Chronicles of the Story-Keeper: Book 1 Chapter 2
By: jungleboy69
Chapter 2: The Longer Walk Home
"I still don't get it." Zoe, a girl with black hair grumbled as she walked alongside Soren and two other boys, Liam and James. "Why did Mrs Johnson choose fairy tales as our homework?" "I would have preferred a good math assignment." James added, a boy with black skin and wearing glasses. "Or at least a good science-fiction novel."
"To be honest, I like fables better than fairy tales." Liam shrugged, he had freckles and spoke in a cowboy accent. "They got tons more critters that fairy tales." "Mrs Johnson has a point." Soren replied. "Think about everything children miss out on when they're deprived of fairy tales!"
"Can you imagine a childhood without knowing all those characters and places?" He continued. "I was fortunate that my Dad and Grandma made such a point of reading them to me when we were little." Zoe smiled. "Well, your dad is one of our town's best selling authors." she pointed out.
"Yeah!" Liam exclaimed. "The Lion's Chronicles is my number one favorite!" "Everyone in school has at least 5 issues of it!" Soren smiled. Every day after school, he and his friends would walk home together. They lived in a charming neighborhood that was surrounded by more charming neighborhoods that were surrounded by another series of charming neighborhoods. It was a sea of suburbia, where each house was similar to the next but uniquely different at the same time.
To pass the time as they walked, they would chat about their problems, concerns and thoughts. Practically, everything they learned that day and what they planned to do when they got home. "So, what story are you going to write about?" Soren asked.
"I'll reckon I take Puss-in-Boots." Liam suggested. "The hero's a cat." "I'll choose Cinderella." James added. "She's my favourite" "What about you, Zoe?" Soren asked, causing the girl to hum to herself. "I choose The Boy who Cried Wolf." She decided.
"You can't choose that!" James complained. "That's the most obvious one! Choose something more challenging to impress Mrs. Johnson. You should pick something with a message hidden deeper inside it, one that isn't so on-the-surface."
Zoe groaned. "I don't know what else to choose." She grumbled. "I'm not going to choose those lame princess stories like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty." "How about the Three Little Pigs?" James suggested. "No way!" Zoe shot back. "That's even worst, who wants to her a story about pigs!?"
"Well, the Three Little Pigs teaches us the value of hard-work," Soren explains. "and the dangers of being lazy like the pigs who built the straw and stick houses." Zoe groaned. "" She grumbled. "I'll pick...the Three Little Pigs."
"Hey, guys!" A friendly voice called out. They turned back to see a beautiful blond girl with her hair tied in pigtails and wearing a cheer-leader outfit. The boys' eyes widened with amazement while Zoe grinned. It was Lina Davis, one of the most popular cheerleaders and the daughter of the wealthiest men in the town.
"So, how's your day?" She asked, smiling as she joined them. "Oh, just figuring out what fairy tale to choose for our homework." Zoe replied. "Zoe chose the Three Little Pigs." Liam pointed out chuckling a bit, making Zoe cast him an annoyed glare.
"What about you, Lina?" Soren asked. "Which fairy tale did you pick?" "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves." Lina replied. "It's my favourite, I especially loved the part where the prince wakes up Snow White with a kiss."
Soren smiled. "It suits you." He replied. "Snow White is always known for her kindness and generosity, just like you." Lina smiled and blushed brightly. "Thanks, Soren!" She replied. "If anyone knows about fairy tales, its you."
Soren blushed back while his friends snickered. Lina was one of he most popular girls in school and had the sweetest disposition anyone ever had. "YOU!" A yell startled them and they turned to see Will with a livid expression on his face.
With him were four other students. Soren and his other recognized them immediately; they were the A-Listers, the school's top grade students. There were Liz and Star, two of the head cheerleaders; Elizabeth, the smartest girl in school and Bruce, the star-basketball player and Will's best friends.
"Oh no..." Lina moaned in worry. It didn't help that Will was her older brother and was constantly trying to get her to join them but she refused. "I've got a bone to pick with you!" Will roared, stomping forward at the group, glaring daggers at Soren.
"Will, leave him alone!" Lina exclaimed, only for Will to push her aside. "What's wrong with you?" Soren asked. *POW!* He cried out as Will's fist collided with his face, causing him to fall on his backside.
