It had been a long day of learning for him. This button does that, don't
touch the green lever, that button does this... He needed to remember it all
somehow.
He was walking in a blind haze. Where was he? Why wasn't he home? Where was his sister...?
He leaned heavily against a wall. His feet felt like lead, and his head felt lighter than a helium balloon.
"Help me..." he whispered, "...help me..."
Shadow fell to the floor, limp and weak. "Dulcinea...Mom called you that...didn't she..."
Once again, Shadow succumbed to the darkness of his mind, completely helpless to the memories flooding his senses.
The fire. It was there, as real as life. The one he had lost his parents in. Only his sister was left, half her face the price for her life. She used to be beautiful, tall, and graceful, but the fire robbed her of that. She had suddenly become ugly, horrible, and even acquired a limp in her left leg.
Mother had survived only a few small hours after the fire. Mother had called Diane Dulcinea after the beautiful woman, even though she was only beautiful at heart, in the play Don Quixote.
Shaun had called her that ever since.
It was that limp that unofficially killed her one day. He was twelve, but his sister took care of him. She was eighteen at the time.
There was a red light. It was green their way, so they began to cross. Shaun had just gotten his first skateboard, the one he continues to have today, that day. He was trying to show off how he could skate on it all the way home.
He hadn't fallen yet, and his sister doubted he ever could. She teased him by saying he was born with wheels for feet, but they eventually turned into actual feet.
Shaun knew she was teasing, but he played along.
"Did not, sis! You know I was born with real feet!"
"No, you were born with wheels! How else can you skate so well?"
"Perfect balance?"
Diane ruffled his hair, very slightly so he wouldn't fall, but they still didn't see the driver.
It had been a bad day for that particular driver, who was too proud to wait for a ride home.
Shadow remembered every detail of that day. The day he lost everything. The sky had been a perfect blue, and the clouds held a storybook-like fluffiness to them; even the day had been warm with a cool breeze flowing through. It was like a day painted by the deity of the sky just for them!
But then there was the monster of metal, the screech, and then the cry.
"Dulcinea!!"
He was walking in a blind haze. Where was he? Why wasn't he home? Where was his sister...?
He leaned heavily against a wall. His feet felt like lead, and his head felt lighter than a helium balloon.
"Help me..." he whispered, "...help me..."
Shadow fell to the floor, limp and weak. "Dulcinea...Mom called you that...didn't she..."
Once again, Shadow succumbed to the darkness of his mind, completely helpless to the memories flooding his senses.
The fire. It was there, as real as life. The one he had lost his parents in. Only his sister was left, half her face the price for her life. She used to be beautiful, tall, and graceful, but the fire robbed her of that. She had suddenly become ugly, horrible, and even acquired a limp in her left leg.
Mother had survived only a few small hours after the fire. Mother had called Diane Dulcinea after the beautiful woman, even though she was only beautiful at heart, in the play Don Quixote.
Shaun had called her that ever since.
It was that limp that unofficially killed her one day. He was twelve, but his sister took care of him. She was eighteen at the time.
There was a red light. It was green their way, so they began to cross. Shaun had just gotten his first skateboard, the one he continues to have today, that day. He was trying to show off how he could skate on it all the way home.
He hadn't fallen yet, and his sister doubted he ever could. She teased him by saying he was born with wheels for feet, but they eventually turned into actual feet.
Shaun knew she was teasing, but he played along.
"Did not, sis! You know I was born with real feet!"
"No, you were born with wheels! How else can you skate so well?"
"Perfect balance?"
Diane ruffled his hair, very slightly so he wouldn't fall, but they still didn't see the driver.
It had been a bad day for that particular driver, who was too proud to wait for a ride home.
Shadow remembered every detail of that day. The day he lost everything. The sky had been a perfect blue, and the clouds held a storybook-like fluffiness to them; even the day had been warm with a cool breeze flowing through. It was like a day painted by the deity of the sky just for them!
But then there was the monster of metal, the screech, and then the cry.
"Dulcinea!!"