One
Foolish games
The cold floor froze on Luke's back as he stared up at the dark ceiling. He lay sprawled out in the center of his bedroom floor with only the last of the moon light shining through his window. At hearing, footsteps outside his room he threw himself to the window and pulled the curtains closed. Quickly climbing into bed and pulling the covers over his plain grey pajamas, Luke shut his eyes tight.
Just as he did so, a woman creaked his door open and walk over to the window. Pulling the curtains open to reveal a warm yellow. "Time to get up." She said sweetly. Luke said nothing, moved nowhere. As to give the illusion he was in a deep sleep.
When he felt her cold hands on his arm his heart began to race. "Luke!" She snapped, "Out of bed!" Turning and walking to the door, Luke heard it creak but never heard it shut. With caution he pulled himself up and ,stretching, gave a loud and fake yawn.
"Be at the table by six or you won't be eating." And with that she slammed the door shut. Huffing a long sigh, Luke pulled himself out of bed and walked to his closet. He reached in and grabbed a dark blue collared shirt from a rack of many and pulled on a pair of creased tan slacks. Running a hand through his dark hair he walked out of the room.
Sitting at the table he waited to be severed his breakfast. A boy plopped in a chair next to him and rubbed at his eyes with a stale moan of fatigue.
"Morning Isaac." Luke said cheerfully. The boy looked up at him and nodded in response. "Hey Isaac, what are the only two things you can never eat for breakfast?" sighing in defeat the tired boy turned to Luke, giving him an odd glare and took a guess. "Turkey and stuffing?" He answered with a tone that made it sound less like a question and more like a apathetic statement.
"Lunch and dinner." Luke corrected digging a fork into his eggs. "Get it?"
"No," Isaac protested. "lunch and dinner are not meals to eat."
"That's the riddle." Luke stated with a mouthful of scrambled egg. "Must you be so odd? If the Lady hears your foolery she'll be ticked." Isaac's morning slump was washed away and replaced with an expression of confusion and annoyance. Soon many boys arrived at the table and began eating their food quietly.
"Miles is it your birthday tomorrow?" Luke asked, breaking the silence. "Yes. I'll be thirteen."
"Wow so you'll be the same as Isaac?" Luke's eyes wondered around the table at the boys. He was the oldest, only a year older than Isaac who had recently turned thirteen.
"What's all the chitter-chat in there?" A scratchy women voice rang in the boys ears. "Nothing." They all said at once. "Henry, what is the difference between five and seven?" He asked the little boy next to him
"Luke! Enough with the riddles. Eat your food before the Lady comes in here." Turning his head to face the little boy Isaac slid his lips into a small smile. "Henry have no more of Luke's games. They're a waist of a good mind you hear?" The little boy nodded and looked down at his plate.
The boys never found any amusement in Luke's behavior, well accept Henry. Being the youngest, he looked up to Luke. Although Henry didn't want the other boys to treat him as they treated Luke so Henry portioned his time with him.
Henry did always wonder though, what was it that was so bad about Luke? Why was having fun so frowned upon?
Isaac told Henry what to do a lot and Henry knew he only did so the Lady would leave Henry be. Isaac had made the boys his responsibility but the Lady always insisted she keep Luke.
"Sunday chores," Isaac said. "Gage your to clean the kitchen, Miles your mopping, Charlie turn down the beds, and me and Henry will clean the rooms." Isaac demanded and the boy jumped to work. Luke sat at the table staring at his empty plate. Gage came by and grabbed his plate. Pulling his long orange hair back into a ponytail and turned on the tap.
Slowly, Luke pulled himself from the table and began walking down the hall to the Lady's room. Creaking the door open, he peaked his head in the room. The lady lay out on her queen sized bed flipping through a book. The cover read "The Sweet One" and Luke assumed it was her newest romance novel.
She had her legs crossed at the ankles and her dark hair was placed carefully on each side of her, cascading down each shoulder stopping mid forearm. She wore a blowy pink night gown and pale foot slips.
Slowly stepping in, Luke pulled is arms back behind him and stood up as straight as he could. He closed the door behind him and stepped to the foot of her bed. "Yes Luke?" She asked not looking up from her book.
"Isaac sent everyone to work." Ripping a page out of her book and pulling a pen from behind her ear, she began writing. She handed him the paper and he sat down on the ground folding his legs under him. He read the note but only one sentence mattered.
"Go see Anna" it read. Luke stood up and turned to the Lady. "When should I be back?"
"Dark..." she said turning a page. Nodding Luke turned and walked out the door.
While Luke sometimes acted afraid of the Lady he actually thought quite fond of her. All the other boys feared her presence which is why Isaac took charge. He thought it well to protect the young ones from her wrath, but he was happy to give Luke to her.
As Luke Immerged from the hall way the boys asked what his job was. He simply pulled on his coat and waved goodbye to them.
Luke skipped over every crack, kicked every rock, and smashed every leaf in his path. While he did so he would count down from 100. When reaching zero he would turn around twice and begin reciting the alphabet backward all the way to A.
