Peace was deep in her sleep but a familiar scent filled her nostrils. The memory attached to the scent was not pleasant at all and that was visible because her eyebrows crumpled suddenly and cold slowly crept through her bones. It was as if she had realized something, Her eyelashes trembled and Peace suddenly jerked up from her sleep and sat up in the bed with a defensive expression, her forehead wet with droplets of cold sweats,
She wanted to speak but her tongue was too heavy to utter even a single word. She whimpered when she saw Paul standing at the foot of her bed, he had a dreamy expression in his eyes but as soon as PEace's eyes met his, he changed his expression into a blank one.
"I was wondering who was in the room, I didn't realize our little princess was home," Paul spoke in a caring tone. He stepped closer to her side on which she retreated. Peace shrank her body towards the other end of the bed.
Paul stopped and read her movements with attentive eyes, Scarlet walked in through the open doors of the room with a tray in her hands.
"Paul? When did you get here?" Scarlet asked with wonder, she sat close to Peace and placed the tray before her. Paul's lip curled up into a smile and he scratched his head lightly as he replied.
"I just got here," Paul said and looked at Peace, the corner of his lip lifted into a wicked smile that disappeared in a split of a second. Scarlet didn't notice it but PEace saw it clearly, "Isn't that right, Peace." He directed his words towards PEace on which she jolted.
Scarlet too glanced at Peace for an answer. "Yes...he just got here," She replied and looked down at the food that Scarlet had brought.
"Honey, I haven't had dinner as well…" He spoke like a flirt in a honey-like soothing voice. Scarlet smiled and looked around at him. "Not in front of the kids," in an embarrassed tone she replied, "Go and wash up first, I will fix dinner for you,".
"Whatever you say, love," Paul uttered the last words and walked out of the room, PEace's gaze followed him until he was out of the room, it was just then she took in the sigh of relief.
"Love, You are still so pale, Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?' Scarlet noticed the discomfort of Peace's face.
"I am alright, But where Is Isaac?" PEace looked around and asked.
"He was shedding too much hair so I sent him for a bath," Scarlet replied.
"Oh!" Peace made a disappointed sound with his mouth.
Scarlet tried to read her discomfort. She could feel that there was something wrong but she wasn't able to get to the real problem. She lifted her hand slowly and placed it on Peace's cheek. "Peace? Is something bothering you? You can tell me anything."
Peace looked up at her mother, The blue eyes in front of her were filled with concern. They wanted to help,
Peace's lips trembled, and water crawled into her eyes, but before she could even speak a word a memory from years ago stopped her from uttering even a single word.
Peace pulled her face away from her mother's hand and gulped in her sorrow before speaking in a shaky voice. "It's nothing, Everything is okay."
"Peace! I am your mother! How can you be so hostile towards me?" Scarlet asked in a broken voice.
"I am not being hostile, I just don't have anything to say to you," Peace added.
Scarlet clenched her teeth, trying to hold in her tears of disappointment.
"You can rest now. I won't disturb you anymore," said Scarlet as she stood up. Peace didn't stop her nor did she speak a word of consoling, She had become heartless, or was she hopeless? no one but Peace knew the real answer.
The door slowly closed with a click, along with that a tear soundlessly escaped Peace's eyes and soaked into the quilt. It disappeared without a trace. It was painful when she had so many words to say and so much to tell but the only thing that escaped her tightly sealed lips were some harsh words, that she had learned to avoid getting hurt anymore.
*********************************
The night was getting scary as the sky gave out frightening bolts of lightning, Charlotte curled up in her bed with the blanket tightly clenched in her hands, Though the lights of the room were on, her heart was racing violently, She had always been scared of dark stormy nights.
There was a knock on the room's door. She sprang up and opened the door. She was waiting for PEace but the person standing outside the door was Alex. He smirked when he saw the disappointment in Charlotte's eyes.
"Why are you here?" Charlotte made a grumpy face and stepped away from the door,
"Dinner," said Alex and stepped inside the room,
"I am not hungry, Take it away," said Charlotte in an arrogant tone.
"Sigh! I put so much effort into making this and you are not interested in eating it? How can you be so cruel?' Alex whined.
