It Is Under Control: Chapter 1

Working title of my upcoming novel.

Hello friends! Today I have a special post, this is chapter one of my upcoming “working title” novel, It Is Under Control. I’m very excited about it. The novel is a stand alone sci-fi-ish story, centering around a family and those seeking to destroy them.

I would love feedback and thoughts. I love each of my readers, and hopefully this is a story to showcase said thanks.

Please enjoy.

Photo by Europeana on Unsplash

Chapter 1: Strength

His stature matched his reputation, Tall, boney and terribly fierce. A mustache sat upon his lip, thick enough to both draw attention, or hide behind. It curled at the ends, pointed upwards. Like the hand of a sinking man.

I sat inside, guarding the room. Richard Florida, Jay’s younger brother, sputtered the cards. Fingers, fat as the tobacco log held between his lips. He shuffled with no end in sight. Smoke leaked from his lips. His cigar hung like a broken branch. Tobacco and the smell of leather stained the air. A poor world existed right outside, but here was safety. I felt myself growing weak at the scent. Katherine’s smile cemented inside my head. A stronghold warding off the wisps and attractions of these devils.

I watched Richard lounge back. So comfortable, always so damn comfortable. With all effort I pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth in lue of a clenched jaw.

“I tell you, that bastard had the nerve. The actual nerve-” He paused flicking cigar ash on the carpet. “- the actual nerve to ask me for a handout.” He shook his head violently, the fat on his cheeks took time to stabilize.

Richard spoke to Eli, but Eli remained stiff as a door, unfelt as stone. Jay’s youngest never bothered hiding indifference.

Richard turned sharply to Jay, who sat alone by the fire. “Imagine!” He barked, a wet laugh rattled his chest. “Imagine if we asked our own Father for a handout.” He continued to laugh himself red-faced.

I said Richard was ignorant of his surroundings, but I lied. He was ignorant to all surroundings unless you were Jay Florida, the one man he desired to please.

I found this interaction tragic. A sadness flashed through the fat man. Villains are hard to hate when you realize they are all just discouraged children.

Jay granted Richard a cold glance, then back to staring into the fire.

A hidden pain twisted up Richard’s face. His lips squeaked, as he drew smoke. Like a child with a thick milkshake. He turned back, continuing to shuffle the cards.

“The christian man that I am, forced me to speak with this poor sinner.” He said softly. “I wanted to help him-” He now spoke to Eli, who hardly paid attention. “-but it’s better to teach a fish right?”

“A man.” Jay’s voice soft, thundered.. It was as if God himself spoke.

Richard turned. “What was that Jay?”

“A man.” Jay voice soured. “A bloody man.”

Richard blankly stared.

A deep sigh burst from the tall man, mustache unbendable. “Teach a man to fish. Not a fish itself.”

He refused to look at his brother. He stared. Flames danced.

“Anyway.” Richard turned back to Eli. “I asked the bum a simple question. If you lived this day repeatedly for twenty long years, would you have more money or less.”

He extended his posture, as if his statement ought to leap itself into the gospels. As if the question had strength..

Eli drew a book from his coat pocket. A nice red hardback of crime and punishment.

Eli’s attention shifted to his book, as my mind wondered as well. My heart nearly burst when I heard the closest thing to my name come from Richard’s lips.

“Door-boy!” He laughed, “Are you listening?” To hear his voice, point towards me. Instantly my heart tumbled to my toes, though I still spoke with confidence.

“Yes sir.” I said.

“Good, good.” He said, looking me up and down. Richard hated those who feared their own voice, and or his. Many friends of mine hesitated when questioned by old Richard, many now exist in the box. He turned my way.

“This beggar didn’t recognize me, can you imagine!” He used his cigar to point as he spoke. I mirrored his every expression.

“Didn’t believe me when I told him either. So I took out my wallet and showed him. Poor fool hadn’t seen money like that in all his life.” He gave a wild smile, a sense of pride.

I robotically returned it. Outwardly praising the glutton, internally lamenting the starved.

“You flashed your wallet!?” Eli said in disbelief, a slight bemused smirk cracked the hardness that was him.

“Hell yes I did.” Richard said loudly, with conviction.”Bastard wouldn’t take me seriously, like I was saying.”

“So did he?” Eli scoffed, bemused with his uncle’s insanity.

“Well…no.” Richard scratched the few hairs left on his head with a playing card. “Asshole tried to rob me. Right in the middle of the gas station. I hit him right between the nose, might have cracked that bridge right there.” He made clear to show me and Eli where he hit him, and what he likely broke. Tried to use his nephew as an example, but Eli stiffened. The man would rather chew off his own arm, than be used as some sort of example.

