Color My World Short Story #10

I smiled at the little scene around me. The business that'd been the kitchen and dining room hardly ten minutes ago was gone. Prism, Desire, Coal, and Cerise had scattered off, and mom and dad had wandered into the spare bedroom to rest. They were feeling under the weather again, but they'd done their best to come down for Wisp's and Glade's birthday. The other family members who'd been here for the presents and cake had also left to return home. Wisp would meet up with his friends later to celebrate some more, but for now the festivities were over. Blaze and I stood talking while Wisp continually kept an eye on his watch for the alarm to go off. The important moment came, and the trilling beeping filled the area.

     "There we go," Wisp bounced Glade playfully. "Now you're officially a year old. Congratulations."

Glade laughed loudly at the bouncing and Wisp peppering her cheeks with kisses. I wandered over to sneak a kiss on her cheek too. Despite my best attempt at cleaning her face, she still smelled of the cake she'd messily smashed into her mouth. My lips pulled back a little bit sticky. A little bit of stickiness, of course, was nothing compared to be the mess she'd been exactly a year ago as the doctors pulled her out of me. What a day that'd been.

Gen Three- Chapter Twenty Two

Gilly and I were woken up to Merlot bursting into our room excitedly revealing grandpa had made french toast for breakfast. Our brother could be picky with his food, but if there was one thing he couldn't deny it was anything drenched in syrup. I know I certainly got a good smile out of watching him bounce around as if Christmas had come early when grandpa handed him his plate also smothered in powdered sugar. Merlot's appetite never ended, but it'd been getting worse now that he was on the fringes of puberty. He finished one plate and got another by the time I ate my first four slices.

     "Who's house did you say will you be at today, Dia?" dad asked after gulping down another large mouthful of his own second serving.

     "Arbor Thicket's, the new guy in our grade. From what I heard, he lives down by Mama Rose's and Papa Jac's house."

     "How late do you think you'll be out?"

     "I can't say for certain, but definitely not all that late. We just have to decide the first three books we'll be using for the beginning of the project. We might go to the library, but Arbor and I will most likely just decide what we want and get the books separately."

     "Alright. Call me if you want a ride home."

     "Of course."

I gave dad the biggest smile I could muster. His expression easily projected his continuing worry caused by the dead cat incident the previous afternoon. Dad was scheduled to be at the bookstore until late again, so him being willing to shirk work for a little if I needed it was quite endearing. However, I had no concerns about not being able to handle myself. I naturally still felt bad for the cat, but I wasn't going to start bursting into tears about it at this point.

Vivid Family Picture Spam

Some of the pictures I took back when I was putting together the household for Gen 2.

Color My World Behind the Scenes #4

When going around aging everyone up after the first arc, I noticed that the Yonders had adopted a cat. I normally get rid of autonomously purchased pets because I've had trouble with them getting in the way before, but the kitten had come with the name Coal, so I felt obligated to let it stay. The thing was pretty adorable too.

Gen Two- Chapter Forty Two

When Buckeye had me ground under his figurative, and sometimes literal, heel, there had been a sense of weakness that accompanied the situation. When I laid there in the hospital for weeks while finding the simple task of breathing a great chore, that had come with another kind of weakness. I was experiencing yet another version of the sensation at this moment. It was mid-afternoon, yet I couldn't believe it. All that time we spent in the courthouse felt like it took up an eternity. There had been papers to sign, seats to sit in for ridiculous amounts of time as our case kept getting pushed back due to other cases going over, the actual meeting with the judge that included me having to be in a room with Mimosa for almost way longer than I could handle, and the repercussions of the judge's decision, which included a bit more paperwork and a series of unique new emotions.

We delayed going home, because Uncle Al and Aunt Dahlia were taking Mimosa straight home. It seriously was the most awkward thing having this tension riddled case with the other when we could so easily see the other person through our respective front windows everyday. Getting away from the stress was next to impossible, which was why dad had had the smart idea to take all of us to Mr. Mosaic's bookstore. It was empty at this time of the day, I had a nice corner to hide myself in, and the rest of my family had items they could use as excuses to keep themselves away from me.

