Neige
It's so cold...
Shivering, the tiny figure pulled their saturated and rough 'blanket' closer, feeling the cold seep into their bones like an injection. Fingers curled around the furled edges of the material-which happened to be an old potato sack found in the nearby garbage-slipping across each loose thread to pass the time. Lifeless eyes observed the world, watching men, women, and children just like themselves pass by without a care in the world, laughing and singing without even sparing a glance of pity towards the now frozen creature hidden away from the world.
The world's so cold.
A shallow breath escaped their body, steam swirling about in their face before rising and fading away into the sky. Lifting their head, they watched the strange happening, gaze inert. When nothing was left to be seen, the child's head once more lowered, looking back out from a secluded corner of the world, at all the light and the beauty within the snow and on the streets, inside homes through open windows and in shops with clear windows.
Cold, yet...beautiful. I love it.
Despite such hardships, a smile managed to curl upon their dirtied, youthful face. So beautiful, all the lights and the sounds out there in the real world. But what about here, in this little corner? Nothing but darkness, nothing but pain and misery. Suffrage and rejection embraced one with open arms, the poisonous drugs of the fear and hate passing around like the gift of water to a parched man.
Why can't I join? What makes me so different?
It was a good question to ask, why couldn't they join? They were just like all the little boys who played soccer in the streets, like the little girls who learned how to sew within a warm and save refuge one would call 'Home', with parents who cared and love them with all their hearts. Why were they rejected when they were the same as everyone else?
I talk like them, I walk like them. I look like them, I play like them, I smile and I frown like them. So...why?
Too many questions for the child's mind, a colorful world starting to slip into grey, bits of black showing up here and there. Sleep seemed so welcoming now, the refugee's last hope and comfort left in their possession as they ran into it's arms. That is, until someone tears the child away from those arms, making them jolt with the sound of their voice.
"Lacie?"
Blood red iris' opened fully, their true beauty shining through as the little girl noticed a familiar figure approaching. A boy, his torn shorts and dress shirt covered in filth and grim from their days in the slums, jet black hair in a similar state of uncleanliness and carelessness. Violet eyes met ruby ones, gaze holding for a few seconds before the realization finally registered in the weary girl's mind.
"Oswald..." she murmured, chapped lips once more slipping into a weary smile, "You're back." Oswald gave a soft smile in return, faint and distant as he plopped down next to her, shivering just like she. Without any hesitation, she sat on her knees, removing her make-shift blanket from her shoulders and extended the side, pulling it around her brother's shoulders. Inching closer, she moved herself up against him, hand reaching in front of him to grab the other side of the blanket, in which he too was pulling closer.
"I'm glad you're alright," the boy admitted, nodding his head over towards Lacie as he spoke, "I tried getting food. Those guys running the stands on the next street didn't seem to happy with me coming near." She nodded, eyes downcast towards her bare feet, curling them up and unfurling them to make sure they were still functioning. Silence took warm refuge between the two, it's presence almost making the older brother worry for what might emerge from such silence. What monsters shall show themselves in this silence? What unspoken words will be revealed by his sister today?
"It's 'cause you're with me, right?" Lacie finally spoke, voice distant and faint.
"What...?" he breathed, surprised at her words.
"It's because you were with me yesterday. I'm sorry." slowly, the girl shook her head as she spoke, frowning weakly as guilt seemed to build up around her, the atmosphere ever so saddening.
"Don't apologize," Oswald shifted his body to face her, speaking more seriously than before, "It's not your fault. It's theirs, they are the ones who are being so cruel. Don't think it's because of that myth that keeps flying around." the girl fell silent, her blood red eyes turning listless as her head rested upon her knees, which she hugged tightly.
"...but what if it's true." she grumbled, annoyance ever present with each word.
"It's not, Lacie..." the boy began, wearily, feeling the loss of this argument being laid upon on his shoulders, like Atlas holding up the sky.
"Then why don't they look at me?" Lacie shot back, angrily this time, her fists clenching tightly against her night skirt. Snapping her head away from her brother, she continued, "Why won't they let me play with them? I asked if I could, they all ran away before I could ask what was wrong. I asked for food, but was glared at, some even spitting at me." Her brother fell silent as she stared back towards the ground, fighting back tears of frustration. Hopefully he could not hear the strain in her voice while she did her best not to cry, "I'm just like them...in every way...I don't understand, Oswald."
"Lacie..." he murmured, a hand reaching to gently touch the others cheek, gently pulling her head to face him more directly, "I'm sorry." Now it was her turn to fall silent, her head burying against his shoulder as the people in the outside world carried on, not once noticing the unfolding story before them. Closing her eyes, the girl let her thoughts drift to her imagination, where she had two parents who always smiled and an always cheery brother. Where food seemed fresh, hot, and plentiful, a happy life being played out in a nice, large home with friends and family. Yet, she found herself torn away from her visage as something cold fell against her face, the wind swirling her blanket and nightdress around in the breeze.
Pulling the blanket closer, she sighed, "Why's it so coldddd..." she grumbled, rubbing her eyes as a soft chuckle sounded from next to her, "I want to go to sleep, but the cold won't let me! Hmph!" pouting, the little girl folds her arms, shivering once more as her brother's chuckling silenced, his head staring up at the sky before speaking.
"Hey, sister...it's snowing." remarked the boy, his hand pointing up into the air as light snowflakes began to trickle down from the grey and white sky above. Lacie followed his hand towards the sky, also looking up as snow began to surround the two of them. Slipping from her soaking wet burden of a blanket, she stands up, hands extended up into the air.
A gasp of awe escaped her before she could help it. "It's beautiful~!" Lacie chimed, swaying from foot to foot as the cold no longer became a huge concern, the pure white substance swaying about in the breeze around her. Her brother watched her spin about with glee in silence, a soft smile in place while doing so. "Snow's so white! I wonder why it's white, not black or red or blue. Blue would be a pretty color, Oswald! Or maybe green! I wonder what people would say if the snow was red, they seem to have a thing against that color, I'll have you know!" waving her hands dramatically about in the air, she swirled about on one foot, long black hair and dirtied night gown swaying in the air. "Would they reject the snow, I wonder? Would they send it to the little time out corner if the snow was red?"
"...I certainly wonder..." Oswald murmured, more amused with the fact that his sister seemed to contain more energy than he could ever possibly muster in one sitting, "I certainly wonder." The little girl finished her swirling, a small pout in place as she faced the street, eyes darting back and forth between random civilians and shop windows.
"They'll see what they've been missing, those guys!"
"Eh?"
He gently raised an eyebrow, lost for words as to what his sister could possibly be reffering to when she suddenly fell back by his side, pulling the other half of their potato sack over her shoulders, extending her bare legs out into the cold. "Why did you stop?" the question slipped out of the boy's lips before he could hold it back, "You looked like you were having fun." Slowly, Lacie nodded, eyes closing as she leaned against his shoulder, sighing softly before explaining.
"I'm tired. I'll rest a bit first, then I'll play." a very soft smile flickered across her face as she let herself fade away into sleep, "I'll play with you, or...by myself..." The brother was about to ask what exactly she meant when she had already dozed off, her breathing light and quiet against him. It was only then that he realized just how tired and groggy he truly was, his head gently resting against her own as he too let himself fall into sleep's welcoming arms, eyes closing from the world and opening in a dream when times were better, a brighter future. Silence encased the two of them, a separate world continuing once again without a single care, such as it always will.
[I guess this little idea came to mind upon seeing some of surfacage's artwork on Tumblr, so a credit of inspiration and the main cover page goes to her! I hope you enjoyed this, I'm planning to add more chapters and stuff too, so please review?]