No Good Golem

Ha!

Two months of hard work, up first every morning, all before greetings and chores. Crushed to nothing in a moment.

Gil's jaw was slack, breath shallow. Emotions a vacuum.

Then the sound of a girl's hysterical laughter broke his shock. Solvie?

He sat up. Gil and Glen had been alone, right?

It took a moment but he collected his pieces, remembering his existence, Gil's limbs, his reality, that he had a brother and Solveig? What about Susanna? Gil's Golem raised an arm like a loving friend and Gil was pulled to his feet.

There were three people, all covered in sand and grit. There were the girls, Susan and Solveig.

Plus a foreigner. The smallness of his Golem, also the mixed dark and light of his blonde hair. Susanna was screaming in rage, the Stranger panicking over a lute and Solveig hysterical, which was new.

From behind Gil, new laughter came from his brother before he put an arm around him and hugged, then squeezed, then crushed down. Gil's Golem had turned white glowing softly as he cried out. The laughter and joy was squeezed out of the area, replaced by Gilliam's struggle.

"What was that?" Glen screamed. "What did you use?"

"My Golem!" Gil cried out.

"Nonsense!" Glen demanded. "I saw your Golem. It was next to us!"

"My other Golem!" He screamed.

Another Golem?

The whole area earned a whole new silence. Jaws newly slackened.

"What are you saying?"

His brother asked. Gil retreated half a step, which made Glen frown.

"Show it to me!" Glen demanded.

The collection of rocks that made Gil's Golem stood next to him, faceless. Then a collection of bone shivered out of the soil. Its ivory long and thin, collected to look like a massive hulking cat with long sabre-like teeth. They all retreated as if chased, forming a defensive circle around him.

"Boy! You have two Golems? How old are you?" The awestruck stranger asked.

"The boy is thirteen." Susanna said.

"His name is Gilliam, Susanna." Said Glen from a concerning place.

It was enough to make the younger Susanna drop her head to avoid eye contact. Their moment lingered before the stranger spoke up.

"One can be as old as thirty before a second Golem even starts to solidify, let alone." He trailed off. "Yours has shape, form? Individualism?"

Gil nodded.

"Is that its individual form?"

It took a moment but then Gil nodded. That left everyone quiet. Then Susanna jumped up, sand burst up from the girl's braids. It was genuinely amazing how bad she looked under a layer of sand.

"Why are you all acting like he produced a demon instead of a Golem?" Susan asked.

They all turned their heads to her like she was the new strange one.

"Susan! You are being funny, yes?" Solveig asked.

"No, what am I missing?" Susan asked.

"I do not care to explain, or let Solvie explain what your family should teach. Gilliam, Boyyo. How… long?" Glen asked.

"Since I was ten." Gil said.

"For three years? And mother? Does at least she know?" Glen asked.

"No." Gil said.

Glen suddenly looked pained, which made Gil shrink like a beaten dog.

"I'm going home." Glen said.

"Brothah!"

"No!" He snapped.

Glen got up and walked toward the lights of the village. It left the foursome alone. Solveig was the first to move, getting up and cupping the boy's hand.

'It'll be okay, he'll forgive you.' Were the words needed. But instead, she said nothing.

"Boy! The Golem." The stranger said.

"Don't! Can't you see he is distraught." Solveig reprimanded.

"I apologize. But, unfortunately, I feel."

"Stop!"

But it was too late, panicked and tearful, the boy ran away into the darkness and away from the village. The two Golems chasing after, the one rolling into the shape of a boulder and the cat bounding after.

"See! Look I think the fun is over. Um… sorry. I appear to forget your name."

"Jerome, Jerome vir'Aba, of Air."

"I believe it is best you leave us. You are a stranger, he will not listen while you are here. Come Susan."

"Sister!" Susanna complained.

The pair glared at each other.

"Susanna Ysu'N! Go collect your husband!"

"Husband?" Jerome called out.

"He is not my husband!" Yelled Susanna.

Susanna shut up when she remembered herself. They were all staring at each other, Solveig suddenly giant, her arms crossed to make a menacing figure under all that sand.

Jerome nodded, genuflected and retreated, leaving the two.

The world was suddenly a darker place. They were still glaring when Solveig's Golem growled and ambled away like a real bear. Solveig grunted and ambled after it, hands securely in her pockets.