Amara and Hotaru
The room was dark, and the windows were shut. i had a blanket over my head, fearing what I knew would happen soon. i closed my eyes, begging and praying to God to let one day go by without..."Daddy! It's 7:15! i'm coming in!" Oh, well, another morrining. God, couldn't you make it summer vacation or somthing already? Every morrning, 7:15, or Saterday and Sunday, 8:30, I get woken up the exact same way!
hotaru came bouncing in, school uniform on, books in one hand and a big grinn on her face. "Goooood morrning, daddy! Sleep well?" I pretended to still be asleep. Hotaru, knowing this trick already, pounced on me. "Okay, okay, I'm up!" She smiled and ran out of the room. Life has been as difficult for her as it has for me. Michele passed on about a year before in a diving accedent. Trista, Hotaru's other mother, was then called back, not even three months after michele's passing, to the time gates. Since then, we've been on our own.
I tramped into the kitchen about five minutes latter, dressed for work. Hotaru, bowel of cearl in front of her, was reading some magazine. "Well, princess, what would you like to do after school today?" She looked thoughtfull for a second, the grinned. "Can we go to the circus?" I groaned. Every Friday, she asked me the same thing. "But, Hotaru, we whent five times in a row! Lets do something else." "Okay, okay." We sat in sighlence for about a second. " I know! how about going to see a scary movie!" I grinned at her, looking over at the news paper. She frowned a second, then smiled. "Okay, sounds good to me."
Since michele died, I've tryed to spend as much time with hotaru as possible. Every friday, the two of us do somthing together. I love being with her. Since the defeat of Galexia, Hotaru has mantained the apperance of a seven year old. I looked at the clock in my office. "James, I'm going now!" "Yeah, see you tomorrow." He called back. I'm a proffesinal 'grease monkey' as many people call me. i work tusday through Saterday,10:30 am to 5:00 pm, getting off early on Fridays. i headed over to the grammer school that Hotaru goes to. "Hotaru!" i called over. She was leaning agenst the building, her eyes closed. Her health has always been poor, and she was usally exahusted by time school was over. i walked over to her, leaning down to brush the hair away from her eyes. "How was your day, sweetie?" "Okay, i guess.' I quickly loked her up and down, trying to find any black and blues. She was usally a target for bullies. "No fights today?" "Nope, it was really kind of good."
we whent home to change. i put on my favorite dress shirt and tie, Hotaru put on a cute little baby tee and a pair of jean shorts. i comed her hair gently, then we left. "Daddy, do we really need to see a scary movie?" She looked at me a little nevouse. "Come on, buddy, live a little." I slaped her shoulder, only a little to hard, because she winced. I have to keep reminding myself that she's in no way as strong as i am. i rubbed her shoulder quickly. "You didn't hurt me! I'm fine." She put on what i liked to call her 'rugged face' the one she uses when she wants me to think she's big and strong. i smiled down at her.
We pulled into the movie about a half hour befor it begain. "Wich one are we going to see?" She asked, looking at the titles. "Revenge of the Vampire!" i said, excidedly. Hotaru looked a little sick. i got us our tickets and walked her to the consesion stand. "Two super king size popcorns, extra butter and one diet coke and one extra large vanella milk shake." Hotaru just staired at me. "Daddy, i can't eat all that!" "Sure you can! But if not, I'll be more then happy to eat it for you." Well, at least that got a giggle out of her.
We took all our food into the dark theater. Some older kids were making goast sounds, then laughing hysterically. hotaru hung close to me, shaking slightly. "Daddy, I'm scared. What if the vampire comes out of the screan?" I smiled at her. "Hotaru, if he dose, I'll 'World Shake' him for you. Then 'puff' all gone." She looked at me with a nevouse smile. We found seats right in the center, were we had a wide veiw of the screan. i started to eat my popcorn. Hotaru, however, nevously chewed her straw. "Hotaru, the movie hasn't even stared yet!" "I know, i'm just getting ready!" i ate a few more kernals, glanced at my daughter who looked like she was about to go in her pants, and threw a kernal at her. "Daddy!" She giggled. "What?" i asked inocently. I looked away, then threw another one. By this time, the preveiws had begun, and everyone had finally stoped talking.
