The Chat Chat

[Keilah H.]

@loopylin lol

 

I know how to make pasta, grilled cheese (and turkey melts, which are like grilled cheese but you put turkey inside it underneath the cheese), rice, and I think I have recipes for salmon, both baked and grilled, but I wouldn’t remember it off the top of my head.

"When in doubt, eat cheese crackers."-me to my charries who don't even know about cheese crackers

[freedom]

@ellette-giselle @hybridlore @elishavet-pidyon @koshka @esther-c @anyone-else

 

Part 2 of the scene I shared🤭 (and this still isn’t all of it…still working on it atm)

 

Franz’s gaze didn’t stray from Riker’s. “I thought you were dead…we all did.”

Riker’s back pressed against the wall.

He should never have left the Altmann home in a rush.

Even if Leon didn’t understand, and he likely didn’t, storming off had been stupid.

He tried to open his mouth but found he couldn’t.

Franz stepped forward.

He tried to step back.

But there was nowhere to go.

Helpless, just as he had been for years, left to the mercy of his father, who had little. With not a single person to protect him, not a single person to save him from the abuse he couldn’t escape.

He never had been able to escape his father.

Maybe it was naive of him to ever believe he could.

Maybe he would never escape Franz’s clutches.

Even the thought sent a tremor through Riker’s body.

“You left us to believe you dead for seven entire years, left us to assume the Amerikaner had given you exEcution by firing squad or else you had died somewhere out in the wilderness, and now, after all that, NOW you return?”

“P-Please…I-I didn’t mean to…to—”

“Has begging ever gotten you anywhere, boy?” Franz stepped forward and gripped the front of Riker’s shirt, breath tainted with the scent of alcohol, “Has all that time away from me made you soft? Has all that time away from me made you forget just how much pain I can inflict?”

Riker tried to struggle, tried to fight.

But he couldn’t break free.

Shadows taunted him from the corners of his vision.

Not the shadows. Not the darkness. Not the pain. Not helplessness. Not abuse.

Not again.

Please, God, please not again.

Franz’s face loomed closer, and he sneered, “It’s past time you get reminded of why you don’t cross me, boy. Heinz,” he turned his head slightly, “continue whatever you meant to do.”

“Please…p-please, n-n-no.” Riker whispered, pleaded.

And how he hated the way his body trembled.

Heinz nodded at the others.

They neared, and Franz released Riker’s shirt, shoving him towards the two burly men.

“Did you expect me to help you?” Franz chuckled, merely standing beside Heinz with arms crossed. “I thought you were dead for seven years. Some pain will be good for you.”

One man held Riker still whilst the other brandished a leather cord, wrapping and tightening Riker’s wrists together, tight enough to draw blood.

He couldn’t break free.

He would never break free.

He would never be free from his father, from the shackles, from the darkness, from shame, from the abuse, from the pain, from his sins.

God didn’t bring freedom…why would He?

Riker didn’t deserve it.

Maybe his father had been right all along, maybe Riker wasn’t worthy of anyone’s love.

Maybe God did love him.

But maybe God didn’t love Riker Schind as much as He loved everyone else.

And just the idea of such a sentiment being truth sent tears down Riker’s cheeks.

“Crying now?” Heinz taunted. “Your boy has grown far too soft, Franz. Shall we remedy that?”

“Indeed, we shall, Heinz.”

“Then please, be my guest, Franz…teach your son a lesson long overdue.”

~***~

  Franz.

How one name could make Leon’s blood boil was beyond even his own comprehension.

His fists clenched.

That man was Riker’s father…the alcoholic…Riker’s abuser.

He knew something had been wrong when Riker didn’t return to the Altmann home by five.

Riker wasn’t always on time, but when he said he would be on time, he was on time.

He knew something was wrong.

And his suspicions were correct.

He leaned back against a brick wall, knowing full well how much he wanted to march into the alleyway and demand for Riker’s release and maybe even fight whoever tried to stop him if he needed to.

But if that would only put Riker in more danger, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Leon silently smiled to himself.

He, too, once would have attacked Riker.

How strange it felt to care so much for the man he once hated.

Maybe that was just a testament to God’s redemptive power.

“Leon.”

He turned in a moment, muscles tense, jaw taut, fists still clenched, sweat beading on his forehead.

But it was only…only…”Isaiah, Yosef?” He dropped his voice to a harsh whisper. “What…why did you follow me?”

“We assumed something was wrong when Riker didn’t return, and then with you setting off too…Abba thought you might need some backup.”

“It’s dangerous. Neither of you should’ve come here. Especially you, Isaiah.”

