This time he ducked under and then brushed aside another punch, but he was reluctant to strike back. He jabbed forward with a more controlled strike. That caught Zed on the jaw and snapped his head around. He recovered to find another coming at him, but he wasn't quick enough to avoid it. Once again his head snapped around, and he staggered back.
Zed could hear Lannie screaming at them both, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. The strikes to the face had stunned him slightly, and he was trying with all his strength to recover and survive. Johnnie came at him again, but this time he was ready. Zed ducked aside, and his brother came forward off balance. He let him go past and trapped him in a vice like headlock. Johnnie tried to fight it, but it was no good. But as his brother began to gasp for air, he felt his hold release. He couldn't do it. He pushed him a few paces away and waited for his response.
Johnnie coughed and spluttered as he tried to get air back into his lungs. He looked on at Zed with a bitter resentment, but he couldn't understand why. There was clearly a lot going on that he didn't know about.
"Why would you ever come back? Why?" he screamed.
"Because you're my brother, and she's my wife."
"Not anymore! My brother died long ago!" he snapped.
Zed just couldn't understand his hostility, but once again he came forward aggressively. He jabbed forward, and Zed blocked it. The second was a feint, and he soon felt a heavy blow land against his ribs. It was a shock, and as the next strike came for his head, he lashed out for survival. He snapped a quick punch to Johnnie's nose before stepping under his punch. He grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder so that he slammed down flat on his back. Zed stepped away a few paces and let his brother recover.
"Stop it, both of you!" Lannie shouted, as she intervened and placed herself between them.
"I didn't want this. I didn't come here to fight. I never wanted to hurt either of you," he pleaded.
He could see Lannie wanted to believe him, and it wasn't him that was the aggressor. But more than anything, she wanted it to stop. He saw the genuine concern in her face for both of them. She seemed to show even more sympathy towards him than Johnnie. He knew they were married, but he could still not feel anything for her but a lingering sense that for some reason he should.
"I don't know what the hell is going on, but this isn't the way to sort it."
"That man isn't the husband you used to know. He's a..." began Johnnie.
He hesitated.
"A what?" Zed asked.
He genuinely wanted to know.
"A...a...complete asshole that you can't trust."
His brother was lying, or at least holding something back, and that put him on edge.
"With me, now!" Lannie ordered.
She helped Johnnie up and hauled him away out of sight. Zed staggered over to the bench and slumped down. He was exhausted, more mentally than physically, though his face hurt, too. He had thought that now all his questions would be answered, and yet none were. The situation was seemingly more complex than before.
"Not how you expected it to go down?"
He looked up to see Rave standing over him. He shook his head as he wiped blood from his mouth and felt the swelling on his jaw.
"You see, that is this life. Everyone wants something from you. Water, food, blood, sex."
"Yeah, I am starting to see that."
"That really your wife?" she asked in a softer tone, a tone Zed had never heard her speak in.
He pulled out the photo to show her, and it was unmistakeable.
"Yep, it is, or rather was, but she’s not the woman I remember."
"You don't remember much."
He smiled a little but soon winced from the pain. He was trying to process everything he had just learnt, for it was a massive amount to take in. His mind veered into a dream as he thought of the little girl from the picture, and a tear came to his eye as he realised he would never see her again. That only became worse knowing his wife was gone, too. He
Zed could hear Lannie screaming at them both, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. The strikes to the face had stunned him slightly, and he was trying with all his strength to recover and survive. Johnnie came at him again, but this time he was ready. Zed ducked aside, and his brother came forward off balance. He let him go past and trapped him in a vice like headlock. Johnnie tried to fight it, but it was no good. But as his brother began to gasp for air, he felt his hold release. He couldn't do it. He pushed him a few paces away and waited for his response.
Johnnie coughed and spluttered as he tried to get air back into his lungs. He looked on at Zed with a bitter resentment, but he couldn't understand why. There was clearly a lot going on that he didn't know about.
"Why would you ever come back? Why?" he screamed.
"Because you're my brother, and she's my wife."
"Not anymore! My brother died long ago!" he snapped.
Zed just couldn't understand his hostility, but once again he came forward aggressively. He jabbed forward, and Zed blocked it. The second was a feint, and he soon felt a heavy blow land against his ribs. It was a shock, and as the next strike came for his head, he lashed out for survival. He snapped a quick punch to Johnnie's nose before stepping under his punch. He grabbed his arm and threw him over his shoulder so that he slammed down flat on his back. Zed stepped away a few paces and let his brother recover.
"Stop it, both of you!" Lannie shouted, as she intervened and placed herself between them.
"I didn't want this. I didn't come here to fight. I never wanted to hurt either of you," he pleaded.
He could see Lannie wanted to believe him, and it wasn't him that was the aggressor. But more than anything, she wanted it to stop. He saw the genuine concern in her face for both of them. She seemed to show even more sympathy towards him than Johnnie. He knew they were married, but he could still not feel anything for her but a lingering sense that for some reason he should.
"I don't know what the hell is going on, but this isn't the way to sort it."
"That man isn't the husband you used to know. He's a..." began Johnnie.
He hesitated.
"A what?" Zed asked.
He genuinely wanted to know.
"A...a...complete asshole that you can't trust."
His brother was lying, or at least holding something back, and that put him on edge.
"With me, now!" Lannie ordered.
She helped Johnnie up and hauled him away out of sight. Zed staggered over to the bench and slumped down. He was exhausted, more mentally than physically, though his face hurt, too. He had thought that now all his questions would be answered, and yet none were. The situation was seemingly more complex than before.
"Not how you expected it to go down?"
He looked up to see Rave standing over him. He shook his head as he wiped blood from his mouth and felt the swelling on his jaw.
"You see, that is this life. Everyone wants something from you. Water, food, blood, sex."
"Yeah, I am starting to see that."
"That really your wife?" she asked in a softer tone, a tone Zed had never heard her speak in.
He pulled out the photo to show her, and it was unmistakeable.
"Yep, it is, or rather was, but she’s not the woman I remember."
"You don't remember much."
He smiled a little but soon winced from the pain. He was trying to process everything he had just learnt, for it was a massive amount to take in. His mind veered into a dream as he thought of the little girl from the picture, and a tear came to his eye as he realised he would never see her again. That only became worse knowing his wife was gone, too. He
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