Hair reflecting glints of pure gold waved in the wind. A legend sat upon a slab of stone, as a green scenery overwhelmed the senses of a boy creeping closer. He sneaked buried in the shadows of trees that lurked throughout these parts. Glenn once more blessed with the sight of an angel who could not be expressed, only by the word beautiful. It would be a disgrace to such a graceful face. The boy crept ever so closer, inching further until her breathing could be heard. Enrobed in white cloth that rivalled the colour of snow. The same dress she wore during their first encounter in her humble abode of stone. She rested gloriously in the woods, where streams of water rushed near her feet. In anguish and ecstasy, Glenn's mouth snapped shut as well as open. He debated within himself to be fortunate in such presence of a goddess, or to be in fear. Memory called for him to run, in remembrance of the eyes that resembled the night sky. They sparked anger, as darkness subdued the surroundings. In hindsight, he should run now, but he wouldn't be Glenn if he didn't do what he was about to next. Grasping her hand, the boy kneels before her seeking forgiveness.
"Please forgive me for breaking our promise!"
The woods shuddered at the ferocity he shouted those words. He continued onwards, eyes plastered to the ground.
"You have every right to hate me. Hit me, burn me, slash me, but please give me a chance because..."
Silence reigned in the area, as Glenn met with no words in rebuttal of his statements. Fighting onwards like a fish swimming against streams of water, he bellowed out, "I...I...I LOVE YOU!"
"CAW CAW CAW"
"What?" Glenn cried out.
Looking up, the boy stared into two small beaded eyes paired with black feathers and a sturdy beak. The legend from what he remembered did not have a crow's head. Stumbling backwards, Glenn fell onto his bottom hard, tumbling down to the stream of water. Try he may, reaching up to grab ahold of something to grasp, Glenn sank deep underwater similar to any rock thrown into the sea.
Streaks of light flickered between the water, he could still see the grotesque hybrid of crow and angel. First Glenn turned pale, next he reached for his throat clawing for air. Finally, his arms slumped beside his waist, as the monsters of water chanted gleefully at their new meal.
Coughing saliva out wildly, Glenn awoke from his dream of a nightmare. Drool slobbered to the side of his face, he wiped away the remains with sleeves. Rubbing at his eyes, distraught to the light filling his room. Glenn yawned tiredly, broadening his empty mouth that felt the need to relish bacon and eggs in the morning. Recalling the vivid dream, he whispered, "Why did I imagine a crow?"
"CAW CAW CAW"
Leaping out of bed in shock, he crashed onto the wooden floor. Glenn groaned painfully, as the boy stood upwards in full view of the blinding light coming from his window.
"Now l know why." Glenn sighed, remembering the bird he scavenged from the woods, in hopes to help it.
"Ma." He called out, still rubbing at his eyes irritated by the lights screaming at him.
Peering through his fingers, he noticed Emma was no longer in bed beside him. All that was in view was his uneven bed and a violin by the corner. Glenn almost reached out to take the instrument out of its case. Stopping his hand in its track. Retracting it back to the side of his waist, he had the lingering urge to play the musical tool. It had been so long since he touched it. It almost seemed like a distant memory where he would use his violin bow, sliding it across the strings that stretched strictly in line. Moving past his previous prized possession, Glenn peeked through the creek of his door and was met with a crow walking about, screeching its calls for food. A slightly bloodied towel covered the bird's body, whilst it marched down the hallway.
"CAW CAW."
"Hello, there little bugger." The boy crouched down to pet the crow. Its beak snapped closed as it tried to peck at his fingertips. Glenn pulled back in haste to avoid the bite, stumbling back onto his bottom. Deja vu it appeared, remembering the scene of him being frightened by a crow.
"Oh, you're awake dear," Emma called out from the kitchen, she glanced out to see the boy fumbling to his feet. Smiling with the warmth of summer, she giggled before telling him to get ready for school. Emma hid a wine bottle sneakily into the top cupboard. She was a bit tipsy this morning drinking down a few cups of the bottle. It was in order to combat against her unsteady nerves. Emma was going to go to the butcher's shop after breakfast and wine was always the answer to her anxiousness. Sitting across Emma now was a boy feasting on beef, and rice. He chewed at the pace of basically throwing food into his mouth and swallowing it whole. Beside her boy was a crow that gulped down blueberries, the pair of vacuums sucking up food ate in sync. When its bowl of blueberries became empty it cawed for more before Emma refilled it. The crow ate quietly observing her and Glen if they were a threat.
