"The Sundial"
a Luis Sera story
— By Sha Amaranth —
Luis, his grandfather, and Resident Evil belong to Capcom.
"What time is it?"
Luis would often ask his grandfather on a cloudy day, whenever the two would happen to be walking pass the sundial outside their modest garden.
"It's time for the rain," Luis's grandfather would respond with a gentle grin, and Luis would turn his eyes to the skies, wondering if the rain knew what time it was, too.
The clouds were still blocking out the sun, when Luis and his grandfather finished their errands and were rounding back to their home together. Luis looked over at the old sundial, with memories of childhood afternoons spent studying the sundial and observing the shadows cast by the sun, when the sun was present.
It often seemed time for the rain now, with the gloomy clouds high above. Dark skies slowly replaced sunny days, and Luis felt his younger days begin to fade away. Something as simple as a sundial no longer interested him, but to humour his dear grandfather, Luis would jokingly ask for the time whenever they passed through their worn down garden.
"It's time for the rain," would come the hearty response; words Luis held onto even after his grandfather became too old to go out for walks regularly anymore. His grandfather was getting up there, and Luis would close his eyes tightly to chase away fears of Death taking away his only family.
Taking up biology, Luis spent several years away from his grandfather, who would often sit by the window looking over what was once a blooming garden. A weary and heartfelt smile would surface over the old man's lips whenever his eyes caught sight of the worn sundial resting with the ivy growing up around it, tangling it for eternal companionship.
Luis always came home during holidays to spend them with his dear grandfather, and would always make his dear grandfather so proud of him with all the latest news of his studies and accomplishments. Luis sometimes stretched the truth to humour the old man, but Luis could see it in his grandfather's eyes that he knew Luis too well.
Sometimes, his grandfather would ask what was wrong whenever Luis would stand alone by the window, staring out at the sundial and wondering where did the time go. Luis would laugh, shrugging and tell his grandfather that nothing was wrong, as long as he was around. Darker skies threatened to keep rain in the forecast of time, but Luis couldn't bear to tell his dear grandfather the truth.
"What time is it?"
With a surprised grin, Luis looked over at his grandfather who voiced the question Luis would often ask. Luis turned his head to look out at the old sundial, old as his grandfather yet would stand there forever, something Luis wished his grandfather could share in common with the sundial.
Pale blue eyes caught sight of dark glances from villagers, and Luis let out a low sigh, before he turned away from his grandfather with a weary look; hidden, of course, from his grandfather's loving eyes. Reminded of his dark secret, Luis shrugged it off best he could, then he turned back to look at his grandfather with a forced smile - something that worried his grandfather, who knew Luis well enough to know that Luis was one to go through his own troubles alone.
"It's time to leave."