Keep It Burning {{ Tristen
Feb 5, 2016 0:57:39 GMT -5
Post by pogue on Feb 5, 2016 0:57:39 GMT -5
I C A R U S
"Smoke and retribution, keep it burning"
_____________________________
_____________________________
A week ago, Ingram had tried to teach him how to swim.
("Icarus, it isn't that bad. Come on.")
He'd stood, frozen to the sands of his death bed as he'd looked out at the ocean before him. It had been up to Ingram's knees, and as his eyes stared down he could have sworn that through the howls of the wind and through the screams of the abyss held underneath it the ocean was chanting to him, screaming at him as he stood.
come on. come on. come on.
It taunts, words laced with salt and venom dripping from it's fangs. He'd succumbed, once, thrown himself off the cliffs of his reality and he can still remember the tumbling.
Down.
Down.
Down.
Before the day he lost his life to the sea Icarus Callaghan had been fearless, blood stained knuckles to tough for even the toughest of bones not to break. He'd won every fight, broken every record, accepted every bet.
The ocean was the only fight he'd ever lost, and it hadn't even been close.
Boom. The waves had pounded against his skull, grabbing him by the spine and shaking every indecency out of him like a rag doll. And then slam the fists of the abyss had pounded deep into his lungs, chest heaving mouth opening and then choke the water had flooded him and he had felt his body grow heavier and heavier and sink and sink
And then he'd grown lighter and lighter, and he could have sworn he'd been floating to the top when he'd been ripped from the void by the hands of a brother who'd been gifted with everything he'd never thought to ask for.
("Icarus, you can't live your life in fear of this.")
His brother spoke with compassion but Icarus' pride would not have any of it. Because slam the waves shattered against the rocks and boom he could hear the dragging down the docks and as he looked towards his brother's legs he thought he saw the might of the ocean grabbing grabbing grabbing for his brother's life and in the heat of Icarus Callaghan's panic
Ingram falls
backwards
And the boy who'd lost his life to the waves realizes that he is going to lose his brother too and oh god the waves rush up to meet him too and he stumbles trips falls backwards against the sand before scurrying up to where the might of the ocean could not reach.
And Ingram's body comes up from the waves, covered in water but smiling.
His brother runs a hand through his fiery locks. "See? Ain't bad at all."
A week ago, Icarus Callaghan swore to himself to never step foot in the water again.
Now, he stands as far away as his pride will allow him, watching the waves lap against the shore. He's far enough back that he can't hear their screams, but close enough that he can see the grin on the oceans face. Ichabod had suggested that he come down here after learning of how he'd broken the day prior, learn to face his fears one step at a time. Like a real man.
Like a real man. She didn't know anything about being a real man.
His whole life Icarus Callaghan had gotten the short end of the stick, chewed through dust bunny winter coats and soggy firewood we're all that could keep the family warm during the winter. And some part of him had always wanted to ask his father where he'd go on those trips, for the months that he'd leave the house.
("he's working for us, Icarus.")
His mother would explain as best she could, but it hadn't taken him long to recognize the subtle pain in his voice. Like a real man. He raises his hands and stares down at them, scars and burns and blisters and callouses and all. They're a product of his childhood, innocence turned adulthood.
He flips hands over and admires his knuckles, broken and distorted and cracked and bloody and all. They are a product of his pride, trophies gathered through years of not only being like a man, but fighting like one too. Like a real man. He grits his teeth, shoving his hands down into hand-me-down pants from his older brother before sitting down himself.
It had been hard for him to show any love for the two of his siblings after he'd found out the opportunities they'd been given. But then again, it'd been hard for him to do much of anything to keep up with them either. They we're both incredibly smart, cunning and tactical and decisive and he
A second grade level of education just couldn't compare.
When he stopped understanding their words, he fell silent.
They noticed it, but both had the decency not to say anything. After all, they didn't want to ruin the false reality of Icarus' real man personality.
He never argued with either of them, that'd be like fighting a losing a battle. His eyes glance up at the ocean.
He'd seemed to be losing a lot more than he was winning, lately.
template by chelsey