Gen Two- Chapter Forty

Given how many times I had run my hands through my hair in the past several hours, I wouldn't have been surprised if I ended up taking out chunks of my hair. I didn't even care to stop the behavior, because I didn't know what to do otherwise. The weeks had passed- slowly and agonizingly, but they passed regardless. I dreaded each new day with a fitful anticipation that had me sick to my stomach. I was certain with my bad luck that the worst would come to pass. However, a brief glimmer of hope resided in my chest when the days kept coming and going and the news didn't arrive. I wondered if I was actually safe. Of course, I could never be so lucky. The revelation came to dad by way of a text from Uncle Al earlier in the morning. When he in turn revealed it to me, I became a useless body of mixed emotions. I had always imagined hearing such information to be a happy one, and I was certainly trying to find some happiness inside me somewhere. Unfortunately, I could only sulk about the house at the moment.

     "Don't be sad, Coal," Glade stood in front of me trying to cheer me up, "You're going to be a great daddy."

Gen Two- Chapter Thirty Eight

The two of them had been talking all morning. The empty house gave them the chance to do such a thing. Mom, against all odds, had been home for weeks with next to no issues popping up past the expected aches and problems one would encounter after dealing with cancer. Uncle Blaze had taken her to the hospital for a checkup. Prism and Desire were there as well, for Desire had a checkup of her own. Well, one mostly for the baby. Cerise and Glade were away at school. That left it at dad, Grandpa Jac, me, and Doodle in the house, and Doodle was out in the yard being his crazy self running around.

I don't think dad would have stopped me if I tried to participate in the conversation he and Grandpa Jac were having, but I didn't want to have a part in the conversation. Funnily enough, I was more than done with secret organizations. Even with my lung and ribs being healed for a few weeks now, the memory of that pain refused to leave. All of my movements were cautious and considered. I even stopped every time I went up or down the stairs, like I was doing at that moment, to make sure there was nothing I could trip on.

Anyway, it had been when I'd been allowed to go from recovering at the hospital to recovering at home that I finally revealed to dad the danger that continued to haunt us. There had been no explanation. There had been no details. I told him the reality of The Company's new identity and way of existing, and I warned of the danger. He questioned me how I knew, of course, but he eventually came to accept that there would simply have to be some secrets. His trust over my utmost sincerity in the confirmation that we no longer had to worry about the mysterious organization was tentative at first. I'd been able to convince him though that we could turn to Officer Noble once more for protection. Dad had naturally also spread the word to the others who were affected, hence the serious talking with Grandpa Jac.

Gen Two- Chapter Thirty Seven

It's a strange feeling- not understanding consciousness. Not remembering what it was to be awake or, heck, even alive. There was no clear line between when I was trapped in the darkness, when some senses started to return, or when I began to recognize the noises, scents, and sensations of everything around me with any sort of clarity. The dark was familiar. It was my escape. It felt good to be there, and I didn't question its presence. What I questioned was anything that intruded the peace. Strange beeps echoed out like long trills. Distant murmurs buzzed along like slow moving clouds. A pressure, though gentle, placed itself upon my head every now and again. Sometimes I could get it all to go away if I concentrated hard enough on the quiet I could find, but it was impossible for me to keep it at bay for forever.

Gen Two- Chapter Thirty Two

The gentle crashing of the ocean waves onto the shore in the not so distant distance sang their luring song to me, but I mentally sighed and resigned myself to the fact that there would definitely be no more ocean swimming this year. The temperatures were really beginning to drop both on land and in the water. Our heated pool would have to suffice. I was comfortable standing around in the open field near the beach. However, I had heard rumors that in maybe two or three weeks we would have snow on the ground. It would be a bit early in the season still for that, but knowing my hometown I didn't doubt a freak snowfall could occur. It was beyond me how Pastel wasn't freezing, but according to her and Citrine their own hometown was much colder overall than Berrybrook was.

     "Mom's been trooping on like always," I continued my report of how things were progressing in my life, "The radiation therapy actually hasn't been affecting her too badly. She caught a fever though, so her doctor decided to keep her at the hospital until it goes away just to make sure it doesn't develop into something awful. He gave us the news that he was hoping to see a bit more improvement with decreasing the tumor than what has been seen, but it's only been two weeks. His theory for how everything will play out is that the radiation will get rid of the majority of the tumor, but not all of it. However, the decrease of cancer should give mom more strength to recover enough of her health for a surgery to take care of the last of it."
     "That's seriously good news, Coal. It sounds like everything is going the best it can." Citrine replied encouragingly.

Gen Two- Chapter Thirty One

Those two solemn words mom spoke lingered painfully in the air. Her eyes darted this way and that, but never got higher than the floor. She waited for someone to say something, for someone to react, but I think the rest of us, at least I was, were waiting for her to keep going. To say it was just a joke. To reveal it actually wasn't that serious. When the silence dragged on until it grew suffocating, I looked to dad. There was no doubt by the stunned expression he wore that mom hadn't chosen to speak to him about this beforehand.

