Description
AGS - 101: Lose the Whole World, Gain His Own Soul by Ratte
Story
The crowd soon quickly dispersed to swarm the town they'd for so long called home. I stayed behind as I was in no condition to get caught up in the fray that was to come, the speech alone taking more energy than I could normally muster. Once they'd all begun taking their leave I grew weak at my knees. Deep breaths with cracked ribs are rather unpleasant so even mundane things had me feeling winded. Under Daniel's guidance I tried to keep my breathing in check as much as possible lest I develop other complications. He fortunately didn't seem too bothered by my using him as a prop to help me from falling, a pair of big arms coming around me to help me sit down upon the porch.
To my shock I'd see a familiar figure walk past us as though to join the rest of the crowd. Looking up I saw Morissey, his face determined and his eyes focused on whatever lie ahead of him.
"Morissey?" I called to the man taking his leave. "Wh...Where are you going?"
"I'm not about to sit back while the dirty work is done for me," he said, still walking away from the home.
"But they might...they'll target you!" I called again, worried for my friend. "Now people know about that relationship!"
His pace slowed and eventually came to a halt.
"...Samuel, please try to understand something for me," he said, turning around to face me.
I wasn't sure where this could go.
"For all this time I've allowed them to do horrible things to other people right under my nose," he continued. "Even if I didn't know about it, I can't just stand back here and let everyone else try to right a wrong I let happen. I need to take responsibility, both for my inaction and for my prior fears."
I didn't know what to say, just looking down to the cobblestone path in front of me.
"...Please be careful," I quietly said. "I don't...want to lose more people."
There came an awkward pause, but eventually he nodded.
"I will do what I can," he said, turning back toward the town. "For your safety I would like to ask your ramiotran friends stay behind here at the home."
"...Pardon?"
"Your prior sentiment is not foreign to me."
He said nothing after that, only looking back to us for but a moment with those fiery eyes baring a strange mix of sadness and conviction. He quickly took his leave to join the rest of the riot, blending in with the shapes and sounds of angry citizens.
Daniel scooted closer to hold me against his side, his snout resting on my head. The late summer night was breezy and humid, the town awash in a yellow glow from the streetlights. It reminded me of all those years ago, Morissey appearing from the golden haze to greet me at my door. Now it was as though he was going back to whence he came, hopefully to fix some of what he'd brought with him.
Somehow everything seemed frozen in time. Even with the darting of shadows and silhouettes, the cacophony of voices screaming various expletives, just looking any other direction reminded one just how isolated the town really was. After all, our towns weren't very large and much of the show was still plenty visible from our doorstep.
I'd hoped that my children had managed to avoid this clash. If anything were to happen to them I'd be utterly beside myself. This was all happening because of them, in a way-- without a stimulus, there could be no response, and this was the kick this place needed to finally instigate a change. Laws typically change faster than society, but this was the rare event of the reverse.
"Bittersweet" was probably the best way I could describe it.
"...Do you think the children are safe?" I asked from Daniel's side.
"I've no doubt in my mind," he said, nuzzling against my head. "I gave them what all money I had on me in hopes they'd find and join a trade route. Knowing them I'm sure they already started their journey north."
"I think Ulimi said he saw them before they all finally took off," Tamani said from beside us. "It was a week ago or so. That's enough time to be far away from this place and, with any luck, on the trail of something much more welcoming."
"...I'm sorry," I whispered.
"'Samuel', was it?" Tamani asked. "Gotta say, it's nice to finally have a name after all these years. Look, Sam, sometimes push coming to shove is what it takes to really get the ball rolling. Hell, more than sometimes, I'd wager. Fortunately, though what happened was unpleasant, they all left with each other and they're most likely all safe. Even though you, yourself, got roughed up some you're still alive and well, with wounds that will heal given time. As much as it might not help to hear now: It really could have been a lot worse."
I wasn't sure how to take that.
I'd lost most of my family. I'd lost my job. I was well on my way to losing my home due to the loss of my job. With the absence of our children, would it matter if any change took place in Huot?
If a tree falls in the forest and there's no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?
It was a selfish way to think, but it was still the matter closest to my heart. A sad fact of life is that many changes finally come to pass due to some kind of loss, and there wasn't much left in my life to lose. As though he could feel my pain I felt Daniel's arm gently tighten around my scrawny body.
