,Jack thought as he stared out the kitchen window. He studied the dead looking garden and its packets of seeds - pumpkins, squash, snapdragons, bleeding hearts - on the sill before turning to inspect the rash on his hand. He developed the rash from the poison oak stick.
Jack didn't at all understand why they had moved into such a crappy house. Couldn't his parents have at least tried to find somewhere more livable? He sighs and glances around the kitchen. The main part of his kitchen floor, like most of the things in the Pink Palace, is barely maintained and looked worn and faded.
He turns his attention to his mom. "I almost fell down a well yesterday, Mom."
"Uh huh." She replied, clearly not listening. Jack rolled his eyes. How long did it take to type up some stupid article on her computer?
"I would have died."
"That's nice." His Mom continued typing.
Knowing that his Mom wasn't going to respond as he wanted her to, he scratched at the rash on his hand and changed the subject. "Hmmm. So can I go out? I think it's perfect weather for gardening."
Stacy snapped her attention up from her computer. "No Sean, absolutely not! Rain makes mud, and mud makes a mess."
"But Mom," He whined, "I want to stuffgrowingwhen my friends come to visit. Isn't that why we moved here?"
Stacy sighed and rubs her forehead. "Something like that. But then we had the accident."
"Wasn't my fault that you hit that truck." Jack says as he slides down in his seat.
"I never said it was." She resumes typing on her computer.
"I can't believe it. You get paid to write about plants but you don't even like dirt!"
"Sean, I don't have time for you right now." Stacy huffs. "And you have unpacking to do.Lot'sof unpacking."
"That sounds exciting," Jack responds, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Stacy ignored him for a few moments before remembering something. "Oh, some kid left this on the front porch." She pulls a small thing wrapped in a newspaper out of her lap. Jack gets up and walks over to take it from her. He inspects the note left on it.
Hey Jack, look what I found in grandma's trunk. It looks just like you!-Mark
He rips open the paper to see a mini him stare up at him.
"What is it?" Stacy asks. Jack holds the doll up for her to see.
She raises her eyebrow at it. "Aren't you too old for dolls?"
Jack shrugs. "I dunno. But isn't it cool? It looks just like me!"
Stacy studies the doll again, a bit weirded out by how much it resembled her son. It had his brown hair and wore the same exact outfit Jack wore the day before. But what stood out the most where the doll's blue button eyes. She shakes her head. "It's creepy. What's the kid's name anyway?"
"Mark." Jack inspects the dolls blue shirt. "His grandma owns this place."
"That's cool. Now leave me be and go unpack your stuff."
Jack huffed before leaving the kitchen.
( ͡ ͜ʖ ͡)=Σ((( つل͜)つ
"Hey dad, how's unpacking going?"
Chase stops pulling stuff out of boxes and turns to grin at Jack. "Hey there buddy. It's going great!" He stands up and dashes to another box. "Look, I found your baby pictures!" Chase beams as he held up the book filled with pictures. Jack snorts and shook his head.
He brings his doll closer to his face. "Can you believe him?"
"Where'd you get that?" Chase asks. "It looks creepy."
"Mom said the same thing," Jack chuckles. "A kid who lives here found it in his grandma's trunk."
Chase makes a face. "He found a doll that looks exactly like you in his grandma's trunk?"
Jack shrugs his shoulders. "I guess. Anyway, do you know where the gardening tools are?"
"Isn't it pouring out there?" Chase raises an eyebrow.
"Humph." Jack crosses his arms. "It's just a little rain."
"What'd the boss say?"
"Don't eventhinkabout going outside Sean McLoughlin," Jack mocked his mom.
"Then you won't be needing those tools." Chase places the photo album on his dresser. "How about you help me unpack? We can drink hot chocolate and watch a movie after?"
"Fine," Jack grumbles.