"You use to cry out just as much as the crow when you were a baby," Emma said grinning, whilst maintaining manners, unlike her boy. Only when she became drunk from wine and beer did she lose all sense of etiquette.
"Did not," Glenn mumbled with food flying into his endless stomach.
"Did too."
Days like these were the ones she missed, simple and peaceful. Times after rains of sadness called for rainbows of happiness. They joked around mirroring before all the terrible events came crashing onto them. It was a start, as gradually both talked on about what they would do today.
"I'm going to bake something for a butcher down across. Hopefully, he likes it." Emma said.
"Anything you cook is delicious Ma."
"Oh, you sweet talker." Emma pinched her boy's cheeks slightly. The bruises were fading, no longer dark purple but a lighter shade.
"What are you going to do dear today?" She asked.
"I have to deal with recess detention as usual, probably get to know the school's grounds more at lunch and fix little bugger here before playing the piano after school." Glenn tried playfully poking the crow. It glared at the boy to let him know the consequences.
Not willing to risk a finger, Glenn asked, "What about you ma?"
"Writing as usual. I'm going to write the best story I've ever written possible."
"What's it going to be about ma?" Glenn tried to inquire.
"You cheeky little fella. You'll know when you're old enough and allowed to read it." She laughed at his attempts to know whilst blushing remembering the plot.
"But ma, you wouldn't let me read your last book." Her boy crossed his arms now pretending to be grumpy frowning so cutely.
"When you're mature enough." She lied. In truth, she hoped her baby boy never saw it. It would revive too many memories, Emma wrote from inspiration, and that never came from thin air.
Glenn sighed whispering underneath his breath, "This is why l want to grow up already..."
Finishing up their plates, Glenn walked to school before being shouted at by her mother, "Be sure to bring one of your friends over dear, and don't be late!"
He could only wave awkwardly, never would he imagine inviting his supposed 'friends' over. Stacey the wicked witch from the west, Jonas the damsel stricken by an arrow of love or Jacob professor of muscle. He shuddered at the thought and strolled through the path to school. Hopefully today Meadows Ridge wouldn't be as harsh on him as the previous days. Glenn couldn't picture anything worse than getting in a fight, being bullied or teased. He'd undergone more terrible things. Conceded in times of grief but no longer would he be accepting of it. The sun soared above the clear skies of blue, as a boy felt the summer breeze that flew by. He chased after it from a mild pace of walking to full sprinting in the heat. Chuckling with madness racing against the wind for no particular reason, except for the fact that it called to him. Deep below inside his heart, Glenn's true dream hid behind a false one. He just wanted to be the boy he was, acting his age of an eleven-year-old child. Must he swallow and know of pain every day, must he tow the heavy sorrow carried upon his small back every day, no it was his choice alone. So why not run, run till only happiness was known.
Emma squinted at the faraway boy, only a small silhouette of his figure could be seen. The sounds of his laughter rang in her ears, slowly becoming quieter the further he ran. She watched quietly in peace, before closing the wooden door, that creaked with every movement. An apron greeted the woman as Emma prepared to bake the best dessert ever. New York fashioned cheesecake with blueberries on top, baked with a lemony flavour. Wrapping it up in foil, she neatly packaged it into a gift. An apology for the grumpy man probably still slumped on a chair surrounded by red walls.
Deciding to skip along the path, rather than driving in the car, that had many of its good days behind it to Mount Giest. She mainly didn't drive also because the wine was slowly kicking in, as she stumbled sometimes. The sun only lowered by a fraction still peering down onto the tiny people running about living their dull days. The sun had a hole, a void of love, and in comfort, it filled the emptiness with entertainment. Eyeing down onto Emma who owned a bubbly atmosphere, she approached the now-familiar town. The woman crossed paths with someone of the same gender. Perking its ears the sun, focused onto their conversation awaiting playful banter.