     "Lung cancer?"

Wisp was the brave one to break the tension. Even his soft voice boomed like thunder as the horror was that immense.

     "But..but that's something that only people who smoke and stuff get!" Cerise piped up, her words dripped with denial.

     "It's more common for them, but that's not necessarily true," mom countered gently, "All the horrible bouts of pneumonia I've had are what's done it. My lungs have been weakened so much, it was the right environment for the mutations to thrive.

Gen Two- Chapter Thirty

My whole body froze in an instant. The most movement I could get was out of my fingers, and even twitching them had them feeling like they creaked and popped. What I saw almost made me feel nauseated as everything came at me in both slow motion and quickened speed. I didn't dare turn my head or blink, for I had had this dream many times. It wouldn't be long before my alarm went off. That's how it always worked. My mind would give me the sweetest but briefest moment of relief, and reality would snatch it away just like that.

     "Oh, my baby girl..."

His voice gushed softly, but his words echoed with a boom in my ears. That was his voice. The one I'd almost forgotten. I latched onto the sound with fervor. Dad rarely spoke in my dreams, and if he did the words were practically inaudible. I would try and strain to hear, I would try and get closer, and that's when it would all end.

Gen Two- Chapter Twenty Nine

Upon pulling the rolling chair closer to mom's bed, I gave her an exasperated but amused glance as I sat down in it. I thought she would be ecstatic with the news I presented her. She had instead frowned and let out a 'What?' that held an extreme mixture of shock, worry, and disapproval.

     "Please do remember that you told me to do something. 'Anything', you said. Anything," I pointed out with a grin, "Well, I picked my 'anything', so don't try to tell me now to chose a different something."

     "I know what I said, and of course I won't stop you if it's what you really want. But, a police officer? Coal, that's so dangerous."

     "I know." I accepted with a nod.

     "Berrybrook is a relatively calm place where there's not much going on, but there still have been murders. There is still crime scattered here and there, and it was just seven months ago where an officer in the department you'd most likely end up in got brutally stabbed and dropped out a window. You can't blame me for being hesitant about this."

     "No, I know," I repeated, much more solemnly this time, "I definitely don't blame you, and I certainly understand. Truth be told, I have become more nervous about it as the excitement has been wearing off and the reality of what being a cop entails sinks in. However, I'm determined to go for it no matter what. This is what I want."

Gen Two- Chapter Twenty Four

A bizarre mixture of nostalgia, amusement, and sadness swirled together in my chest. It was a bit before lunch on a Friday about a month into the new school year. There was no school on this particular Friday as there was some kind of mandatory training going on for all the teachers in the district. That meant Glade was joining me as I babysat Wisp's daughter like I did most mornings. Her name was Tangerine, although everyone usually just called her Riny. A little over a year old, she was freaking adorable.

And having Glade play peek-a-boo with her while I sat nearby was what brought about the strange mixture of emotions within my chest. I was amused because both Glade's and Tangerine's giggles were hilarious. I was nostalgic because it felt like just yesterday I was sitting in almost the exact spot they were in now entertaining Cerise with a game of peek-a-boo, and I was sad naturally because of the silent yet devastating event that would unfold later that day. I tried to focus on the happier of the emotions, of course.

Gen Two- Chapter Twenty

I frowned as I searched through the final drawer in the downstairs restroom. I picked up several boxes. All but one of them were not what I needed in the slightest, and the one that contained what could have been used had a very big problem with it. It got tossed in the trash immediately. Sighing, I closed the drawer and pressed my forehead against the wood. Lunchtime was only just slowly creeping up on us, and I was already exhausted. A headache was forming in my temples as well. The tingling ringing that then echoed throughout the house was the main source of that. The sound had been going non-stop.

Chapter Nineteen

Holly locked her determined stare on mine as tightly as I locked mine on hers. This was all out war, and I was not planning on losing. I would not subject myself to the torture that would bring.

     "Why don't you just go ahead and back out, Vivid?" Holly taunted, "I'll make it worth your while."

     "There is absolutely nothing you can give me that would have me willingly throwing myself under the bus. Even a hundred dollar gift card to Zero's or the like won't make me budge." I declined stubbornly.

     "There's a possibility that could actually be arranged. Remember, you do love the food they make there." she lured me, tilting her head at just the perfect angle.
     "You're seriously willing to spend one hundred freaking dollars just so you don't have to do the works cited page for your project?" Uncle Al, lazing about on the couch nearby watching television, balked in stupefied awe, "I don't think I raised you to be like that."

