character sketch: christopher cowman (part 2)

here's the back story i promised last time. including this, there seems to be more information on christopher than even harriot. that may be 'technically' true, but this is just a single anecdote that sums christopher's impetus, whereas harriot's character is much more open ended. but enough self-criticism, here's the events that led to the present incarnation (relatively speaking) of christopher cowman.

as a teen, christopher had a crush on this cute red head he'd seen while working at his father's garage. apparently her family had just moved to town and were getting settled. he didn't even know her name, but he knew he'd marry her. the thought made him sad sometimes, but he didn't know why. one day he came across her being accosted by two obviously drunk men. this was the first time he'd ever let his anger flare as hot as it did. afterwards, he'd never remember actually doing anything. he does remember images like photographs flashing in his mind: him sitting over each of the mens' bodies, bashing their skulls in with a rock. she was passed out, so he picked her up and carried her to the doctor. she came to on the way and realized who she was with. she hugged him tight and in between sobs kept repeating "thank you thank you thank you" all the way to the doctor.

he finally learned that lilly was her name. she and christopher were inseparable for the next couple of weeks and were married within a month of his rescue. not long after that, he found out he was going to be a father.

it was inevitable that their relationship would begin to chafe young christopher. he couldn't leave lilly alone when he left for work, so everyday he'd drop her off and pick her up from her folk's home, and every night he'd stay home with her. one night, about three months into the marriage, he lost his patience with her dependance on him. he wanted to go out, and she didn't want to be left alone. heated words were exchanged, and lilly said that christopher wasn't her baby's father.

his anger flared. it didn't matter that it was true or not. as his fingers clenched, shock and horror for what he was about to do swelled in his mind, but not enough to diminish his fury. the image of his fist flying at lilly's face was smothered by the lightning that showed him hanging by the neck from a gallows, surrounded by the hateful, the curious and the disinterested.

when he regained control of his faculties, lilly lay at his feet, bleeding from a gash on her head. panicked, he carried her to his truck and took her to the doctor, but she was dead before they got there.

christopher slipped out while the doctor was calling the police. he knew what was in store for him, and he knew he deserved it, but he was more terrified than at any other time in his life. so he ran. all he could think of was to run, that and the images of lilly's and his death burning in his head.