Sunday Scribbling #211 Wonder

He’d been drinking all day.  Saturdays were the worst. Lolly closed her book and felt the familiar tightening of her stomach.  He had been banging and slamming around  the kitchen for a few minutes.  That was never a good sign.  He wasn’t like this when mama was alive.  Lolly sighed and stuck a pillow over her head.

Please Sloan, stay out his way today.

“Sloan!” He yelled.

Aw crap.  She held the pillow tighter.

Now what?.  Why can’t he just leave him alone.  Take his beer and go sit in front of the television and go to sleep.

Sloan didn’t answer.  It didn’t matter.  If he answered he would tell him to come to the kitchen.  If he didn’t answer he would just go after him.  Either way it would end up the same.  She threw the pillow on the floor and scooted up into the corner of the bed, arms clasped around her legs, chin resting on her knees.  She was too thin with a pointed chin and eyes too large for her face.  She hated her hair.  On good days it was just curly but drizzly days like today it frizzed out like a cloud around her head.  She scrunched her eyes closed tightly and willed her father away from Sloan.  No good.

She heard her brothers’ door slam open and her father roar “Don’t you hear me calling you, boy?”

“Yes sir.” Sloan answered in a small voice.

“Guess you think you’re smart hiding in here when I need you.  You come when I call you!  Take the trash out, you useless little jerk!”

“Yes sir.” Sloan said again.

Please, please, please, please.  She kept repeating to herself, a litany of hope. It never worked but she couldn’t help thinking that the one time she didn’t say it, would be the one time it would have worked.

She heard a thud and her brother cried out.  It had happened often enough that she could picture it. A tear squeezed out and she put her hands over her ears, scissoring her legs, crumpling up the bed clothes.  He never came for her and she felt so bad.  Sloan told her not to be stupid that she should be thankful.  He said he was glad and that made it seem worse.

She rocked back and forth still hearing the sounds of him hitting Sloan, her brother grunting in pain.  Suddenly she really could see it.  She was there with him!  How could that be?  Oh my God, he’s going to hit us again!

“Lolly?”

“Shhh Sloan, he’ll hear us!”  The hand came at him again and he landed on the floor at the end of the hall.

“Stay down, Sloan.  Just stay down.”

“Lolly, how?”

“I don’t know but I’m here.  Just keep listening, I’ll stay with you.”

It’s okay Lolly, but I’m glad you’re here.”

Their father lumbered off to the living room.  “Do you think he’ll stay gone now?”

“Yeah. He’ll fall asleep in his chair now.” Sloan sat up, moving limbs to make sure nothing was broken.

“Do you think you can get up?”

“I think so. Ouch!”

“I’m so sorry, Sloan. Come to my room.”

Lolly jumped off the bed and met him at the door.  She closed it quietly and threw her arms around her brother hugging him gently.  She stood back and they both looked at each other wide eyed.

“What just happened?”  They stared at each other in wonder.

“Sit here and I’ll get you some ice.” Sloan’s eye was already puffing up.  It was going to be a mess.

“Be careful, don’t wake him up.  It doesn’t hurt that bad.”

Lolly waved him off and slipped out the door to the kitchen.  She grabbed a towel from the rack by the sink and eased the freezer door open.  Dishes were piled in the sink and the trash can was overflowing with beer cans.  Not much food in the house but there was always plenty of beer.  She scooped some ice into the towel and silently shut the freezer door, tiptoed past the living room where he was slumped in his ratty arm chair that was threadbare and leaking stuffing. He was snoring now, tv flashing shadows around the dingy room,  volume on low.

She slipped back in her room and put the ice-filled towel on Sloan’s eye. “Hold that.”

“So want to try it again?”

Sloan nodded.  “How do we start?”

Lolly grabbed up a stuffed rabbit and hugged it to her.  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t know how we did it the first time.”

“Well, try closing your eyes and thinking about something.” Sloan moved the ice pack and winced.

Lolly closed her eyes.

“You know I hate math.”

Lolly opened her eyes and grinned.  “So you haven’t done your homework yet?”

“No and maybe this will be a great time to try this out.  You can help me through the quiz tomorrow.”

“Sloan, what are we going to do?  It gets worse every time.  He’s going to really hurt you one of these times.”

“I’ve been thinking about that.  I think I’m gonna have to leave.”

“If you think I’m letting you leave by yourself Sloan, you’ve taken one too may hits to the head!” Lolly crossed her arms and glared at her brother.

