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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 18, 2012 8:49:36 GMT -5
Hello readers of YASoUE and AQSoUE alike! ^^
I have hit a particularly busy streak at college lately. Projects, research, textbooks, papers, drawings, collages, assemblages, paint and pencil and brush and ink have conspired to keep me insanely occupied these past two weeks. I have had no virtual ammount of time to work on the fic, as much as I wanted to, so I have also been absent from 667 as a result. I apologize for this delay! I have every intention of finishing TFF and continuing AQSoUE and then moving on to other projects when I finish the series (hopefully, by year's end, before, you know the world ends and stuff - not that I believe this nonsense but you never know), but rest assured: I'll never stop writing for this fandom. For those of you who want to ask any questions, feel free to pm me.
Chapter Four of TFF is being written, albeit slowly, but it should be up this weekend. After that hopefully I'll be able to finish this book off quickly before June - end of semester, you guys know how insane it can get - but fear not! AQSoUE will never be abandoned.
Yours truly,
Tiago Squalor
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Post by Dante on May 18, 2012 9:10:24 GMT -5
Don't worry about it, Tiago. I'm pretty sure this was what all of us figured. College is tough and you can't always afford to devote time to your hobbies. And because we understand this, then of course we're still enthustiastic for the next chapter of TFF.
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Post by Christmas Chief on May 18, 2012 14:36:46 GMT -5
I've been rather busy with school myself, so perhaps it's fortunate (for me) that the periods coincide. That said, it's polite of you to offer an explanation and I patiently await TFF's next installment.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 23, 2012 13:31:19 GMT -5
Chapter Four When the Crowe brothers were finished with the cattle thief, leaving the man in the same state as René Chenier, they remained in the barn, to the Quagmires’ woe. They had hoped the sadistic – a word which here means “people who enjoy being unpleasant to others in a physical manner” – brothers would leave, so that they could get away. But the brothers were still down there, making jokes about the evil they had just done. ‘There he comes.’ One of them said. The Quagmires dared to peek from behind the haystacks, down at the wide open space below. From outside, a boy in his mid-teenage years walked into the barn. He was noticeably gaunt and thin. His hair was disleved and the top part of his head hair was cut at a different length than the hair on the lower back of his head, creating what could be called a “mullet”. His clothes were soiled and stained, and for a moment, the Quagmires worried for his well-being, only to remember who his brothers were, and the things they did. ‘Is he dead?’ The boy asked. Jasper spat in the boy’s direction, showing his contempt. Apparently the elder brothers despised their younger sibling. ‘Probably. We got a bit…carried away.’ Jasper laughed, and Jay and Magpie joined him in the laughter. The thin boy said nothing, and walked further into the barn. He stopped beside the wounded cattle thief and René, eyeing them with a blank expression. Whatever his thoughts were, his face did well to conceal them. ‘He’s stil alive.’ ‘Let him die, already.’ Jay said. ‘We’ll go the river. You stay here and watch them. Make sure to check on the woman too. Feed her something. The new Crowe must be strong.’ Magpie ordered. ‘I wonder which one of us is actually the baby daddy.’ Jasper said, sneering. The Quagmires cringed. ‘Let’s go, brothers. We must clean ourselves. These animals have gotten us all bloody and grimey.’ Jay said. The three brothers Crowe walked out of the barn leaving the younger one behind. The Quagmires sighed in relief, albeit figuratively, else they might warn the young Crowe of their presence and find themselves in a much crueler predicament. They saw the younger Crowe crouch beside the cattle thief. ‘They did it again. You’re beyond help.’ Saying nothing else, the boy produced a razor blade from his pockets. He stopped a moment before, to contemplate the broken body of the dying man laying before him. Their eyes met. ‘Out of all the farms in these parts…You had to come to this one, eh?’ The boy’s voice was filled with pain. To the Quagmires’ great surprise, the boy started to cry. ‘And now they leave you here with me…To finish what they’ve begun…Again…Again…Again…’ The boy then unceremoniously cut the man’s throat. The red stream of blood gushed and flowed from the gaping wound as the man drowned in his own blood. The boy wiped his razor on his sleeve, and then looked upon the body of René. He got up, and walked over to the other side, to René’s side. ‘I’m sorry about this too. But it’s for the best. You’ve suffered too much, and for too long.’ The boy then approached René’s neck with the razor, ready to end his life, but he never did. The reason for this is because she could stop herself, Isadora Quagmire jumped out from behind the haystacks, protesting. ‘No!’ The boy’s eyes met with Isadora’s, as Duncan and Quigley sat frozen, unable to do anything.