"Emma it's good to see you again." Gwen smiled, brightening the already shinning summer day. She wore her usual uniform of striking shades of blue and black.
"You to...ah l have somewhere to go now...um I'll see you next time bye." She speedily said the word bye before having her hand found in the grip of the female police officer. Blushing like fresh tomatoes, she tried to hide behind the cheesecake held in her hands.
"Sorry...l don't swing that way."
"What way?" Gwen asked pretending to be confused.
"You know...that way."
"Right or left?" Gwen joked around still pushing at Emma's malfunction buttons, watching the rosy cheeks bloom redder.
The female officer could no longer hold the growing laughter, bursting out chuckling on weak knees. She wiped away a small tear, gleeful that Emma wasn't like the rest of Mount Giest. The single mother of a son seemed to be easy prey for anyone to target but from recent reports. She had been hearing from a certain loudmouth cough cough Jackass Karl. Stinky partner always suspecting people, why couldn't he be more subtle about it. Gwen sighed but remembered a beauty stood in front of her. Mount Giest was a small town, everyone knew everybody and this gal was the talk of the town now. She made Trevor Fischer on school grounds, a salesperson for guns in this neighbourhood, almost pee himself.
Anyone who could do that in her books was worthy of respect, no fear against people of wealth or maybe she was simply crazy. Emma seemed to be more of the intelligent type though, a ravishing woman indeed with clothing that could not mask her drop-dead gorgeous features. News about her son also spread wild throughout the town. A boy, that had brown hair reaching the tips of his shoulders. Long yet not passing the shoulders, mirroring many girl's styles of hair choice. Gwen heard it was easy to mistake the child as a girl instead, considering his small thin frame. She wondered if she would ever meet the boy, hopefully not in a cell, but maybe at the home of Emma one day. Wishes could only be made, who knew if they could be granted.
Stepping forward to the still blushing woman, Gwen bowed in apology, "I'm sorry for yesterday. My behaviour was completely unprofessional, please let me show you around town, l can show you my favourite view near a lake."
People looked at the scene of an officer bowing to Emma and in haste, she pleaded for Gwen to stand straight again, "Don't worry about it, and sure we can hang out."
"That's a deal then." Winking flirtatiously, Gwen reached out a small note pad presumably for fines. Writing down something, she handed the piece of paper that had a line of numbers.
"That's my phone number, call me whenever you're ready." Off Gwen went, stealing the heart of Emma once more before she could even understand what had happened. Shaking her head, Emma's mind was now clear. Yet her body wasn't as it stood in the middle of the street, she blushed in the realisation of people gawking at her. Treading on the stone pathway to mister Butcher in hand with a cheesecake. Emma tried to halt any more thoughts of Gwen, more worried about what to say to the grumpy man.
Hey, you seemed grumpy, so I made you a cheesecake.
No that's stupid, let's try again, Emma thought.
Hey, I know you're angry and whatnot, but here's a cheesecake for your misery.
Are you even trying idiot? Come on let's give this another shot
Hey, I'm sorry about yesterday's misunderstanding. I baked you a cake and l know how you must feel, so here you should try this.
Better, but...sigh Daniel would've easily handled this for me...No, who needs that filthy bastard, l don't. Come on, you can do this Emma.
In front of the butcher's doorstep, empty of customers as many flocked to other nearby shops.
"Breathe in and out." Emma inhaled out feeling slightly nervous. As much as her personality was fiery, flames couldn't always burn away the nervous jitters she felt sometimes. Going through the entrance, Emma met the butcher once more. The man glanced up once to meet the same woman he met yesterday. She wore loose clothing, and her features were sculpted to perfection. He continued to stare downwards at his precious darling, the last image in a depressed manner. The man looked like a stale tuna fish who escaped from it's can.
"Hey, I'm the lady from Yesterday," Emma called out to the man lying on his seat.
He simply grunted, ignoring her whole existence. She was invisible to his eyes that only stared at the small picture of a girl.
Emma tried to stay strong, trying to move the conversation. "l uh... made you a cheesecake as an apology for the misunderstanding yesterday. I know how you must feel."