---
I woke the next morning in my large bed. Looking around my room I wasn't sure how I'd gotten here, perhaps far too exhausted and winded from the previous night to remember. Daniel was asleep at my side with an arm over top of me and his snout buried in my hair. I managed to carefully withdraw myself enough to get a better look at him.
He looked absolutely wiped.
Even the long work days from Riv's horrible illness didn't seem to compare. After all of this I wasn't surprised to see him so tired, the dark circles under his eyes somehow visible with his stripes. After weeks of planning this final event, after weeks of taking care of me, he could finally get a much-deserved rest.
I smiled a little to myself over how peaceful he still looked through it all before lying back down-- this time with my head above his. He briefly stirred as I laid my arm over top of his and cuddled closer with his front against mine and my snout in his hair. Careful not to wake him I combed my fingers through the long fur along his jaw and nuzzled his sweaty hair. He must have been too tired to even shower before bed, though I couldn't blame him.
He was the only family I had left. There's...really no saying what I'd do without him.
With a little kiss against his head I soon found myself nodding off, not ready to take on the day quite yet.
---
I woke later from a knock on the bedroom door. Daniel also woke, momentarily confused by his position before giving me a little smile and crawling to the end of the bed to rise to his feet. After a stretch and a crack of the neck the tired man slowly, groggily made his way to the door to see whom it might be.
Upon opening it we were greeted with many of those we'd met the previous night, led by the ramiotrans from the carpentry shop.
"Seems we were successful," Shindi said, "though a fair number of us did get slapped around some. Nobody died, fortunately, but quite a few are in the hospital."
"Well, sadly, that much was expected," Daniel sighed. "Nothing severe, I hope?"
"Nah, most were superficial," Shindi replied. "A couple with some broken bones and some with what'll scar over, but that's as bad as it got from what I saw. Just checked on them this morning before rounding everyone up."
"Well, I guess it could've been worse," the nurse said. "But you said the movement was successful?"
"Mhm," Yua said, stepping out from behind Shindi. "The organization members were surprisingly well outnumbered and some of them even seemed...glad for what was going on?"
"Could be they'd been hopin' for an out all this time," Daniel shrugged. "I'm plenty sure that not all of them were bad-- hell, I don't even think most of them were. I think they just...wanted a place to belong, maybe to do what they thought was good, and got caught up in somethin' much bigger than them. It's hard...very hard to find a way out of somethin' like that."
Eyes briefly turned to me as I sat upon my bed, trying to hide my face. I wasn't used to attention, especially positive attention, from crowds like these and I wasn't sure how to take it.
"Hey, Sam," Shindi called to me from the doorway. "You holdin' up?"
"...Something like that," I quietly replied.
"...It's been rough," Daniel said to the crowd. "A lot's happened in very little time. Everyone's shaken and tired."
"Yeah, I feel that," Kuri said. "Think it'd be best everyone head home and take it easy the rest of the day."
"Agreed," Daniel nodded, looking over the crowd.
He seemed bothered by something, but I couldn't tell what that might be from where I sat.
"Where's Morissey?" he asked.
My heart suddenly sank.
"He got roughed up last night so he's one of the handful in the town hospital," Yua explained. "It looked like a few were targeting him specifically, though given he was their leader I can't say it was unexpected."
"I-Is he alright?" I called from the bed, trying to rein in my panic.
"Like I said, nobody died or anything like that," Shindi reiterated, "but he did get roughed up. Might have a broken bone or two, might have some scars, but I assure ya he'll survive and be just fine."
I reached up to clutch at my chest in a vain attempt to slow the racing and pounding. He said Morissey would be alright, so I would just have to believe him for now.
"We're all gonna head home and crash, but we wanted to stop by and make sure everything was fine here," Shindi said, turning away with the crowd to take a leave. "If you're worried about him, I'm sure he's accepting visitors. He'd probably be happy to see ya both."
"Yeah, I think we'll do that," Daniel said. "Thank you. All of you. This was...a lot to ask for."
"We all wanted it," Yua said before heading out. "It was just a matter of working together. Easier to make a change when you've got numbers and everyone on the same page."
"...Thank you," I softly called from the bed, my skinny arms wrapped tightly around my knees.
