Loss Of Identity: Gus by Nicola Collings (parable of the sower read online TXT) 📕

                Mr. Princeton only looked at Gus, calmly and said, “As I said before, politeness won’t get you far on Boundary. Nor will violence. Get him out.”

                Gus suddenly found Mr. Princeton getting smaller, more distant. And then he saw the front of the building. He swathe sky as the guard pushed him to the floor. He saw the door close. He only saw more obstacles between him and Amelia...

                The door closed...

                The only thing that stood in his way...

                Gus wondered the streets of The Wynde, trying to think of someone- anyone- who might have known him, or spoken to him, or even heard of him.

                Everywhere he went, the same question echoed in his mind: do you know me?

                Excuse me, do you know me? Have we met? Have we spoken? Do you know my name?

                No money.

                No identity.

                No home.

                Without really realising it, Gus stopped outside a gun shop. Going inside, he looked around at the stacked rifles, pistols, machine guns...

                He went to the counter.

                “What can I do for you, young sir?” the man behind the counter asked, polishing a large looking assault rifle.

                “Erm, I’d like a gun please.”

                The man laughed. “Well, you’ve come to the right place! What you looking for?”

                “I don’t have any money. I don’t have anything to give you. But I need one.”

                “Well, I’m sorry, I don’t do freebies.”

                “I need to get my life back. To do that, I need a gun.”

                “Give him a gun!” Gus turned at the strange, female voice coming from behind him. In the threshold stood a woman. She was quite short, small, weak, but somehow, she looked stronger than anyone Gus had ever seen. She wore a short, black dress with lace- it kinda looked Victorian, her hair was long and bronze. Confident.

                There was something about her, something behind her eyes that seemed...beaten...

                “And why should I do that, Victoria?”

                “Because I know a man who has nothing, but needs something. You will give him a gun.”  And with that, she strode behind the counter, only stopping to mutter to the man, “You are part of this, are you not?” and then disappeared into the back.

                The man turned and sighed. “What can I get you?”

                “Something with power.”

                Gus sat, concealed in the bushes outside Wyvern Industries. The sun had set long ago, the shadows were thick around the vile place; not even the light from the streetlights could touched Gus in his hiding place. There he waited for Mr. Princeton to come down from his bejewelled tower. It should be soon.

                Something he did witness while waiting, however, interested Gus greatly.

                5 people, dressed from top to toe in black appeared from the shadows. Gus listened.

                “You know the plan?” it was a female voice. He couldn’t make out their faces.

                4 other male voices grunted.

                “Once we have the files, meet back at the yard. Got it? Go.” The five figures disappeared into the shadows. There was no sign of life for a while after that, and Gus could only wonder who they were, and what their plan was. But it didn’t matter.

                Eventually, Gus saw someone emerge from the building.

                Mr. Princeton.

                Gus leapt from the bushes, holding a machine rifle at him. Mr. Princeton was alone, except for a woman. The two were dressed like businessmen, but Gus knew was lurked beneath their ironed uniforms.

                “Give me back Amelia.” hissed Gus.

                Princeton didn't notice him at first, but once he did, his eyes widened on the rifle. For a moment there was fear, and then the fear became arrogance.

                “You think that can scare me?”

                Gus said nothing, but cocked the gun.

                “You’ll never see her again! You wanna know why?” he paused.  “Because I sent her away. She was no longer my daughter. I sent her to the bottom of the earth. I gave her to the Shamar people. No one ever comes back from the depths!” he laughed a little. Gus was disgusted.

                “She was your daughter, you sick mad man!” Gus spat.

                “No. You’d infected her with that....that thing in her womb!”

                What? Was she...? No!

                “Oh yes.” Laughed Princeton. “She was pregnant! The whore!”

                “You bastard!”

                “When I knew what you two had done, I had her checked. It seems this wasn’t the first time you’d poisoned her.”

                “SHE’S YOUR OWN DAUGHTER!”

                “NOT ANYMORE!”

                “Sir...” the quite voice floated form the woman.

                “What?” Princeton spat, heated from rage.

                “We have a breach. It seems the Wyverns are back.”

                Princeton sighed.

                “You’ve taken everything from me. My house.  My identity. Amelia. And now I will take everything from you.” Gus whispered.

                He pulled the trigger.

                The woman screamed, but it was drowned out by gunfire.

                Princeton’s body jerked from the force of the bullets. Gus stopped. The body fell to the floor.

                It was over. He breathed out. The woman ran. Gus saw the tip of the man’s belly still moving slightly, as if struggling...not really breathing...

                Not his problem. He’d be dead soon. But the feeling of victory wasn’t there. Instead there was a renewed sense of anger.

                Gus turned, not really registering his own movements. Amelia was dead...

                He retreated into the shadows of The Wynde. The warm, welcoming shadows,

                Amelia was lost...

                He gazed up the long road. Something big and friendly loomed at the end of it.

                He killed her...

                People had spoken of it. People said it was a place people could go when they needed friends. Family. Company. Revenge.

                He’d sent her to the depths...

                People said she’d let people in. Give them a home. She was a strange one...

                And now she was dead...

                Gus wandered through the woods, the assault rifle on his back. The woods were misty at night. He could just make out the mansion through the trees.

                Dead...

                He knocked on the door. It wasn’t over. One man was dead, the source of his pain, but this wasn’t over. Gus’ story was but beginning. And it began at Duskgate Mansion.

                Boundary... they all disserve to die...

Publication Date: 12-02-2012

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