Gabriel and the Binders' Ring

Chapter 2

Mark of a Feather (Chapter 2)

A loud bang startled Gabriel awake. He reluctantly opened his eyes to find a happy, wide-awake Molly sitting on his chest. He grumbled at her sleepily, and sat up with a start when he saw the pot in one hand and pan in the other.

"Molly, what are you doing?"

"Daddy said wake you up," She said as she banged the two objects together again.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." He laughed and gently set Molly on the floor. He looked around his room. The morning sun was making its way through the light blue curtains. He smelled sausage and heard noises from the kitchen, Molly climbed off of him and took off running out of the room.

"He's up, Daddy!" she squealed.

"Come on, Gabriel! We can't wait all morning on you!" Isaac shouted from downstairs.

"I got it, I'm up!" Gabriel pulled his clothes out of the closet and headed toward the bathroom; there, he was greeted by a beaming Molly covered in toothpaste.

"Gabriel, can you help your sister in the bathroom?" Isaac called.

"Yeah, I got it," he shouted back.

"We gotta work on you, muffin." Gabriel stood looking at her shaking his head, Molly smiled back up at him. He took a hand towel from the closet and started cleaning her face.

"You're the best big brother." She hugged him after he finished and ran out the room. Gabriel started the water for his shower and followed Molly down the hall.

"Molly, go tell dad that you're ready for breakfast, okay?" Gabriel grabbed a towel from the closet for himself. Molly nodded her head and ran down the hall shouting.

"Daddy, I'm going to eat you!" With a hearty laugh, Gabriel walked back into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He started undressing, top first.

There was a sudden sharp pain in his side. It was like fire spreading across his body. Gabriel let out a yelp and dropped to his knees. When the pain finally subsided, he stood and looked into the mirror at where the feeling originated. His jaw dropped. He was looking at a tattoo.

What the? He twisted in the mirror to get a better look. It was a feather, but different from any kind he had ever seen-- unique, beautiful, and black. Gabriel's thoughts ran wild.

He immediately went back to his dream. He had seen this beautiful design somewhere. It was all over the man Lockland's body, but unlike Gabriel's, Lockland's marks had been glowing different colors that constantly changed; this was black. I've got to hide this from dad. He may think I did this to myself somehow. He will send me to a shrink for sure. Next thing you know I'll be in a loony bin. Gabriel thought. He finished undressing and hopped in the shower, 'What if I'm sick?' He asked himself. He decided the best thing right now to do was finish getting ready for school and tell his father later today. He stopped every so often to glance at his side just to make sure the feather shaped mark wasn't imaginary... and didn't scorch him again.

When he finished, he wrapped the towel around him and sprinted to his room; he checked himself in the mirror and was that disappointed the mark was still there. He dressed quickly and hurried out, shutting the door softly.

He walked down the hall past Molly's room. Shaking his head, he mumbled to himself, "She left her lights on again." He turned them off and made his way to the living room. Gabriel saw his backpack on the couch across from the armchair. He grabbed it and swung it over his shoulder. He lifted his shirt one last time to make sure the moment in the bathroom wasn't just a dream. He lowered it again in disappointment and made his way into the kitchen.