The Empty Seat
I couldn't help but smile as I watched my family and friends. We were at Lucie and Fern’s restaurant, just outside our small town named Quincy. All of us in our usual seats, laughing, talking and smiling as we ate supper. We did this every Saturday night. I felt an immense surge of happiness as I watched them, for some unknown reason I felt like I hadn’t seen them happy in a long time. Everything seemed perfect, except for one thing. The empty chair. We were always a full table, I knew someone was missing. However I couldn’t determine who. Everyone was here; my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, even my dad’s friends from the mine. The mine… Richard Crimson Jr’s mine. Just the thought of that man immediately changed my mood. He enraged me. I went from extremely happy to overwhelmed with hate. I couldn’t remember why, but I hated him. I hated him enough to kill him. I put aside finding out the victim of the missing seat. All I could think about was Mr.Rich. I had to get to him, meaning I had to go to his ranch. Whether I attacked him physically or verbally, I was going to find him. I would confront him.
I felt bad leaving in the middle of our family supper, but I wouldn’t be able to properly enjoy their company until I resolved this anger. So, I took a map of the odd road I’d be travelling on, from the restaurant’s pamphlet rack, and left. I was surprised when no one stopped me. My parents were usually pretty curious and overprotective. They always wanted to know my whereabouts. I figured it wasn’t worth over thinking it. Had they asked where I was going, they wouldn’t have let me go. The only time we ever left our small town was to come to this restaurant, we had never gone beyond Lucie and Fern’s, and that would worry them.
It was a long way to the Crimson Ranch, but thankfully the directions weren’t complicated. It was a straight road all the way to the Crimsons entrance. Just to be safe I kept in mind a couple of benchmarks. The first one was an old abandoned factory. It took me over an hour to get there, it had seemed so much closer on the map. I was an athlete, so I was in pretty good shape, but this journey was excruciating. Not only did I have to walk miles, but I had to do it during the day, under the very hot sun, on a sandy road in the middle of a desert. No trees, nor clouds for shade. Had I planned ahead of time, I would have brought a hat or sunscreen, or at least a water bottle. I definitely would have brought a decent pair of shoes, something that is actually meant for physical activities. I would not have brought these knockoffs. Blistered, I finally arrived at the factory, I had already travelled a third of the way and my only problem was the heat. Of course my luck didn’t last. Ahead of me, near the factory, stood a group of barbaric men. They had long beards, overgrown hair and were dirty from head to toe. It was obvious that they were homeless, and had been that way for a long time. They probably lived in the factory. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw them, and so did they. They looked thrilled to see me, I on the other hand was terrified. These men watched me the way a predator watched his prey. They looked hungry. I immediately started to panic and grabbed a stick on the side of the road to defend myself. They wouldn’t actually kill me, would they? They charged towards me with their handmade spears. I crouched and held my stick up, knowing I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I would die without any farewell to my loved ones and with the Crimson family hatred. I shut my eyes and waited for the blow. It never came, it was almost as if they went right through me. I opened my eyes to find them standing behind me staring at a dead rabbit. They hadn’t come for me. I quickly walked away before they changed their minds. One small rabbit was obviously not enough to feed their whole pack. To my relief they didn’t follow me, they didn’t even glance back at me. They were so captivated by their kill that they completely ignored me. Relieved, I continued my journey.
Not far from the factory, was a bridge. A broken bridge. You had to cross the bridge to stay on the road, yet it was broken. What was wrong with this place? Wild men and broken bridges that are essentials for car passage. This area was known for its wealth due to the mine. People actually moved to Quincy for employment, yet it looked like a ghost town. You’d think for such a known place, it would be well taken care of. I searched the map for small detour, but couldn’t find one. The bridge was surrounded with water, and the stream was way too long to swim across, and call me superstitious, but I’d rather not swim in a lake called Devil's Drool. I needed a boat to cross over. Happily, Deans marina wasn’t far from here. However it was on the other side of the lake. Still I walked in it’s direction, they usually had boats docked on both sides of the lake. Hopefully they’d let me borrow a boat free of charge. While I walked, I started planning ways to steal a boat without getting caught, in case they’d refuse my offer. I find a little ironic, that I was scared to get caught stealing while I was on my way to kill a man. All my planning turned out to be a waste, I arrived at the marinas docks and no one was there. I didn’t know how to steal a real boat, nor did I know how to drive one, so I had to settle with a canoe. I paddled my way across the lake with no problem and got off at the Marina's main building, where I’d be able to walk straight to the Ranch. I wouldn’t be following the road anymore, I’d be marching in the mountains. The change of scenery didn't bother me, as long as I travelled in a straight line I’d easily arrive at my destination.
