{"id":152,"date":"2013-06-02T23:03:49","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T03:03:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=152"},"modified":"2026-07-29T14:53:28","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T18:53:28","slug":"alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=152","title":{"rendered":"Alone (by Cheaux)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0 A moment in time in a special place. \u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Rated K. \u00a0 \u00a0 (505 words)
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Alone<\/strong><\/p>\n

I ease myself into position<\/strong> on the rocky precipice high above a silver ribbon of water. \u00a0Despite the heavy cotton twill of my work pants the heat radiating from the sunbaked granite sears my skin and I shift uncomfortably for a moment before settling into the familiar spot. \u00a0My breathing is labored, hampered not only by the climb to this altitude, but also by an inexplicable tightness in my chest.\u00a0 Each breath catches but the boulder\u2019s warmth and the pine-scented mountain air soon begin to work their magic.\u00a0 As the marrow in my bones softens, I feel my hold on consciousness slipping away.\u00a0 My eyes close involuntarily; the tension in my muscles dissolving until I melt into a puddle of goo.\u00a0 Like butter left too long near a warming oven, I am without form or substance.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is our place\u2014Hoss\u2019s and mine\u2014a place for dreaming.\u00a0 Akin to the trees growing out of solid granite, we are sons of a formidable man, destined for greatness, invulnerable and invincible!\u00a0 The everlasting beauty of our happy place assures us that\u2014though sometimes daunted\u2014we will emerge whole and undamaged, victorious once again, masters of our universe.<\/span><\/p>\n

Little has changed since we were here last except . . . everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

The space beside me is now empty; I am here alone.\u00a0 I trace the rock\u2019s grain with trembling fingers.\u00a0 The movement sends a lizard skittering toward the edge where it lingers casting a blame-laden glance in my direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overhead a cloud passes throwing the ridge in shadow, sapping the rock of its warmth and I begin to shiver.\u00a0 The guttural cawing of a murder of crows startles me until I realize it was the reverberation of my own primal scream that startled the birds into flight.<\/span><\/p>\n

HOSS!<\/span><\/p>\n

The ever-present tightness in my chest explodes, extinguishing all light.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

I awake spent, face down hugging the boulder, my tears absorbed into its surface with no trace.\u00a0 Only the salty taste on my lips betrays the shedding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Through gravelly eyes I look once more at the vista before me and now see only devastation\u2014a stand of beetle-blighted pines, a ridge of blackened fire-scarred trees, the rotten remnant of a long ago lightning strike. \u00a0How could we ever think this place was beautiful?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Anxious to go but loathe to leave, I press my cheek against the stone altar one last time and whisper his name.\u00a0 Hoss.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

When I open my eyes, I see it.\u00a0\u00a0 There, in a minute crevice pushing up against impossible odds is a small shoot.\u00a0 On its tiny bud, a single drop.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Time passes.\u00a0 Eventually, a rising wind chases the clouds away and the rock once again reflects the sun\u2019s rays.\u00a0 The breeze ruffles my hair in a familiar way and my neck feels warm\u2014the kind of warmth generated by a protective arm.\u00a0 In the rustling of pine needles, I hear my name.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joseph.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

I am not alone.\u00a0This is still our place\u2014Hoss\u2019s and mine\u2014a place for dreaming.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The End<\/span><\/p>\n

June 2013<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.\u00a0 The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise.\u00a0 No copyright infringement is intended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary: \u00a0 A moment in time in a special place. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Rated K. \u00a0 \u00a0 (505 words)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[23,1007,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-joe-cartwright","category-short-stories","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1007-id","wpcat-8-id"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/202.jpg?fit=1024%2C682&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=152"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}