The Knights of Darkness: 2

see Part one here

Art by Andy Norton

Two

      

 The crummy playpen had holes big enough to reach his scrawny hands through. The rash on the skin under his wet diaper hurts. Jack doesn't cry anymore, he knows no one will come. The T.V. blares its sounds and broken color as a crack on the screen shows half the picture. He listens and waits for the “yellers” to come home; if he's lucky they might remember him. If he's lucky they might give him something to eat. But he knows they forget a lot, and drink from bottles that make them yell more, and sleep more. He remembers the spider he ate, and wonders if he sits still enough maybe another one or something better will come by, if he's lucky.

        

Mommy snuggles Bruce close to her as the plane slowly descends into Italy. The yearly trip took its toll on the little two year old who hasn't grown accustomed to the traveling the Wayne's enjoyed. She softly runs her fingers through is hair and sings to him and wipes the tears off his chubby cheeks. Still too young to know any better, young Bruce has no idea that his mother, Martha, once again denied Alfred’s suggestion for a nanny on this trip. Martha demanded to be the sole caretaker of her son on their family vacation. His father, Tomas, sat snoring in his seat next to Mother and Son, it was his loud snoring that finally lullabied this chubby cherub into sleep and dreams.



The Knights of Darkness: 3