[2375/Earth] Home is where the Darkness is

December 18, 2018, 07:30:00 PM

[Ens. Rhys Williams| Earth| Angelsey Wales| 2375]

The glittering particles of the transporter beam deposited a young man on the ancient ground of his home. He took in a deep breath of the crisp spring air and sighed deeply. Ensign Rhys Williams was home. He stood on the bank of a narrow straight of water over which ran a large impressive bridge. Little boats bobbed up and down on the water their white sails flapping in the breeze manned by people’s who’s methods had not changed in hundreds possibly even thousands of years. Coasting along here and there were some more modern equivalents barely kissing the surface of the water.

Rhys smiled at the water and had the urge to dive in. However the faint chill breeze kissing his skin made him reconsider that idea for the moment. Instead he turned his gaze across the water to the mainland and could just make out through the veil of spring mist the shape of Snowdon a small but proud mountain around which hills and valleys huddled. He could see the familiar slate walls dotting the countryside and the small white shapes of sheep grazing happily. Finally his eyes followed the coast on his side of the water and settled on the landmark that always made him feel like he was nearly home. The grey slightly forbidding Plas Newydd, a country estate that had been built by the old Lords of Anglesey.

This was what he had needed none of the nonsense he was being fed by Karla Fischer his counselor. He wanted to get back to work as quickly as possible, and she was stopping him. Well he shrugged and thought to himself if they were not going to let him back into service he may as well take this time off to visit home. She had said she was worried about him and so on, so what if he had been a bit stressed didn’t everyone after your ship was destroyed with most of the crew?

The USS Mercia, not a very famous ship, not in the grand scheme of things an important one. It was no Enterprise, no one was going to be painting pictures of it or making models of it. However, it had been his first ship and so far his only. It was natural he would be upset. Not to mention all the crew. He had struggled to make friends to form relationships but there had been a few… and well he intended to take a few weeks off and report back for active duty. That was all there was to it.

The journey to his home was a pleasant walk through a countryside he had happily explored as a boy. It bought back pleasant memories of and idyllic childhood, at least in his view. When he arrived in the village at the foot of the Menai Bridge the smile had started to fade just a touch. He was not quite sure why buy an uneasiness began to grow in the bit of his stomach. The Williams family home stood on a road overlooking the sea, one cottage in a small line of them built tall and narrow. The anxiety grew and grew, he started to feel a sweat come over his skin despite the pleasant cool temperature. He hesitated out side the door, his fingers hovering over the door handle. “Rhys?” He heard a voice behind him, standing behind him was a young woman with flaming red hair and holding onto her leg was a small girl about four or five years old looking up at him with curiosity. The young woman smiled a genuine smile and said in the sing song tones of welsh, “Dda gweld chi. Croeso adref!”

His found his heart beating harder. “Thanks.... its good to be home.” He smiled back, his smile was not genuine however, it remained where it was but the rest of his face seemed to dissolve around it. He had known there was a chance he might see her again, why was he dreading speaking to her. Her own smile faded as she caught his look, and saw his once vibrant eyes dulled, unfocused and empty. The small child raced forward and put her arms around him as high as she could reach. “Uncle Rhys!” She grinned.

The woman’s smile returned. “Would you like to pop round to our place? John is cooking you must be tired of all that synthetic stuff. It must be great to be back. Home is where the heart is after all.” Rhys stared at her dumbly, and then ruffled the child’s hair affectionately. “Yes of course.” He tried to smile as warmly as possible. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Re: [2375/Earth] Home is where the Darkness is

Reply #1 – December 24, 2018, 01:33:50 AM

[Ens. Rhys Williams| Earth| Angelsey Wales| 2375]

Next door had the look of most houses in which a small child lives. There was evidence of the battle her parents had fought to keep the place clean and tidy, it was a battle they were loosing very handily. In fact were it a real battle the girl’s parents ought to be blowing the horn signalling retreat. Toys littered the carpeted spaces like bodies on a battlefield. One in fact was a toy Starfleet officer in a red command uniform. There was a flash inside Rhys’ head and for a moment he saw the first officer of the Mercia his lifeless body trapped…

Rhys fought back the urge to be sick. He rather hoped Hannah the woman who had met him outside had not noticed. They had been friends since they were little. Rhys being who he was had been utterly in love with her but unable to say anything. She herself had always regarded him as the little brother she never had, even though they were the same age. Alice her daughter had been brought up to call him Uncle and he had doted on her like she was related to him.

