6 min read
Familial Ties - Part 2
July 8, 2017 - Afternoon
"Are you ready?" Reuben asked from the threshold of Ryder's bedroom.
The frei nodded as he zipped up the mushroom duffle bag Reuben had found online and just had to get. With a sigh, he threw it over his shoulder and floated to his guardian's side.
With that, the two packed up the Prius and began their trek to Modesto, the place in which Reuben held many terrible memories.
The frei nodded as he zipped up the mushroom duffle bag Reuben had found online and just had to get. With a sigh, he threw it over his shoulder and floated to his guardian's side.
With that, the two packed up the Prius and began their trek to Modesto, the place in which Reuben held many terrible memories.
"Gods, why am I here? I don't actually want to be here. Why the hell did I come? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck," Reuben stated softly to himself as he sat parked across the street from the house in which he grew up.
Ryder rolled his eyes and shook his head, listening to his guardian go through a miniature meltdown. He gazed upon this house, which seemed pretty well-to-do. The front lawn was freshly cut and green as could be. There was a large, towering tree in the front yard that stood tall and proud, yet bare in the autumn season, yet not one dried leaf was on the ground. If anything, Ryder saw a beautiful home, one which took much care in the way they were perceived. He opened the passenger door, causing a shocked Reuben to shoot a glance at him.
"What're you doing!?" Reuben shouted in shock.
"We're here, right? Let's go," Ryder stated coldly as he shut the passenger door and floated around the car to the driver's side.
"This is really happening. Shit. Oh my god," Reuben stated aloud. His palms were sweaty, his hands shaking. He felt as though he was about to go on the most important date of his life. This could end in either a renewed life for him and his family, or a terrible, tragic death of his father in which he never found closure.
Ryder opened the door to usher out his guardian. Reuben took a deep breath before getting out and fixing his button up shirt and wiping any 'imaginary dust' from his pants. Clearing his throat, he strode across the street, Ryder in tow, up the small pathway to the front door.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Three sturdy blows to the beautifully crafted wood door with exquisite glass paneling. The anticipation killed. Reuben could hardly stand the thought of his mother, or worse, his father, opening the door.
A swift creak pierced the air as the door flew open. There stood none other than Reuben's brother, Pete. "You came," a deep voice spoke as a large man emerged from within the house. He looked about just about Reuben's age, and very similar, except much more brawny with a fade haircut and no glasses or stubble. Very clean cut, to say the least. "Mom! Reuben's here!" he called back into the house, opening the door wide and ushering him in.
Reuben's heart raced, he was about to see the woman who birthed him, and who also disowned him all those years ago. "Y-yeah, I did. I had to," he said, turning to Ryder and waving for him to follow.
"What the hell is that?" Pete stated as the two entered. "I mean, sorry. Who're you?"
Ryder stayed silent, not really knowing what to do or say in that moment. Obviously this man hadn't seen a raevan before, or many extraordinary creatures that the world had to offer.
"This is Ryder, my-"
"Son! You're here!" a woman interrupted as she ran down the small hallway with arms open wide right into Reuben, grasping around his smaller frame and squeezing tight.
"M-mom, hi."
"Mom, get a load of this," the deep voice stated, pointing directly at Ryder.
The woman's eyes widened bigger than Ryder had ever seen eyes go. It almost gave him the creeps, but he floated there, barely inside the doorway waiting for something, anything.
Reuben opened his mouth to speak, but Rubi had beat him to it. She turned to Reuben and grabbed his arm, pinching it in turn and with a stern, quiet tone, she began to speak, "What did you bring into my house? One of your 'projects'? Is it some demon? Tell me now."
Reuben's eyes narrowed, his heart raced and he could feel the adrenaline building. "No, he is my charge. My son, so to speak, and your grandson. He's a magical being called a raevan. You-"
"Magic!? In MY house!? You know how this household feels about magic! I can't believe you'd do this to our sacred home. And it is not my grandson. It's filth and demonic. Now we have to have the priests come out for a cleansing! Pete, get rid of the demon, please."
"Fuck you! This is one of the many reasons I left in the first place! What the hell is wrong with you!? He's a living creature just like you. He's-"
"Ugh! It's disgusting is what it is. I think this was a very bad idea, summoning for you. Your father would be very disappointed."
As Pete opened the door and grabbed Ryder's arm, Reuben stepped in between. "Don't you ever touch him! And you're right, this was a very, very bad idea. We're leaving. Tell dad I said hi."
With that, Reuben pushed Pete off of Ryder and the frei floated out the door, a bit shaken by the sudden hostility he had never witnessed before. Reuben then stormed out of the house and straight to his car, face red with anger and tears welling up in his eyes.
"Don't you ever come back!" his mother yelled from the doorway before slamming the door.
Reuben shook his head as he got into the car, Ryder following suit right behind. As soon as both doors were shut, Reuben took off to home, shaken, visibly upset, and completely appalled at his mother's actions towards his charge.
Ryder just stared out the window, not really knowing how to feel. He wasn't extremely upset, because he didn't care about the opinions of people he had never met. He was more saddened for Reuben having to go through a traumatic experience like that.
The two had been sitting in silence the entire car ride home. As Reuben pulled up to the house and parked. He turned to Ryder and spoke, "I'm so sorry that I dragged you into that. I knew it was a bad idea to begin with. I...wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. Rubi is just a complete bitch...sorry, I just mean she's-"
"A bitch. It's okay. I'm fine. I've read enough literature to realize that prejudices exist, and something two people I've never met, and probably won't ever have to see again, say doesn't affect me. I'm more sorry for you having to deal with her. Let's just get inside."