“He doesn’t bother you.  I don’t know where I’m going.  I can’t take you with me.”

Lolly stuck her chin out.  “You don’t know what will happen if you leave me here alone with him. I’m scared of him.  I might never see you again!”  Her lip quivered a bit at the last.  Sloan knew if he was going to get away without her he would have to sneak out and carefully or she would catch him.

“That’s not going to happen!”  Sloan jerked his head up,  “No, you didn’t say it out loud, but that doesn’t matter anymore does it? I’d rather take my chances with you

Sloan groaned.  “Fine.  But if we are both going to go, we’re going to have to come up with a plan.  I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him. He probably won’t even know we’re gone until he sobers up.”

“How’s your eye?”

“Why are you asking? You already know.”

“I do, but we are going to have to keep in the habit of talking unless we want to be labeled freaks.”  Lolly grinned and nodded and pulled the chessboard out from under the bed.  They’d been playing since they were twelve but this was going to be a whole new game.

To read More Night Wings

Sunday Scribblings #207 Prompt: Demands
“Did you see what she was wearing?  I can’t believe she thought that sack looked anything resembling good!

“I know.  That’s what happens when you get your fashion advice from your mother!” Emelia was bored with this whole conversation.  She was bored with her friends, bored with school, and bored with Nick. Tired of there never being enough money.

“Emelia!  Did you hear what I just said?  Where is your head, girl?”

Damn, Rayanne was talking to her again and she had drifted off.  If she wasn’t careful, she would be the next subject of conversation in the cafeteria and it would not be flattering.  “What?  I was thinking about something Nick said.” That should keep Rayanne off her back.  She had more of thing for Nick than a best friend should have for your boyfriend.

“I asked you if you are going to Shannon’s party?”

Emelia tossed her blond hair. “I guess.  It’s going to be the same old crap.  Nick will drink too much beer, the nerd Mekanek squad will come, Shannon’s house will get trashed and someone will break up with  someone. Melodrama will ensue.”

“Emelia what is up your butt lately?  You used to be fun.”

“Whatever.  Do you want to go to The Human Bean for lattes after class?”

“Yeah, if you promise to get over yourself before then.”

Emelia nodded. “I’ll be in a better mood after I get chem out of the way.  See you out front.”

Emelia walked in the classroom and went to her customary seat that no one would dream of sitting in because after all, Emelia sat there.  After a completely mind numbing hour of note taking on something she obviously would never use, the bell finally rang and she put her book and notebook in her designer backpack and sighed.

Rayanne was waiting out front with all their friends.  Emelia just wanted coffee.  Now she would have to deal with everyone.  They were milling around, making sure they were seen.  Hair perfect, jeans just tight enough.  What a bunch of losers.

“Can we go already?”

Rayanne pushed open the door at The Human Bean and stepped inside, smiling over her shoulder at Emelia.  At the counter, Emelia ordered a soy caramel latte with no whipped cream, her usual. “Don’t forget, I said no whipped cream.”  She paid with the little bit of allowance she had, and waited.  The girl behind the counter was new, but looked familiar.  She waited some more, tapping her foot.

Rayanne already had her macchiato and was sitting at the table giggling at something one of Nick’s friends said.  Emelia counted  – Rayanne had managed to touch the guy three times in five minutes.  Way to not be obvious, Rayanne. The foot tapping was getting faster and a little more emphatic.

“Excuse me!  Are you having to go all the way to the coffee farm?  It’s just a latte, what’s the problem?” Emelia stood with her hands on her hips now.

“I…I’m sorry, it’s my first day and we are kind of busy.  Here’s your latte.  You’re Emelia, aren’t you?”

“Finally.  Yes, and you are?”

“I’m Sandy. I sit behind you in History?”

“Um yes, whatever.  Thanks.” Emelia turned and started to the table.  She took a sip and whirled around, stomping back to the counter.  “Excuse me! What part of no whipped cream do you not understand?  You are slow, the least you could do is get it right!”

Sandy was cleaning a carafe and as she turned toward Emelia, she dropped it and tried to catch it as it fell.  It hit the edge of the sink and instead of grabbing the carafe, she grabbed a piece of glass that broke loose.  It  lodged deep in her palm and she turned pale.

“Could you be any more clumsy?” Emelia sounded irritated and reached for the injured hand. When she touched it, the glass fell to the floor and the hole it left, closed up. Sandy stared at her for a moment and then snatched her hand back, not saying anything.

“Lucky you didn’t cut yourself.”  Emelia stared back at her, eyes wide.

