Timbers for the Fire (Esmeralda CD)
Jun 18, 2021 0:14:06 GMT -5
SWAT Team, robriot, and 2 more like this
Post by vastrix on Jun 18, 2021 0:14:06 GMT -5
The Bankhead Neighborhood in Atlanta, Georgia.
There is a pounding at the door of a small apartment building. In the kitchen, William and Ava Fisher worriedly look out through the window to a line of people leaving the apartment building with barely more than the clothes on their back. Someone has been buying out leases and forcing people to move out right away and starting over somewhere else. William and Ava are one of the few families that have refused this very generous offer for they have no place else to go. No family or friends elsewhere to live with until they can find new lodgings.
The pounding stops for a moment and Ava Fisher lets out the breath that she had been holding. She jumps when the pounding starts up elsewhere on the same floor. A family of six that had also refused to sell out.
William Fisher: The Spencers will be fine, Ava. They’re trying scare tactics to get us out.
Ava looks down to where dumpsters are being filled with the belongings of the people who used to live in the apartment building. One by one, these dumpsters are being lit on fire.
Ava Fisher: Will…I am scared. Maybe we should just take the payment and live in a hotel for a month.
William Fisher: These people can’t force us out. I won’t-
William stops talking and Ava screams as they hear the first gunshot. Five more gunshots follow. Ava hugs William tight, now frightened out of her mind.
Ava Fisher: The Spencers…
William wipes at his eyes before Ava can see that he’s crying.
William Fisher: I’m sure those were shots into the ceiling. To scare the Spencers into taking the payment.
It isn’t long before stomping footsteps come closer and the pounding at the door begins again. Ava buries her face into William’s shoulder, openly weeping.
Ava Fisher: What do we do?
With a loud crack and the splintering of wood, the door to the apartment is kicked in.
William Fisher: Get behind me.
William stands to face the doorway that the front door would lead to and sees Gerald Kingston, the head of security for the squads that have been evicting people. William notes that Gerald has a gun in his hand.
William Fisher: We’ll take the buyout.
Gerald just chuckles, a wicked grin on his face as he turns the gun in his hand toward William.
Gerald Kingston: That offer just expired. Your current choices are to leave now and never look back or die and have your corpses burned with the rest of this garbage.
Ava Fisher: No!
William Fisher: You can’t. You can’t do that. I’ll call the police!
Gerald nods, appearing to be somewhat thoughtful.
Gerald Kingston: Call them. You think if we hadn’t already mollified the police that they wouldn’t have already been out here because of the constant dumpster fires that have been raging for weeks? There’s no hope.
Ava Fisher: The Bankhead Boogeyman…
Gerald Kingston: Silly little bitch, we’ve covered ALL of our bases. Do you think we would have started a project on this scale while having the little vigilante around?
Ava Fisher: No?
William Fisher: Please…just buy us out and let us go. We don’t have the kind of savings we need to start a new life.
Gerald Kingston: You are right. Let me get the paperwork together for your buy out so we can get you payment.
Gerald walks toward the doorway and stops.
Gerald Kingston: Your payment.
He fires twice without another word and while we don’t see the Fishers fall, there’s two thumps.
Gerald walks out the door to the apartment where a clean up team is waiting to get the belongings of the Fishers into one of the many dumpster fires.
Gerald Kingston: That’s the last of the holdouts. Get this shit done so we can get in the security people and their families that will be protecting the server building.
The clean up crew go into the apartment and begin their work while Gerald exits the apartment building. He stands well away from the dumpster fires raging around the many apartment buildings in a circle around the one that they had emptied first. He gets out his cell phone and places a video call. It rings a few times before Esmeralda von Krauss answers. She looks at Gerald in a bored sort of way.
Esmeralda von Krauss: You have a report for me, dahling?
Gerald Kingston: We are ahead of schedule. The last of the buildings in the secure zone are cleared of residents. We should have them move in ready by the end of the week, Mrs Von Krauss.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Any timber for the fires?
Gerald Kingston: Some.
This does bring a smile to Esmeralda’s face.
Esmeralda von Krauss: This is good news, dahling. If they would not have refused the most generous payment, they would not be food for the fires. Keep me updated, Kingston.
Gerald Kingston: Of course, Mrs Von Krauss.
Gerald hangs up the phone and watches as the silhouette of a human form falls from a window to land in a dumpster that’s burning. Black, greasy smoke begins to rise up from the fire. Far from upsetting to Gerald, he hums a little tune as he lights a cigarette and watches the end to the line of people retreating from the area vanish from sight.