Isaiah adjusted his round glasses. “Nothing can stop me from defending the ones I love.”

Leon opened his mouth, but Yosef spoke first. “We should get some help.”

“Isaiah, you should—”

“Nein, Leon, Yosef will be much faster. Yosef, my son, see if you can get some help from an American or two. Hurry.”

“Ja, Abba.”

Yosef rushed off, and Leon faced Isaiah with a scowl. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Neither should you,” Isaiah smiled, “but that isn’t stopping you. Neither will it stop me.”

Darn that stubborn old man that he loved so dearly.

Leon heaved out a sigh. “…Just stay out of sight.”

“I thought that was the plan for both of us. Do you have something else in mind?”

“Not yet,”

Isaiah frowned. “Leon…”

“I didn’t say I have any other plans,” he tucked a loose curl behind his left ear, “but if any of them lay another hand on Riker…”

“We can’t just—”

The echo of a heavy, firm slap reverberated through the air followed by a quiet, almost muffled-sounding whimper.

Leon’s fists clenched, his blood surged, and he clenched his teeth.

Even Isaiah’s jaw ticked, and his grip on the brick wall seemed to tighten, judging by his paler knuckles.

“Ah, and what do we have here? We have a few spies, Heinz.”

“Then bring ‘em over, Henrik.”

The burly man pulled both Leon and Isaiah into the alley, shoving them both against the left wall.

Heinz’s eyes sparked. “Leon Wagner…should’ve known.”

Leon quickly glanced at Riker.

But if he looked at Riker’s pale, trembling form and bloodied face for very long, he knew he’d snap. So, he shifted his gaze back to Heinz and lifted an amused eyebrow. “Still a man that craves blood and violence, I see.”

Franz turned, and Leon clenched his fists only so that he wouldn’t ram his fist into Franz’s face. Franz raised his black—flecked with gray—brows and faced Heinz. “You know this man?”

“He’s a filthy Jude,” Heinz spat, “a stain on good German society. And a friend of Riker’s, if my memory doesn’t fail me…”

“A Jude? I should have known, should’ve known you’d fraternize with the enemy, should’ve known you would disappoint me in some other way, boy.”

Franz gripped Riker’s hair, but Riker didn’t make a sound.

Rather, he merely stared up at his father with tears in his eyes…and total terror in his gaze, terror no parent should be the one to cause.

“There is no need to treat your son like that, Herr Schind.” Isaiah said, though even his voice trembled.

Not with sadness, or even fear.

Since when had Leon ever heard Isaiah sound…angry?

“I don’t allow others to tell me how to deal with my own son.” Franz retorted.

“Please…please, they-they didn’t do any-anything—”

Franz’s hard slap sent Riker’s head back against the brick wall.

Riker moaned and cowered further, slightly lifting his arms to defend himself.

Heinz chuckled. “Hold onto Wagner, Henrik. I still have plans waiting for him.”

Henrik gripped Leon’s shoulders, his grip tight, sneering, “We’ll end you this time, filthy pig.”

Franz loomed closer to Riker, stopping with another slap, eliciting a whimper from his son. “You’re a mistake and you always have been,” he spat, “your mother had so many complications when she was pregnant with you, everyone thought she wouldn’t make it, but she refused what the doctor offered…”

If he got his hands on Franz…even Leon shivered at his own thought.

That wasn’t very Christlike, was it?

“But if you ask me, that woman should’ve terminated her pregnancy when she had the chance.”

Forget being Christlike.

Leon wrenched himself free of Henrik’s grip, blood boiling, footsteps echoing.

He stepped up to Franz.

He curled his right hand.

And Leon’s fist met Franz’s nose with a crack.

Franz cursed and staggered, his hands rising up to his bloodied face. He roared and barreled forward, ramming his own fist into Leon’s stomach.

Leon gasped and stumbled, slightly falling back against the wall beside Riker.

If Franz wanted a fight, he’d get a fight.

He lifted his other hand. Hands gripped his arm.

Leon wheeled. Whoever dared…“Leon, we can’t take on four men.”

And yet the tremble in Isaiah’s voice told Leon that Isaiah was just as furious as he was.

Was punching Franz Leon’s best idea?

Probably not.

But oh, it felt so good.

“You…you filthy—”

“I would save the name calling for another day, Herr Schind.”

[freedom]

@ellette-giselle @hybridlore @elishavet-pidyon @koshka @esther-c @anyone-else

 

and Part 3 (and I might share more from what would be the next scene too, but this is the end of the exact scene I’ve been sharing)

 

A vaguely familiar masculine voice…not very familiar, but familiar regardless.