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Post by Dante on May 23, 2012 13:37:04 GMT -5
Gosh, it's great to read another chapter of this. Although the brutality here is of quite a different character. The difference between the fourth Crowe sibling and his brothers seems quite marked - or is it? If you think about it, they are all visceral killers. But one of them doesn't want to be. The boy has done many terrible things, but he didn't have the luxury of a choice. Incidentally, I like the way your definition of "sadistic" carries far less of an edge than the actual events witnessed; the contrast is darkly humourous.
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Fiona Fanboy
Catastrophic Captain
Klaus' rival for the affections of Fiona Widdershins
Posts: 91
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Post by Fiona Fanboy on May 23, 2012 19:52:23 GMT -5
You know what they say about bad apples ruining the pile? In this case, 1 good apple has the potential to make things better.
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Post by Christmas Chief on May 24, 2012 14:30:49 GMT -5
The contrast between good and evil is astoundingly symbolic; the Quagmires, hidden, while the Crowes work away and Quigley and Duncan paralyzed by Isadora's outburst are both powerful images. This is perhaps the most dangerous cliffhanger yet.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 24, 2012 22:51:19 GMT -5
Chapter Five Impulses are very hard to control. There often come times in our lives where we have very strong impulses which are hard to ignore, and often we give in to those impulses and make very bad mistakes, or end up with a lot of regret, which is why it’s good to try and control oneself for most of the time. Of course, this is very hard to do. The impulse that drove Isadora Quagmire to reveal herself and try to stop the youngest Crowe brother from killing a known murderer was a strange one. The Quagmires had every reason to leave René to his captor’s mercy – or lack thereof – and make for the woods. But when Isadora protested, after a moment’s worth of stupor – a word which here means ‘momentous paralyzation from shock resultant from an unexpected and reckless action’ – Duncan and Quigley got up and went to their sister’s side. When the boy saw them, his expression was of shock, surprise and disbelief. ‘What…Who…’ The boy uttered, unable to come to terms with the sudden appearance of the three triplets. ‘We’re passing by. We had to hide in your barn. But we can’t let you kill that man.’ Quigley said. Isadora had acted on impulse and was now coming to grips with what she had done. Prior to her outburst the Quagmires were treading dangerous ground, but they were doing so stealthily. Now, a confrontation with the elder brothers seemed iminent. ‘Please, don’t kill him.’ Isadora asked. The boy was too dumbfounded to react. Quigley then whispered to Isadora. ‘I hope you know what you’re doing.’ ‘What the hell are y’all doin’ here?!’ The boy asked, snapping out of his confusion. ‘What’s your name?’ Isadora asked. ‘The hell you wanna know ma name for?’ He shouted back. ‘Don’t shout. We can hear you.’ Isadora replied. ‘I’ll shout all I want, this is my goddamn farm and y’all need to get out right now!’ ‘We will. But first, we’d like to talk with you. Then, we’ll leave.’ Isadora said. ‘Ha!’ The boy sneered. ‘We mean you no harm. Please. Ten minutes, a few answers, is all we ask for.’ Quigley took over. He made sure to stay under the light. He wanted the boy to see that both Quigley and Duncan were no pipsqueaks, like him. Quigley, and even Duncan, outweighed the skinny boy even if he was soaking wet, it was plain to see. If it had to come to fisticuffs, the Quagmires were no strangers to that. Then again, they did have their guns. ‘We have friends. A couple of friends, two girls. One blonde girl, daughter of Jeremiah Hudson, and his adopted daughter, Tiana. Do your brothers have them?’Quigley asked. The boy frowned. ‘Girls? Ain’t no girls on Firefly Farm but that one, I can tell ya that.’ The boy nodded towards Isadora. ‘Well, if you don’t count the woman they’re breeding with.’ The Quagmires shuddered. The Crowes’ villainy knew no bounds. They were using Catherine to bring a new Crowe into the world. Catherine had been a frivolous, shallow woman, but she had her share of suffering in life what with her husband’s neglect and her isolation from the things she enjoyed. Her only pleasure in life was René, and he was dying now, because of the Crowes. He was a wretched murderer, but the Crowes…They were worse on so many ways it was hard to conceive. ‘What’s your name?’ Duncan asked. Duncan was always one to get all details, and this was one they’d missed. ‘Robin.’ The boy uttered, further cleaning his razor, almost uninterested in the Quagmires, to look at him. ‘Well… Robin. Tell us. If Caroline and Tiana aren’t here…Then what did your brothers do to them?’ Quigley asked. The idea was terrible, that the Crowes might have found both girls in the swamp, leaving their bodies to the alligators. ‘My brothers didn’t find no girls in the swamp. If they did, they’d be here. For breeding. So, you might want to be careful.’ Robin eyed Isadora. ‘Is that a threat?’ She asked. ‘Nah. I’m just warning you. Don’t want to have to cut ya throat later. I’m sick of cutting throats.’ Robin dropped his razor. He sat on a pile of hay, eyeing the cattle thief’s corpse. ‘Fool, he was. Anyone for twenty miles could have told’im to stay the hell away from here. Did he listen, the idiot? No. He came, and I had one more throat to slit.’ ‘Come down. I ain’t gonna kill y’all.’ Isadora, Duncan and Quigley descended, using the ladder. Isadora then quickly crouched beside René and checked his pulse. She had done so many times in Dread Down. ‘His pulse is weak, and his breathing is irregular. He’ll die if we leave him here.’ ‘Don’t help him.’ Robin said. ‘What? This man is dying! He might have killed Jeremiah Hudson, but what your brothers did to him…And we heard. Every minute. Every second of it.’ Quigley protested. The event was far too recent, like a wound in his memory. The screams, the noises, the laughter. If only they could just forget it. But they could not. ‘If you help him, and he lives, my brothers will come in, beat me up and use me again to teach me a lesson. Then they use him again and again and then when they’re all done, they’ll kill him dead. You’ll just prolong his sufferin’, and make me suffer too.’ Robin’s characteristically Crowe-grey eyes were riddled with pain. He looked a lot like Jay, but less menacing. He, above all things, resembled a bird with broken wings, unable to escape the horror his family inflicted him. ‘What do you mean they’ll use you?’ Duncan asked, afraid of the answer. ‘Didn’t you say you heard what they did to this one?’ Robin said. ‘Listen.’ Isadora’s eyes were tearing up as she crouched beside Robin Crowe, who had hidden his face with his hands, unable to sustain the Quagmires’ eyes any longer. ‘We can help you. We can get you of this farm. You don’t deserve what they do to you. You shouldn’t have to clean up after your brothers.’ ‘I shouldn’t have to…But I do…I do…Because if I don’t…Then he…’ But before Robin could finish his sentence, they heard a bell. The sound came from the hill where the Quagmires knew the Crowe’s old house was. ‘ He’s calling us.’ Robin’s voice was suddenly coated with fear. ‘Who?’ ‘My father. Osprey Jonah Crowe.’
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Post by Dante on May 25, 2012 3:20:35 GMT -5
Talk about irredeemable. Next you'll be telling me they kick puppies. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the father of the pack.
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Post by Christmas Chief on May 25, 2012 14:43:58 GMT -5
Or the father of the murder, rather, since this is a family of Crowes. I'm intrigued by Isadora's impulse, and indeed Rene's fate.