Gerald Kingston: I will be rewarded for my actions…
There is a pounding at the door of a small apartment building. In the kitchen, William and Ava Fisher worriedly look out through the window to a line of people leaving the apartment building with barely more than the clothes on their back. Someone has been buying out leases and forcing people to move out right away and starting over somewhere else. William and Ava are one of the few families that have refused this very generous offer for they have no place else to go. No family or friends elsewhere to live with until they can find new lodgings.
The pounding stops for a moment and Ava Fisher lets out the breath that she had been holding. She jumps when the pounding starts up elsewhere on the same floor. A family of six that had also refused to sell out.
William Fisher: The Spencers will be fine, Ava. They’re trying scare tactics to get us out.
Ava looks down to where dumpsters are being filled with the belongings of the people who used to live in the apartment building. One by one, these dumpsters are being lit on fire.
Ava Fisher: Will…I am scared. Maybe we should just take the payment and live in a hotel for a month.
William Fisher: These people can’t force us out. I won’t-
William stops talking and Ava screams as they hear the first gunshot. Five more gunshots follow. Ava hugs William tight, now frightened out of her mind.
Ava Fisher: The Spencers…
William wipes at his eyes before Ava can see that he’s crying.
William Fisher: I’m sure those were shots into the ceiling. To scare the Spencers into taking the payment.
It isn’t long before stomping footsteps come closer and the pounding at the door begins again. Ava buries her face into William’s shoulder, openly weeping.
Ava Fisher: What do we do?
With a loud crack and the splintering of wood, the door to the apartment is kicked in.
William Fisher: Get behind me.
William stands to face the doorway that the front door would lead to and sees Gerald Kingston, the head of security for the squads that have been evicting people. William notes that Gerald has a gun in his hand.
William Fisher: We’ll take the buyout.
Gerald just chuckles, a wicked grin on his face as he turns the gun in his hand toward William.
Gerald Kingston: That offer just expired. Your current choices are to leave now and never look back or die and have your corpses burned with the rest of this garbage.
Ava Fisher: No!
William Fisher: You can’t. You can’t do that. I’ll call the police!
Gerald nods, appearing to be somewhat thoughtful.
Gerald Kingston: Call them. You think if we hadn’t already mollified the police that they wouldn’t have already been out here because of the constant dumpster fires that have been raging for weeks? There’s no hope.
Ava Fisher: The Bankhead Boogeyman…
Gerald Kingston: Silly little bitch, we’ve covered ALL of our bases. Do you think we would have started a project on this scale while having the little vigilante around?
Ava Fisher: No?
William Fisher: Please…just buy us out and let us go. We don’t have the kind of savings we need to start a new life.
Gerald Kingston: You are right. Let me get the paperwork together for your buy out so we can get you payment.
Gerald walks toward the doorway and stops.
Gerald Kingston: Your payment.
He fires twice without another word and while we don’t see the Fishers fall, there’s two thumps.
Gerald walks out the door to the apartment where a clean up team is waiting to get the belongings of the Fishers into one of the many dumpster fires.
Gerald Kingston: That’s the last of the holdouts. Get this shit done so we can get in the security people and their families that will be protecting the server building.
The clean up crew go into the apartment and begin their work while Gerald exits the apartment building. He stands well away from the dumpster fires raging around the many apartment buildings in a circle around the one that they had emptied first. He gets out his cell phone and places a video call. It rings a few times before Esmeralda von Krauss answers. She looks at Gerald in a bored sort of way.
Esmeralda von Krauss: You have a report for me, dahling?
Gerald Kingston: We are ahead of schedule. The last of the buildings in the secure zone are cleared of residents. We should have them move in ready by the end of the week, Mrs Von Krauss.
Esmeralda von Krauss: Any timber for the fires?
Gerald Kingston: Some.
This does bring a smile to Esmeralda’s face.
Esmeralda von Krauss: This is good news, dahling. If they would not have refused the most generous payment, they would not be food for the fires. Keep me updated, Kingston.
Gerald Kingston: Of course, Mrs Von Krauss.
Gerald hangs up the phone and watches as the silhouette of a human form falls from a window to land in a dumpster that’s burning. Black, greasy smoke begins to rise up from the fire. Far from upsetting to Gerald, he hums a little tune as he lights a cigarette and watches the end to the line of people retreating from the area vanish from sight.
Gerald Kingston: I will be rewarded for my actions…
