OSTRACIZE | GILBERT BLYTHE

2

T H R E E   H O U R S   E A R L I E R

The glass shattered against the wall as it collided and the pieces impacted with it and shot off flying underneath the bed and across the room.

Carter was silenced as he watched his mother's China fall into an unrecognisable mess on the floor, the words that were on the tip of his tongue was now swallowed with the ball of anxiety in his throat.

"You boy!" Pops spat pointing his weak and fragile fingers that still managed to hold so much power over them. "A disgrace!" He shrilled.

Carter toppled backwards as if the words he spat had physically pushed him back, the uniform he wore showed no strength, if anything showed his weakness.

"Your father. Your brothers-" Pops shouted, his whole body was shaking in anger as he narrowed his eyes on his disappointment of a grandson "Ernest! Franklin! Patrick! Rueben! You cumberground! Even you're God damned twin brother! Under age and ready to serve! You're. Useless!"

Pops pounced forward with the anger and groaned in pain slamming his fist into the bed he was bound to.

Carter rushed to his aid to lay him back down but his pops lashed him away, sending a slap towards his cheek sharply.

With a hand on his cheek his stumbles back, it burnt warm on his face as his mouth parted in shock.

Carter didn't know why he did it but his eyes flickered to the door frame and Ellis stood there, her arms carrying a tray and placed upon it was a teapot for pops.

She trembled so much that the metal pot was chattering against itself but yet she still held a strong frame as she placed it upon his side table and proceeded to drop to her knees to pick up the glass.

"Ellis leave it." Carter said sternly but she didn't listen, her anxiety taking over her head she replayed the way Pops smashed his palm into her brothers cheek. "I said leAVE IT."

The raised voice made her drop a piece of glass slicing her hand a little and she watched as a blood droplet fell from her hand onto the carpet like tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Both of you." Hissed her Pops positioning himself back in bed. "Are disappointments"

Ellis made eye contact with Carter and his head dropped so she couldn't see the tears in his own. The pair stayed silent with their heads bowed.

"Now take that off." Pops spat looking at the uniform Carter was cladded in. "You don't deserve to wear it."

The boy in silence left the room and Ellis was soon to follow, blood trickling down her hand.

She watched as Carter tore free of his uniform and angrily threw it towards the bin just right of the kitchen.

"You finally told him, huh?" Ellis mumbled reaching for a damp cloth so she could apply it to his broken skin.

Carter nodded averting his eyes towards her bleeding palm, his brother instincts kicking in as he pulled the cloth from his face and mopped up her cut.

"I just couldn't do it I-"

"I'm proud of you." Ellis cut him off leaving him speechless. "You've never been one to hurt another."

Carter nodded but still guilt enveloped him as he slouched.

"Hey you remember when me, you and the boys went to the track just by the stables, it was so muddy that even Reubens red face turned black." Ellis reminisced trying to get Carter to lighten up. "James tried to convince you to stone that bird and you could barely pick up the pebble before crying."

"Yeah, Pops called me a baby." Carter mumbled under his breath and Ellis laughed ruffling his hair.

"But hey that baby bird probably has a family now, feeding chicks and all that nonsense."

Ellis smiled, it was always hard for her to understand what he was feeling but they were the closest and she found she was the only person even on his worse days to make him smile.

"Yeah." Carter chuckled. "That's if Mr Miller didn't shoot it down the second we came in for supper."

Ellis placed a finger on her lip and hushed him as if not to ruin the sentimental story but they found themselves giggling.

When Carter with a little smile retired to the farm probably to calm down with a stroke of Toffee, their horses' mane, Ellis dove into the bin and fished out the uniform.

Finally, it was her turn to prove her worth.