"We'll see you soon," Daniel said, waving as they all left.
He then closed the door, our regaining some privacy to grab a change of clothes and head toward the showers. It was a little eerie how quiet and empty the house was without the staff skulking about at the other end. Even though I preferred their absence it would take some getting used to.
---
We quickly showered and put ourselves together, grabbing a small bite to eat before departing the home. I stepped out onto the modest slab porch after so many years of being afraid to do so, taking a moment to contend with the feelings it brought.
A strange mix of fear, of elation and triumph, but also of sadness as I remembered what led to all of this. Daniel stayed close to my side, his arm around my back as we slowly walked into town.
The town was quiet and still. There was no patrol, there were no eyes to follow my every move. For the first time in so long I walked through the streets of Huot without chills around my spine, without the piercing feeling of eyes at my back.
It all felt...so normal. It was like the past twelve-odd years had never happened, like this had all just been a bad dream.
...If only it had been.
We soon arrived at the small town hospital. The woman behind the front desk seemed to recognize us, immediately directing us to a particular room. After but a few seconds we found our destination, opening a heavy door and letting ourselves inside.
Morissey lay upon a hospital bed, a white cast around one of his legs and one of his ears wrapped in gauze. One of his hands and two of his fingers were also wrapped, and there might have been more under his clothes with how torn and tattered they were. He was accompanied by Heather and Ulimi while he slept, the former also asleep with her head against the edge of the bed.
"Hey, you two," Ulimi quietly said as he leaned against the wall. "Take it the others told ya?"
"About him?" Daniel asked. "Yeah, they said he was here and that he got roughed up."
"Yeah, saw it happen," Ulimi said, looking over at the man asleep in the bed. "Was ganged up on by a few of 'em, all with red in their eyes. For being outnumbered he did pretty well to come out of it how he did. Of course me and a couple others stepped in when we saw what was going on, before you go getting worried."
"...And the...ones with the red eyes?" I cautiously asked.
"Gone," Ulimi said, shaking his head. "Don't know where to, but I didn't see them again after that. Given how impulsive the anger corrupted tend to be I doubt they're scheming anywhere, so I'm willin' to bet they took off. Not much can be done about that, I'm afraid."
"...Will he be alright?" I asked, trying not to look to either of them.
"Most definitely," Ulimi said. "They said he got a broken leg, but that the break was pretty clean so it was easy to set. Took a notch out of his ear and he's scraped up in places, but he'll be just fine. Just gotta give him time...and a pair of crutches."
I sighed, a little relieved.
"By the way, it's nice to finally know your name after all this time," Ulimi said, extending a hand for me to shake.
I hesitated, but eventually took his hand to shake it.
"...I'm sorry I didn't--"
"Please, I'm sure you had your reasons," he chuckled. "I'm beat, no pun intended, so I'm gonna head back to the store and pass out for a few hours. Prob'ly see you both later today."
"Sure thing," Daniel said, shaking his hand after me. "Again, thank you so much for all of this."
"Ain't a problem," Ulimi replied, shaking his head. "Just glad a fight could have a positive outcome for a change."
The ramiotran bounced his back off the wall to erect himself before stretching his arms and shaking his head. With a nod to the two of us he headed to the door, waving as he took his leave to claim his much-deserved nap.
Perhaps from the sudden commotion the man in the bed began to stir, his eyes slowly blinking open. Those eyes eventually found us.
"...Samuel, Daniel," he quietly said upon spotting us. "I'm...glad to see you both."
"Ulimi said you got ganged up on last night," Daniel said.
"...Yes, I...I did," he confirmed. "S-Sorry, I'm a...a bit sore right now."
"I mean, you're in a hospital bed with a bunch of plaster on your leg and if ya had any more bandaging on you ya'd look like a mummy," Daniel joked. "I'd say bein' sore is just gonna be part of it. Don't apologize for somethin' like that."
Even Morissey couldn't help but smile and chuckle.
"...It really does mean a lot that you'd both...come to visit me," he said, his eyes beginning to well up. "I've...not been the kindest to you -- both of you -- but I...I hope you see that I really do want to change, and to make change, for the better."
