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31_days2007-02-20 11:53 pm
rhye.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-02-20 11:53 pm
[February 20] [Brokeback Mountain] Once Upon a Time - 20
Title: Once Upon a Time - 20
Day/Theme: February 20th/The False Man
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 20
When Jack woke up, he was not at all surprised to feel the bed was empty. Angry, maybe, but not surprised. As heavy as his bones felt, he knew there was a ranch to run, and he knew that wherever Ennis was, that wasn't what he was doing. Some part of Jack that used to care about people tried to muster up some sense of urgency, the need to save the life of a guilty man. It failed. He had just enough energy to pull on dirty clothes. His mama made him eggs and he even kissed her on the cheek before heading out to the barn for the day. It could be he'd be on his own from now on, Ennis in jail or worse. Figured Ennis wouldn't think about the consequences of his actions. Need to demonstrate his self-sufficiency, rage at Ennis's selfishness, and anger at himself for needing any kind of rescue all pressed into him and kept his limbs moving. He wouldn't have cared if it was just himself, but had his mother to worry about.
Jack was smoking nervously in the late afternoon sun, gazing at the longhorn, who gazed back without emotion, when he heard the car drive up. Jack saw who it was, but had known who it would be anyway. The sheriff plodded through the too-high grass out to the bull pen. Jack just watched the longhorn, waiting, prepared for the worst.
When he got there, the sheriff leaned on the rail in a mirror image of Jack. "That's a damn fine animal."
"Cost about a fortune, too."
The sheriff nodded. They stood in silence for a while. Sheriff Alan Reisetter was Jack's age. They'd gone to high school together, slept with the same girls, failed the same classes.
"We got 'im down at the sheriff's office." Jack peered over at the Alan as a man would glare at a mortal enemy, but Alan continued talking. "Look, I... I figured out what happened, Jack. Heard 'bout the fire, an'... well." Alan's eyes scanned the horizon. "I known you a long time. Town is going to even worse shit than you remember, reckon, but it ain't hell yet, all evidence to the contrary. Ennis told me what happened. Not with his mouth, maybe, but he told me..." Jack just watched Alan's lips move, frozen in anticipation of what they might say next. "Folks like that Tom, well, they're the reason this place... Anyway, Tom put up a pretty good fight. Had to take Ennis to see the doc, got a couple stitches from a knife cut." Alan met Jack's eyes then. "I'm prepared to call it self defense if you are."
A lie. Alan was proposing they lie about what had happened happened. Jack saw that the black and white rules of his mama's Bible held no truth in this world. The man's lie sounded too sweet for Jack to do anything but agree.
Jack watched Alan for a moment before nodding abruptly, secretly relieved for this one small break. There was something in Alan's eyes that made Jack mad, and he flinched away from the Alan's pity-gaze.
"We ain't all bad, Jack." Alan's voice sounded wistful. He patted Jack on the back and Jack let him. "Ain't all bad. You ain't in this alone, anyways." Alan sighed and turned to leave. When he was about thirty feet away he called back over his shoulder, "Jus' come pick 'im up when you have time. We'll treat 'im alright."
Jack stomped his cigarette under the heel of his boot, wearing it down before flames could erupt in the cold, dry grass. Today smelled like snow. Ravens were gathering in the long grass of the pasture, eating their last seed before the oncoming white. It was well after dinner before Jack got in the truck and headed to town.
Day/Theme: February 20th/The False Man
Series: Brokeback Mountain
Character/Pairing: Jack Twist/Ennis del Mar
Rating: R
Chapter 20
When Jack woke up, he was not at all surprised to feel the bed was empty. Angry, maybe, but not surprised. As heavy as his bones felt, he knew there was a ranch to run, and he knew that wherever Ennis was, that wasn't what he was doing. Some part of Jack that used to care about people tried to muster up some sense of urgency, the need to save the life of a guilty man. It failed. He had just enough energy to pull on dirty clothes. His mama made him eggs and he even kissed her on the cheek before heading out to the barn for the day. It could be he'd be on his own from now on, Ennis in jail or worse. Figured Ennis wouldn't think about the consequences of his actions. Need to demonstrate his self-sufficiency, rage at Ennis's selfishness, and anger at himself for needing any kind of rescue all pressed into him and kept his limbs moving. He wouldn't have cared if it was just himself, but had his mother to worry about.
Jack was smoking nervously in the late afternoon sun, gazing at the longhorn, who gazed back without emotion, when he heard the car drive up. Jack saw who it was, but had known who it would be anyway. The sheriff plodded through the too-high grass out to the bull pen. Jack just watched the longhorn, waiting, prepared for the worst.
When he got there, the sheriff leaned on the rail in a mirror image of Jack. "That's a damn fine animal."
"Cost about a fortune, too."
The sheriff nodded. They stood in silence for a while. Sheriff Alan Reisetter was Jack's age. They'd gone to high school together, slept with the same girls, failed the same classes.
"We got 'im down at the sheriff's office." Jack peered over at the Alan as a man would glare at a mortal enemy, but Alan continued talking. "Look, I... I figured out what happened, Jack. Heard 'bout the fire, an'... well." Alan's eyes scanned the horizon. "I known you a long time. Town is going to even worse shit than you remember, reckon, but it ain't hell yet, all evidence to the contrary. Ennis told me what happened. Not with his mouth, maybe, but he told me..." Jack just watched Alan's lips move, frozen in anticipation of what they might say next. "Folks like that Tom, well, they're the reason this place... Anyway, Tom put up a pretty good fight. Had to take Ennis to see the doc, got a couple stitches from a knife cut." Alan met Jack's eyes then. "I'm prepared to call it self defense if you are."
A lie. Alan was proposing they lie about what had happened happened. Jack saw that the black and white rules of his mama's Bible held no truth in this world. The man's lie sounded too sweet for Jack to do anything but agree.
Jack watched Alan for a moment before nodding abruptly, secretly relieved for this one small break. There was something in Alan's eyes that made Jack mad, and he flinched away from the Alan's pity-gaze.
"We ain't all bad, Jack." Alan's voice sounded wistful. He patted Jack on the back and Jack let him. "Ain't all bad. You ain't in this alone, anyways." Alan sighed and turned to leave. When he was about thirty feet away he called back over his shoulder, "Jus' come pick 'im up when you have time. We'll treat 'im alright."
Jack stomped his cigarette under the heel of his boot, wearing it down before flames could erupt in the cold, dry grass. Today smelled like snow. Ravens were gathering in the long grass of the pasture, eating their last seed before the oncoming white. It was well after dinner before Jack got in the truck and headed to town.