Her words were interrupted by a roaring shout, "How would you ever know how l must feel. Get the fuck out whore!"
Stunned by such vulgar words, Emma could sense the heat of fire blazing through her soul. She tried to calm the raging flames but launched her words dabbed in salt to the wounded man. It did not help that she also drank wine in the morning and now her mind was unfiltered.
"Who you calling whore, you incompetent clown. I came here to apologise, and this is what I get! Fuck you, you can have your Cheesecake."
The cheesecake flew from her hands crashing on impact onto the butcher's face. His face dripped with cream and blueberries, as he could taste the sweetness and lemon flavour. Emma's anger didn't stop there though, "Who do you think you are to call me a whore! You think you know pain, you're lucky to only lose your daughter. I've lost my father because of me, my mother hates me because of me. MY LOVER, THE ONLY PERSON I'VE EVER LOVED ABANDONED ME WITH A CHILD. NO HELP, NO SUPPORT I GOT FROM THE SCOUNDREL!"
Emma was gasping for air heavily feeling her thirst for blood quenched. She gasped, slowly trying to apologise, yet her eyes seemed to be blurry.
"I'm sorry..l uh...l..uh didn't mean hic...to say such mean things."
Rubbing away at the tears, Emma broke down sobbing pitifully, ruining any makeup she wore. The butcher stirred awake from his shock and reached out for a blanket within his shop to wrap around the woman crying ugly now. A few minutes later, the shop was at peace now, quiet of screaming or crying. Emma sniffed, having snot running down her nose. The man gave a tissue box to the woman as she blew her nose loudly.
"I'm..sniff...sorr."
The large man of a figure now standing tall rose in front of Emma interrupting her speech, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said such words to you. We were both at the wrong place and time miss..."
"Emma is my name...sniff."
"I'm Bernard Webber miss Emma. Sorry about your cheesecake being ruined." The remains of the delicious dessert were splattered across the red floor.
"It's ok. I can bake another."
Bernard lay on the cold floor painted crimson, calmly staring at the picture of his daughter within his hands. Noticing the image Emma wanted to get to know the previous grumpy man who seemed to be misunderstood.
"Can you tell me about your daughter?" Emma asked politely.
"I'll try...," Bernard said.
"She was everything to me. Mila weber's mother died when she gave birth to her. She always blamed herself the poor girl. Such a timid girl at first, always huddling near me wherever I walked. Before I knew it, she grew to become a brave girl out of nowhere. Blink and they'll grow to become adults already." Bernard laughed quietly.
He continued to say, "Unlike my other fellow butcherers l hunt my meat. My girl always wanted to help around, l guess she still felt guilty about her mother's death. Forever I've been telling her it wasn't the girl's fault, yet she still blamed herself...She went out into the woods one day without me knowing, took my rifle and tried to hunt for a wild boar l think. Never came back. I still remember the last conversation we had, we argued on and on about whether she was to blame for her mother's death, yet she would never accept that it wasn't. Children are stubborn, aren't they?"
Emma agreed silently with a nod. She visioned Glenn and her arguments about picking up the violin again, but in two years, he still hadn't picked it up yet.
"Thank you for listening...I really needed someone to talk too and could understand...again l can't thank you enough."
"It was my pleasure." Standing up, she placed her small hand out for Bernard to reach out. He grabbed ahold of it and stood straight up.
"If you ever need help, you know where to look miss Emma and please take this minced beef with you."
"No l couldn't after how much l messed up your butcher shop."
"Please l insist. at least take it for your son, l know from your cheesecake l tasted that you're a fine cook." Bernard smiled for the first time in a while still reminiscing the sweet dessert that had slammed into his face. His smile glistened with pain but more happiness.
"Thank you." Emma took the bag of minced beef and walked out the door. Bernard Webber was a gentle giant. He was simply mourning, she came in the wrong place and time. It seemed today's morning, was full of the word sorry. Maybe she would have to apologise to her own boy, one day for making him have long hair, but it was so lovely on Glenn. Maybe one day, hopefully not today, as Emma walked home in hand with a piece of paper and minced beef in the other. She hummed in neither joy or boredom, but in expectation of what was to come.