I'm in a dark room that reeks of decomposing egested waste. There are no windows here. The room is pitch black, and I'm leaning against a door. I know the wall stretches horizontally from here but I don't know how far it goes before it turns at a right angle to frame another part of the room. It's dusty in here, and under feet, the floor is hard, cold cement. The kind you get at dinky schools that are too cheap to afford tiles. I scrabble at the door, and there's a sour taste in my mouth. It's the taste of bile and rising fear.i can't remember when I've last eaten, but I feel emaciated and weak. There's a whining, but I'm not scared of that. I know it's Fin's dog, long before it had died. I hammer at the door, weakly. I don't know how long I've been here, time seems to have stopped flowing, but it's scary. Somewhere in the dark room, there's a loud sound like a bus pulling up at the bus stop; the sound of fumes of steaming gas emitted into the air. That scares me more and I'm hammering away at the door, louder than before. I need to get out of her because I'm awfully frightened of this place.
I jolt awake just in time to see a flash of lightning, illuminating the sky. The streak is so bright that it looks almost white. My heart is skipping a thousand beats per minute and I think I'm about to die.
I haven't had that nightmare for so long already. I'm not sure where it came from but it scares me. Outside, a heavy rain starts pouring, throwing torrents of water against the thick-glass windowpanes. The sound of the water thrumming outside sounds so akin to the hammering sounds in my dream. I shudder, suddenly there's a need for me to leave this room. I'm afraid and scared senseless.
I creep out of my room, and my heart is in my throat. I'm very scared for some reason, and I'm not usually like this. Suddenly, I need to be with my brothers, any one of them will do. Our rooms are arranged such that the youngest two are squashed between the other elder brothers. In sequence, the rooms are Den's, mine, Nor's, Fin's and Sve's.
I quietly trod over to Nor's room. I try the doorknob, but to my dismay, the doorknob wouldn't turn all the way. Simply put, Nor has locked his door. I don't want to bother Den at all so I troop off to Fin's. I've just reached for the doorknob when a loud squawking and rattling sound is heard from below.
My mind spurs into action and I explode into Fin's room. My breathing is fast and shallow, and I know the nightmare has got me pretty shaken up. I'm aware that all the ruckus was by Puffin but that doesn't calm me.
Fin's fast asleep and I sidle up to his bed and poke him awake. I'm not 5, I don't need to sleep in someone else's bed, but I'm certainly not sleeping on the floor. Nope. It's uncomfortable. See?
"Hmm?" Finland is awake and rubbing the tired from his eyes. He probably thinks he overslept. "What's wrong, Ice?"
At that moment, another blinding flash of electricity sears through the grey sky, illuminating everything luminous purple. I'm reminded that purple is the colour of our eyes; Fin's and mine.
We all have King sized beds, that's because our houses are big. So our rooms are huge too. Big enough to fit King Sized beds in every room. We used to share, but that's long ago, when we still had parents. Fin scoots over to make space for me. He understands.
I mutter my thanks as I sink into his bed. It feels comforting, and I know I'm safe. So I drift off once again.
ooOoo
When I wake up, it's 7 in the morning. School doesn't start until sometime at 8.40. I sigh. The dream is still vivid in my head, and I can remember the choking fumes of decomposing yuck. Fin's room is bright and the curtains have been drawn apart ever so slightly to bring in some light.
I'm dressed and ready to go at 7.30, and I'm in the kitchen, eating toast with Nor while Fin busies himself with a little duty roster. Fin likes the house spick and span. So everyone has a role to play apart in keeping it clean. The younger three of us take over on the weekday while Sve and Den do stuff on the weekends.
When we're done with our breakfast, we lace up our trainers and make a hit to the bus stop.
ooOoo
It's lunch break now, and I'm sitting on the rooftop with Seychelles and Hong Kong. I don't know who invited him, but it's certainly not me. I'm not sure if Seychelles invited him along or something; I still don't like him very much. And it seems like he can't take a hint. Something that Sve's always told me is that, I have to forgive and forget. I'm trying. And believe me, you, it takes more effort than you'd think it would.