“Yeah, lucky.  You want another latte?” Sandy wasn’t making eye contact.

“No.  No thanks.  This will be fine.”  Emelia turned and nearly bumped into Rayanne.  She jumped and nearly dropped her coffee.

“Rayanne!  Could you not sneak up on me, please?”

“Chill, Em.  I just wanted some biscotti.  Get a grip, why don’t you?”

Emelia shivered and walked back toward the table.  Instead of sitting down, she bypassed her friends and kept going out the door.

Rayanne turned around with her biscotti just in time to see the door close and Emelia walk away from the coffee shop.  “What the heck is wrong with that girl, anyway?”  She went back to the table just in time to laugh at a joke Nick’s friend was telling.  Jordan wasn’t Nick but he wasn’t totally gross and he was the son of a Mekanek.  She glanced at the window, thinking about Emelia again.  It  looked like that idiot behind the counter had cut herself.  Maybe it was just her eyes playing tricks.  She looked back at the counter and saw the girl staring at the door with the weirdest look in her eyes.  She looked afraid.

Emelia glanced down at the coffee cup in her hand.  She dropped it in a trash can on the sidewalk, no longer thirsty.  What was happening to her?  Did Sandy cut herself?  Was she just imagining things?  She felt heat when she touched the girls hand, and then icy cold.  Was she going to end up being one of them?  One of the changed “gifted” ones?  This kind of thing couldn’t happen to her.  She had worked too hard to get to where she was.  She was the queen at school.  She didn’t kid herself.  The only reason Rayanne was friends with her was to look cool.  Same with Nick.

She walked along thinking.  She could not have faced all of them at the coffee shop.  She had too much on her mind to giggle and smile and flash her eyes at every stupid word out of Nick’s mouth. She heard footsteps behind her.  She glanced in a window to see who was behind her and she caught a glimpse of a tall guy with brown hair, wearing jeans and a denim jacket.  Hadn’t she seen him across the street from the coffee shop?

She decided to cross the street and turn around.  It was late and she had walked further than she intended.  He crossed the street too.  Was he following her?  Maybe not.  Maybe she was losing her mind.  This day had been too weird.  She sped up and he walked faster too.  Enough!  She whipped around, more angry than afraid.

“What do you want?”  She stuck out her chin and held her backpack to her side in case she needed to throw it at him and run, if she could run in these stupid shoes.

“Don’t be afraid. You’re Emelia.”

“I know who I am but I have no idea who you are and I’m not afraid. What do you want?”

“Something happened back there in the coffee shop.”

“Yeah, I had an idiot for a waitress who couldn’t get an order right if you wrote it on her hand!”

“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

I don’t know a thing, including you.  This conversation is over!”  Emelia turned and stalked away.  She heard him call after her.

“I will be around if you need me…and you will.”

She ignored him and kept walking.  She didn’t need him.  He was crazy. She saw Rayanne step out of the coffee shop.  She started to wave when Sandy walked out behind her.  They were deep in conversation and Sandy looked up and pointed at Emelia.  Rayanne’s mouth hung open.  Emelia turned around and walked quickly back in the direction she had just come from.  She saw the brown haired guy standing in the shadow of a doorway with his arms crossed.  It made her mad to think he  waited there for her.

She walked past him like she didn’t see him and turned the next corner.  In a few minutes he caught up with her.  “What do you know?” She asked him angrily, without slowing down.

“I know that you are changing and that you are going to need to get out of here pretty quick.”

Emelia didn’t want to believe it but there was no arguing with the facts.  She had touched that girl and her hand healed.  She might not like it but she was going to have to do something. Rayanne would love to see her knocked down.  She would go with him for now.  She needed time to figure things out.

“I want to go home and get some stuff.”

“There really isn’t time for that. How long do you think it will take your friends to spread the word?”

“Who are they going to tell?  I am going home and get my stuff.  I’m not leaving without some necessities.  I don’t even know you.  How do I know you’re not some crazy?”

Ryall stepped into a deep doorway and turned his back to her.  He raised his arms and there were wings on his back.  Emelia shook her head and closed her eyes and opened them again.  She wasn’t hallucinating.  He put his arms down and turned back around. The wings were gone. Emelia stood there with her mouth hanging open for a moment.

“Okay, fine.  You could still be crazy.”  She sounded more serious than angry now.  “Do you have a decent place for me to stay?  I’m still going home first.” She glared at him.

He sighed.  “Fine. But let’s hurry.”

