, Ian." She grabbed her jacket, handed Benjiman his pack and went to walk out the door with him. Ian grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me, goddamn it. You've got no control over me."
"You're not leaving, Sile! Sit down!" He shouted.
"Let me go or so help me god!" She screamed at him. His grip didn't release, she swung her free arm full force, making contact with his jaw. He staggered back enough for her to leave the room.
"Good morning, Sile." He wispered, looking down at her. She returned his gaze.
"Good morning, Benjiman." Sile sighed. He brought a hand up and stroked her hair.
"You're a very peaceful sleeper, love." He added. Sile giggled quietly. "Indeed, you kept me right at ease just by the rhythm of your breathing."
"Alright." She smiled, unsure of what to think, though confident that this was a compliment in his own way. "Did you sleep well?"
He nodded and stretched slightly. "Yes. Quite well. But who wouldn't sleep well with an angelic face next to them?" Sile's face flushed crimson for a second. "I haven't slept that well in some time. But, I do owe it to you and the fates for giving me such a woman to have in my arms last night."
She found herself practically swooning, hanging from his every word, her heart aflutter. "You're so sweet. A poet. That's what you are." She smiled.
"How'd you know?" He asked with a wink. They both laughed. A knock pounded at her door.
"Shit!" Sile wispered, jumping out of bed. "Just a minute!" She called out.
"Sile! Are ye decent, girl?" Ian called from the other side of the door. Sile scrambled over to it and opened slightly. Just enough to see out, not allowing Ian to peer in.
"Wha... what do you want?" She stammered. Trying to will herself to somehow grow a foot taller to block the entire doorway.
Ian raised an eyebrow. "I just wanted to tell you that I moved your tools. But to not worry about..." He saw a blur of motion within the room at alarmed him.
"About what?" She asked frantically.
"...About thatching the roof right now while it's...raining." He tried to glance over her but she countered his every move.
"Alright, good." She tried to close the door but Ian stopped her.
"Is there someone in there?" He asked suspiciously.
"No!" She scoffed. "Why would you think that?" She prayed to God that answer was good enough. It wasn't. He didn't buy it and pushed the door open inspite of her efforts. She jumped. "Oh! Well, ha! Yes, just my... em, friend Benjiman. He was... uh, just in town for a few days and needed a place to stay. Ha! He's just so... harmless! I forgot he was even here!" She lied. Benjiman, who had since sat up to find his shirt, senced the impending situation and just went with her story.
Ian wasn't convinced. "Why haven't I seen you around before?" He asked Benjiman.
Sile jumped right in. "Oh, well, he travels alot, ye know. Always going here and there." Ian glanced at her.
"If your friend can speak, let him do so." Ian looked back over at Benjiman, who had turned pale, unsure why Sile was suddenly so quick to create stories and deny the truth. "Where ye hale there, young man?" Ian asked.
Benjiman swallowed hard, terrified that this was what he thought it might be. He was horrified at the thought of causing trouble for Sile on the basis of something over which he had no control. "Oh, here and there."
Ian looked at Sile and back at Benjiman. "Speak up, son!" Benjiman's head over flowed with thoughts of utter catastrophy. But his soul told him to be honest. Benjiman looked at Sile.
"It's alright, Love." He said to her, not masking a word. Ian's eyes grew wide at the sound of him. "The name is Benjiman Taite. Born and raised outside of Liverpool." He offered his hand in amnesty.
Ian glared at him before turning is glare to Sile who just wished she could make Benjiman disappear with her, out of the brewing shit-storm. "What are you doing here?" He growled.
Benjiman jumped. "Back-packing. I was hiking from one coast to another. That's all. And Sile, well, I met her down at a pub and she offered me a place to stay on account of the rain." Ian's glare only intensified. His rage was undeniable.
"And.... what?! You accidently lost your shirt and tripped onto her bed looking for it?!" He roared.
