Out In The Open
"My child, live"
--
Tuk. Tuk. Tuk.
I was awoken by a series of loud and rapid noise above my head. The kind of noise that you want to split your head open for. As much as I want to ignore it, there's really no way anyone can. It's the get up and make me shut up kind of noise, you know?
The racket doesn't stop. I fling the blanket off my body, get up, and glare at the window. I know I've been alone for a long time now, but it doesn't mean I welcome every noise that comes my way. Let me sleep.
Sleep has been the only thing that I don't mind doing everyday. It's like a practice, of when I get to rest from this never ending cycle of me not going out into the world that hates me.
I stared at the culprit. More like I tried to glare the soul out of it, but alas, it's one of the convenient things ny mother left out while giving me certain types of powers. Truly, mother has gone short in giving powers that is actually useful in daily living of forever.
The woodpecker seemingly to acknowledge my presence, shook its feathers arrogantly, perched on my window stool before turning its cheek and flew away. Huh, what do you know, maybe mother gave me that go-away-or-breakfast-will-become-of-you glare afterall. Let's try naming that imaginary skill again later. Now, is for sleeping.
It was such an appalling bird. It was way past sunrise but the temperature around me required myself to be trapped still in my woolen blanket. I settled in comfortably, and before I knew it I drifted on a sleep that I wish I hadn't.
~ A familiar scene showed before me, furnitures that I religiously clean now, same old arrangements in a living room. The only difference is that I'm not alone. The pots are clanging, laughter echoes in the air, and warmth spread through my head and back.
I realize I was leaning on to something living. Even better, I was leaning on my father. I look up at him, it's just as I remember it. For an infant I sure to vividly remember alot. His back is to the window where the light shone brightest, and if the heat of the sun bothered him, no sign of it was shone. His dark hair, warm like coffee, turning like honey in areas forming like halo where the sun hits it. His smile is infectious, I felt myself smiling as well.
A cupboard door slamming hard shifted my attention to mother. Her back is toward me, as she dances through the kitchen bumping counters and various objects. I seemed entertained by the noise she was making, I clapped my hands producing flowers everywhere. She was preparing for father before they till our garden all day. A hefty breakfast is always served for him while I enjoy the nectar milk, she always prepare for me.
She's a whirlwind, with pots and pans clanking. Everything feels warm. I laugh and snuggle into my father's belly.
The belly moves up and down rapidly, as his laugh reverberates through my small being. I laugh with him.
Mother calls, and I floated in the air, my tiny limbs hanging. I've always wanted to fly, I realized I was carried by my father towards the table giving me to my mother.
She in turn gives me my sweet milk and seats me in a high chair.
Warm. So warm. Everything is so warm. I want it to be always like this.
I squeeze the bottle and the liquid tricled down my throat. I sqqueze too hard that some dripped on my chin. The milk seemed to warm my person. But then it suddenly went out my tiny grasp, I watch as it continue to drop down, I reach my hand out to catch it. Then I catch the feeling of falling, and them calling out to me. Aska. ~
The cruelty of it all. I had them around me atlast. "Why did do you have to drop it" I accused my tiny self of robbing me a precious memory. It's a recall that I never want to wake up from.
I wiped my bitter tears and sit up. I guess sleep is no good for me right now. Well, I've got no choice. "Shall we start the day?" I grinned to no one.
Humming a popular song in town, I proceeded to go outside. Sometimes some person wander around this part of the woods hum tunes while they pick herbs and roots. I think they hum it to prevent fear from creeping up their veins. It's the stigma around here. The song never gets finished though, every person only gets through the third or fifth line of the song before scurrying away screaming "It's not worth it". Leaving me entirely frustrated cause I wanted to hear the entire song which I may or may have not seeked out myself.
"What a wonderful morning, isn't that right little butterfly?" I laughed to myself, surely if the townsfolk see me like this, wouldn't I seem less scary? But then, that's why my parent's died. They thought, if they lived a normal life, things would just go along their way.
I shook off my thoughts and went to the backyard.
"Hey there Ricardo!" Ricardo is my pet hen, she wandered off the forest sometime ago, and she gives me eggs and more chicken! Now I have a dozen of chickens and more eggs that I could possibly know how to deal with! I never had friends, and I didn't know to name her, once a lumberjacks wandered into the woods, and I heard one said "Ricardo, don't go too far, who knows where the monster will attack us!" and that's how she got her name.
"Now, now, I just need two eggs for breakfast, Maybe add some for bread and sweet tarts, hmm what do you think Ricardo? How many should I take from you?" The hen stared at me apprehendingly. "Ricardo! This is a small price to pay for your shelter!" The intense stare fest continued with Ricardo tilting her head now and then, the other chickens paid me no mind, my hands slowly moved towards the eggs. One, two, three. Yes Ricardo, just let me, your caretaker, have breakfast. I dropped the eggs to my linen shirt. One, two, thr- "Ricardo! How dare you peck me!" I carefully transferred two eggs to the shirt. Glaring at Ricardo for refusing me to give more. "One day, I'll have you for roast!" I slammed the coop door, rattling the chickens.
Five eggs huh, I can't make a tart with only this, I want fried eggs for breakfast too. Maybe I'll steal from the coop when Ricardo sleeps. I also have roosters to wake me up, but the woodpecker beat them to it this morning. I proceeded to make breakfast and ate. I went outside to tend to my herbs and vegetables.
"Phew!" The forest tends to get really hot, every summer. "Let's head inside and make some cold tea" I said to no one. I cup the glass in my hands and chant a spell to freeze some parts of the tea. "That's refreshing, now I just need to put some mint and tha-"
"Bran! Look at that! Who do you think lives here?" What? Children? B-but the barrier? "Look at all these herbs Kier! Don't you think Fran would be glad if we got her these?" Said the stout one, and mindlessly started to pull out the roots of my herbs. My herbs!!! "I-I don't think we should.. We- we should go Bran! Fran said we shouldn't leave the house!"
"Aly, come now! We're helping her aren't we? She'll be glad after returning from town I know it!" Bran said still pulling my herbs from the roots. "Kier! Come help!"
"What are you kids doing here! How dare you steal from me! How'd you get it in!" I realized it too late, that I had came out. Man, now they'll be scared of me!
The three turned around and looked at what they'd done. "Maybe, we got a little too excited, it's just that we've never seen this much herb in one place, we had to search for them in the forest you know? We're sorry"
Well so much for being a friendly neighbor hood non scary dubbed beast. Screwed up my first impression.