Rhys’ hand was still being clutched tightly by the small girl. He grip was surprisingly strong and he felt he might need to massage it at some point to get the blood flowing into his hand again. Little Alice was a live wire of energy, her excited little mouth did not stop moving the entire time he was in her presence. She was dragging him towards her room with surprising strength and animatedly explaining the latest toy she had been bought. Rhys, the good uncle he was, feigned interest with the skill of an actor. Alice like all children, at least in Rhys’ view could smell weakness. He was the weak link in this group and consequently had spent much of the time in her company being a cross between a climbing frame and a cuddly toy.

“Alice...” Hannah her mother looked sternly at her young daughter. “Calm down… you are way too over excited. Now sit down I am about to bring lunch out.” Alice grinned and took her place at table small dinning table, one half of which was covered in a mixture of toys and what looked to Rhys like PADDs of Alice’s homework. “Sorry mum.” Said Alice in a tone of voice that indicated she was not sorry at all but food at the moment was taking precedence over her favourite Uncle.

Rhys looked at the table and back at Hannah. “If you are about to have lunch… are you sure I am not intruding?”

“Ha. Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve made Shepard’s pie and I always make too much.” Hannah shook her head and noted Rhys was still standing. She gave him a stern motherly look. “Sit down.”Rhys found his legs obeying him without his head really being involved in the whole situation. Rhys watched Hannah as she busied herself in the small kitchen dishing up food. “Where is John?” He asked after her husband. She chuckled to herself. “Probably getting his head kicked in.” She noted Rhys’ puzzled expression, “He’s playing Rugby.” Rhys nodded. In many ways John was built for rugby, he was not tall but he was very powerfully built with a lower centre of gravity. Rhys always remembered him as as a boisterous and bombastic guy who always had a tale to tell.

Hannah produced two plates of Shepard’s pie and placed them in front of him and Alice. Alice immediately set about demolishing the meal. He gave a small amused smile at her, she was a small girl who ate like a complete glutton. Hannah returned to the table with her own food, she took a few mouthfuls then looked pointedly at him. “We heard about your ship.” Her tone was kindly and delicate rather like she was tip toeing around someone who would break at the slightest word. He resented that a little after all he was fine. “Are you doing ok?”

“I am fine.” He said quickly and without much feeling. Hannah stared at him, it was a look that told him she did not believe him for a moment. “As you can see I’m uninjured.” He said raising his arms in a gesture displaying that he was physically intact. She sighed heavily, “That is not what I meant and you know it.” She rubbed her temple irritably, “It was your first ship in a matter of months she was destroyed with most of the crew.” Rhys felt his jaw lock but he said nothing. She waved her hand trying to think of a way to put what she had to say next, without upsetting him. “You’ve always… struggled to...”

“What?” He said stony faced and irritated.

She bit her lip, “...cope with stress.” Her face indicated that she was aware this was not going well but wanted him to hear her out. “Stop babying me!” He snapped. His voice sounded a little high and tense even to his own ears which only annoyed him more. “Every one has been treating me for weeks like some vase that may break at any moment. I am fine. They wanted me to go for counselling and I said no.”

Hannah was a little taken aback, but rallied, “That might have been a mistake.” Rhys muttered under his breath, “Look at they way you're behaving… something is clearly wrong.”

Suddenly Alice dropped her spoon on her plate and glared at both of them. “No fighting at the table!” She said dispensing the words of wisdom of one of her teachers at school. Rhys looked at her for a moment. “You are right Alice.” He looked at Hannah, “Thank you for Lunch I am going home.” With that he stepped outside and went into his house. Hannah stared after him glumly. “Perfect.” She shook her head.