ALL THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND

Let Into the Watchmaker's Mind

            I listened to Charlie’s slow, angered words, and how easily the slipped from his lips. They fell into a stream behind us as we walked a stream that cried all the while it flowed.

            “Samuel isn’t trying to mess with you, Charlie. He doesn’t really know what he’s doing, but I know he just wants to know what’s going on with you and Lincoln. That’s all.”

            Charlie scoffed. It was like he spit a short laugh into the air, but it soon grew. His mouth widened and deep howls of laugher stretched from his lips. His laugh was ear blistering beside me, and in that moment, I realised how dangerous it was to loose grip on reality.

            “Samuel…” he paused to catch his breath as he laughed. “That stupid detective isn’t the villager! Oh, oh…” he gasped for air in a wild desperation.

            An annoyed expression fell over my face. “Okay, fine. Who then? Who’s messing with you? Who’s messing up the town?”

            The same dark flicker in the trees cascaded shadows into my eyes. I whipped around to catch it, but the sight allusively slipped away. Charlie didn’t notice.

            “Isn’t it obvious? Everything would be perfect, and maybe your Catherine might still be alive, if he hadn’t ruined it. It’s Jarrod, Sea. He broke every watch, every piece of time.”

            I gazed at the man, as his words belted out his inner workings. His face conveyed sincerity, as his eyes sparkled in truth.

            “Mr Anderson…my mother’s death was an accident…don’t say that again…” I started out with an awkward stiffness. “Why would you think my father’s to blame for that? What did he ruin?”         

            Charlie didn’t answer. His gaze planted on the ground, locking himself away from me, and fell back into his thoughts.

            “I'm not saying anything with that idiot here,” he whispered finally.

            Taken aback, I looked around the brown dying forest. It was a cluster of thinning dead branches, like hands stretching out to tickle the greying clouds.

            There was nothing.

            I turned around as we walked, only seeing the path behind us.

            Suddenly, it became apparent to my vision. The thick brawny man sprinted up behind us, clothes flapping behind him, and eyes glowing with determination.

            “Samuel!” I called, just as Charlie turned around.

            Samuel crashed into the bald man, toppling him on the ground, forcing the old figure into the thick cake of moist clay in the dirt.

            The struggled for a moment, both of them like fish flopping around on a lakeside deck in the hands of an unseen fisherman. Samuel had the old man face first on the forest floor, but was obviously having issues with the burly, resisting man.

            “Get off of me!” Charlie grunted angrily.

            Samuel forcefully held the man’s head in place. “Sorry, Charles. I need you to tell me where you were taking my good friend over there.”

            Charlie squirmed under Samuel’s weight, and turned his head to the side. “You guys wanted answers. I have them. Simple as that, that’s all I wanted to do,” he spat.