Emotions are hard to catch and even more annoying to keep. So why not chase them away instead?
Catch Me If You Can
...
Golden sunlight washes over the small town of Amity Park, bringing warmth to the chill spring morning. Everything stands still for a moment, like a photograph, crisp and clear. Puffy white clouds drift along, spectating the quiet town below them. Buildings tower over each other creating a rough contrast to the blue sky; rigid and rooted.
A soft breeze brushes by, disturbing leaves and grass glittering with leftovers from the rainfall that had long since passed before the break of dawn. The smell of it lingers as morning dewdrops toss into the air. Its soft twinkling thrives in the quiet. An equally twinkling giggle accompanies the ruffling of flora and fauna just as another stronger rush of wind passes by.
The grass parts like twin carpet trails, one slightly behind the other, racing across the large field. Dry patches of earth follow its wake. It continues towards the lake with a sharp hiss, echoing throughout the serene landscape. Two invisible figures zip by creating large rippling waves. The ducks quack, disturbed from their calm morning float.
Two almost synchronized thuds reverberate the trunk of an old willow. Long wiry branches shiver from the impact as a pair of black and white clad figures appear, panting hard.
"Hah! ...ha..I...w-won!" The younger one squeaks, collapsing against the thick rough bark; ignoring how it tugs at her tousled silver hair hanging loose from her ponytail. She finds enough strength to send a daring smirk at her companion. His hand presses against the tree, the other gripping his knee as he catches his breath. Messy hair sticks out of random places on his head reminding her of the days where she would sneak into his room to scare him awake.
"No way! I...was totally...here first!"
"You wish-oof!" She reaches out to punch him on the arm, wholly miscalculating how physically exhausting that motion would be far too late. She trips over her two feet and gets a face full of dirt.
Twin pair of green eyes sparkle, one painted with confusion and the other in shock. A beat of silence passes by before a high dosage of mirth rescinds any traces of shock.
Laughter erupts from the two phantoms for a good minute before both lay side by side below the willow. Their chests rise and fall in a steady rhythm as the last of their giggles die away.
Another moment of silence passes by. Birds chirp melodiously in wake of a new day. Wind rustles through the willow's branches. Sunlight filters through the leaves creating a dazzling sight of morning stars.
A gleeful smile crosses her lips as her eyes gleam at the sight. It reminds her of confetti. With more sparkling qualities and much, much more magnificent. She turns her body sideways and faces her almost-twin, finding the same expression on his face.
Years of being his cousin has taught Ani how to catch little instances of hidden emotions — of which he was the master. An inkling of that familiar sadness etches onto his smile. She knows this expression well. It would appear every time she returned from one of her long voyages across the world. Sharing jaw-dropping tales of her adventures, exploring different lands as a wandering spirit. Danny had laughed so hard at the title, she couldn't believe he even possessed any ounce of melancholy. She realized then that she was free to do whatever she liked. He was not.
She frowns and opens her mouth to speak when he catches her eye. Any hint of doubt in her mind washes away as he sits up and rests a hand behind his neck, grinning wildly. The messy hair doesn't help. Typical Danny.
"Wanna go get some ice cream?" His eyes flash, knowing all too well about her love for desserts. How dare he distract her with sweets. For breakfast no less.
Ani can't help but nod herself dizzy. She leaps into the air, ready to bolt to the nearest supermarket. The triple chocolate delight flavour begs for her embrace once more. Tucker had brought it over when Danny was hosting a massive horror movie marathon. The boy was devastated to find all the empty cartons next morning; Ani was bedridden for the whole day. Pure coincidence, she had chirped out. Totally worth it, she told herself over and over again.
"Race you the-" Danny's hair ruffles even more in the wind left behind from Ani's abrupt departure. He chuckles and speeds towards her in a mad dash. Ghostly echoes of their laughter dance across the atmosphere in a trail of fresh, cold breeze.
This is a nod to Happyleif's oneshot series: Shots in the Dark. In particular Ch. 22 Wanderer, which I absolutely adore, and where the name Ani is derived, with quite a clever and funny reasoning. I encourage you to read it to find out hehe. In fact, all her stories are masterfully crafted, definitely highly recommended.
In other news, hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading. :)
