A Lawn Chair Story - Time to Tell -

Time to Tell

^{Source, myself (@bashadow)}

"and that son is when I died". Jake looked over to his son to see his response. Jason just stared at his father. He really was not sure if he believed his father, but his father had never told him a lie that he could remember.

"That is one whopper of a story father. But if you died, are you dead now? I don't understand. That story would mean you are over a thousand years old, and that is just not possible. Why are you telling me this now father? You know I'll be leaving in a week for college. is this some way to keep me home? I miss mother also father, but we have been doing fine for the past twelve years. I may have only been six at the time, but I have missed her everyday also. You know we talked about my leaving last week. What has changed with you father? Help me to understand".

"Son, this is not about your leaving or me missing your mother. Everything I told you was true. I know how college is. I know the dangers of college, and the dangers to young men your age. It has been difficult these past four years staying under the radar of some people. Technology has made the tracking of people so much easier today. Two days ago I got a call. You are in danger son, very great danger, as am I". Jason looked over at his father to judge the truth of his words, he could see nothing but the truth from his father.

"Tell me father, all of it", was all Jason said. He sat back and prepared to accept.

"When your mother died you remember we had to leave, we had to move, and that we have never gone back to visit her grave. We could not. The people that have been chasing me for the last twenty five years are very persistent. They threatened me tried to get to me through your mother. I am sorry son, I could not give into their demands, one of which was I would be allowed to live but you would be taken from me forever".

"Try to think of any of your friends growing up, they almost all had two sets of grand parents. You remember your mothers father and mother, they were your only grand parents. My mother and father died a very very long time ago, though I still remember and mourn them. Your friends have Aunts, Uncles Nephew's and Niece's, your Mother was an only child of only child's. You have no extended family at all any more other than me. I do feel sorry for you for this". Jason watched as his father looked away for a few moments, but not quick enough for Jason to not see the tears in his fathers eyes as he related about the family".

"Sorry son, I did not mean to bring so much up, but you want it all. All I had to do to keep your mother alive was to turn you over to them, I just could not do that. Twelve years, for twelve years I thought we were safe, I thought they had lost track of us. I don't know how they found us but find us they did. You see son the reason they want you is because you are like me. You will die, and then you will be back. Take a good look at me son. A real good look at me. You have friends that have active athletic fathers. look at me as you would see a stranger on the street, how old would I look to you? Do I look as old as your friends fathers? Some of them you have know for ten years. Did their fathers age? Did I age in your eyes"?

Jason took a good long hard deep look at his father he tried to find some of the receding hair line some of his friends fathers had, to see if there was a touch of grey touching his temples, if he had any crows feet around his eyes, did he look like he had a middle aged pouch, he tried to remember if he had seen his father struggle with bending or kneeling or struggling to get up, if his father had slowed down any, if he could remember his father ever mentioning any aches or pains of aging. He could not. As he thought about it he could not even recall either his father nor himself ever having to go see a doctor.

"I see, you are beginning to understand. I was sixty when I first died son. Yes sixty. The people that found me nursed me back to life. They called in their shaman, he did not know what to do, so he called in the man who taught him. He was younger looking than the first shaman. I did not understand at first what the fuss was all about. The new shaman had the villagers carry me to his cave, and that was the last I had seen of the villagers who had found me. The Shaman went back to their village and poisoned them all. He killed every last individual in that village. All of them, to keep his secret, and to keep knowledge of me secret..." there was a knock at the door, Jake did not want to answer it, but the knocking was urgent sounding, almost pounding. Jason looked over to his father as he stood also.

Jason watched as his father pulled a pistol out from his back prior to opening the door slightly. "May I help...." was interrupted by a a slightly built woman blurting out the words, "Father Obsidian". Jake froze momentarily before opening the door, and pulling her inside before closing it again. Jason noticed several other men out front.

"A name I have not heard in a long long time missus. How can we help you and your friends"?

"My name is Marisial, father sends his greeting, you and Jason are in grave danger, they are on the way here now. The men out front will hold them for as long as they can, but we must leave now.". Simple and straight to the point the young woman was. Jake looked to his son.

"We are ready then, let's go, she we can trust Jason, I will explain further when we have time, I am afraid college will have to wait for a little bit longer."

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