Page 65 - Litteratteur Redefining World December issue

Litterateur redefining world December 2020

You can’t do this. You don’t have the right. I didn’t sign up for this. It’s illegal.

Roberto stood across from William, the generator a guilty party between them. The
cover was off, parts taken out and lying on the concrete floor. Roberto had been
trying to get it started, again. The sun shone through the open doors.

Legal? Illegal? Little boy, what is the difference out here? You work, get paid, have
your holiday. After all that we have done together, you cannot leave. You will get
what you are owed, but only when the wine is pressed and in the barrels. Then you
can go. I will even drive you to the city, no bus. You can fly away wherever you wish
from there.

William realised then that he was stuck. Roberto would take the keys that he
typically left in the truck and hide them, and it was too far to walk to town. Even if he
walked in the cool of night it would take him two or three days. He might get lucky
and hitch a lift but there were no guarantees in this countryside. He didn’t really have
a choice.

The day that followed played out like the last; in the vines, working in silence. Then
the drive back in the gloaming, a silent meal and bed. William extinguished the
candle with his fingers. The sting of the burning wick didn’t hurt as much as he’d
hoped it might.

Later, when he thought about what happened next, he realised that he had sensed
Roberto before he was awake. It was his smell, the animal undertone, the prehistoric
and unevolved. As William came to full consciousness he saw Roberto in his room, a

black shape in the darkness, absorbing whatever light shone in from the stars
outside. From his outline it was clear that Roberto was naked.

Before he could will his body to move William felt his arm pinned behind his back,
yanking his wrist higher until he felt the bones bend and break. A hideous white hot
grinding pain erupted from his elbow to his neck. Then there was a huge hand and
on the back of his head, pushing his face into the pillow with impossible strength.
With his breath shallow and panting from the pain, William felt Roberto push into
him, penetrate his body. The smell of the older man was overpowering. William felt
only pain and then there was nothing, only a swimming darkness.

*****

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