"Soren!" His friends cried out as Zoe, Liam and James ran over to him. Lina tried to help but Elizabeth held her back. "You're not going with him!" She yelled. "What in the Sam Hill's wrong with you?!" Liam angrily yelled.
"Ask Mr Crybaby!" Will roared, pointing at Soren who was rubbing his sore black left eye as Zoe and James helped him onto his feet. "I got detention because of him!" "You're to blame!" Zoe shot back. "You were making a scene in class and insulting Soren's dad!"
"So what!?" Liz stepped forward, a Hispanic girl with long brown hair. "Just because his dad was a famous author, doesn't mean he gets special treatment!" "Yeah!" Elizabeth added. "It's not fair that Mrs Johnson keeps showering him with praises." "I bet that's why he's gets good grades in school!"
"Just face it, you're a loser, Richards!" Will sneered. "The only reason you're in this school is because your dad bribed the principal in taking you in!" "That's not true!" Soren argued, fighting back tears in his eyes. "What's the matter?" Will taunted. "You gonna cry like a baby?!"
"What's wrong?" Star added. "Do you want a bottle and a diaper to go with?" "Leave us alone, Will!" James yelled. "Or what, four eyes!?" Will taunted. "Wanna fight!?" "Enough!" Lina broke free from Elizabeth and before Will knew it, she slapped him hard on the face. *SLAP!*
Everyone gasped as Will looked at his sister in shock, holding on to the right side of his face, which was now red. "Shame on you!" She yelled at him with blazing eyes. "What's your problem, Will?" "It's bad enough Soren lost his father, but you and your friends keep messing with him!" She screamed. "You know, why don't you do us a favor and learn some humilty?!"
Stunned silence fell. Will gritted his teeth and glared back at his sister. "Forget it, Will." Bruce spoke up. "That little loser and his loser friends aren't worth it." Will turned to Soren. "Just you wait, Richards!" He snarled. "I'll make sure you're out of this town for good!"
"Let's go!" He ordered as he and his friends walked past them, with Will, shoving Soren out the way. Everyone watched the A-Listers walk off while Lena went to check on Soren. "Soren, are you alright?" She asked worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm fine..." Soren replied, softly while rubbing his sore left eye.
(5 mins later...)
"I really sorry about my brother, Soren..." Lena replied again, a look of pure regret on her face as they continued to walk down the street. "Don't worry about it." Soren assured her as he pressed a wet handkerchief on his bruised left eye.
"Honestly, why doesn't Principal Harris do something about him!?" Zoe complained. "He oughta be expelled!" "He can't." James replied. "Mr Davis funded the school, and if Harris tries to expel him, he pull his funds out."
Lena clenched her fists tightly. "I'm so sorry, everyone..." She muttered again. "I know my family can be..." "It's alright, Lena." Liam assured. "It's ain't your fault." "Will and his A-Lister buddies are just being plain nasty."
"Besides, you're a great classmate." James added. "You always get good grades because you work harder than anyone." "Besides, I think ya got this assignment hands down." He grinned. "No one knows more about fairy tales than you."
Soren chuckled. "My father and grandmother were the ones who taught me about them." He replied. "They always believed that fairy tales are lessons for us and they help us to stay young in heart." "It's a shame that most people don't see the message behind them...and...and-"
His voice trailed off and stopped in his tracks. His eyes were wide and all the color in his face slowly drained away. His friends noticed this and grew worried. "Soren, what's wrong?" Lena asked. When he didn't answer, they looked at his direction and their expressions grew shocked.
They were staring at a large house. It was a lovely home, painted blue with white trim, and had several windows. The front yard was landscaped to perfection; it had just the right amount of grass, patches of colorful flowers, and a large oak tree ideal for climbing. If a house could smile, this house would be grinning from ear to ear.
However, what caught their attention was the giant For Sale sign next to the oak tree. A bright red stripe with the word Sold had recently been added to it. "It sold," Soren said, slowly shaking his head from side to side in disbelief. "It sold," he repeated, not wanting it to be true.
The friends just stared in complete silence, not knowing what to say. "It knew it would happen eventually," Soren added, his voice soft. "It's been for sale for so long, I figured it was just… you know… waiting for me."
Tears were forming in his eyes again. "Soren..." Lena spoke, a worried tone in her voice. "I'm so sorry..." "Is there anything we can-" "No." Soren replied, wiping his eyes. "There's nothing you could have done..." His friends just looked at him with concern. "Come on, man." James replied. "We'll walk you home."