"Hey, Ice…?" Hong Kong says. And he's still calling me Ice. I sure as hell never gave him that authority. But I respond anyway.
"Huh."
"Aww! Ice don't be rude!" Seychelles pipes, it seems like she's caught Hong Kong's influenza as well. How nice.
"What, what?" I grit out. You see, there has always been a reason to why I've stayed an introvert.
"I'm sorry about yesterday, okay? I didn't know your parents are deceased…" He means it; you can hear it in his voice. He's easy to read like Fin and Den.
"No matter," I say, dispelling the conversation.I really don't want to talk about it much but Seychelles pushes me at it.
"Wanna talk about it?" she asks. She's looking at me with beseeching hazel eyes that are practically doing a whole lot of begging on it's own. She's asking me, but you know she's just dying to hear my story.
I look at Hong Kong and he's just as curious, but he looks kind of lax too. Like he's not expecting much. I'm starting to think he's just as messed up as me, so I take a shot at it.
"Yesterday, when we got in trouble, I saw your dad. He's pretty young," I say, testing the words and calculating his reaction. There's nothing. And I think I've pretty much just drove myself into a blind corner because straight away Hong Kong's jumps into an explanation.
"Heh! My dad! That's my brother, dude." Like I didn't know. Hong Kong continues, "Mum and Dad are out overseas, so it's just me and my siblings back at home. I've got like four of them! Crazy, yeah?"
I'm not impressed; I have four siblings too!
Hong Kong gives Seychelles and me a backbone outline of his family. "My family owns this convenience store out back, we live in the apartment over it. My eldest brother, the one you saw yesterday, was a high school drop out. His name's China.
"There's another brother in this school, he's in third year. He's kinda droopy and quiet, and he has weird fetishes. When he gets excited, there's no stopping him! His name's Japan.
"I also have another two younger siblings in junior high. Korea and Taiwan. They're okay, just severely irritating and really timid, respectively speaking. Though neither is as smart as I am, so you probably won't see them around!"
He's laughing, Hong Kong. And I know exactly why; he wants something in return. He's not saying it, but his look is reproachful and full of mirth. I know what he's thinking. I'm rarely wrong on these assumptions.
"And I suppose you want to know about my family?" I ask feebly, trying to act pitifully so that they'd spare me. But knowing Hong Kong, he doesn't gives too hoots about how I might feel about sharing this kind of information.
"Too right!" He grins. And Seychelles is nodding vigorously too - she's totally siding with him. I guess this is one reason why I rarely have friends.
But then I relent, and before I know it, I'm spilling all the details about my family. It's not as bad as I thought, sure it was a bit mortifying to express some of the quirks my family possessed but it was good to share. But I don't do the deep and dark stuff. That's a no-no. I have realize one thing though. And that is how much I love my brothers; I'm proud of them like hell.
ooOoo
School's not so bad now that I've got friends. Their inclination to calling me "Ice" has led me to calling them Seys and Hong respectively. It's not my fault that they have gastronomically long names; Seychelles and Hong Kong are both definitely longer than simpleton Iceland. But they don't complain, and I guess that makes us a trio now.
As a sign of newfound friendship, I ask them over on Saturday. I'm sure my brothers won't mind. In fact, I'd like them to meet my brothers. But since it's only Tuesday, we thought we'd get to know each other more by hanging out after school.
ooOoo
There are so many things to do when you're out with your friends. This is my first time being out with friends in all honesty, like I said, I've never really had any. I'm feeling a little awkward walking down a dark alley in single file with Hong in the lead. Girls in low-slung skirts and skimpy shirts wave and wink at Hong, I know he's a charmer, but I'm not about to admit he's better looking than me. Boys, with cigarettes wilting from their lips, imply funny things by waggling their eyebrows at Seys. We've been walking for quite awhile now and I'm not sure why we're even here.
