Hey Gentle readers
Here for you is chapter 13 of my novel Lazarus Rising. Long term readers will know that I started publishing my novel on the blog since 2015.
I have now written 18 chapters and I will keep writing now until it is done.
Enjoy
Robert Foxworth was dreaming, dreaming of home.
The house was like he remembered and the garden was filled with sunlight, Birds were flying in the clear, blue sky overhead and brightly coloured butterflies were flitting from flower to flower. The water in the fishpond seemed to shimmer in the light and was a beautiful blue colour. The fish in the pond swam happily back and forth; their golden bodies cutting through the blue of the water.
On the pristine steps leading up to the house, a chain of bunting coloured with the Union flag decorated the walls on either side of the steps creating a celebratory walk, On the steps themselves, a red carpet had been carefully rolled out so that someone could climb up the staircase to glory.
In his dream, he was wearing his dress uniform, The buttons on his tunic shone like diamonds. The deep, dark green of the 95th looked like the finest silk. His boots had been polished so brightly that eternity was mirrored when you looked too closely. His sword, perfectly polished and glinting brilliantly in the sunlight, hung at his side.
He looked up the steps towards the house and saw 4 figures standing at the top, 2 were standing looking down the steps towards him. He recognised a man and a woman as he climbed the stairs and realised that they were his mother and father. His mother's eyes were closed but his father's were wide and staring. Both had weak looking smiles on their faces and they were each holding up their left hand towards him.
The other 2 figures were partially hidden by his parents and they were looking away from him. They were completely still and they were holding hands. The male figure was wearing the green tunic of the 95th but it was not the pristine uniform that he was wearing. This was dirty from the mud of a hundred battle grounds and Robert could see that it was ripped in several places. In a few places he could see the crimson stains of blood as it dripped from unseen wounds.
The girl the soldier was holding hands with was young, maybe only 16 or 17 years of age. She was blonde and as he got closer he realised that he knew who she was.
"Abigail" he said to himself.
He was only a few steps from the top of the staircase when suddenly his father began to shout.
"Stop Robert! I told you to never come back. Stop!"
His mother, her eyes still closed, continued.
"No my son, leave well alone. Don't walk these steps."
He wanted to shout out but he couldn't breath. The blissful scene started to darken and in what seemed like no time at all the blue sky and beautiful manicured garden disappeared to be replaced by a raging storm and a wrecked, devastated garden.
"You were born on a night like this" said his mother.
'Maybe you will die on a night like this" said his father.
Abigail turned towards him and now Robert could see that she was heavily pregnant. She placed her hand on her belly and looked deeply into his eyes.
"This child is yours" she began, "My son. I forgave you....eventually and I saw that what happened to my father was not your fault. However if you return, you may not be able to save us."
Robert managed to finally speak.
"Save you from whom?"
The 4th figure started to laugh. The man in uniform removed his jacket to reveal an awfully scarred back that dripped blood.
"Alex" Robert whispered.
"Hello Robert" Alex said as he turned, "Fancy seeing you here."
"I don't understand" Robert shouted above the noise of the storm.
Alex smiled at him. The smile was not a happy one however, it was threatening, like a shark. He reached down and touched Abigail's belly.
"My friend" he stated, "You are my friend Robert?"
"Of course Alex"
"But, you abandoned me and left me to live out my days in hell. I loved you with all my heart and you rejected me so easily. All I ever wanted was to be with you and I found a way for that to happen because all of this", he gestured towards the house, his parents and Abigail," All of this will be mine."
"No, I won't let you."
Robert reached for Abigail but he was not as balanced as he could have been.
"Goodbye Robert" said Alex matter of factly and he pushed Robert firmly in the chest. Robert felt himself falling and he tried to reach out to grab something but all he grabbed was air as he fell backwards. He heard the thud as his back hit the stone steps and felt indescribable pain.
The last thing he saw as he tumbled down the stairs was Alex's smiling face.
#lazarusrising #thomsons_world_lazarus_rising