Benjiman shook his head. "No sir! This... it's not what it looks like, honestly! She let me sleep here to keep warm is all." He pleaded for understanding. "Honestly!" Sile remained frozen in fear. He glanced at her. "I should go." He stood to get his pack. Ian quickly shoved him back to where he had been sitting.
"How old are you?" Ian asked, voice seething with hatred.
"Twenty." Benjiman answered.
Ian nodded. "And she's barely 18. What do you want with her?"
"Friendship. She's a wonderful person and I enjoyed the pleasure of her company. That's all." Benjiman insisted. Sile found courage within her and stepped up.
"Leave him alone, will ye? He's done no harm!" She barked. Ian turned towards her, boiling with anger.
"I haven't even gotten to you yet! You goddamned traitor! John would be spinning in his grave right now!" He spat, eyes red with malice. "You stun me, Sile. You've forsaken everything you've ever believed in." He paused as she recoiled from the sting of his words. "You speak of hell. Aye. Pack a bag, Lass. You're headed there." A silent tear slipped down Sile's face. "Don't tell me you can't see every friend you've ever lost to a British bullet in his face! Because I can see your brother clear as day!" His voice reverberated through out the entire house. Benjiman listened, stunned. Shocked. Indeed horrified. "And I thought you'd been brought up better, and yet you're in the arms of the enemy!"
"He's not involved in that!" She cried.
"But you are!" He yelled. Benjiman's horror mingled with confusion. He looked at her, silently begging it not to be true. She shook her head. 'No.' She mouthed to him. Please don't listen to this, Benjiman! Please! She cried into the silence of her mind. Ian saw the look of disbelief on the young man's face. "Oh, she didn't tell ye?" He sneered.
"Ian. Please!" Sile begged. "Don't!"
"Aye. She was involved." He continued. "She was fuckin' leathal. I can't even count the number of your kind she sent home in a box! And how many times she did it with a smile on her face." Benjiman's disbelief turned to disgust. "She'd kill ye soon as look at ye. I'm amazed you made it this far, I figured she woulda planted you the minute you got outside." He turned to Sile. "Aye, you've gotten sadistic now, lass. What do you do? Play with their hearts then slit their throats? Is that your game now? Should just stick with your assault rifle." He returned is stare to Benjiman. "And you should return to your Queen and country. And if you breathe a word of anything you saw here, so help me god I will hunt you down."
The tears cascaded down Sile's face. "Benjiman!" She pleaded. "Please don't... just.." He refused to make eye contact with her. "Look at me! Please." She spun to Ian. "You're sick. You're no better than those you've killed! Because just like them, you're so blinded by hate you can't see anything else! You lost your cause! You're just a murderer!" She shot back at him. Ian swung a hand back ready to strike her, but equally as fast Benjiman scrambled between them.
"Woah!" He shouted, sheilding her from the pending blow. "I will not allow that." He felt Sile sobbing and wrapped his arms around her. "Maybe she was trying to end the cycle of hate and violence by not being a part of it anymore. "
Ian laughed in his face. "You don't know shit." He looked at them both. "Get out of my house, and never come back. Like I told you, you breathe a word of this location, so much as a name or the color of the paint on my walls, it will be the last breath you draw. Stay the fuck away from Sile." He glanced at her specifically. "You, on the other hand will be staying right here. You'll be living elsewhere come next week. And I'll find the place for you. But I will not have you putting my family in danger for the sake of some quick fuck you'll forget in a week." Sile raised her head.
"Fuck you, Ian." She grabbed her jacket, handed Benjiman his pack and went to walk out the door with him. Ian grabbed her by the arm. "Let go of me, goddamn it. You've got no control over me."
"You're not leaving, Sile! Sit down!" He shouted.
"Let me go or so help me god!" She screamed at him. His grip didn't release, she swung her free arm full force, making contact with his jaw. He staggered back enough for her to leave the room.