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The oldest and youngest brothers (draft 1)

  The bellows of seagulls was the usual wake up call for the people of this unnamed fishing village, perching on the windowsills of still sleeping families urging them to work so they could scavenge. They usually just ended up with some sort of trinket thrown at them in protest by the wives of the probally still sleeping workmen. One windowsill however has had no such wake up call, not by seabird or any other creature of the early morning, the only beings other than the inhabitants of the home itself who would dare go near were children of the tired fishermen.

  Two children ran up the cobbles of the path towards this home chanting ,"to the spear woman's house we go, following the path we go towards the spear woman" a song made making fun of the grown ups who always said they were to busy to ask for this spear woman them selves.

  "Last one there has to yell her name!" The older one yelled as he rushed off.

  "No fair, you got a head start and you've got longer legs and..." The younger one couldn't finish his complaining before having to put all his focus on this race.

  The home came into view at roughly the same time for the them, it was smaller than the other houses, built on a slight hill almost overseeing the village and what layed on the other side of it. The straw roof was ragged and rotten, its debris decorating the ground around the home, the rot seeping into the grass leaving spots of dead earth exposed. The wooden supports barely standing under the weight of the building, cracks with sawdust leaking out like water in a faulty bucket, the walls were the same but the thinner wood let the cracks seep deeper exposing the inside of the home, probally the only light that enters it with the windows boarded up.

  The children were almost there now, the older one running at a brisk rate just barely faster than the youngest who was running as fast as he could.

  "Come on, I know your faster than that I've seen you run home faster after you tripped Infront of spear lady." Taunted the older.

  The younger couldn't even speak a word in response, all his might went to this race leaving no time for words between his deep and laboured breaths.

  Then he tripped. The oldest looking back the moment he heard the thud the youngest made against the cobbles. He shouted in a panicked cry," Hold on, I'm coming , I'll carry the rest of the way so don't tell dad... promise!" The youngest didn't answer instead just lying on the ground in ambush.

  The oldest now mere inches away from the collapsed younger child, was panicked with heart racing thoughts shooting through his mind like an arrow: is he unconscious?, please move, don't die, get up, wake up, move, move, move, please. The oldest started crouching, hand slowly forcing itself towards the youngest all the while shaking from guilt and fear.

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  Suddenly and without any warning the youngest's hand reached up towards oldest's and grabbed it forcefully pulling it towards himself knocking the oldest off balance. The youngest in these moments twisted around, now with his back towards the ground and the oldest rapidly falling on top of him, he braced both his legs above him ready to 'catch' the oldest.

  The very moment the youngest felt the weight of the oldest against the bottom of his feet, he let go of the others hand and instead gripped the ground now ready to kick. The rocks of the cobbled path carved into the his back, but he didn't notice, just like the race all his attention was on this one moment, this one kick. Then he did, he forced both his legs enough strength to knock the oldest a few feet back down the hill, in just a few seconds the oldest went from worrying about the youngest to now worrying about himself.

  The hill wasn't all that steep but with the added force of the youngest kick, the oldest thought he might end up injured and possibly worse," what if I can't work the boats when I'm older? I would just end up starving my family when dad is forced quit." He even thought it would kill him. Then he landed.

  The oldest's panicked breathing slowed when he realised he wasn't in any pain, and returned to normal once he felt the tickle of grass against his cheek but still he layed down in a brief respite from the terror that attached to his mind and dazed it.

  The youngest didn't look back after the kick instead continuing the race, he didn't even notice that the oldest hadn't gotten up. He ran, just like before he tripped, mind cleared of any thought that wasn't winning the race.

  It took only a few extra moments of the youngest mindless sprint before reaching the dilapidated home. The pride he felt after finally beating the oldest in one of these race was grand, he couldn't stop a grin from creeping across his face before turning around to face the loser.

  A small laugh followed everything the youngest said next, it was not a mocking laugh or one meant to antagonize the oldest but just pure enjoyment from the win.

  "We, I won" "finally" "me" "now you say her name when we" "when we get there"

  The oldest, hearing the youngest's celebration rose, first in anger. He wanted to yell at the youngest,"You bastard! You know how worried I was then you kick me I just wanted to see if you..." The oldest stopped this thought when he saw the grinning face of the youngest. He couldn't be angry when such a contagious happiness was shinning Infront of him, a smile grew on the oldest's face before saying," alright, alright you win... This time, I won't fall for that trick next time you'll see." He then started to get up, his clothes covered is grass stains and mud.

  "Now then let's go get spear woman and head back, you tripped pretty hard I thought I heard a crack, might have just been a rock breaking against your thick skull though." Said the oldest as he approached the youngest before placing his hand on the youngest's head.

  The youngest reached up and placed his hand onto the oldest's, "your the one whose skull weighed them down enough lose." He said in retaliation." Remember your the one who has to..."

  "Say her name. I will I keep my promises most of the time." Said the oldest interrupting the youngest.

  The youngest wanted to say something in retaliation to being interrupted but was, himself, interrupted again. This time by the forceful opening the finishing lines door.

  Outcome a woman with a spear.

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