Seer

Jonathan

I’m still super mad at Gabe. Why’d he bring Super Smash Bros over if he was just going to keep beating me? It’s not fair. He’s supposed to be my friend.

I’m pretending like I’m not mad, though. I want Gabe to keep playing with me, just something that he won’t beat me at all the time. He knows that I don’t want to play Super Smash Bros anymore, but he doesn’t know how mad I am. He wouldn’t be nice to me if he knew that. And I want to make sure he’s nice to me.

After lunch I ask him if he wants to go ride bikes. That’ll be fun. Who knows, maybe he’ll fall off his bike? That might be hilarious to watch, after he kept crushing me on the Gamecube. While we are riding over to the park I think about whether I could figure out a way to make him fall over without him knowing I did it.

Nah. I’m not going to do anything to him today. We still have our overnight, and I want him to be nice the whole time.

I’ll just wait. I’ll pay him back for that game sometime. Sometime when he doesn’t even know why.

Jonathan’s

“Yes, my wonderful boy, your friend must pay for what he did. But another time, when he isn’t spending the night here. For now, just focus on having fun. Perhaps you can best him while riding bikes?”

My beloved is full of righteous indignation over the defeat he suffered in the game. It irked him to find that Gabe’s skills were superior to his. Of course, Gabe is older, and furthermore has more experience using his Gamecube. However, my dearest likes to always prevail in every situation. He will remember this insult, as will I. Someday the tables will be turned.

Brad

“Hey guys! Who wants to go to McDonald’s for dinner?”

Jonathan and Gabe are out playing in the back yard. I’m kind of surprised that they haven’t gotten back to using Gabe’s Gamecube after Jonathan was so excited about it this morning, but they’ve been outside the whole day since lunch. Probably better for them to burn off energy outdoors than in anyway.

Jonathan whacks the tetherball over Gabe’s head, quite a feat since Gabe is taller. “Sure!”

Gabe grins and steps back, letting the ball wrap around the pole. “You win!”

Jonathan woots and they come stampeding inside. I have to laugh. Every time those two go anywhere it seems like a whole herd of kids somehow, not just two of them.

Stefanie comes out of the back hallway, looks at the boys and says, “First go wash up.” Jonathan starts to object, but she looks pointedly at his hands, and he glances down to see that they are covered with some black smudges.

“Fine,” he says, and he and Gabe run down the hall to the bathroom.

I look over at Stef. “How you doing, Babe? Feeling up to some burgers?”

“Yeah,” she says, shrugging. “I’ve been feeling a bit better. I’m actually hungry for once.”

I come over and wrap my arms around her. “Good.” I lean down to whisper in her ear, “Maybe you need to eat two burgers, one for each of you.”

She laughs and ducks out of my arms, as the boys are coming back out, ready for more food and fun.

Gabe

We’re eating in the playground section of McDonald’s, because Jonathan likes to play on the equipment. I kind of feel like I’m getting too big for it, but he really wants to go climbing around, so we kick off our shoes and go in there after we’ve slurped down the last of our shakes.

He rushes up ahead of me, and we spend some time chasing around, up the pathways, through the tunnels, down the slides. It’s still fun, even though some of the parts feel like a tight squeeze for me. There’s a few other kids, but we aren’t paying any attention to them.

I come down the slide and head back up to see if I can find him. I don’t see him for a minute, but soon find him in a corner of one of the closed-in tunnels. I realize there’s a toddler in there too, and just as I come up to them the toddler gives a shriek.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

Jonathan looks quickly back, sees that I’m there, and shrugs. “I don’t know. He must have pinched his finger in the edge of the wall or something.”

I push past Jonathan and reach the toddler. He’s still crying loudly, and his face is red and all wet. “Are you ok?” I ask him. I don’t know if he can even talk yet. “Move, Jonathan,” I tell him, and start helping the toddler scooch back out of the crowded little tunnel. I hear his mom calling his name and asking if he’s ok.

By the time that we get back down to the ground he’s stopped screaming so much, and I have no idea what was the problem in the first place. His mom sits down with him and looks him over, but apparently she can’t find anything wrong either so she just cuddles him.

Jonathan looks at me. “Ready to go?”

“Sure.”

His mom and dad have just been waiting for us, finishing up their food. We head back over to them.

“Hey, can we go to Blockbuster and get a movie for tonight?” Jonathan asks.

They look at each other. “Sure,” his mom says. “I don’t think it’s too late for that.”

Gabe’s

I again witness as Gabe’s friend surreptitiously hurts yet another child. Jonathan is remarkably adept at arranging the situation so that he can indulge his desire to cause pain, while evading detection. The toddler was the perfect victim, hidden from view, so when Jonathan found himself alone together with the child he gave him a hard pinch, savoring the resulting tears.

Jonathan has often harmed and killed small creatures, such as insects and reptiles. He experiences a rush of pleasure when doing so, reveling in the feeling of power, and his soul burns fiercely with each such incident. His Guardian has long since stopped attempting to encourage Jonathan to behave more kindly, as the luminescence of his strengthening soul is irresistible. We all crave the development of a brilliant soul, as we know we will spend all eternity with the product of the human’s life. Each human’s soul develops differently, but all will eventually join their Guardian, full of whatever the human’s life experiences have wrought.

