Getting Things Done

by jmiland1 Tue May 26, 2009 7:38 pm

Joshua finished moving his things into the bedroom, and, taking a look around, saw how little space he actually took up. Whenever he had noticed this in the past, he’d always felt a bit proud of it—in a sort of quasi-Buddhist, “never have more than you can bring with you if you have to leave” sort of way—but now he felt a bit sad about it. Bitter, and diminished.
Was this all he had gathered in his life? Was this all he had accomplished?
He’d built a small bookcase to hold the few titles he’d brought with him from Philadelphia. Most of his clothes were still in his suitcase, although he had a couple of cardboard boxes to hold the overflow. He had a gun cleaning kit, and two boxes of ammo for the Beretta, but ever since the obelisk fight he didn’t have a gun. He’d have to talk to West about that, when he got a chance.
He’d bought a knife to replace the leaden one that had been destroyed—he’d made it, when he was 19, and dedicated it not long after, and now it was dust in the Shadow—a simple knife bought at a store in the mall. Not great, but servicable. A Louisville Slugger was the only other real weapon he had, purchased at a Toys R Us a couple of weeks ago. That was it in terms of arms.
He felt like a failure. For all that he’d tried to walk his path, somewhere he’d gotten it wrong; and now, when he actually had a place and some responsibility, he’d fouled up. What was a Sentinel without weaponry? How was he to do his job? The obelisk fight had been the first time he’d gone up against something purely magical, something that couldn’t just be kicked or choked, and he’d seen how ill-prepared he was for that.
He needed to rededicate himself. He needed to focus.
These people needed him.
Leaving the bedroom, Joshua went out to see what he could do to improve the rest of the Sanctum.