A blue-eyed, blonde-haired man in a US Army uniform lifted a pistol along with a small grin. “Unless, of course, you wish to continue this fight, which will not end well for you.”

Why was…why did he look…so…Erich Braun?

Replace the American uniform for a Schutzstaffel uniform, take away some signs of age, and it would be one of the officers that worked in the camp…and not a kind one.

Heinz’s eyes narrowed. “Erich Braun?”

“That is Captain Braun to you, Herr Becker. I would advise that you and your henchmen flee from here before I must involve others.”

“Captain—”

“You have no justifiable reason to attack these men.”

“He’s a filthy—”

“We’re all filthy in the sight of God, Heinz,” Erich stepped close to the towering man, “until He washes us clean.”

Heinz grunted and almost stepped closer to Erich, but the blonde rammed his pistol into Heinz’s jaw. Heinz cried out and staggered backwards with a string of curses. “Henrik…” But a quick glance seemed to tell him that both Henrik and his other friend had long since fled.

Erich smoothed down his blonde hair and smirked at Heinz and Franz. “Would you care to leave, gentlemen, or shall I escort you both to prison?”

Heinz shared a glance with Franz, and both men quickly fled the alleyway, though not without a glare Riker’s direction and each with a hard shove against Leon.

Leon stumbled slightly.

Erich glanced after the fleeing men before turning his attention to Leon and Isaiah. “Are you alright…?”

Of course he didn’t know their names.

He would’ve only known them by the numbers forever tattooed on their left forearms.

If Leon was supposed to feel grateful for Erich Braun’s help, well, then he didn’t feel the way he was supposed to feel.

“Isaiah Altmann and Leon Wagner. It’s a pleasure to see you again, Captain Braun.”

The young man’s bright eyes dimmed. “…I don’t see how it could be a pleasure.”

Was that…regret and even…shame?

“I can help you in getting both of you and Riker safe.”

“Danke, Captain—”

“No.”

Leon didn’t realize how forcefully he had spat out that single word until both Erich and Isaiah faced him, Erich with remorse, Isaiah with confusion.

“Leon…”

“I’m not going to trust him, not after what he was apart of…what he did.”

Erich’s gaze fell, but Isaiah frowned. “Leon.”

“No, Isaiah, don’t tell me to trust—”

“Fine, then remain here or else go back to the house, but I am going to help Riker, and if you don’t want to, then go on your way and stay out of our way.”

Leon winced slightly.

“But Isaiah—”

But Isaiah was already on his way over to Riker, concern etched into every feature.

Leon huffed out another sigh. “Fine…I’ll come. But only to protect you and Riker.”

Because he wasn’t about to so easily trust Erich Braun.

[Koshka]

@freed_and_redeemed

Ouch. Leon, you’ve still got a pocket full of broken glass to work out.

Also…how did Erich end up in the US Army?!

(thank you for hitting Franz for me, Leon)

First Grand Historian of Arreth and the Lesser Realms (aka Kitty)
Fork the Gork

[The Ducktator]

@freed_and_redeemed

Poor Riker. I hate Franz.

Any salad can be a Caesar salad if you stab it hard enough.

[Elishavet Elroi]

@freed_and_redeemed

How… Wow. That’s pretty spectacular. I like it

🙂

By the way, I have this goofy habit of adding dialogue onto the end of what the author writes. Erich was in the middle of threatening to clean the place with his gun before I realized the conversation had changed. XD

Which is probably from how happy I was to see someone show up who could give them a what for. It worked out well! As always, great fun to read and with some good for thought. *applause*

You have listened to fears, child. Come, let me breathe on you... Are you brave again? -Aslan

[hybridlore]

@freed_and_redeemed Love it!!

The KP WITNESS PROTECTION has been initiated to protect characters from their authors. Beware.

[Ellette Giselle]

@freed_and_redeemed

Great job!!!! I really liked it! I sure was nervous for them!

Poor Riker. I am really excited to see Erich show up!! He was a character I really liked from the last book. I’m really happy to see him again. I hope he gets a lot of “screen time”. 😂

I am wondering why Leon and Riker seem to be struggling with the lessons we struggled with and learned in the last book….. Leon forgiveness, Riker doubt in God…. but I guess if that’s not the drive of this book like it was the last, then it should be okay.

Also, I’ve never seen a guy tuck his hair behind his ear. I think that’s a pretty pure girl move. 🤣

 

Otherwise, this was really well written! Really good!

No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.

[Author]

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