After climbing the scorching mountains for hours, I finally made it. Seeing the ranch brought back all the hatred. These long painful hours were worth it, I would finally settle my rage. With every step towards Richard’s house, my anger grew. I wanted nothing more than his death, yet I still hesitated at his doorstep. Did I really want to kill someone? End his life, without a valid reason? I hated this man, but I didn’t know why. Mr.Rich owned the mine, he’s the reason my dad was employed as a miner. Therefore, Richard Crimson’s the reason we live such a wealthy and healthy life, he has brought nothing but happiness to my family, I should be thanking him, yet I still hated him. Deep down I knew that he was an evil man, a selfish and greedy man. Still, was I really going to murder someone on a gut feeling? No evidence, just thoughts. I knew it was wrong, but I hadn’t come all this way for nothing. As long as Richard was alive, this deep hatred would bother me, and I would never truly be happy with this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I chose my happiness over his life, you may call me selfish, but I didn’t care. He had no family left, he would not be missed. On the other hand, if I spent the rest of my life holding this grudge, not only would I be miserable, but the people surrounding me would also be. Decided, I opened his door and took a step, crossing the line to Bliston as I did so. The Crimson House was built right on the barrier separating the two towns. However, after taking a step, I was not in his house. I wasn’t even near the ranch, I was back in the restaurant at our weekly family supper. Everything had changed, the joyful restaurant that I used to know had become dark and miskept. I barely recognized my family and friends. The people sitting in their seats looked awful, zombie like. They were dirty, looked sick and were starved. I could practically see their bones. I would not have believed it was truly them, had it not been for my mother’s unforgettable deep blue eyes. They were definitely her eyes, but they seemed different. They no longer held that sparkle of happiness. Instead, they looked defeated and depressed. She just sat there staring at her empty plate as she silently cried. Everyone at the table looked this way, and not a word was said. What happened when I was gone? I had only left for about a day. Mom was usually a very happy person, she always looked on the bright side. She didn’t cry easily. Something big had happened. Did someone die? Panicked, I searched the whole table, making sure no one was missing. Everyone was there, except one. That one chair was still empty. Had they just realized someone was missing? Is that why they’re acting strange?
“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked, but she didn’t answer. She must not of heard me since she didn’t even look up. She was so out of it that she couldn’t even hear me. So I repeated myself a little louder, still no answer. I walked towards her, and shook her as I practically shouted her name. Again, no answer, not even the slightest reaction to my voice. Why was she ignoring me?
“What’s going on?” I shouted. “ Can anyone hear me?” I asked frightened. I went from person to person, yelling or waving my hands, trying to get someone to acknowledge me. Nothing. I started pacing around in the diner. What was I going to do? Something was seriously wrong with my family. I began to run outside, hoping to find someone that could help me, but something stopped me at the door. Next to the door, hung a picture. My picture. Why would they have a picture of me on their wall? Reading the paper, I fell to my knees. All my memories suddenly came back, and everything started to make sense. The wild men… I mean the minors, didn’t ignore me, they hadn’t even seen me, just as my family couldn’t see me. I was dead, I had died because of the mines failure. Our family had lost everything and because of that I died of starvation and a bad flu, in this restaurant. Richard Crimson is the reason I died, the reason my whole family is unhappy. He had ruined my life, and for that reason I hated him. As long as he lived, my soul would not be at peace. The grudge I had against him, was keeping me on this cursed ground. This grudge was not only depriving me of peace, but had also ruined my happiness. I could've spent my remaining days happy, with my family, but instead I left. I left my last good memory with my family, to go kill him. Something I could not physically do, and now I was stuck watching my family slowly die. I would have to watch them suffer, until my soul was at peace, until Richard Crimson Jr died.
