(005)
“On 3.” Ben positions himself closer to the water on his hands and knees and Ollie follows.
“1…2…3!” Both the boys’ heads drop towards the water, but only Ollie’s goes in. Ben stops with his nose against the surface for a moment, making sure that Ollie’s is submerged, then he rocks back up onto his feet and tip toes behind him.
Ollie has fully committed, head all the way under trying to prove that he can finally beat his big brother in something, innocent to the fact that the game, as always, was rigged against him. Ben reaches down towards the exposed elastic of Ollie’s underwear when a shadow passes over him, followed by a gust of wind.
He flinches as a large shape flies into his peripheral vision, landing a couple of metres to their right on two bright red beanpole legs, its black and white back facing towards them.
Ben remains still in his flinched position, shoulders hunched and hands still hovering above the hem of his brother’s underwear. He watches with bated breath as the bird, which is at least his height if not taller, turns towards the water, before twisting its neck to regard them both, head cocked at an angle. Its eyes are a piercing blue with a strip of black across it, as if the bird wore makeup. It turns its body towards them, its head swivelling on a serpentine white neck. It opens and closes its sharp red beak in a short burst. The clattering noise it makes sets Ben’s nerves further on edge. But within the fear is something else.
‘One more step towards him, and I’ll run at it.’
It was a feeling of protectiveness that he’d never felt before. When he had found out he was going to have a brother he cried and begged his parents not to get one, but now, he knew in his stomach that if he had to, he would stand between him and anything that would hurt him. Suddenly Ollie’s head bursts out from the water, startling them both, with the bird turning and taking flight down the river, and Ollie coughing and gasping for air, eyes closed to stop the water getting in.
“Did I win!?” Ollie sputters out, frantically wiping the water away from his face.
Ben watches as the bird effortlessly soars behind the treeline, finally disappearing from view, then looks down at his little brother.
“Yeah,” Ben places his hands under Ollie’s arms and lifts him up onto his feet, grinning, “you won.”
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