Ryder definitely seemed to be growing up. All those books Reuben had bought over the past months had really been turning him into a smart young frei. He understood a lot of the world, all because he read so much. Reuben couldn't be more proud in that moment.
Ryder rolled his eyes and shook his head, listening to his guardian go through a miniature meltdown. He gazed upon this house, which seemed pretty well-to-do. The front lawn was freshly cut and green as could be. There was a large, towering tree in the front yard that stood tall and proud, yet bare in the autumn season, yet not one dried leaf was on the ground. If anything, Ryder saw a beautiful home, one which took much care in the way they were perceived. He opened the passenger door, causing a shocked Reuben to shoot a glance at him.
"What're you doing!?" Reuben shouted in shock.
"We're here, right? Let's go," Ryder stated coldly as he shut the passenger door and floated around the car to the driver's side.
"This is really happening. Shit. Oh my god," Reuben stated aloud. His palms were sweaty, his hands shaking. He felt as though he was about to go on the most important date of his life. This could end in either a renewed life for him and his family, or a terrible, tragic death of his father in which he never found closure.
Ryder opened the door to usher out his guardian. Reuben took a deep breath before getting out and fixing his button up shirt and wiping any 'imaginary dust' from his pants. Clearing his throat, he strode across the street, Ryder in tow, up the small pathway to the front door.
Knock. Knock. Knock. Three sturdy blows to the beautifully crafted wood door with exquisite glass paneling. The anticipation killed. Reuben could hardly stand the thought of his mother, or worse, his father, opening the door.
A swift creak pierced the air as the door flew open. There stood none other than Reuben's brother, Pete. "You came," a deep voice spoke as a large man emerged from within the house. He looked about just about Reuben's age, and very similar, except much more brawny with a fade haircut and no glasses or stubble. Very clean cut, to say the least. "Mom! Reuben's here!" he called back into the house, opening the door wide and ushering him in.
Reuben's heart raced, he was about to see the woman who birthed him, and who also disowned him all those years ago. "Y-yeah, I did. I had to," he said, turning to Ryder and waving for him to follow.
"What the hell is that?" Pete stated as the two entered. "I mean, sorry. Who're you?"
Ryder stayed silent, not really knowing what to do or say in that moment. Obviously this man hadn't seen a raevan before, or many extraordinary creatures that the world had to offer.
"This is Ryder, my-"
"Son! You're here!" a woman interrupted as she ran down the small hallway with arms open wide right into Reuben, grasping around his smaller frame and squeezing tight.
"M-mom, hi."
"Mom, get a load of this," the deep voice stated, pointing directly at Ryder.
The woman's eyes widened bigger than Ryder had ever seen eyes go. It almost gave him the creeps, but he floated there, barely inside the doorway waiting for something, anything.
Reuben opened his mouth to speak, but Rubi had beat him to it. She turned to Reuben and grabbed his arm, pinching it in turn and with a stern, quiet tone, she began to speak, "What did you bring into my house? One of your 'projects'? Is it some demon? Tell me now."
Reuben's eyes narrowed, his heart raced and he could feel the adrenaline building. "No, he is my charge. My son, so to speak, and your grandson. He's a magical being called a raevan. You-"
"Magic!? In MY house!? You know how this household feels about magic! I can't believe you'd do this to our sacred home. And it is not my grandson. It's filth and demonic. Now we have to have the priests come out for a cleansing! Pete, get rid of the demon, please."
"Fuck you! This is one of the many reasons I left in the first place! What the hell is wrong with you!? He's a living creature just like you. He's-"
"Ugh! It's disgusting is what it is. I think this was a very bad idea, summoning for you. Your father would be very disappointed."
As Pete opened the door and grabbed Ryder's arm, Reuben stepped in between. "Don't you ever touch him! And you're right, this was a very, very bad idea. We're leaving. Tell dad I said hi."
With that, Reuben pushed Pete off of Ryder and the frei floated out the door, a bit shaken by the sudden hostility he had never witnessed before. Reuben then stormed out of the house and straight to his car, face red with anger and tears welling up in his eyes.
"Don't you ever come back!" his mother yelled from the doorway before slamming the door.
Reuben shook his head as he got into the car, Ryder following suit right behind. As soon as both doors were shut, Reuben took off to home, shaken, visibly upset, and completely appalled at his mother's actions towards his charge.
Ryder just stared out the window, not really knowing how to feel. He wasn't extremely upset, because he didn't care about the opinions of people he had never met. He was more saddened for Reuben having to go through a traumatic experience like that.
The two had been sitting in silence the entire car ride home. As Reuben pulled up to the house and parked. He turned to Ryder and spoke, "I'm so sorry that I dragged you into that. I knew it was a bad idea to begin with. I...wasn't expecting anything like that to happen. Rubi is just a complete bitch...sorry, I just mean she's-"
"A bitch. It's okay. I'm fine. I've read enough literature to realize that prejudices exist, and something two people I've never met, and probably won't ever have to see again, say doesn't affect me. I'm more sorry for you having to deal with her. Let's just get inside."
Ryder definitely seemed to be growing up. All those books Reuben had bought over the past months had really been turning him into a smart young frei. He understood a lot of the world, all because he read so much. Reuben couldn't be more proud in that moment.