I couldn't help but smile as I watched my family and friends. We were at Lucie and Fern’s restaurant, just outside our small town named Quincy. All of us in our usual seats, laughing, talking and smiling as we ate supper. We did this every Saturday night. I felt an immense surge of happiness as I watched them, for some unknown reason I felt like I hadn’t seen them happy in a long time. Everything seemed perfect, except for one thing. The empty chair. We were always a full table, I knew someone was missing. However I couldn’t determine who. Everyone was here; my parents, my siblings, my grandparents, even my dad’s friends from the mine. The mine… Richard Crimson Jr’s mine. Just the thought of that man immediately changed my mood. He enraged me. I went from extremely happy to overwhelmed with hate. I couldn’t remember why, but I hated him. I hated him enough to kill him. I put aside finding out the victim of the missing seat. All I could think about was Mr.Rich. I had to get to him, meaning I had to go to his ranch. Whether I attacked him physically or verbally, I was going to find him. I would confront him.
I felt bad leaving in the middle of our family supper, but I wouldn’t be able to properly enjoy their company until I resolved this anger. So, I took a map of the odd road I’d be travelling on, from the restaurant’s pamphlet rack, and left. I was surprised when no one stopped me. My parents were usually pretty curious and overprotective. They always wanted to know my whereabouts. I figured it wasn’t worth over thinking it. Had they asked where I was going, they wouldn’t have let me go. The only time we ever left our small town was to come to this restaurant, we had never gone beyond Lucie and Fern’s, and that would worry them.
It was a long way to the Crimson Ranch, but thankfully the directions weren’t complicated. It was a straight road all the way to the Crimsons entrance. Just to be safe I kept in mind a couple of benchmarks. The first one was an old abandoned factory. It took me over an hour to get there, it had seemed so much closer on the map. I was an athlete, so I was in pretty good shape, but this journey was excruciating. Not only did I have to walk miles, but I had to do it during the day, under the very hot sun, on a sandy road in the middle of a desert. No trees, nor clouds for shade. Had I planned ahead of time, I would have brought a hat or sunscreen, or at least a water bottle. I definitely would have brought a decent pair of shoes, something that is actually meant for physical activities. I would not have brought these knockoffs. Blistered, I finally arrived at the factory, I had already travelled a third of the way and my only problem was the heat. Of course my luck didn’t last. Ahead of me, near the factory, stood a group of barbaric men. They had long beards, overgrown hair and were dirty from head to toe. It was obvious that they were homeless, and had been that way for a long time. They probably lived in the factory. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw them, and so did they. They looked thrilled to see me, I on the other hand was terrified. These men watched me the way a predator watched his prey. They looked hungry. I immediately started to panic and grabbed a stick on the side of the road to defend myself. They wouldn’t actually kill me, would they? They charged towards me with their handmade spears. I crouched and held my stick up, knowing I couldn’t do anything to stop them. I would die without any farewell to my loved ones and with the Crimson family hatred. I shut my eyes and waited for the blow. It never came, it was almost as if they went right through me. I opened my eyes to find them standing behind me staring at a dead rabbit. They hadn’t come for me. I quickly walked away before they changed their minds. One small rabbit was obviously not enough to feed their whole pack. To my relief they didn’t follow me, they didn’t even glance back at me. They were so captivated by their kill that they completely ignored me. Relieved, I continued my journey.
Not far from the factory, was a bridge. A broken bridge. You had to cross the bridge to stay on the road, yet it was broken. What was wrong with this place? Wild men and broken bridges that are essentials for car passage. This area was known for its wealth due to the mine. People actually moved to Quincy for employment, yet it looked like a ghost town. You’d think for such a known place, it would be well taken care of. I searched the map for small detour, but couldn’t find one. The bridge was surrounded with water, and the stream was way too long to swim across, and call me superstitious, but I’d rather not swim in a lake called Devil's Drool. I needed a boat to cross over. Happily, Deans marina wasn’t far from here. However it was on the other side of the lake. Still I walked in it’s direction, they usually had boats docked on both sides of the lake. Hopefully they’d let me borrow a boat free of charge. While I walked, I started planning ways to steal a boat without getting caught, in case they’d refuse my offer. I find a little ironic, that I was scared to get caught stealing while I was on my way to kill a man. All my planning turned out to be a waste, I arrived at the marinas docks and no one was there. I didn’t know how to steal a real boat, nor did I know how to drive one, so I had to settle with a canoe. I paddled my way across the lake with no problem and got off at the Marina's main building, where I’d be able to walk straight to the Ranch. I wouldn’t be following the road anymore, I’d be marching in the mountains. The change of scenery didn't bother me, as long as I travelled in a straight line I’d easily arrive at my destination.