“All it took was one good crack.” He shrugged. “Blood spewed from that nose, nearly staining my shoes. Had to push that bastard away, kept pleading for just a bit of cash. Whining about his rent being due. Dawinism, am I right!” He laughed.

“You claim to be a Christian man, yet now preached dawanism.” Eli mumbled, face still bowed into his book.

“You asshole!” Jay roared at Richard, leaping from his chair. Fury furrowing his brow. All eyes snapped on the tall thin man.

“Ready to play?” Richard called with a childish smile.

Jay stewed over to Richard , slapping the cards out of hand. They spilled on the wood floor like wine.

“Ay!” Richard roared, “What’s the matter. I just had them shuffled perfectly!”

“All you care about is that damn game! Not everything is one!!!” Jay cried.

Richard clutched his jaw.

“It’s our family that drains him with that tax. You couldn’t have handed him a buck or two.”

Richard gawked. “The hell? Why on earth do you care!” He looked curious at Eli, who face now present shook his head slightly. Richard understood, face softened.

“Brother.” He grabbed Jay’s shoulder tender like, as If approaching a bull. “It wasn’t her..”

The anger in Richard’s eyes melted into something tender.

Jay smacked away his brother’s hand. “Enough, I’ll fix this.” He gripped his coat, eying me to follow. I didn’t hesitate, stuck to the man like his own shadow. I heard someone once say, “when Gods fight, hell’s born.” I refused to get caught in the middle.

They say rain falls on the rich and poor, but never the same way. The hide of that unlucky beast Jay wore beaded rain like glass. While I soaked to the bone.

“Where did my brother say that gas station was?”

The rain hit my hair like oil. I could hardly look the man in the eye. “I’m fairly certain I know the spot he talked about. Mentioned just a bit prior, picking up a steak from Nutwood.” I yelled.

“Good.” Jay stated, tipping the brim of his hat. Bits of rain hit the back of his neck, souring his face. Only then did he stride to the Lincoln, tossing me the keys. I remained blinded by the storm. Grasping blindly for the catch. Thank God for my lucky hands.

The ride was fifteen minutes of silence. I kept myself alert, the world’s most careful driver. Jay scrubbed his neck dry with his sleeve.

“Clean this tonight. I don’t want the leather stained.” He muttered, eyes on me.

“Yes sir.”

The gas station’s overhead light beamed, no cars were present. I pulled in and Jay sat up, his eyes scanned the dark, his intensity looked reptilian.

“Pull in, center right there.” He pointed.

I didn’t see anything, but did as demanded.

We parked, underneath the overhead next to pump C. The wipers squeaked, now thirsting for rain, for a purpose. The rain drummed the car roof. Bright light engulfed us, ironically making the edged darkness more threatening.

I couldn’t comprehend the darkness, Jay studied it. His eyes must have caught something, without a word he leapt out, and jogged into the rain. I followed blindly..

I walked, guided by sounds only. Eventually, I caught the figure Jay walked toward. A scrawny man, in a black hoodie. I say black, but it could have been a green, heavied and dulled by the storm. He paced aimlessly, no doubt attempting to intercept any customers heading inside.

“Sir please.” His voice cracked, “It’s due, today it’s due. Do you have anything to spare?” He slicked back wet hair. Mini rivers ran down face and beard.. “My rent it’s due. I can’t be boxed, I have a daughter. And if I go, she’ll…I don’t know.” He collapsed at Jay’s feet like a child.. I lunged, but Jay held out his hand. I kept up appearances, nothing would make my life more simple than an unexpected knife buried in his neck. Then again, the man might die, but his ideas would live on.

Jay fumbled out his wallet, reflecting the man’s urgency. Fanning out cash like a deck of card, an entire ten year wage in the man’s face.

“I..” The man fumbled, slowly recognizing Jay. Hopeful eyes turned to disgust. Jay shriveled beneath the beggar’s stare. “You’re Jay Florida! You…your brother!” He instinctively brushed his bruised nose.

It pained me to watch. The man forgot his mission, forgot his need. Rage blinded him, pulling from societal wounds. I gripped my revolver as if it was made of nails.

“You, It’s your fault all of this…”

“No sir!” Jay pleaded. “I’m trying to make this right, here take this take the mo-”

The beggar pushed his hand forward. Half snatching the cash, half knocking it out of Jay’s hand. About 30,000 sponged the puddle between his legs.

White light hit our backs, the beggar’s face moved from wrath to despair. He clutched the cash in hand, “I have it. No you don’t understand I have it!” A coil shot zipped past my ear, the whole thing sounded like the opening of a soda can. It hit the beggar in the neck. He foamed at the mouth as he went down, writhing at the units of electricity pulsing through him.

Jay’s charity now laid fully in the rain, abandoned by the beggar. A pendant now clenched between his fingers, one of a smiling little girl.

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