05-09-2014, 04:43 PM
Elias took Connor's words and stood looking back at him defiantly. His eyes flicked up and down and Connor could see the contempt in them.
Connor didn't care. The feeling was returned with interest. Damn emo-kids. Always walking about with a chip on their shoulder. Always assuming that adults were stupid or lived to oppress them. Well Connor had had a son and had just wanted him to be happy. He had never tried to keep him down or expected him to be what he was not. Sure, some parents were like that. Maybe his parents had been like that. But a lot were like Connor too. But this kid would never see it, would never stop painting adults with a broad brush. Not until the shoe was on his foot.
The subway opened and the passengers filed out while they waited on the platform. Then Elias chose to spoke to Connor's words.
"You're the one with the problem. Anger management issues? As a psychologist might say."
Elias shook his head. "You spend a lot of time cutting the heads off things? Connor?"
The question was so ludicrous that Connor barked laugh before he knew it. The tension he was feeling- perhaps residual from all that had happened- started to drain away. Still chuckling, Connor answered, "No."
A laugh. "No, not at all."
He took a deep breath, feeling more relaxed. He wasn't laughing anymore, but he did have a grin on his face. "I just happened to run into some folks who were fighting a creature just like it. That was how they killed it. Figured that was our only option."
He stepped back. "It's been a pretty tense experience for all of us. And Tehya does need rest. Trust me. I saw this before."
He paused and looked at Elias. He was a kid who distrusted adults. Maybe in his life, the adults hadn't really earned it. He didn't know. But he could do the right thing.
Eh, what the hell. "Listen, I'm sorry I accused you of not doing anything. I saw what you tried to do to that creature. Not sure what it was, but it was something at least. I hope your hand is ok."
And then he added, after a moment. "And I don't know that you would have just watched that woman get raped. That was an unfair thing for me to say. So, anyway..."
The doors chimed their readiness to close. "If we don't want to hang around here anymore, we'd better go."
Connor didn't care. The feeling was returned with interest. Damn emo-kids. Always walking about with a chip on their shoulder. Always assuming that adults were stupid or lived to oppress them. Well Connor had had a son and had just wanted him to be happy. He had never tried to keep him down or expected him to be what he was not. Sure, some parents were like that. Maybe his parents had been like that. But a lot were like Connor too. But this kid would never see it, would never stop painting adults with a broad brush. Not until the shoe was on his foot.
The subway opened and the passengers filed out while they waited on the platform. Then Elias chose to spoke to Connor's words.
"You're the one with the problem. Anger management issues? As a psychologist might say."
Elias shook his head. "You spend a lot of time cutting the heads off things? Connor?"
The question was so ludicrous that Connor barked laugh before he knew it. The tension he was feeling- perhaps residual from all that had happened- started to drain away. Still chuckling, Connor answered, "No."
A laugh. "No, not at all."
He took a deep breath, feeling more relaxed. He wasn't laughing anymore, but he did have a grin on his face. "I just happened to run into some folks who were fighting a creature just like it. That was how they killed it. Figured that was our only option."
He stepped back. "It's been a pretty tense experience for all of us. And Tehya does need rest. Trust me. I saw this before."
He paused and looked at Elias. He was a kid who distrusted adults. Maybe in his life, the adults hadn't really earned it. He didn't know. But he could do the right thing.
Eh, what the hell. "Listen, I'm sorry I accused you of not doing anything. I saw what you tried to do to that creature. Not sure what it was, but it was something at least. I hope your hand is ok."
And then he added, after a moment. "And I don't know that you would have just watched that woman get raped. That was an unfair thing for me to say. So, anyway..."
The doors chimed their readiness to close. "If we don't want to hang around here anymore, we'd better go."