Charlotte lifted one of her eyebrows with surprise, She glanced at the plate of pasta in Alex's hand through the corner of her eye.
"Did you poison it?' she asked.
Alex looked at her with disbelief, "I am leaving it here, The rest is up to you,"
Just when he was about to leave the food on the table, everything went dark, the lights went out making everything go pitch black.
"Oh!" Alex muttered, "That's new," He added. Alex placed the plate on the table and prepared to leave the room when there was a tug on his shirt.
"Huh?" He turned around and looked at the hand holding onto his shirt. The luster of the lightning illuminated the room for a split of seconds revealing Charlotte's scared face.
"Why are you holding onto me?" asked Alex.
"Where are you going?' she asked in a timid voice, Alex lifted his eyebrow with surprise and pulled out his cell phone, to turn on the flashlight, he directed it towards Charlotte's face.
"Are you scared of the dark?" Asked Alex in a teasing tone. But by looking at her scared face his eyes flashed with a cheerless emotion he seemed to have remembered something so he looked away,
"Hold onto me, I will check the fuse box." Alex stepped forwards and Charlotte followed behind him.
"Do you like stories?" Out of nowhere, Alex asked Charlotte. Charlotte glanced at Alex's back with a puzzled gaze,
"Yes," She replied with an unsure tone.
"Hm...Me too." Alex replied as he stopped. "Hold this," He handed his mobile to Charlotte.
Charlotte took it without thinking, Alex then reached out to the fuse box and checked it. Charlotte anxiously tapped her foot on the floor as she waited for Alex to fix the power.
"There is nothing wrong here, I guess the power is out," he looked at Charlotte who was still holding onto his shirt for her dear life.
"You can let go of my shirt or I might think you are in love with me," Said Alex and took the phone out of her hand,
"Stop talking nonsense, I-I am not in love with you, It's just the dark-I am scared of it." She shuttered while she spoke,
"(Chuckle)"
Charlotte heard Alex's laugh and glanced at him with an odd expression.
"I am serious, I am afraid of the dark…" She justified herself.
"I know...But it's funny,"
Charlotte was hurt by his comment.
"How can you be so cruel?" she spoke with a broken voice.
Alex looked at her intently, Charlotte gulped in her saliva he took a step closer to her, Charlotte let go of his shirt and stepped back. Alex noticed her actions but he continued to corner her. When finally Charlotte had nowhere to run off to Alex placed one hand on the wall while he decreased the distance between their faces. Charlotte sucked in air and stared at him with scared eyes. Alex then whispered into her ears. "Do you want to hear a story?"
"Get off me!! You are scary!" Charlotte screamed and pushed Alex away harshly.
"Pfft…" Alex started laughing, "I guess that is a no then." HE rubbed his chest that Charlotte had pushed, it was hurting a little. "What a shame, it was a great story," He clicked his tongue and stepped up the stairs.
"Where are you going?" Charlotte asked desperately.
"I thought you said I was scary," Alex mumbled.
"Can't we just sit here until the power is back?" Charlotte sounded like she was about to cry.
"Sigh! Okay," Alex came back and stood beside her like a rock.
"Can you say something? At least make it feel like I am standing with the person and not a tree." Charlotte shuttered.
"So why are you afraid of the rain?" Asked Alex.
"All it reminds me of is how my parents died. I felt sad whenever it rained. It got scary when Mother was not around when it was raining. My father wasn't there to hug me when I was scared. It just grew on me and I am scared of it now."
"Hah! And so were we." Alex muttered.
"Huh?" Charlotte looked at him, His face was not visible but she could tell that he was sad.
"We were like that too! We had no one to sing to us, no one who would love us...The streets were our home and the dust was our fate…" His words held great emotion. "But we grew out of it...Just like that,"
"You must be sleepy!" Alex changed his tone. "Come on, lay down on the couch...I will be here so don't be scared." He spoke in a sincere voice. Charlotte looked at him with suspicious eyes. "Oh, come on! I will not do anything to you. I already have someone that I like."
"YOu do?" Charlotte asked suddenly.
"Why? Are you disappointed?" Alex chuckled.
"Shut up!" Charlotte replied,
If you like my story do share it, and please support me on patreon.
https://www.patreon.com/SiriusWrites