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Post by Hermes on May 25, 2012 15:14:31 GMT -5
Just popping in to say I haven't given up on you, Tiago - I'm just too busy to give your story the attention it deserves right now. I'll be reading and digesting the whole thing when I have time.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 26, 2012 17:18:21 GMT -5
Chapter Six ‘I have to go.’ Robin said, rising from his seat, visibly nervous. ‘What happened? Did they catch another one?’ Quigley asked. ‘No. He be calling us for supper I think.’ Robin made for the door, but Quigley stopped him. ‘Wait, what are we supposed to do now?’ ‘Hide, I guess. Don’t do anythin’ stupid.’ Robin left the barn and the three Quagmires behind him. ‘Great. What if he tells his brothers we’re here?’ Duncan asked. ‘He won’t.’ Isadora replied. ‘I don’t know why, but I think we can trust him.’ Quigley and Duncan were not easily swayed – a word which here means ‘not willing to trust someone they’d just seen kill another person. Isadora then approached René, to check on his wounds. When she touched him, he recoiled as if she was a poisonous snake. ‘I won’t hurt you. I’m sorry for what they did to you. But don’t think even for a moment we forgot what you did to Jeremiah Hudson.’ Isadora then opened her bag, and produced a small orange flask she’d found amidst the medicines that were in the escape pod. ‘Here. Swallow this.’ Isadora gave René three pills and a sip of water from one of the Quagmires’ canteens. ‘They’re pain killers.’ She said, and René swallowed. Quigley and Duncan had to recognize Isadora’s goodness. Only she could be so good as to help someone who had done so much evil, but was on the verge of dying. The male Quagmires had become comparatively jaded after their time in the Great Unknown, but Isadora retained some of her former willingness to help others. Quigley and Duncan were not able to afford that luxury; in Dread Down, their life was a constant fight for survival and to protect their sister. ‘ Merci.’ René uttered. ‘Please…check on Catherine…Try ta get her away from ‘ere.’ René begged them. Upon his doing so, the Quagmires realizes something. René was ready to die. His only remaining concern was Catherine. In the previous days, they would have been the last people on Earth to do any favors for the slimy cajun handyman, but now, as he laid dying, they realized they had to give the man his last wish. His dying wish. ‘We’ll try.’ Quigley told him. Of course, the task was easier said than done. Catherine was adamant about staying near René. Convincing her to abandon him there, to the Crowes, would be very hard to do. ‘Duncan, let’s check on Catherine’s chains.’ Quigley and Duncan went up the ladder to check on Catherine. Isadora rose and walked to the ladder when she heard René’s voice. ‘Please…Save Catherine. And dem girls too…Dey run into the bog…Dey ain’t ‘ere.’ Isadora looked right into René’s eyes. ‘We will.’ Saying nothing else, she climbed the ladder and made her way through the maze of hay and found her brothers fiddling with the chains and locks that confined Catherine Hudson. ‘What happened? How’s René?’ She asked and asked, and Quigley and Duncan worked at the chains. ‘I might be able to pick this lock.’ Duncan said. ‘But I’ll need time. It’s been a while.’ He said as he examined the locks and chains. Back in Dread Down, Duncan had discovered a talent for picking locks of the old persuasion – as everything else was high-tech and lockpicks did little to open electromagnetic locks – but now he could put his talent to use. ‘Great. That leaves…well, nothing for me and Isadora to do.’ ‘Please, tell me!’ Catherine insisted. ‘How is René?’ Quigley and Isadora shared a glance, but it was Quigley who spoke. ‘He’s dying, Catherine.’ It wasn’t really a lie. René was dying. There was very little that could be done to prevent it. The real challenge here was to convince Catherine Hudson of it. ‘He’s dying. All we could do is give him some painkillers to ease his death.’ Isadora completed. ‘No, that’s not true. You’re lying to me! Why are you lying to me?!’ Catherine was starting to shout. Quigley abruptly sat beside her and covered her mouth with his hand. ‘Shhhh! You’ll call their attention screaming like that! If you have any hope of leaving this place, you’ll do as we say! Trust me when I say it, René is as good as dead. And if you don’t cooperate, we all are.’ Quigley let go of Catherine, who promptly started to cry and sob. ‘I’m sorry.’ He said to Catherine. Truth be told, they didn’t have to worry about making noises in the barn. Because nothing could be louder to the Crowes in that moment than the screams of their youngest, Robin Crowe. ‘Robin! We have to help him!’ Isadora said, by impulse, again. ‘Are you mental? I wouldn’t let you near that house!’ Duncan told her. ‘He’s one of them, Izzy.’ Quigley used Isadora’s old childhood nickname, disarming her. ‘They must be chastising the boy.’ Catherine said, suddenly, between tears. ‘I hear it often. He’ll say something harmless and suddenly, they’re on him. Poor thing. Never had a chance.’ Catherine was talking less to the Quagmires and more to herself. Her predicament, they feared, had taken it’s toll on her mental health. ‘He could have told the other Crowes about us, and now they’re punishing him, and they could be coming after us at any moment.’ Quigley reasoned. The screams went on and on, and Duncan finally opened one of the shackles confining Catherine. She rubbed her wrist, which was bruised. ‘Thank you.’ She said. ‘We could take Robin with us when we escaped.’ Isadora suggested. ‘What is it with that one that makes you act so irresponsibly?’ Quigley asked. ‘It’s not like that. I understand he’s a Crowe, and we shouldn’t trust him, normally…But you saw him. He’s starving, and alone and scared. I seem to recall us being so as well, until we escaped. And someone, if you remember, helped us escape.’ Her argument disarmed both Quigley and Duncan. It was wrong of the Quagmires to refuse to help someone who was in a similar – if not comparatively far worse – situation. Duncan finished his work and Catherine was free from her chains. But the Quagmires instructed her to sit tight and wait for them. Because now they had to go towards the last place they ever thought they would. The Crowes' house. Chapter Seven The farm house where the Crowes lived was atop a grassy hill not very far from the barn. Within short walking distance, a fence separated the farm from the woods. Near the house, there was a gourd patch full of plump pumpkins and squashes – which are vegetables similar to a pumpkins - and a scarecrow to guard them. A few magpies had made nests on the old house’s roof. Something glinted and the Quagmires could tell the magpies had found something shiny and laid it on their nests, very much like the man who was named for them, Magpie Crowe, the graverobber. The Quagmires could see a pig pen and a few pigs inside it, as well as a small chicken coop. The house itself was old and unpleasant-looking, and it hadn’t seen a new cover of paint in decades. But the unpleasant appearance of the place was nowhere near as unpleasant as the sounds that came from the inside. Somewhere inside that dreadful house, Robin Crowe was being tortured by his family. The Quagmires were well hidden behind a curtain of tall, dry yellow grass. Using the binoculars they’d find, they could often see one of the Crowes walking inside the house. Night was falling, though, and it became harder to see. But the screams continued. ‘I can’t stand it any longer.’ Duncan said. Even if he and Quigley mistrusted Robin Crowe, they couldn’t bear the screams, and the knowledge of the things that happened in that farm. ‘Shh.’ Quigley shushed them, and the Quagmires saw the front door open, and they saw Robin Crowe stagger out of the house. One of his eyes was black and his nose bled profusely. Suddenly, he was thrown in the air, falling in the muck in front of the house. One of his brothers had kicked him. ‘You’ll learn to respect father, you pipsqueak!’ Jasper Crowe came out of the house. He was shirtless, and his jumpsuit was lowered until about the lower half of his torso. His hands were red with blood. ‘You got a lot of nerve talking back to father like that!’ Magpie Crowe came out as well, his hands in his pockets. Then Jay Crowe appeared. ‘And be thankful he asked us to stop!’ ‘Boys!’ An unknown, unpleasant voice came from inside the house. Then he appeared, walking with the help of a cane. He was a large man, larger than even Jeremiah Hudson. He had long, thin black hair and a cruel bearded face and those grey Crowe eyes. The other Crowes made way for him, almost meekly, which was jarring. But when Osprey Jonah Crowe made himself fully visible, the Quagmires realized how terrifying he was. Something about him just commanded dread. Robin Crowe looked at his father, as Osprey came near him. ‘You’re a Crowe. Aren’t ya?’ The man said. Robin nodded affirmatively. ‘Then you’ll respect me, boy, and do as I say. I put you into this world, I can sure as hell take you out of it.’ Robin said nothing. He stared at the scarecrow, and seemed to tune out the whole world. ‘Good thing we got another Crowe coming, right father? This one is no good.’ Jasper Crowe said. ‘How is the woman?’ Osprey asked. ‘She’s got a Crowe in’er, she does.’ Magpie said. ‘Then take care o’her.’ Osprey ordered. ‘We don’t want another botched one do we?’ ‘No, father.’ The three elder Crowes replied, meekly. ‘Which of you will be havin’ ‘im tonight? I can’t stand the sight o’ this boy.’ Osprey said. ‘Magpie or Jasper can have’im. Have me, father. If you want.’ Jay volunteered, meek as they come. ‘Magpie, go finish off the damn cajun.’ Osprey ordered. Magpie nodded and started to make way to the barn. The Quagmires were frozen. If Magpie went to check on Catherine, all their efforts would have been in vain. And they’d have to run. Run for their lives, leaving everything behind. But before I write the other events that happened at Firefly Farm, I must write that the Quagmires eventually did escape the farm, but at a great cost. I only say this to prepare you, dear reader, because if even for a moment you think this story has a happy ending, I am sorry to report that it does not. ‘And this better be the last damn time you don’t make a kill.’ Osprey told Robin. ‘Jay, Jasper, inside.’ The two elder Crowes went inside the dark house, and their father followed them in. Robin rose from the mud. He then disappeared in the tall wheat, and the Quagmires decided to make their way back to the barn. They had to get Catherine and somehow find Robin after that, but given what they had seen, they could not leave Robin at that farm. As the Quagmires carefully walked back towards the barn, they saw Magpie walk outside. He had Robin’s razor with him, and the razor was red with blood.
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Post by Christmas Chief on May 26, 2012 19:54:20 GMT -5
I hope you won't take it as an insult if I say morbidity is a strong point of yours. The events unfolded here are quite disturbing; the antagonists seem to build in a lateral fashion, don't they? Olaf then Esme then the sinister duo then the Crowes then the Crowes' father. Who will we meet next?
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 26, 2012 21:23:16 GMT -5
@sherry Ann: It's not an insult at all, Sherry Ann. I'm glad everyone finds the Crowes so revolting, because they are.
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Post by Tiago James Squalor on May 26, 2012 23:56:48 GMT -5
Chapter Eight The lifeless corpse of René Chenier laid in a puddle of blood when the Quagmires reentered the barn. His throat was cut from ear to ear, and his eyes were still open. Attempting to give him at least a shred of dignity, Quigley Quagmire closed René’s eyes. Back in Bayou Lafayette, when René had just shoved Jeremiah Hudson to his death in the alligator-infested bog, the Quagmires thought René deserved to die. Now that he was dead, and this after being violated and beaten and tortured repeatedly, the Quagmires realized René did not actually deserve his fate. It is one thing to wish death upon someone, it is another to actually be there when they die. After closing his eyelids, the Quagmire triplets were faced with an even more grueling task. They had to tell Catherine, and try to save her as well as Robin Crowe. ‘What happened? I heard Magpie’s voice. Did he see you?’ Catherine asked when the three Quagmires appeared. ‘Catherine, Magpie, he…He came here to kill René.’ Isadora told her. Catherine’s pain showed on her face, and Isadora sat by her and hugged her. ‘My René…He can’t be dead, can he? He was their plaything…Now they have nothing to play with…’ And then Catherine pushed Isadora, with a fearful expression. ‘No! They’ll come for me now! You have to go! And quickly! Don’t suffer the same fate as me and René, Quagmires! Run!’ ‘No, Catherine!’ Quigley replied. ‘We’re getting away from here, and you’re coming with us!’ The Quagmires’ conversation was interrupted by Robin’s voice calling them from below. ‘Where are you three?’ He asked. The Quagmires retreated to the lower area. Robin was seating near René’s corpse, his shirt bloodied by his nose bleed, and his eye appearing even more swollen. ‘Ah, there y’all are.’ He said upon seeing them. ‘What did they do to you?’ Isadora crouched and searched her bag for the pain killers. ‘The usual. Heh.’ Robin started to cough, and then spat some blood and a tooth. It was amazing that he still had most of his teeth if the beatings were so bad. ‘Here, swallow this. For the pain. We’ll have to improvise with the swelling, though.’ Isadora said. Robin swallowed his pills with difficulty. ‘Listen. Y’all need to get outta here. And take the woman with you. Catherine. Take her. There’s a tea she can have to, you know…Get rid of her burden.’ ‘That big thing by the river yours?’ Robin asked and coughed. ‘Yes. Did your brothers find it?’ Quigley was afraid the hovercraft might alert the Crowes to the presence of strangers in the farm, and the Quagmires had seen the sort of hospitality the Crowes showed to strangers and trespassers. ‘Nah. Y’all hid the thing well. But you best go right now. Soon my brothers will come to bury these two.’ Robin nodded towards the two dead men laying on the hay, which was now stained with red. ‘They’ll bury them somewhere in the farm…All around the farm, there’s dead people buried.’ Robin said. ‘I can’t come with you. So y’all need to go. Save yourselves. Live.’ ‘You’ll come with us.’ Duncan said. ‘Staying here is not an option. They’ll kill you. You don’t deserve that.’ ‘I killed people too. Lots of them. Too many to count.’ Robin contested. ‘You only relieved them of their suffering. We saw when you killed him.’ Isadora nodded towards the deceased cattle thief. ‘You’re not bad, Robin. You have a bad family.’ Quigley said. ‘We don’t judge you. We haven’t had the easiest of lives, but we don’t judge you, trust me. You’re a survivor, so come and survive with us.’ ‘Your brothers, where are they?’ Isadora asked. If an escape was to be made, they had better confirm the Crowes’ exact locations. An encounter with them was the last thing they wanted. It was a wonder they’d managed to stealthily tread the farm for so long. ‘My father’s havin’ Jay right now. Jasper and Magpie are probably…’ Robin stopped, almost as if he was ashamed of what he was about to say. ‘Probably doing what?’ Duncan asked. ‘Watching.’ Robin uttered. A chill ran down the Quagmires’ spines. ‘Okay. We need to go. Now.’ Quigley said. Duncan went up and got Catherine, who shuddered upon seeing Robin, as if he was as evil as his brothers and father. This did not pass unnoticed to the Quagmires, but they decided to ignore it for the time being. Isadora treated some of Robins’ wounds as she could. ‘Here, suck on this.’ She gave him a tissue to put in his mouth to suck the blood. ‘Tell me when you start to feel pain again. We have to be careful with the painkillers or they won’t last.’ She warned him. ‘Now, let’s make for the hovercraft. And everyone, remember. Be quiet.’ Quigley told the group. They got out of the barn, and immersed themselves into the golden fields of wheat. Night was approaching. For a few minutes it seemed everything would be better soon. But then, the Quagmires who walked on the front, heard a scream from behind. When they turned, they saw Catherine Hudson laying on the ground. She had walked into a disguised bear trap. ‘Oh, Catherine!’ Isadora came to Catherine’s side, as the woman was writhing in agony. ‘Bite on this!’ Robin produced a small stick, and stuck it between Catherine’s teeth. Duncan and Quigley pulled both halves of the bear trap, and saw the gashes they’d left on Catherine’s alabaster skin. Blood streamed from the wounds, but Isadora used her knife to tear a part of the woman’s dress and tie around her leg. Isadora was about to give Catherine some painkillers when they mad, bloodlusting screams were heard. The Crowes were coming. ‘Run!’ Catherine told them. ‘We’re sorry.’ Isadora cried, and the three Quagmires and Robin disappeared between the flowing wheat.
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