Luke didn't see why Isaac hated his fun so much but he figured he was just not a happy person. He was pulled from his thoughts by a loud shriek and a barefooted girl came running from a house. wrapping her arms around him and nearly knocking him to the ground. "Hey Anna, how are you feeling today?"
"Great, what brings you?"
"The Lady sent me." Smiling wide she grabbed Luke's hand intertwining their fingers and lead him into the house. "What business do you wish to attend to?"
"That's not important right now." He said ushering her through the door. They sat on the couch and Luke asked again. "How do you feel today?"
"I already told you I feel great."
"You always tell me that?" He sighed. "And I always mean it."
Luke couldn't say how he knew Anna he just always had. He knew it was because of the Lady that they met but he wasn't sure when exactly. What he did know was that the thin 14 year old girl in front of him, with long red locks down her back, was his best friend.
"So what did u come here for?"
"The Lady wants to know something." Confused, Anna stood up and stepped closer to Luke. "What does she want?" Looking up at his expression Anna realized what this was about. "Right." She said stepping away and walking to the other room. She reemerged with a folded paper and handed it to him. "Tell me Luke, why is the Lady so concerned with me?"
"Can you tell me why a raven is like a writing desk?"
"Well isn't it obvious."
"All riddles are obvious!" He replied. "That what makes them so hard."
"Unless you see it right away."
"But what fun is that?"
Just then a loud noise interrupted them. "Who's at the door? Were you expecting someone?" Luke asked in confusion.
"No although I wasn't expecting you either." She said with a small smile. Turning to the door she opened it but instead of a person she only saw a rabbit. "Luke look.." she said quietly. Luke walked over and was taken back. "Where did he come from?"
"Not sure."
"How did it knock?" He asked with a bizarre sneer. "Maybe it was lost and knocked to ask for help."
"How would that be?"
" Luke I have never known you to be such a skeptic." With this the rabbit spun around and began hopping off. "Look you scared it off." She said angrily. "Calm Anna," He said cautiously.
Quickly she slipped on her shoes and ran out the door. "Where are you off too?"
"I'm following it."
"Why?"
"Aren't you as curious as I?" This was convincing enough and Luke ran off after her and the rabbit. "Anna be careful please" he called to her. She was only a few feet in front of him but the way her streaming red curls rocked when she nearly tripped scared Luke.
Anna stopped so abruptly that Luke wasn't able to stop before crashing into her and sending them both down. But instead of hitting the ground as they had expected they were instead falling. Screaming they clung to each other expecting to hit some sort of surface. Instead they just fell. Luke kicked off the wall sending them slowly drifting away from the wall in time to dodge a large wooden table that seemed to be flying up past them.
Slowly they relaxed and assessed the situation. "Luke where are we?"
"Not sure." He said in confusion. "How long have we been falling for?"
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"And the rabbit?"
"I'm sure I saw him jump down here." Anna looked down to see if the rabbit was below them and set off her weight flipping her upside down. "Are you alright?"
"Yes!" She said quickly and rushed to keep her dress up. Next thing they knew they were sitting on a cold tile floor.
"How curious I don't remember landing."
"Me either"
"Look there goes the rabbit!" Anna called and ran down the hall way with loud footsteps. Luke looked around confused by his surroundings. "Anna please do not run off."
"Hurry or we will loose him." She cry in frustration.
,Soon they found them self at a hall of doors. "Which do we take?"
"Why should we take any?" Anna turned around so quickly her long red dress wrapped around her legs and then quickly released. "And what do you suppose we do?"
Anna's face began to turn a deep shade of pink as she spoke with loud frustration. "Okay," he spoke softly, "Your right there aren't many other options."
Luke walked to the door closest to him. It stood higher on the wall and came up to Luke's shoulders. It's splintery surface was painted a poor quality pale blue. Luke reached for the handle and began to turn it. "Wait" Anna bursted. "Should you not knock first?"
Luke quickly realized the handle, startled by her outburst. Anna stepped next him and rose her fist knocking 3 time, pausing, and knocking twice more. She grabbed Luke's hand and squeeze tight. He could tell she was scared so he tried to be calm to keep here so as well
When no one opened the door to see who had knocked, she knocked once more. Waiting was stripping Anna of her already short temper and it showed one her face.
She grabbed the handle, twisting and yanking at it. The door was locked but she wouldn't be foiled so easily so she instead threw her fist at the door. Over and over she struck the wood sending the shuddering sound to echo through the hall. "Anna that's enough," Luke said patiently. She always had had problems with her temper and he learned to tolerate her fuse.
"I said that's enough!" He shouted and grabbed hold of her hand mid swing. The strength other strikes were extreme and Luke wondered how the old door was still in one piece. He grabbed her by the shoulders and looked deep into her livid eyes.
"You need to keep calm. You're not helping any by getting flustered." She nodded and breathed deeply as if to exhale all her frustration. Luke reached for the handle and attempted to turn it.
"There's a lot of door here. If we knock on them all one is bound to answer." Anna began running to each door, knocking twice, and running to the next. Without thinking Luke turned the knob and opened the splintery blue door.
"Anna its open." He cried and beckoned her as he climbed in through the door. Anna didn't understand but with a thought like that, what about this made any sense at all?