The Watchmen Files // The Christmas Edition // Chapter Nine // Because They're Angels

Hey everybody!

It's Darrion, with another chapter of the Watchmen Files, the Christmas Edition! I have defeated writer's block once again! :) Even with a busy week.

   My room is now in our upstairs, attic-ish bedroom. And Willow will get my old room and turn it into a 'crafty studio', or something like that...

   Anyway, on to the chapter! It's a rather short one, but here we go...

This song doesn't even go super well with the chapter, but man, it's pretty to listen to :)

   "Pass me the red box, please." Conner stretched over the piles of Christmas ornaments that were cluttering every once open surface for a certain container. Finding it, he handed them to Tessa. "Careful, you don't want to drop those ones."

   Being a curious type, she questioned him. "Why not?"

   Gently suspending a Santa Clause ornament on one of the higher branches of the elegant noble Christmas tree, Mrs. Harrison answered for him. "That one has all of the fun ones in it! You know, the personal ones we get every year."

   As Tessa examined the variety of ornaments, the rest of the family continued hanging them up. The tree had already been wrapped in colorful Christmas lights (courtesy of Mr. Harrison), and was now being laden with little pieces of art. 'What Child is This' was playing, and Mason hummed along with it as he lifted Ava so she could reach the top branches.

   There was only one person who wasn't decorating, and that was Mr. Harrison. He was glued to the TV screen that was in the living room, no matter how many boxes piled up around it.

   "Isaiah, aren't you going to help us decorate the tree, deer?" Mrs. Harrison suggested.

   "Oh no..." he muttered, seemingly not hearing her.

   "Isaiah?"

   Still watching the screen, he motioned for them to come over. "Boys, you've got to see this."

   Mason and Conner jumped the assortment of boxes to the TV as Mr. Harrison turned on the volume.

   "...For a story gone viral," The new anchor announced, "we go to James on Grove Street. James?"

   The camera went to a snowy parking lot where a reporter stood with a microphone. "Thank you, Molly. George Pace was at the grocery store with his eight year old son, Oliver, getting medicine for his wife who has cancer when his son disappeared. The boy bought a pair of red high heels for his mother, and started to leave the store when a man ran up and grabbed it from him."
   The camera was now on a recorded interview with Oliver. "He just grabbed it."

   "What did you do?" the reporter asked from off of screen.

   "I yelled for help."

   The camera was back on the reporter as he continued, "The thief made it about half way down the parking lot when two strangers tried to take it back from him. Witnesses say he punched one of them in the face and tried to steal a woman's van. The owner of the van turned on her cellphone and started recording," he explained as the pixalated video came on screen. The van was swerving away, but both of them knew what was going to happen next.

   "The second man grabs onto the steering wheel, causing the van to go out of control. The thief pushes him off, but amazingly he doesn't lose grip of the wheel in the process, and it ends up on the ground with him. With no steering, the vehicle goes out of control and hits a lamppost."

   The video was shaky as the woman ran up to her car, still focused on the two men.

   "Both of the men seem to be fine, getting up and taking back the shoebox from the thief. They have what looks like a small argument with each other before George Pace and his son Oliver found them, and he apologizes."

   The cellphone video was back, giving them both picture and sound. The phone turned to Mason who was shrugging. "It's fine sir, just doing my civil duty. And besides, I wasn't the only guy to get him. Oh, sorry about your car."

   Mason flinched. His entire face could easily be seen in that shot.

   "It's fine-"

   "What are you doing? Are you videotaping this?" Conner's voice could be heard, and she turned the camera to show him.

   "Oh yeah!"

   "Oh, please... no videos."

   "Are you kidding? You guys are heroes!"

   Mason's hand covered the camera lens, but you could still hear him say, "No. we're actually not..."

   "We should go."

   The newsman was back on. "They were so camera shy that they left the scene before the police could even get there, and have not been identified.

   The police arrested the man, who has a appointment with court soon. He has previous warrants out for breaking and entering, theft, and assault.

   The shoes were returned to Oliver, who says that he's going to wait to give them to his mom until Christmas. A Facebook page has been opened, collecting funds for her medicine and treatment. So far they've raced about half of their goal, but the numbers keep rising."

   Mr. Pace was holding Oliver, smiling. "I just want to thank everyone who's donated, and to whoever started the page in the first place. You have no idea how much God has blessed us with this money."

   Two stills of their faces were shown. "The police are asking these two men to come forward for the court trial of the thief to testify. But Oliver Pace doesn't think that they will be showing up."

   The off camera reporter asked, "Why don't you think they'll be back?"

   There was little Oliver again, leaning into the microphone. "Because they're angels."

   "This is James, back to the studio."

   Mr. Harrison turned it off, turning to the boys. "Well would you look at that."

   Mason rested his face in his hands and sighed. "Is there any way that Hydra is not going to see that?"

   "No way," Conner shook his head, fingering his chin. "They said that the story has gone viral. That's... that's very, very... not good."

   There was a moment of silence as both boys contemplated what was going on. Mason and Conner were on TV, Hydra would definitely hear about it.

   Mrs. Harrison rushed over to the window and pulled the curtains. "We'd better take extra precautions now. No going out."

   "Good thing we already bought Christmas presents," Mason noted quietly.

   Thinking of little Oliver made him smile none the less, especially what he had said at the end of that segment. He thinks I'm an angel. For some odd reason, that made Mason feel warm inside.

   "Are you in trouble?" Ava asked, snuggling closer to him, braking his train of thought.

   Smirking, he nodded, "Sort of. Only if Hydra finds us, which they won't."

   After a long moment of deafening silence, Mrs. Harrison stood up. "Alright, well, there's nothing we can do about it now, so let's just finish decorating the tree. Isaiah, are you going to put the angle on the top?"

   As the tree topper was being settled into place, Mason glanced sideways at Conner, who wasn't watching like everyone else. He was sitting on the love seat, staring at his hands. His face had gone rather pale, and he looked very, very nervous.

   "Hey?" Mason patted his shoulder. "You okay?"

   Startled, he jolted up, then relaxed and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

   But his eyes spoke otherwise.

Okay, and that's it for chapter nine! Hope you guys liked it :) Hopefully, the block of writer's will not be back for next week's chapter... thanks for tuning in, guys :)

 

Have a great one!

Always Watching,

Darrion