His opportunities to harm younger children give Jonathan much pleasure. He often bullies Gabe’s sister and her friend, but tonight’s direct assault on a small child was a particular delight to him.

Gabe is a much gentler soul. He is attracted to Jonathan’s extraordinary charisma, and finds it thrilling to be in his company. Jonathan is always an exciting companion. However, as Gabe has started to grow older, he is starting to notice that sometimes Jonathan’s actions seem disagreeable. He hasn’t analyzed this with any level of deliberation, but I can see that he is starting to grow away from his friend. This is an age, pre-adolescence, where many humans find themselves altering their friends and interests as they grow.

I would not be sorry to see Gabe begin to separate himself from Jonathan. Gabe is a beautiful child, a loving human, and has a bright future ahead of him. Jonathan, despite the brilliance of his soul, is a darker sort of human. It has become clear over the years that Jonathan will never be influenced by my beloved to be a more agreeable child. I fear that as he grows the darker side of his personality will only expand.

I would be pleased to see Jonathan spend less time with my beloved and his family, especially as the Seer and her friend are repeatedly victimized by Jonathan. I wish only the best for my own Guarded, of course, but being in the presence of his sister the Seer is a unique privilege and I am deeply concerned for her welfare as well.

I believe it would be better for the family to spend less time with Jonathan. Of course, I have no control over such things. All I can do is attempt to influence my dearest to protect himself, to ensure that he comes to no harm as a result of this relationship.

“My dearest, you were so kind and sweet to the little toddler who was crying. How lovely of you. Enjoy the rest of your overnight with your friend, my love, but be cautious. Always be cautious around him.”

Stefanie

When we get home Jonathan and Gabe burst out of the car, grab the movie from Blockbuster, and go running into the house. Brad and I look at each other and laugh, barely unbuckling our seat belts by the time the kids have already gotten inside.

“They’re sure enthused about seeing A Knight’s Tale,” Brad teases me. “Almost as much as you are to see your boyfriend again!”

OK, I admit that I might have developed a little crush on Heath Ledger, after we saw that movie in the theater when it first came out. I grab Brad’s hand and swing him around to hug him before we go inside. “Listen, dude, that knight has nothing on you.”

“Heh!” he chuckles, then brings my face up to his to kiss me. “Good. I’d hate to have to joust him to win your love.”

“No need, my dear,” I say, and stroke his cheek. “Now, I’d better get inside and make this popcorn before those boys tear the house down.”

Ron

This whole day has been magical. Brenda seems to have relaxed so much, and we are just enjoying a mellow day in the harsh beauty of the desert. The little scrubby plants don’t offer any shade, but I cleverly brought a canopy, so we’ve been comfortable even in the hottest part of the afternoon.

The little make-out session we had after lunch was interrupted by some other people walking by, but I can’t regret that. She wanted me so much, embracing me almost violently, and it sparked an intense reciprocal need. Even if it’s too public here to go any further with our passion, I have felt this contented slow simmer of desire ever since. The fact that she wants me is like a miracle, like the best gift ever. I am as happy as I have ever been. And I’m hoping to get even happier later.

We’re lying side by side on our lounge chairs, gazing off into the distance, watching as the sun gets closer to the western horizon. She’s holding my hand. I look over at her, drinking in her beauty. Fifteen years after we met, and I appreciate her loveliness as much as I ever did. Even more, since it comes with the sweet knowledge of her, with our memories, with our family history. Her long, dark hair is in a couple of braids that she put in after lunch when the temperature started climbing. I usually love to see her hair long and loose, but these braids are awfully cute. Her brown eyes are distant, full of thoughts that she isn’t sharing, but I suspect she’s thinking of me. She’s kicked off her sandals which are lying on the ground between us, and her cut-off jeans shorts come to just above her knees. I don’t know why, but I have always found her knees to be very sexy. She laughs whenever I mention it, and I don’t think she believes me. But they are. I can’t resist reaching over and caressing one.

She looks over at me and smiles. “I’m having such a nice day, Ron. This is incredibly pleasant. So relaxing. Thank you so much for arranging everything.”

I sit up, then lean over to kiss her briefly before standing. “You are the one doing me the favor by agreeing to come, gorgeous. Now, I need to get dinner ready.”

“Ooooh!” she says, “what can I do to help?”

“Not much,” I tell her. “Maybe when it’s time you can just grab the plates and silverware out of that box.”

She smiles and nods, watching me as I get to work starting a fire. I didn’t want to do this until sunset, and the sun has just dipped down over the rim of the hills to the west. The sparse clouds are gold and pink and orange, casting their colorful glow over our campsite, and reflecting in her eyes. We’ll still have an hour or two of light left. She doesn’t stop gazing at me the whole time I’m working, and I’m enjoying knowing that I’m holding her attention. What is it about having the woman you love watching you that is so appealing?

“Mmmmmm,” she says when she sees me get two huge steaks out of the ice chest and lay them on the grill over the fire.

I grin over at her. This is all going perfectly.