Soren nodded and they walked off, not before he took one last look at the house. It was the only thing that the Richards family had recently lost.
A year ago, just a few days before his nineth birthday, Soren's father died in a terrible fire on his way home from work. had owned a bookstore a few streets away named Lion's Library, but all it had taken was a few small streets for a big accident to happen.
He and his mother had been anxiously waiting for him at the dinner table when they got the phone call telling them their father wouldn't be joining them that night, or any night after that. He had never been late to dinner before, so as soon as the telephone rang, they all had known something was wrong.
Soren could never forget the look on his mother's face when she answered the phone—a look of pure horror, a look that told them, without saying a word, that their lives would never be the same. He had never seen their mother cry like she did that night.
Everything had happened so fast after that. It was hard for Soren to remember what order it all had happened in. He remembered his mother making tons of phone calls and having to deal with a lot of paperwork. He remembered that his grandmother came to take care of his while his mother made all the funeral arrangements.
He remembered holding his mother's hands as they walked down the church aisle at the funeral. He remembered the white flowers and candles and all the sad expressions on everyone's faces as they passed. He remembered all the food people sent. He remembered how sorry people told them they were.
He remembered how strong Grandma and Mom had stayed for them in the following months. He remembered his mother explaining to them why they had to sell the bookstore. He remembered that, eventually, his mother couldn't afford their beautiful blue house anymore, and they'd had to move into a rental house a little way down the street.
He remembered Grandma leaving them once they were settled into their new, smaller house. He remembered returning to school and how falsely normal everything appeared to be. But most of all, Soren remembered not understanding why any of it had to happen.
How could such a well-beloved and kindhearted man leave this world in such a tragic way? How could Heaven be so cruel as to take away his father, who he viewed as a man of unwavering compassion and faith?
A full year had passed, he still didn't understand it. People had told him it would get easier with time, but how much time were they talking about? The loss seemed to grow deeper each day without his dad. He missed him so much sometimes that he expected his sadness to swell out of their bodies. He missed his smile, he missed his laugh, but most of all, he missed his stories.
Whenever Soren had a bad day in school, the first thing he would do when he got home was jump on his bike and pedal to his dad's store. he would run through the front doors, find his dad, and say, "Dad, I need to talk to you."
It didn't matter if he was helping a customer or putting brand-new books on the shelves, Mr. Richards would always stop what he was doing, take his son to the storage room in the back, and listen to what had happened.
On one occasion, he returned with a black eye and a torn book. Mr Richards was beyond shocked and took him back to the storage room where he treated him. "I'm...sorry...Dad." Soren choked between sobs. "Will...and his friends...They tore up...my book, the...latest edition of...the ...Lion's...Chronicles you gave...me."
Mr. Richards smiled gently. "Son, it's alright." He assured him. "I'll have more copies, I can always give you one." "And don't worry about Will." He added with a grim look, while flexing his knuckles a bit. "I'll have a few words with him and his friends."
"That wouldn't solve anything," Soren said through sniffles. "Will knows that I'm weak..." "He and his friends won't stop picking on me because I'm weak." Mr Richards patted him on the shoulder. "That's not true, son." He assured him. "You're stronger than you realise it."
"Dad...why am I different?" He asked. "Sometimes, I wish I was like Story-Keeper Leonard from the Lion's Chronicles. He's always strong and brave, he always protected the innocent from any danger." "There are times I wished I could be as strong or brave as him."
Mr. Richards sat beside him. "Well, Story-Keeper Leo didn't always start out as a hero or a protector." He explained. "He didn't...?" Soren asked in surprise. His father smiled and shook his head. "No...Leo started out just like any ordinary person."
"He was just an ordinary boy living with his mother, but he was kind, generous and above all, devoted to his family and friends." He added. "That's what earned him the position of Story-Keeper and High King, he never cared for gold or power; all he cared about was his family and friends."
"Just like you...Dad." Soren replied, smiling at him. Mr. Richards chuckled. "Yes." He replied, before looking at his son with warm eyes. "Soren, you aren't different." He told him. "You are special; you're kind, you're helpful and you are always looking out for others."
"And I can tell you, one day, everyone will see and know just how special you are..." Soren smiled and hugged his father. He always knew how to make him better.
It took the friends twice as long to walk home since the Richards had moved into the rental house. It was a boring home with brown walls and a flat roof. Windows were few, and the front yard consisted only of a plain grass lawn that was barely alive because the sprinklers didn't work.
