Speech Therapy. Lore hated it. The endless bore of a grown woman waving around cards in her face. She took note of it. Each individual hair, each freckle, each wrinkle on the black woman's face. The room itself wasn't very pleasant either. A clump of personal objects from other children's therapy, mashed together with a furnished basement from 1950. It filled her senses with disgust. "Lore, can you say this for me. Can you say "Hello"?"
Lore felt like screaming. Of course she can fucking say it, she just doesnt really see a need to. After all, 13 years of just staying silent have done good for her so far. The woman sighed, before nodding to the door to her right. In popped her father. She smiled brightly, she loved the man dearly. He was one of the only ones who treated her normally. She signed a couple words with her hands ``Love you!". He smiled, before rubbing her hair. "You too hun". She always looked up to the man. His name was Lincoln Loud. She did a big project on him last year for 7th grade English. The whole "Who is your hero" type deal. He was 31 years old. He was an artist, he drew for Marvel, DC, and some Manga companies. He lives in a big house with her and her mom. Stuff like that.
"So, how was everything?" he asked. The woman sighed, before standing up. "Son, I really do believe that your daughter is non verbal". Lincoln sighed, before grabbing his daughter's hand. "We'll be back, next week, same time. Thanks Aurelia."
(Line cut)
Lincoln looked down at his daughter on the walk to the car. His light of his life. Her other arm was in this little pose. Her "Dinosaur arm" she called it. Her hair was just like his. Pure white. She shared her eyes with her mother however, a bright violet peered at the world in such wonder. Thankfully she didn't get Lincoln's buck teeth. She did inherit his freckles, as well as her mother's ghostly skin tone. Her clothes were something special. Black skirt with some star speckled stockings, and a pastel purple gothic set of boots. Something her mother had gotten her as a gift. A darkened shade of purple sweater-esque covering at the top, sprinkled in on it were some upside down crosses, something gifted to her by her aunts. Finally, a spiked bracelet. Her prized possession.
"Hey, how about we go and pick up some Chipotle for all of us so we can surprise mommy when we get home?". A bright smile peaked Lore's face. She loved the tacos she got there. Lincoln loved this girl dearly. She was his. She reminded him that there was good in this world, despite everything wrong with it. As they reached the car, she breached from the grasp of her father and ran for the passenger door. Lincoln looked at his own prized possession, his limited edition tesla. Engraved with the signature of Elon Musk himself, thanking him for drawing him so well in the comics. She yanked open the door, sat, put on her seatbelt and waited for her father to do the same. She was excited. Taco time!
Lincoln started the car, and turned up the radio. He never expected what would happen next
(Line cut)
Lucy was sitting in the kitchen, cleaning up several charcoal drawings worth of mess. She had to draw as well as actually write the poetry. She sighed as she wiped off the powdery chalk substance from the granite countertops. She loved how easy they were to clean, and was thankful her beloved had gotten them over wooden ones. He and her daughter should be home any minute now. And knowing her husband, he would be bringing her home some wonderful treats as well. Maybe some new tea? Food? Lube?. Whatever it was, she was excited. But, rather than a simple knock on the door, it rammed open as Lincoln rushed in with Chipotle bags (Good, but not lube) and their daughter. "My love, whatever is the matter?" she said. "She spoke"
Lucy dropped the bottle of cleaner in her hand. "What?".
Lincoln gripped his wife on the shoulders, and smiled "She spoke. In the car, I turned on the radio. I know, it was stupid, but her Speech therapist pissed me off and just-". Lucy nodded, they'd always kept Lore away from music. She was very, very sensitive to noise. They didnt know if music would overwhelm her at all. At school, she had to wear special headphones that blocked all sound until she was in her special education classroom. And at home, well, her sisters had to use earbuds if they ever wanted to listen to some. "She immediately perked, and I thought it was bad so I turned it off. She turned it back on, so we listened to it. She genuinely enjoyed it. Once the song was over, she signed "Again". So-"
Lincoln pulled out his phone, the newest in the Samsung galaxy line. He opened youtube, and pulled up the song. "I typed in the lyrics, found it, and played it again. And she sang it." Lincoln was smiling brightly as tears began to swell in his eyes. Lucy was in shock. She looked over at her daughter, who was looking at them worriedly, as if she had done something wrong.
Lucy grabbed the phone from her husband, and pressed play on where the song left off. And immediately, her daughter sang along. "I heard you been lyin' and tryin' to shit on my name talkin' behind my back. You should never expect the best to rest instead you're spewin' that bullshit! Come on, you're not adept in honesty,and honestly, I see you've never delivered apologies. It's always: "Because of them or because of a thing that happened."
What do you wanna receive for fucking it up all the time? A fucking statue? I'll call it, hmm "Ode to Mr. Miserable". Call me harsh for throwin' darts and aimin' for your hollow temples.
Oh me? Cody died and it's no more nice guy season, Cause now he's heated and it's…
Time to pack your bags, No more looking back, So quit your cryin', I know, you know you're guilty, Guess you must have, Had me in a trance, And now you've lost your chance-"
As Lucy watched as her daughter beautifully sang this song as if she had undergone vocal coaching her entire life, she felt her heart beat rapidly. Until it didn't. Lucy collapsed, as Lincoln nearly did as well.
(Line cut)
Lincoln thought about what to do about this. Lore's other sisters would be home soon, his own sisters were coming to visit, Lucy was passed out on the floor and Lore? Well, now she was singing another song. This one in chinese. He didn't like how the words sang closely resembled a racial slur however. He paced around his room for a moment, before getting a radical, yet very risky idea. To call Luna. No one in the family had any contact with her past the blowup. At least none that he knew of. To say that he missed her was an understatement. However, he felt that this was needed. He walked back over to his estranged wife and grabbed her phone from her pocket. He opened the contacts list and scrolled down to Luna. Last call was, well, never. At least not on this number. He tapped it, and stared at the green phone lighting the screen. Should he?
(Line cut)
Luna awoke to the sharp buzz of a flip phone. She groaned as she sat up out of her hammock, the clink of multiple liquor bottles filling the gap where she once lay. She looked at her surroundings. A dirty trailer, in the middle of buttfuck Wyoming. She sighed, before walking across the floor, trying not to step on the glass from the shattered picture of her ex wife. She flipped it open, trying to sound professional. Maybe she'll get a gig, or a revival. Or something. She can't keep living as a damn prostitute. "Luna Loud, Rocker extraordinaire, how can I help you?"
The voice on the other end was frantic, excited yet worried. "Luna! It's Lincoln. So, I might need some help"