Well, of course every movie has about an hour of preveiws. i sat there, almost asleep,as the previews for Jackie chan movies, Disney movies,and God-knows -what-else was shown. Hotaru, however, seemed to be alittle more relaxed. That was, untill the movie started.Hotaru's first reaction was to stiffen up. I glanced at her, as on the srean, the vampire bent down slowly to drink the blood of his victum. As her reached down and planted his fangs on the persons neck, Hotaru begainto cry softly. i quikckly put my arm around her, pulling her close to me. She buried her head into my arm, as the vampire drank the victums blood. "It'sover, now. You can look." hotaru sat up agen, stairing as the monster turned himself into a bat, and flew away.
Well, she was like that threw the entire movie. i mean, the movie for her was bad enofe, but the fact that we were sitting in front of a bunch of teen age boys, who kept leaning over to hotaru saying the vampire would get her in her sleep. Well, with that said, she begain to howel. I snaped around to the boys. "Do you think it's funny to scare a seven year old?" i demanded. He looked at me and laughed. "Yeah, it is!" i looked at hotaru threw the darkness. "Come, on, sweetie, we'll leave." We left all our food, (well, hers anyway, I had just about finished all of mine), and left the theater.
It was imposible for Hotaru to get to sleep that night. "Hotaru, ther are no vamiprers!" I kept telling her, but she still insisted on sleeping with garlic, a mirror, the holy cross (wich she made me take down from her wall, convinced the vampire wouldn't see it), and a stake knife. I finally got her to sleep about 9:30. I droped into bed myself, knowing, just knowing what would happen, (and being a good parent, I was going to love every second of it!) about an hour latter.
And sure enofe, i t did! "Daddy, can I come in?I had a bad dream." I smiled to myself, as I patted the bed for Hotaru to come into. Just as i gave her a kiss good night, she wispered to me,"Daddy? Can we see another scary movie next week?"
The room was dark, and the windows were shut. i had a blanket over my head, fearing what I knew would happen soon. i closed my eyes, begging and praying to God to let one day go by without..."Daddy! It's 7:15! i'm coming in!" Oh, well, another morrining. God, couldn't you make it summer vacation or somthing already? Every morrning, 7:15, or Saterday and Sunday, 8:30, I get woken up the exact same way!
hotaru came bouncing in, school uniform on, books in one hand and a big grinn on her face. "Goooood morrning, daddy! Sleep well?" I pretended to still be asleep. Hotaru, knowing this trick already, pounced on me. "Okay, okay, I'm up!" She smiled and ran out of the room. Life has been as difficult for her as it has for me. Michele passed on about a year before in a diving accedent. Trista, Hotaru's other mother, was then called back, not even three months after michele's passing, to the time gates. Since then, we've been on our own.
I tramped into the kitchen about five minutes latter, dressed for work. Hotaru, bowel of cearl in front of her, was reading some magazine. "Well, princess, what would you like to do after school today?" She looked thoughtfull for a second, the grinned. "Can we go to the circus?" I groaned. Every Friday, she asked me the same thing. "But, Hotaru, we whent five times in a row! Lets do something else." "Okay, okay." We sat in sighlence for about a second. " I know! how about going to see a scary movie!" I grinned at her, looking over at the news paper. She frowned a second, then smiled. "Okay, sounds good to me."
