Chapter 11


    From out of the foamy, chilly sea Arthur emerged still clothed in only the same filthy garb that he had


    been trapped inside of for the past few months. His crippled and decrepit body stumbled upon the


    shore with the waves pushing him down every so often.


    His entire body felt just like a soaking sponge that was full of salt and seaweed. There were traces of


    bloodced all over his beard from where he had feasted upon fish on his journey back home. His sore


    legs and arms wobbled with every step he made onto the hot beach. His eyes could barely make out


    what was in front of him. To Arthur, everything was a blur thanks in part to the saltiness that had


    encrusted his eyelids.


    His long excursion in the water never seemed to weigh too heavily upon his mind; instead he was


    enamored with just being on the shores of his homnd after such a long period of time. Just being


    able to walk barefoot upon the sands granted him a momentary respite from the overbearing pain that


    both his body and soul was in.


    Arthur plodded across the near empty beach. The people in the far away distance were mere dots in


    his eyes. He could havemitted ghastly murder where he was and no one would have noticed. He


    kept on and on until a presence suddenly seized his entire being. Arthur stopped right where he was


    and gazed all around the open area before his eyes eventually caught sight of something just a few


    yards ahead of him. He stammered down the beach beforeing to what appeared to be pieces of


    burnt wood just scattered aimlessly on the shore. There were remnants of what looked to be the


    ragged remains of a former structure, possibly a tiny hut at one time.


    Arthur knelt down and studied the ck pieces of wood before his eyes connected with small, white


    fragments to his immediate left. The man reached over and picked up the objects before realizing what


    exactly they were.Text ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.


    He smelled and licked the bone fragments before he tossed them back down to the sand. Arthur then


    stood back up, and with a disgruntled re on his old face he began to walk away only to be suddenly


    halted by the sound of someone aching right behind him.


    Arthur slowly turned around as the waves from the sea came tickling at his feet. He listened to the


    agonizing grunt in front of him carry on before the ashes and bone fragments on the sand began to


    swirl about forming a sandy pair of legs, arms, hands and eventually a head from out of nowhere.


    Arthur stood inplete stillness at the astonishing sight that he of all people should have never been


    amazed at to begin with. The figure was nothing more than a form of ck dirt and sand, but the eyes


    that appeared from within it caused Arthur to fall to his knees in a heap.


    The figure stumbled about wheezing and gasping for air while standing above Arthur. "Why are you


    here?" The apparition grunted.


    Weeping with his face to the sand, Arthur replied, "Forgive me, papa, I have returned!"


    The thing stood and peered down at Arthur with its pair of white eyes. "But you return a disgrace, boy.


    You, above us all, were a god. Now...you are just like dey are."


    "No, papa, de master has granted me favor!" Arthur beseeched.


    "The master granted you de most of his favor, and you have perverted it."


    "Forgive me, papa!"


    "Stand before me, boy."


    At once Arthur stood back up only to have the creature p him right across the face which in turn


    caused him to fall backwards onto the sand.


    "You dare stand dere and plead your case!" The thing raised its scratchy voice. "You are not worthy of


    de gift. You are a disgrace to de master."


    "But I have taken my sister''s life!"


    "She is not my concern. I only seek to serve de master. Now, rise."


    Once more Arthur got to his feet while rubbing his stinging face. "Papa, if only you could see—


    "I see only de son I wish I never had. You should have died back dere in dat country. I wish only death


    for you. I look upon you no more."


    "Papa," Arthur screamed with a raised right hand.


    Arthur helplessly watched as the waves from the sea came and doused the ghostpletely out of


    sight while only knocking him aside. Arthur looked up to see only sand and ck ash being carried


    back out to the sea. With tears in his eyes the man looked towards a forest before gathering his wits


    and walking away in hostile silence, never to look back again at the disgrace that caused him to think


    twice about departing his homnd to begin with.