"Well, home sweet home." Soren muttered. "Do you need any help?" James asked. Soren smiled and shook his head. "It's alright, guys." He replied. "I'll be fine." Liam nodded. "Well, we be seeing you tomorrow." He added. As the friends waved goodbye and left, Soren entered the house.
The Richards' home was cozy but cluttered. They had more furniture than they had room for, and none of it matched the house because it was never intended to. Even though they had lived here for more than half a year, unpacked boxes were still lined up against the walls.
His family didn't want to unpack them; none of them wanted to admit they were staying as long as they actually were. Soren immediately went up the stairs and into their separate bedrooms. He sat in his desk and started his homework.
Soren's bedroom was a nice quiet place, with pictures of fairies, elves, wild animals and other creatures. What stood out were the shelves of books in his room, books of folktales, fables, myths and legends. But most of all, they were books of classic fairy tales, his absolute favorite.
After an hour or so, Soren heard sounds downstairs and he knew his mother was visiting from work. Instantly, he remembered his black left eye and quickly, he placed a cap on his head and shoved the visor down on the left, hoping his mother won't ask.
As he went downstairs to join her in the kitchen, he found her sitting at the table while on the phone, flipping through a stack of envelopes she had just collected from the mailbox. Sally Richards was a very pretty woman with red hair and freckled skin that Soren undoubtedly had inherited from her. She had a huge, caring heart and loved her son more than anything else in the world. Unfortunately, he hardly ever saw his mother anymore.
She was a nurse at the local children's hospital and was forced to work constant double shifts to support the family since her husband passed away. She was already gone before Soren woke up every morning and would get home after the twins had gone to sleep. The only time she had with her son anymore was on the brief lunch and dinner breaks she spent at home.
When her husband was still alive, he would sometimes join her in the hospital and would entertain the children with songs, magic tricks, but most of all, stories. Mrs. Richards loved her job and loved taking care of children at the hospital but hated that it took time away from her own. In a way, Soren felt he had lost both his parents after his dad's death.
"Soren!" Mrs. Richards exclaimed to her son, covering the receiving end of the phone and smiling warmly at him. "Did you have a good day at school?" "Sure, mom." Soren nodded, smiling back.
"Yes, I can work a double this Monday," she said into the phone, speaking with someone from the hospital. "No problem," she lied. Most of the envelopes she was looking through had bright red warning stickers saying FINAL NOTICE or PAYMENT DUE.
Even working the hours, she worked, Mrs. Richards had to get creative with money sometimes. She put the envelopes facedown on the table, hiding them from her son. "Thank you," Mrs. Richards said into the phone, and clicked it off. She turned to her son. "How are you sweetie?"
"Fine." He replied, passively while tiping his hat. Mrs. Richard's "mom-tuition" turned on. She knew something was troubling him "What's the matter?" she asked, studying his face. "You seem a little down.". "And why are you wearing that cap?" She added, a little amused.
Soren just looked down at the ground. What was he supposed to say? Did his mother know about their old house? Should he tell her? "Come on," his mother said, a gentle expression on her face. "What is it? You can tell me anything."
"I'm not upset," Soren said. "I knew it was going to happen eventually." "What?" Mrs. Richards asked. "The house sold," He replied. "I saw it today on my way home from school." Sally's eyes widened a bit and grew silent, but Soren could see she was just as disappointed about it as he was and had hoped he wouldn't notice it.
"Oh, that," Mrs. Richards said, brushing it off and giving a forced smile. "Yes, I know. You shouldn't be sad about it, though. We'll find a bigger and better house as soon as we catch up on things here."
Soren just looked at her a bit sadly. His mother was a terrible liar and so was he. Still, Soren smiled and nodded along with her. "What did you learn in school today?" his mother asked. "So much," Soren proclaimed with a huge smile. "Mrs Johnson gave us homework on fairy tales."
"Really?" Mrs. Richards asked with a wide smile. "I'm sure you'll get good marks considering how much you love reading them." "By the way, why are you wearing that cap?" She added, raising an eyebrow.
Soren blushed a bit. "Well...I...See..." He mumbled, gripping his cap with both hands. "Soren, what's wrong?" His mother asked again, growing more concerned. "Just tell me..." "Mom..." Soren sighed and slowly, removed the cap from his head. His mother gasped in shock when she saw his black left eye.