Since michele died, I've tryed to spend as much time with hotaru as possible. Every friday, the two of us do somthing together. I love being with her. Since the defeat of Galexia, Hotaru has mantained the apperance of a seven year old. I looked at the clock in my office. "James, I'm going now!" "Yeah, see you tomorrow." He called back. I'm a proffesinal 'grease monkey' as many people call me. i work tusday through Saterday,10:30 am to 5:00 pm, getting off early on Fridays. i headed over to the grammer school that Hotaru goes to. "Hotaru!" i called over. She was leaning agenst the building, her eyes closed. Her health has always been poor, and she was usally exahusted by time school was over. i walked over to her, leaning down to brush the hair away from her eyes. "How was your day, sweetie?" "Okay, i guess.' I quickly loked her up and down, trying to find any black and blues. She was usally a target for bullies. "No fights today?" "Nope, it was really kind of good."
we whent home to change. i put on my favorite dress shirt and tie, Hotaru put on a cute little baby tee and a pair of jean shorts. i comed her hair gently, then we left. "Daddy, do we really need to see a scary movie?" She looked at me a little nevouse. "Come on, buddy, live a little." I slaped her shoulder, only a little to hard, because she winced. I have to keep reminding myself that she's in no way as strong as i am. i rubbed her shoulder quickly. "You didn't hurt me! I'm fine." She put on what i liked to call her 'rugged face' the one she uses when she wants me to think she's big and strong. i smiled down at her.
We pulled into the movie about a half hour befor it begain. "Wich one are we going to see?" She asked, looking at the titles. "Revenge of the Vampire!" i said, excidedly. Hotaru looked a little sick. i got us our tickets and walked her to the consesion stand. "Two super king size popcorns, extra butter and one diet coke and one extra large vanella milk shake." Hotaru just staired at me. "Daddy, i can't eat all that!" "Sure you can! But if not, I'll be more then happy to eat it for you." Well, at least that got a giggle out of her.
We took all our food into the dark theater. Some older kids were making goast sounds, then laughing hysterically. hotaru hung close to me, shaking slightly. "Daddy, I'm scared. What if the vampire comes out of the screan?" I smiled at her. "Hotaru, if he dose, I'll 'World Shake' him for you. Then 'puff' all gone." She looked at me with a nevouse smile. We found seats right in the center, were we had a wide veiw of the screan. i started to eat my popcorn. Hotaru, however, nevously chewed her straw. "Hotaru, the movie hasn't even stared yet!" "I know, i'm just getting ready!" i ate a few more kernals, glanced at my daughter who looked like she was about to go in her pants, and threw a kernal at her. "Daddy!" She giggled. "What?" i asked inocently. I looked away, then threw another one. By this time, the preveiws had begun, and everyone had finally stoped talking.
Well, of course every movie has about an hour of preveiws. i sat there, almost asleep,as the previews for Jackie chan movies, Disney movies,and God-knows -what-else was shown. Hotaru, however, seemed to be alittle more relaxed. That was, untill the movie started.Hotaru's first reaction was to stiffen up. I glanced at her, as on the srean, the vampire bent down slowly to drink the blood of his victum. As her reached down and planted his fangs on the persons neck, Hotaru begainto cry softly. i quikckly put my arm around her, pulling her close to me. She buried her head into my arm, as the vampire drank the victums blood. "It'sover, now. You can look." hotaru sat up agen, stairing as the monster turned himself into a bat, and flew away.
Well, she was like that threw the entire movie. i mean, the movie for her was bad enofe, but the fact that we were sitting in front of a bunch of teen age boys, who kept leaning over to hotaru saying the vampire would get her in her sleep. Well, with that said, she begain to howel. I snaped around to the boys. "Do you think it's funny to scare a seven year old?" i demanded. He looked at me and laughed. "Yeah, it is!" i looked at hotaru threw the darkness. "Come, on, sweetie, we'll leave." We left all our food, (well, hers anyway, I had just about finished all of mine), and left the theater.
It was imposible for Hotaru to get to sleep that night. "Hotaru, ther are no vamiprers!" I kept telling her, but she still insisted on sleeping with garlic, a mirror, the holy cross (wich she made me take down from her wall, convinced the vampire wouldn't see it), and a stake knife. I finally got her to sleep about 9:30. I droped into bed myself, knowing, just knowing what would happen, (and being a good parent, I was going to love every second of it!) about an hour latter.
And sure enofe, i t did! "Daddy, can I come in?I had a bad dream." I smiled to myself, as I patted the bed for Hotaru to come into. Just as i gave her a kiss good night, she wispered to me,"Daddy? Can we see another scary movie next week?"