She led him down the side street they were on.  He might think he had come to save her but she knew more than one way to get around.  She made some turns and came up behind her house.

“I’ll wait behind the storage building.  If you aren’t out here in ten minutes, I’m going to leave without you.”

“Fine. Suit yourself.”  She started for the back door. Without turning around she asked him how he knew about the storage building.

“This isn’t my first time to come here.”  She walked into the house.  No one was home, big surprise.  Her parents were always working.  She was used to coming into an empty house.  She ran to her room and started throwing stuff into a leather bag.  Clothes, toiletries, her feather boa.  A girl had to have a few things.  She dumped her jewelry box in and grabbed her diary out from behind the loose baseboard.  She started to grab a picture of her and Nick and instead threw it on the floor.  She was so over him.  She thought about leaving a note.  What would be the point.  Now they could spend creds on themselves and they wouldn’t have to worry about feeding her anymore. She grabbed the bag and headed back to the kitchen and threw as many cans of food in as she could and returned to the back yard.  He was still waiting.

“Are you ready now?”

“Might as well be.  Do you have a name?”

“Ryall.  Let’s go.”

They walked back the way they had come except they turned toward downtown when they got near the coffee shop.  “No sense risking going past there again. Turn down here.”

“So you can fly?”

Ryall just turned and looked at her.

“Duh. You said you had been to my house before.  Why?”

“We knew you were going to change soon.”

“We?  What do you mean we?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

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Sunday Scribbling 206 the book that changed everything

A Book!  They said Ralph found a book!  Why didn’t I think of it before?  Well, maybe because things were a little crazy, what with flying and Ryall getting healed, and all of us joining together to do it.  Maybe there are answers in that book.

I had been lying here for hours, my mind going in circles.  Now that I had an idea, a direction to go, my eyes got heavy and I thought I could sleep, finally.

Daylight had been around for awhile, I judged by the way the sun was beaming in the upper windows.  It was still shady cool down here but I was stiff from the floor.  I rolled over and looked up at where Ryall was starting to wake up.

“Hey.”  I smiled up at him.

“Hey back.” He said with a small grin.  He still looked a little pale but the smile encouraged me.

“Hungry?”

“I think maybe I am. A little shaky still, but maybe eating would help.”

We had been speaking quietly so as not to disturb the others.  “Let me go find some clean clothes and take care of some personal stuff and I’ll fix something.  Are you okay here for now?”  I was a little afraid to leave him but nature was calling and I needed a toothbrush.

“Yeah. I might need a little help later but I’ll, uh…”

“Get one of the guys to help?”  I smiled again.  If he felt well enough to be embarrassed then he was feeling better. “I’ll be right back.”

I hurried up the stairs and grabbed a clean pair of jeans and a shirt.  Emelia liked the skirts and boots and feathers but feathers and skirts weren’t exactly practical for flying.  I would stick with jeans.  I hit the bathroom and cleaned up and was back downstairs in less than ten minutes.  Ryall was still curled up on his side, wrapped in the quilt.

“I promised Ralph pancakes last night.  Does that sound good to you?  I’ll get you some water before I get started.” Ryall just nodded.

I felt like singing.  I was so happy that Ryall was going to be alright, I felt like I could fly without wings! I got him a glass of water and helped him sit up.  He sipped it at first and it seemed to help.  “If you can sit here by yourself, I’ll start breakfast.  The others will be waking up soon.”

“I’m fine, and Kystel?  Thank you.”

“It was Emelia, not me. I’m just glad you are going to be okay.”

“I know Emelia is a healer but last night was weird.  It was like I wasn’t here but wherever I was, everyone was with me, but you, well, it was different. It was like I felt everyone else through you.”

He was watching my face.  “What?  What really happened?”

“That’s just it, Ryall.  I’m not sure.  Let me get breakfast going and we’ll talk about it later. I think everyone will want to be in on that conversation.”

Ralph sat up, wide awake.  “Pancakes?  Hey Kystel, I’ll help you!  What do you want me to do?”

Ralph had a way about him that always made me laugh.   “Good morning, Ralph.  Why don’t you get plates and syrup out?”

“Sure thing, Kystel.”  Ralph’s red hair was sticking up more than usual. He made me think of some kind of funny bird.  There was something about him that made me want to hug him.  He reminded me of Mattie not his looks but some quality that made me want to look after him.

The others were beginning to move around, all except Emelia.  Sloan reached around to grab a pancake and got a swat on his hand with the pancake turner.  “Ouch!”

“Wait for the others.” I grinned at him.

