Tree of Life

Book I Chapter 12

TREE OF LIFE BOOK I

CHAPTER 12

“Now, now,” said the professor, “no more games, please. I am too old for games.” He waved his gun and ushered the three friends around so they faced the other way. Now, the old man was positioned between them and the way out. On the far side and behind the friends was a fence and then a brick wall thirty feet high. This time, they were trapped.

The old man smiled. “Give it to me.”

Nicole stepped up close behind Julian. “Julian…”

Julian motioned for her to be quiet. He spoke to the professor. “Fine, I’ll give it to you. But you have to let them go first.”

The professor chuckled. “Please, my little friend. Too much television. Seriously.” He edged up to Brian and pinched him by the ear.

“Ow!” Brian shouted.

The professor didn’t let go. He dragged Brian by the ear until they were standing next to the wall, beneath the light near the back door, with about thirty feet between the two groups. He pointed the gun at Brian’s stomach.

He shot him.

Brian crumpled to the ground without a sound.

“Brian!” Julian made to go to him but he stopped when the old man pointed his gun at Nicole.

“No!” she cried.

Hobbling over and taking Nicole by the arm, the professor yanked her over to the wall as well. He locked one arm around her neck. He levelled the gun into her ribs. “Now give it to me.”

“Julian…” Nicole began to cry.

Julian stood frozen. He blinked. Overhead, it started to snow and it was heavy, like Christmas.

The professor cocked the gun. “Now, please.”

Julian reached into his pocket and fished out the twig in the bag. He approached.

When Julian got close enough, the professor snatched the bag from Julian’s hand. He rapped the butt of the gun across Julian’s head and knocked him to the ground, bleeding. Julian’s glasses flew off into the bushes. Releasing his grip on Nicole, the old man shoved her aside and then added a boot into her back. She tumbled off to the ground to land beside Brian, who hadn’t moved from the very first after he was shot. The two friends recovered somewhat and crawled up against Brian. Julian tested Brian’s breath and listened at his chest. He was still breathing.

“What do we do?” Nicole was bawling openly. Julian shook his head. They turned to regard the professor. He was standing by the back door, beneath the light, holding up the twig. He had removed it from the confines of the plastic bag.

“At last…at last!” The professor drew his head back and laughed. And he laughed and he laughed, until Julian couldn’t tell anymore if the old man was laughing or crying or both. “Fifty years! Fifty, long, gruelling years. The pain, the bloodshed…oh, Anya…” Then the old man did begin to sob.

By Julian’s side, Nicole was softly weeping. She was shuddering with her tears. “Oh, Brian…”

Julian blinked several times. His vision was far from clear without his glasses, but he could just make out what was going on. He squinted. Just a few feet into the distance, he could see the bag that had once contained the twig sitting on top of the newborn layer of snow, just by the side of the professor’s foot.

With black soot inside it.

Julian began crawling toward it.

The professor noticed and stopped crying. “Eh? What is it, boy?” He wiped away at his eyes and then glanced down. He turned his gaze back onto Julian. He smiled. “Oh, so this is what you’re after?” He indicated the bag.