"Oh my god, Soren!" She exclaimed, hurrying over and examining the bruise. "What happened to your eye?!" "Will and his friends happened." Soren muttered. "Honestly, that horrid boy!" Mrs. Richards fumed in indignation. "I'm calling the principal about this!"
"Mom, don't!" Soren cried in alarm. "Will's dad funds the school!" "If Will gets expelled, his dad will pull his funds from the school!" "We can't let that bully get away with it!" Sally argued. "Something has to be done!"
"Mom, please!" Soren begged. "You know how powerful Will's dad is, if he finds out that we got will expelled, he'll have us evicted!" The phone rang just as Mrs. Richards was about to continue.
"Hello?" Mrs. Richards said, answering the phone. A look of worry appeared on her face. "Tomorrow? No, there must be a mistake. I told them I couldn't work at all tomorrow; it's my son's tenth birthday and I was planning on spending the evening with him."
Soren looked surprised for a moment. He had almost forgotten he was turning ten the next day. Almost… "Are you positive there's no one else who can cover it?" Mrs. Richards asked, her voice more desperate than she wanted it to sound. "No, I understand.… Yes, of course… I'm aware of the staff cuts.… See you tomorrow."
Mrs. Richards hung up the phone, closed her eyes, and let out a deep, disappointed sigh. "I've got some bad news, sweetheart," she told him. "It looks like I have to work tomorrow night, so I won't be here for your birthday. But I'll make it up to you! We'll celebrate when I get home from work the next night, all right?"
"It's fine, Mom." Soren replied, smiling; trying to make her feel better. "I understand, I wasn't expecting anything special anyway." "Besides, your job is to help others less fortunate than me." He added. "You have helped so many children, that's why the hospital call you more often because you're the best and most caring nurse of them all."
"That why I'm proud to be your son." He added, taking hold on her hand. "Any mother who devotes her life to caring for others is the best gift I could ever had" "That's the kind of person I want to be when I grow up." He added, smiling. "Someone who care for and protects those less fortunate."
Mrs. Richards was beyond stunned. The situation made her feel like the worst mother in the world, and their understanding made her feel even worse. She would have much rather watched him throw a fit or get angry or show any emotion appropriate for his age. He was too young to be used to disappointment.
However, the fact that he understood her situation and how proud he was of her devotion to helping children like him was the most heartbreaking of them all. "Oh…" She said, fighting back the sadness inside her. "Great. Then we'll have dinner… and get a cake… and have a nice night.… Now, I'm just going to go upstairs for a minute before I head back to work."
She left the kitchen and hurried up the stairs and into her bedroom. Soren waited a beat before climbing up the stairs to check on her. He peered into their mother's bedroom. She was sitting on her bed sobbing, with rolled-up balls of tissue in both her hands, talking to a framed photo of her late husband.
"Oh, Marcus, I don't know what to do..." Mrs. Bailey said, tears streaming out from her eyes. "I try to stay strong... to keep our family going, but it's really hard to do without you. Soren's such a good son. He doesn't deserve this..."
"Soren's growing up so much..." She added, choking between sobs. "He's almost the splitting image of you..." "Always kind...always generous... just like...you" She continued, stroking her husband's portrait. "All I've done...was leave him...all...alone..." "I'm a... horrible...mother..." She croaked. "I... failed...my baby...boy"
"Mom..." Sally looked up and her eyes widened when she saw her son as he slowly entered the room and sat beside her. "Please, mom..." He whispered, close to breaking down himself and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Please don't cry, Mom...it's not your fault." He assured. "You're...a wonderful...mother... don't cry; Dad wouldn't... want you to be upset..."
"Oh Soren!" His mother choked, before she wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry you... had to... see me like this..." She replied, sobbing onto his head. "I'm so sorry, for everything, it just...isn't fair that you've had to go through all of this at such a young age."
"It's going to be okay, Mom." Soren said. "I don't need anything special for my birthday." "Remember what Dad would say, fortune always rewards those who are good and kind." Mrs. Richards looked at her son with watery eyes. "When did you become so grown-up?" She asked. "I am the luckiest mom in the world!"
Their eyes fell on their father's photo. "You're right, Soren." She added. "Your dad would also say, 'Right now, we're living in an ugly chapter of our lives, but books always get better!' " Soren smiled at her, hoping that it was true.