“Do you want me to wake Emelia?”

Emelia was still out. I hoped last night wouldn’t have any lasting ill effects on her. “Let her sleep for a bit longer.  I’ll keep some warm for her.  I think last night was hardest on her.”

Plates of pancakes and syrup were passed around and for awhile there wasn’t much to say.  Everyone was hungry.  Lolly and Arkin helped clean up.  Emelia finally woke up.

“What is all the racket?”  Emelia sat up frowning, and grabbed her head. She was pale and her eyes were shadowed.  “And who kicked me in the head?”

“Hey Em, rough night, huh?” Sloan went and sat next to her, peeling her hands from her head.  “Let me look at you.  Kystel will you bring you some water.  Lolly, you know where she keeps that headache medicine?”

“On it.” Lolly ran upstairs. I handed a glass to Sloan.

“Ryall!” The sudden movement and sound of her own voice had Emelia reaching for her head again but Sloan beat her too it, gently massaging her temples and talking softly to her.  “He’s fine.  He’s on the couch and just finished a plateful of pancakes.”

“Oh figures.  You let me sleep and while you eat up all the goodies.  Next one of you gets a paper cut – you are on your own.”  Emelia spoke quietly but at least her usual sarcasm was back.  “Welcome back Emelia, you’re starting to sound like yourself.” We exchanged a look across the room. Lolly showed up with the headache powder and Emelia made a face but swallowed it down with the rest of the water.

“I saved you some pancakes.  Here’s a cool cloth to put on your head.  As soon as you feel like it, I’ll bring you your plate.”  Kystel held the compress out to Sloan who laid on Emelia’s head.

“Oh man, that is heaven.  Give me a minute and then I would love those pancakes.  Despite this screaming headache I am starving!”

I took Ralph’s plate and he smiled up at me. “Thanks Kystel, you ate the best!” I thought this would be as good a time as any. “When you finished the eschatometer a book was mentioned.  A book that you found?”  Is it a big secret or something?”

Ryall turned to look at them.

“Nope.  It’s just big and old and hard to read.”  Ralph was smiling at her so she guessed it must be okay to ask about it.

“Do you think I could see it sometime?”

“Sure Kystel.  I’ll go get it now.”

Ralph darted out and up his ladder, coat flying out behind him.  By the time he came back, I was handing a plate of pancakes and a cup of tea to Sloan for Emelia. The rest looked on with interest as Ralph carried what appeared to be a huge and very old book to where he had been sitting On the couch.  He patted a place by him.  I sat down next to him and he held it open on his lap.

The cover was leather and cracked with some of the edges torn.  The spine was creased with wear, and I could see that the edges of the pages were rough as though they had been hand made.  Ralph blew on it and we both began to sneeze and cough as the dust flew up.

“So what’s in it?” I asked him.

Ralph looked at me with shining eyes. “Everything!”

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Sunday Scribblings #203 – When Pigs Fly

The boy on the back of the bike stared from Kystel to Emelia, then at Ryall.

Lolly rolled her eyes and put her arm around Kystel.  “Kystel, this is Emelia.  You’ll have to excuse her.  She hasn’t been around people much and her manners are a little rusty.”  She looked pointedly at Emelia.

Emelia dropped her arm and glared at Ryall for a moment, then stepped forward.
“Nice to meet you.”  The words were welcoming.  The tone was anything but.

“Hi.”  Kystel answered without a smile.  She glanced at Ryall.  He brought her here.  The next move was his.

“So what kind of freak is she?”  The boy put his hand on Emelia’s shoulder.
“She’s a flyer, like Ryall.”  He said.

Kystel stared at him and then at Ryall.  “How did he know that?”

Ryall introduced them. “Kystel, meet Arkin.  One of his gifts is the ability to see “freaks” and identify their gifts. “

“Wow.  I bet the Mekaneks would love to get their hands on him.”  Kystel said.  “What about her?”  Kystel nodded her head in Emelia’s direction.

“None of your business, freak!”  Emelia was smiling now.  She seemed to enjoy being a pain.
“She is a healer.”  Sloan said grinning. Lolly had her hand over her mouth and even Ralph had stopped looking anxious and started to smile.  Ryall looked away and Kystel tried not to laugh.  Arkin was the first one to give.  In a moment they were all laughing.  Emelia tried not to but even she finally loosened up.

“She’s really very good.”  Ryall sputtered. “You might need her sometime!”

Kystel still laughing put her hands on her hips. “That will happen the day I play poker with the twins!”

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