After climbing the scorching mountains for hours, I finally made it. Seeing the ranch brought back all the hatred. These long painful hours were worth it, I would finally settle my rage. With every step towards Richard’s house, my anger grew. I wanted nothing more than his death, yet I still hesitated at his doorstep. Did I really want to kill someone? End his life, without a valid reason? I hated this man, but I didn’t know why. Mr.Rich owned the mine, he’s the reason my dad was employed as a miner. Therefore, Richard Crimson’s the reason we live such a wealthy and healthy life, he has brought nothing but happiness to my family, I should be thanking him, yet I still hated him. Deep down I knew that he was an evil man, a selfish and greedy man. Still, was I really going to murder someone on a gut feeling? No evidence, just thoughts. I knew it was wrong, but I hadn’t come all this way for nothing. As long as Richard was alive, this deep hatred would bother me, and I would never truly be happy with this nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I chose my happiness over his life, you may call me selfish, but I didn’t care. He had no family left, he would not be missed. On the other hand, if I spent the rest of my life holding this grudge, not only would I be miserable, but the people surrounding me would also be. Decided, I opened his door and took a step, crossing the line to Bliston as I did so. The Crimson House was built right on the barrier separating the two towns. However, after taking a step, I was not in his house. I wasn’t even near the ranch, I was back in the restaurant at our weekly family supper. Everything had changed, the joyful restaurant that I used to know had become dark and miskept. I barely recognized my family and friends. The people sitting in their seats looked awful, zombie like. They were dirty, looked sick and were starved. I could practically see their bones. I would not have believed it was truly them, had it not been for my mother’s unforgettable deep blue eyes. They were definitely her eyes, but they seemed different. They no longer held that sparkle of happiness. Instead, they looked defeated and depressed. She just sat there staring at her empty plate as she silently cried. Everyone at the table looked this way, and not a word was said. What happened when I was gone? I had only left for about a day. Mom was usually a very happy person, she always looked on the bright side. She didn’t cry easily. Something big had happened. Did someone die? Panicked, I searched the whole table, making sure no one was missing. Everyone was there, except one. That one chair was still empty. Had they just realized someone was missing? Is that why they’re acting strange?
“Mom, what’s going on?” I asked, but she didn’t answer. She must not of heard me since she didn’t even look up. She was so out of it that she couldn’t even hear me. So I repeated myself a little louder, still no answer. I walked towards her, and shook her as I practically shouted her name. Again, no answer, not even the slightest reaction to my voice. Why was she ignoring me?
“What’s going on?” I shouted. “ Can anyone hear me?” I asked frightened. I went from person to person, yelling or waving my hands, trying to get someone to acknowledge me. Nothing. I started pacing around in the diner. What was I going to do? Something was seriously wrong with my family. I began to run outside, hoping to find someone that could help me, but something stopped me at the door. Next to the door, hung a picture. My picture. Why would they have a picture of me on their wall? Reading the paper, I fell to my knees. All my memories suddenly came back, and everything started to make sense. The wild men… I mean the minors, didn’t ignore me, they hadn’t even seen me, just as my family couldn’t see me. I was dead, I had died because of the mines failure. Our family had lost everything and because of that I died of starvation and a bad flu, in this restaurant. Richard Crimson is the reason I died, the reason my whole family is unhappy. He had ruined my life, and for that reason I hated him. As long as he lived, my soul would not be at peace. The grudge I had against him, was keeping me on this cursed ground. This grudge was not only depriving me of peace, but had also ruined my happiness. I could've spent my remaining days happy, with my family, but instead I left. I left my last good memory with my family, to go kill him. Something I could not physically do, and now I was stuck watching my family slowly die. I would have to watch them suffer, until my soul was at peace, until Richard Crimson Jr died.