     "You haven't seen how many sources we have, and you don't know what our teacher is like." Holly pointed out to him with so much genuine dread that I burst out laughing.

Gen Two- Chapter Seventeen

I cursed Uncle Eden. He was one of those obnoxious types of people who could get up early in the morning and be super happy for some reason. This had led to him refusing to let mom sleep in most of the time, which had trained her to be able to tolerate mornings more than the average person as well. That, in turn, meant that mom also refused to let us sleep in too. She had poked and prodded me until I was forced to rise even though I stayed up late to do a good portion of my homework exactly like she asked me. I had no choice but to get dressed, but mom was thankfully content to leave me alone after that. I'm sure she thought I would go about my day, but what I actually did was pop downstairs to grab an apple to fool her into thinking I was moving about when in reality I placed the apple on my nightstand before collapsing right back onto my bed. Sleep didn't take long to find me. Annoyance found me quickly too though when ten minutes later my phone ran incessantly. I sent the call to voicemail at first, but the person called again. And then a third time.

     "Yes?" I asked with a sickeningly sweet voice at whoever was there when I picked up on the fourth call.

     "Oh, good, I got you," Mimosa answered brightly, completely oblivious to my sarcastic friendliness, "I was wondering, Coal, are you busy?"

     "Since it's 8:30 on a Saturday morning, not really." I responded.

I did try to hide the tired taunting in my voice as much as possible since I knew Mimosa certainly wasn't attempting to be bothersome on purpose, but my exhaustion caused a hint of it to slip through.

     "Great!" she exclaimed, still oblivious, "Would you be interested in meeting up with me soon then?"

Gen Two- Chapter Sixteen

If you asked me how many times I had sighed in the past ten minutes, I wouldn't be able to give you an accurate answer. All I knew was that the answer was high as well as that I was even beginning to feel a little light-headed from all the expunging of air I was doing. I was absolutely sick of the scenario I was in, for it happened far too often. There I stood at the west entrance of the elementary school. It was a new wing they built about three years ago to deal with the school's seemingly always increasing student total. It would have been nice if they built it an extra three years earlier so my friends and I could have experienced the reduced strain of moving throughout the halls ourselves.

In any case, the halls were certainly empty at the moment. School was out for the day, and all the normal, sane people had departed. The kids who rode buses got on their buses. The kids who got picked up came right outside the find their parent's car in the line-up of the special idling lane built to make the departure process smooth and easy...save for my kids. I was beginning to make friends with the parents waiting in cars who also had children who took their time. I never spoke a word to those parents, but we communicated well enough through eye rolls and shakes of our heads. I was also on the receiving end of sympathetic smiles, because I was almost always the last one waiting. I don't know why I bothered to get in that special lane sometimes. It made more sense to actually park the car like I had done several minutes ago. I would have loved to have gone into the school to find the little brats and drag them out, but this door only opened from the inside except for in the morning when students arrived. I knew as soon as I started to make the trek to the main door that my two would appear.

Gen Two- Chapter Fifteen

Dead silence rang throughout the house. Time stood suffocatingly still, and the lingering echoes of Uncle Blaze's words rang in my ears. They lost? We lost? Some judge had seriously thought taking Rosemary away by forcing her to live with people she didn't want to live with was the best thing for her? The fact that Rosemary was happier than ever and had soared in school rankings to be the number one student in her class wasn't proof enough of how much Uncle Eden and Aunt Deny had helped her? Shipping her off to the other side of the country during the last third of the school year didn't seem absolutely absurd to the court?

I had no idea what to say. I had no idea of what to do. Uncle Blaze and I just stood there in the silence. He still wore that strange expression I couldn't read, and there was something off about the whole aura he emanated. I could have sworn it was almost as if he was holding back a smile. I stared up at him with eyes unblinking- until those eyes swarmed with tears once more. The tears of heartbreak, not the wet eyes caused by a cold that I had been dealing with all day. My tolerance levels completely shot thanks to the exhaustion of my illness, I was about to utterly lose it. I wouldn't be surprised if my legs collapsed on me again as I turned into that blubbering mess. Seconds away from that happening was when Uncle Blaze's attitude rapidly changed.

     "Coal, wait, please don't cry. I'm so sorry. I'm just an asshole. Phrasing it like that on purpose like that to see your reaction was such a dick move. I don't know what I was thinking." he apologized for whatever reason.

Confusion putting a possible block on my tears, I frowned as I awaited clarification.

     "Eden and Deny technically lost the case, but Mary will be staying with us."