"I'd say that's been evident for a while now," Daniel responded. "Not many people would do what you did-- any of it. Few like to consider bein' wrong, fewer will try to fix it. For what it's worth, ya got my respect, and I'm glad to have gotten to know ya a little more-- as an actual person, not as a figurehead."
"...Heh, well..." he trailed off for a moment, "...I'm...not really a figurehead anymore."
"...How's it feel?" I asked.
Morissey looked to Heather still asleep on the edge of the bed, then down to his lap before his eyes closed. After a pause he looked back up to us with a little smile, those once fiery eyes now so tame.
"...Like freedom."
---
For a few weeks following the clash it felt as though a big reset button had been pressed in the town. Many of those from the organization had been ousted with a few reclaimed by the town and wanting to live normal lives, happy to be given a chance to start over. As far as we could tell their desires were genuine and they got on well with others, both normal citizens and other ex-members.
Morissey had been released from the hospital a couple days after his admission, along with a pair of crutches to help him get around while his leg healed. Heather stayed close by to help him along, both with simple tasks and to keep him company. He seemed apprehensive about it at first, but quickly warmed up to it. I think he was still getting used to letting people in, to being an actual person, and contending with what all that meant.
Slowly but surely.
After about a month there was a meeting of some kind held in the middle of town. Daniel had taken up a temporary position at the town clinic, but came to retrieve me from the home so we could both see what was afoot. I put aside my work to walk with him to the town center, his arm around my back as we looked onward.
With the town so shaken by the whole ordeal there had also been an extensive ousting of town officials as many of those officials had been members of the organization. This was some kind of announcement of new officials so the town would know who was who. Most were names I didn't recognize, with the final name listed for the head of city council:
Morissey Sylvus
I was surprised, though I was also far enough removed from town that I wasn't in the know for most things. Daniel seemed pleased, as did many others in the crowd, but Morissey himself seemed rather shocked and unprepared. He'd been part of the crowd but hadn't a clue he was elected for anything, the crowd parting to allow his passage to the center. He looked around him, perplexed, but Heather wrapped her arm around his back to urge him forward, his finally taking his crutches and beginning his slow advance. He turned around to face the town.
"I'm...I'm sorry," he began. "I-I don't know what to say. Thank you for having faith in me, for giving me a chance...to prove myself, and to do better for you-- all of you, and for those still to come. I...I'll do my best by you, starting with something that's been near and dear to my heart for a long time."
The crowd hushed to let him speak.
"...I think it's time we finally pass a law prohibiting discrimination based on factors we cannot change," he announced. "This was a reality I faced in my youth and it was, likewise, the reality faced by the youth of our foster home. While there...does seem to be a collective agreement on this matter, after all this time, perhaps it's best to put this in writing. Huot should no longer be a town of fear, of hatred for those different from ourselves. I and others have...have been on the receiving end of that proverbial beating stick. That is not something anyone deserves."
He looked on, scanning the crowd before his eyes settled on Daniel and I.
"...Furthermore, I would like to finally extend public financial support to the town's foster home," he continued, nodding toward us. "Just as A Greater Society once financed the home, this is a matter we as a town should be supporting. Let us all care for one another, especially those in need the most: Our children. If it takes a village to raise a child, then let us all be part of that village."
Slowly the volume of the crowd grew, expressing what seemed to be agreement with Morissey's sentiment. He looked on in confusion as his eyes once again met ours. That apprehensive little smile returned to his face, and as they say, the rest is history.
Things were rocky at first with so much sudden change, but as time went on the wrinkles were ironed out and everything came together, running smoothly under the new city council. The foster home was now financed by the city itself, making it a public institution. Daniel returned to the foster home as the designated house nurse and I continued my work as a council secretary.
As we worked we'd try to improve this place, try to give all of you time away to live your own lives. We saved our earnings, putting it away for the future.
...Putting it away for what would come, when we'd try to contact you again.
Money couldn't buy back your youth. Money couldn't fix the problems we had. Money couldn't undo the damage I'd caused.
But...at the very least, maybe the time spent and work done to collect that money would help you see,
to understand...
...just how deeply sorry I am.
---
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Tarov
MemberI had a warm feeling inside while reading this chapter. I can't believe this story is going to have a positive ending. I had assumed for so long that it would end in tragedy, thought I guess the tragedy is that of the children.
It's a really beautiful story.
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