Another! This one is shorter than the last one. I hope you like it anyway. Cedric is four and Charlette seven. Enjoy!
Charlette closes her hand around Cedric's as she leads them along the bank of a river. "Be careful Cedric." She tilts her head back to look over her shoulder at him. "It's slippery."
Cedric nods. She lifts his other hand and curls it around hers. He keeps his eyes glued to his own feet instead of her or any of the surroundings. He never was the most graceful kid, especially not when it came to his stupid feet. So the muddy banks they walk on but him on edge.
Charlette takes him a few more feet and comes to stop. "Here we are." She gently peels his fingers back one at a time until her hand is free from his grip. "This is my favorite spot." She sweeps her arms in a semicircle to indicate the small, slow running body of water.
Cedric shuffles closer to her. He twines his hand around her arm and leans his head against her. "I don't know, Charlie…" He frowns. "I don't really like water."
Charlette chuckles. She ruffles his hair. "It'll be fun." Much better than that day with the tree. A shudder races up her spine and she barely stifles a grimace. "You'll see."
Cedric peers up at her. "You mean it?" His voice trembles. He quivers faintly.
Charlette smiles softly. "Yeah," She twists in order to face him. "But you know what, you don't even have to play in it if you don't want." She guides him over to a grassy area where he can watch from above the bank. "You can sit here."
Cedric beams up at her. "Thanks, Charlie." He grips the earth between his legs as he swings his legs idly. "I'll just watch."
Charlette nods. She twirls to face the river. She slips off her shoes and gathers up her dress. She dips her foot into the cool waters and lets the soft rush tickle her skin. She slips her next foot in and stands in the center of the river. She giggles. "This is nice." She closes her eyes and imagines herself floating. The wind wisps through her hair and ruffles it, furthering the illusion. The rocks beneath her feet are so smooth that they are like fluffy clouds.
Cedric tilts his head as he watches her. Everything seems to slips away as she stands out in the water. The creases leave her face and a smile curves her lips. His brows knit together and a frown blossoms on his mouth. He doesn't see how something so simple can bring her such peace, all he knows is there is a pang of something in his heart. He wants to feel what she feels too. He slips from his position and trods over to the edge of the river.
Charlette's ears prick and she opens an eye to peek at the source of the sound. She notices Cedric and snaps her head around. "Cedric, what are you doing?"
Cedric ticks his hands behind him and clasps them. He sways back and forth on his feet. "You look happy." He says meekly. He drops his gaze to the ground. He focuses on the ripples in the water.
Charlette smirks. "You jealous?"
Cedric scowls. "No!" He crosses his arms in a huff. "It's just boring by myself."
Charlette chuckles. "You know, you can always play with me." She balls up her dress and shifts it to her other hand. She extends her now free hand out to him.
Cedric eyes her offering as if it is a snake coiled to strike. He mostly doesn't remember that day – the day she stole Mr. Scom – but he has flashes. One of the most prominent is the extension of her hand. She did that before dragging him off to the blueberry patch and it was one fatal step toward all he can't remember. He only recalls the fear and days of darkness.
Charlette ducks her head. "Cedric?" She bites her lip.
Cedric blinks and breaks the spell. "Promise I won't get hurt?" He hates to say it – hates to bring back the pain – but he can't help but ask.
Charlette's stomach drops. Her heart clenches. "I won't even let anything hurt you," she whispers. She runs her fingers along the curve of his cheek. "Promise."
Cedric grins up at her. "Ok." He lays his hand in hers and squeezes tight.
Charlette forces a smile through the onslaught of guilt. She is terribly afraid she will never forget her mistake. "Here," She leads him back to the grass and sets him down. She releases her dress and kneels in front of him. "You need to take your shoes off." She twists them off and sets them aside. She rolls her his pants up to his knees and bounces back to her feet. "There you go." She claps her hands.
Cedric hops to his feet. He swings each leg up to look at his bare feet. He wiggles his toes and giggles. "Are we gonna swim?" He blinks up at her.
Charlette laughs. "It's not big enough for that silly. Besides, how would you explain to mom about your wet clothes?" She grins and raises her brows.
Cedric shrugs. "I dunno."
"We'll just walk around in it." She scurries over to the water. She hikes her dress up enough to avoid the water and reenters. "Now your turn." She beckons him in.
Cedric runs. He doesn't think about it and before she can stop him his foot crashes into the water and it splashes up over the both of them. The cold liquid sprays him in the face and he is left stunned. He stares wide eyed into space. His mouth gapes.
Charlette gasps. In her shock she drops her dress and it becomes soaked through. "Cedric!" She shrieks. She flings her arms out, slinging water droplets off of herself. She wipes her hands along her stomach as if it might remove some of the water seeping into it.
Cedric shrinks back. "S-Sorry sis." He pins his arms against his chest and clenches his hands tight. "I didn't mean to," His voice cracks.
Charlette stops. She sighs. A mischievous glint lights her eyes and her lips curl into a smirk. She leans over and dips her cupped hand into the water. She shoves her hand up and splashes water up in his face.
Cedric sucks in a sharp breath and splutters. He blinks ten times to clear the water and shakes his head. He stares blankly at her for a long moment. Her smile is infectious though and in an instant he too is grinning. He scoops his hands into the depths and jerks them up, throwing water at her.
Charlette squeals. She jumps to the side. She smacks water Cedric's way.
Cedric ducks. He goes so low he is up to his chest. He dips his head and swallows a mouthful of water. He pops up and squirts it in Charlette's face.
"Yuck!" Charlette swipes at her face. "You punk!" She dunks him.
Cedric sucks in air an instant before he is submerged. He seizes her leg with both hands and jerks.
Charlette yelps as her legs go out from under her and she falls into the river. Water urges upward and rains over them. Her backside hurts from the collision, but it is not enough to rip the smile from her face. "You little jerk." She laughs.
Cedric makes his way over to her. He sits, his head just barely peeking up over the water. He doesn't say anything. He just leans his head against her shoulder and closes his eyes. The water laps against him and creates a steady beat, much like a heart. He closes his eyes and imagines it is hers.
Charlette smiles tenderly down at him. She lifts her arm and wraps it around him. She squeezes lightly and lays her head over on top of his.
"Charlette?" Cedric murmurs.
Hm?" She doesn't shift her gaze from the currents in the distance.
"What are we gonna tell mom?" He bites his lip as he tries his best to look up and see her face without moving.
Charlette laughs. She pats his arm. "Say we tripped."
Cedric chuckles. "Ok."
Charlette sighs in content. It really is nice here. Her favorite place in the world. And now for even more reasons than before. "My little Cedric."
Aww, isn't that the cutest. lol Can't promise it will stay that way. Actually I'm not quite sure at the moment what the next chapter will be. I have plenty of ideas for future chapters, just not the very next one. Trying to keep it chronological. I hope to hear all your thoughts on this chapter. Please review!