One of the real people walked up to him. He was limping, and had a
\nmy<\/i>
\ngun in his off-hand. There was a big stick in the other. Steven looked up at his face with its hurt eyes, and frowned. Familiar…
\n\u201dIt\u2019s time to go home, Dad,\u201d the young man said.
\n\u201dI think that he will stay here.\u201d Churkk\u2019s voice was the same as always.
\nThe other one glared. \u201cHis choice, not yours.\u201d
\n\u201dOr yours.\u201d
\nThe young man shrugged and nodded that he knew. Steven could feel Churkk\u2019s surprise that he
\nSean?<\/i>
\nunderstood that much. He —
\n\u201dDad?\u201d
\nSteven looked up.
\n\u201dI\u2019m here.\u201d
\nis he?<\/i>
\n\u201dCan we go?\u201d
\ndo you dare?<\/i>
\nNothing.
\ndo you dare?<\/i>
\nChurkk chuckled into the silence. It sounded like someone with a collapsed lung. \u201cSeems \u2018e might stay with me.\u201d
\nThe man glared again. \u201cHe can do what he likes, but I\u2019ll still cave your head in.\u201d
\n“The end result \u2018s the same. What d\u2019you think, Steven?\u201d
\nChurkk was doing more than asking. He could feel the needles pulling.
\n\u201dYou let him –\u201d
\n\u201dSean.\u201d
\nThe young man jumped. \u201cDad? Are you–\u201d
\n\u201dGive me that stick.\u201d Steven\u2019s head was very heavy.
\nSilence.
\n\u201dGive it to me.\u201d
\nSean did. One of the others behind him make a noise… not even a word. It was Churkk that finally spoke. \u201cHe understands, Sean.\u201d There was a dry rasping sound as it licked its lips. \u201cYou\u2019ll understand too, someday. Heh.\u201d
\n\u201dDamned if I will.\u201d Sean said flatly.
\nSteven\u2019s head came up.
\nDamned if I will.<\/i>
\nSteven turned and swung, as hard as he could.
\nSean almost killed a cow with this damned thing when he was fifteen; s\u2019why he only got to use it around the bulls after that.<\/i>
\nSteven only swung once. After that, everything was quiet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
One of the real people walked up to him. He was limping, and had a my gun in his off-hand. There was a big stick in the other. Steven looked up at his face with its hurt eyes, and frowned. Familiar… \u201dIt\u2019s time to go home, Dad,\u201d the young man said. \u201dI think that he … <\/p>\n