Gremyne Sunsets

"Zonder, honey... Where are you?" Meegan asked.
From seemingly out of nowhere -from behind the curtain for any grownup who is playing hide and seek with a 5 year old kid. Dutifully Meegan screamed and feigned a heart attack. Zonder laughed in delight and hugged his mother.
"Mommy..."
"Yes?"
"Where's my daddy?"
"I don't know my love. I don't know. Why do you want to know?"
"Some girls told me I was a bad boy because I didn't have a father." Zonder sulked.
"You are a very good boy Zonder, don't let anyone tell you different. Where your father is doesn't have anything to do with you."
"Ok." Zonder said and kissed his mother on the cheek.
"So, what are you going to do today?"
"Talk to Winny!" Zonder shouted.
Meegan watched him go and sighed. Why he always went to Winny she did not know. The man was as close to a father as he'd ever get... and he wasn't a bad guy mind. But a pub isn't a place a kid should hang out at every day.

"Hi Winny!"
"Hi Zonder!" Winny said and smiled, "What are you doing here today?"
"Do you wanna tell a story?"
Winny shook his head and smiled. The boy never got enough of stories. Luckily Winny had more than a few to tell.
"Ok, then. Wait a bit while I serve these drinks and then I'll tell you about a big strong man called Zjneric and how he conquered a whole pack of lions barehanded!"
Zonders eyes went large with surprise: "He really did that?"
"He sure did. He played the harmonica at the same time too. That's what got the lions running, but you'll hear about that later."
Zonder jumped down from the chair he was sitting on and went behind the counter to sit on one of the large curiously shaped chairs that made it all even more exciting.
A few minutes later Winny returned and started his story: "Once upon a time there was this big strong man called Zjneric with arms and legs like trees and a back so strong he could carry two grown man..."
Somewhere in the middle of the story a commotion formed on the street outside. Winny got up and told Zonder to wait. He walked to the windows and looked through. A man on a horse came dashing through the street. He slowed down a bit and then spurred his mount even faster toward a playing boy. The little redheaded kid was a boy, about 5 years old and was called Zened. A woman hysterically tried getting the boy out of the way, but the horse now launched against both of them. The woman and the boy screamed and then became silent as the horse trampled over them.

"Meegan?" 
"Yes Winny?"
"I've brought Zonder home... We need to talk."
"Go play Zonder." His mother said and followed Winny outside.
Outside Meegan looked at the barkeeper who suddenly looked ages older than he was. He sighed and said: "Did you hear about the accident?"
"The boy and his mother that were killed? Of course I did."
"Did you also know the rider on the horse aimed for the boy first... the boy named Zened with red hair of about  years old?"
Meegan turned around and closed the door abruptly. "What?"
"They know Meegan, they know. Never tell him who is father is or they'll kill him!"

Continue to Part 2 of Zonder
Read Zende's Part 1

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All images copyrighted to me except for the dividers. I got those from Dreslough.com