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Holding the lantern out, he went over to the tall table with its scarred top and its countless tools and the drawings that had been tacked to the bare wall studs behind it There were blocks of wood that would never see an artistic forurines that were half-whittled, the rabbits, birds, squirrels, and flowers looking as if they were struggling to pull free of their squares

There was also an extensive shelving system across the here his father had lined up his finished products It was like a woodland scene, the winsoether in a , cli tiny, intricate trees and perfectly carved rocks

Axe hated to see what his father had been able to do

The skill was that of a ed incare of collectors

And yet they were sitting here in the baseht it all on fire Just burn it all

It was too fucking pathetic that thethis shit because he was hoping a feht be impressed when she came back

But see, Axe had alanted to say, she ain’t coht

His father had been such a gentle entle soul for sure And commensurate with his nature, he hadn’t dealt with the betrayal by drinking and getting violent, by turning into athe little boy who had been left behind with hihost that drifted in and out of the roo this space down here

Axe had hated him for the weakness

And yeah, a part of hiht of the raids had fucked all that righteous anger up--adding a watershed of self-hatred and guilt on top of the psychotic sundae he’d already been carrying around with him 24/7

God, why the hell was he down here?

Well, that was a no-duh if he’d ever seen one

Axe ignored the fact that he stumbled a little as he headed back for the stairs, and he took the lantern up with hi it at the top by the door into the kitchen

Needing so, to focus on aside fros, he went back to his leather jacket and got out his phone Except he wasn’t sure exactly who he was going to call or text

Not Elise, that et to his nearly eh

Somebody had left hinized

As he played the e, he frowned--but tords in, and he kneho it was

Good evening, Axwelle This is Elise’s sire There is an additional service you could provide rateful if you would call upon me tomorrow eve, an hour after sundown I shall look forward to your presence Thank you

What the hell was this about?

From out of nowhere, the hu he had always thought of as part cancer, part dragon, standing up on its hindquarters and starting to roar