But then we burst out of the dark street and into a bustling city full of life. The streets are teeming with people and the roads are congested with cars. It's like in one of those brochures where city life is flaunted. I've been here on the weekends before, but it's usually with Fin or Nor. It's different with friends. You know, since I've never had friends before.
"It's a shortcut, see?" Hong Kong grins. He knows his way around here like the back of his hand, and being the introvert that I am, I hardly know my way around despite living years in this district.
Since Seys is a girl, she's just about mad-hopping crazy when she sees the bombastic buildings of the malls, Cineplex and slot arcades. She's breathing really quick and her eyes are all glittery; I can't imagine the adrenaline rush for things like clothes, but hey, I guess that's a girl's thing. Seys hooks us through one arm each, and Hong and I are marched into the huge mall.
When we're inside, Seys flits around the racks of clothes and shoes and shelves of cosmetics, her eyes are widening in adoration at pastel pink sneakers, red wraparound skirts, and smart blue dresses. She's picking up and trying samples of nail polish and perfumes, she's fizzing around and styling Hong with black skinny jeans, a smart button up shirt and cool grey jackets. She's putting me together with brown khakis, a white cotton shirt with a huge sunglasses printed on it and real sunglasses to go with the look. I wonder whom she's trying to kid, but I go along with it anyway. It's cool in a fun way, and I'm having a blast.
We've spent so much time at the clothes department, it's almost 6 when we leave. Seys is all googly-eyed and she's adrift in her own world. It's started to rain outside so we move as fast as we can. We're about to head back home by bus this time (because the alley way is risky at this time of the day).We're walking on the pavement outside when we troop past a pet store on ground level. I am immediately attached to it, and I remember of Puffin back at home, waiting for me.
"Can we go in?" I'm whispering, my face is pressed up against the glass and whole hordes of puppies are on display. There's one that looks strikingly familiar, something like Fin's long dead dog.
Hong is laughing. He says he didn't know I had a soft spot for animals, but I don't really care. Animals are cool.
We're there for only 10 minutes when the rain outside is pounding even harder. The droplets are searing through the sky like spears and the droplets are moistening any surface that was once dry. I did remember to text Fin, let him know I won't be home till later hours. I didn't bring my umbrella, see? Now, I'm making a mental note to carry it with me always.
Lightning cuts the sky into two, and a deafening crash resounds as an after effect. I shudder, and the next lightning strikes, with thunder hot on its heels. Before I know it, the powers in the pet store are cut off, and all I can hear are the soft whimpering of dogs and the squawking of raucous birds. Murmurs of fear ripple through the other customers and the room is pitch black save the languid grey lights from the display window. Fear is constricting my throat, and suddenly I think I'm trapped in my nightmare. The enigmatic dream is suddenly replaying in my mind, every details is clear as glass, and I'm having difficulties breathing. Outside the display glass, there's only the grey pavement and an empty paper bag that tumbles down in the harrowing winds.
I need to run. I feel constrained and suddenly, I think I'm going to lose all control. A scream is threatening to tear at my throat, and I'm very, very afraid. I need comfort, and the enclosed walls are suddenly pressing in. I make a scrabble to the front door, I'm desperately clawing at the doorknob; but it won't budge. Not until gentle fingers brush my hand away and turn the knob in the other direction.
I mutter thanks to Hong as I stumble into the pouring rain. There's still a bit of light from the sun where dreary clouds failed to cover, and my racing heart begins to slow. My friends slip out and join me in the storm. But I feel fine now. I hate confined areas.
And I know something bad is going to happen. I'm not sure. Maybe something deep and dark from my past. Maybe something's happening to my brothers right this moment, something bad. Suddenly, I need to get home.
A/N: Well here's the next chapter! (: This is more of the building of friendships, because friends are very important mind you U_U And I'm very appreciative of my readers and the reviews I have. I'd like to personally reply to them here, but my eyes are literally dying from staring at this glaring screen for hours. I'll do so the next chapter! (: Until then!
Also, this story won't have any romance pairings except one. That involves the Nordics, but it's not Iceland, and it's not incest. It's very mild, okay! It's impt for plot development U_U
R&R please (: