A Dragon's Crimson Cry
By: Tippi
Ch 14 Painful Reminders
~upstairs~
Jake began to stir from his sleep. Jake lifted him self on to his elbows and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He looked around the bare room remembering where he was. He was once again alone.
He kicked the red blanket from his small form and pushed him self out of bed. His socked feet felt the cold wood floor beneath him. His old room had carpet he thought. When he got out of his old bed his floor was never cold.
Jake walked to one of the many unopened boxes. None where labeled so there was no telling what was in what box. So Jake just picked a random one and ripped away the tape to spy the contents.
He pulled away the cardboard flaps to see it was filled with folded clothes. Jake ran his fingers over the shirt on top. Something as simple as the shirt brought back memories.
~flash back~
Jake, his little sister Haley and his mom were at Wal-mart getting school supplies the week before summer vacation was over.
Jake was starting 2nd grade and Haley was going to kindergarten, her first year.
"Mommy can I get this backpack" Haley asked grabbing a pink backpack with unicorns and rainbows on it.
Haley was dressed in flower patterned skirt and a white t-shirt with flowers on it too. Her hair was in small pigtails with butterflies attached to her hair ties.
"Sure Honey" Susan Long, who was standing by the shopping cart, said to her daughter.
Susan was wearing nice, slip one brown shoes and jean skirt. She had a purple t-shirt under a jean vest. There was a purple Chinese character stitched into the back of the vest. She wore her black hair up in a short ponytail.
"Can you hurry up, shopping for school supplies just reminds me there's only a week left of my school free summer" Jake whined hanging on the back of the cart. His arms dangle on the inside and chin resting on the plastic rim.
Jake had on a green t-shirt that made the green tints in his hair more noticeable. One inch black stripes were on the hems of the sleeves with another stripe an inch from the bottom hem. There was a bold, black 7 on the chest and back of the t-shirt. He had on jean shorts that ended a few centimeters above his knees. On his feet he had black sneakers.
"I can't wait for summer to be over and go to my first year of school" Haley said dropping the backpack in the cart.
"Won't like it when you get homework" Jake said as he stepped down from the cart.
"I think I can handle a little homework" Haley said.
"At first till later and it piles up then you don't have time to do other things" Jake said back. "You just think you're so perfect."
"I am and so your homework is why you don't do anything with your hair you don't have time" Haley stated.
"What's that suppose to mean" Jake asked.
"You haven't washed or brushed you hair in so long green allege is growing in it" Haley answered.
"What my hair has natural green in it," Jake said running his hand through his hair. "Mom" Jake finished in a cry for his mom's help.
"Haley enough, Jake leave your sister alone as well" Susan said trying to put a stop to her children's bickering.
Both kids just crossed their arms and turned their backs to each other.
Susan gave a sigh and said "fine we're done with school supplies; lets got some new school clothes." Then she pushed the cart pass her two kids and toward the clothing part of the store.
It was tradition to buy new clothes just before school began and hope the kids didn't grow out of them for another year or two.
The two kids turned to each other sticking out their tongues while their mother wasn't looking before following her.
~present~
Jake looked at the t-shirt in his hands this was one of the pieces of clothes he bought with his mom and sister that day. If he had known back then what was going to happen he would have savored their time together, even time on a simple a shopping trip, and he may have even let his sister's insult slip.
Jake set the shirt aside on the floor and looked at the rest of the clothes in the box.
It was pure torture; every piece in the box was from that last shopping trip that summer. He could remember every piece as he or his mom pulled it from the rack and tried them on. He could see his mom's many expressions on her face at the clothes they chose.
A second time the memories of that day played a second time as he put them away in the drawers.
The task didn't become any easier, even when he got to last years clothes. Even the older ones brought back memories just like the others.
Jake couldn't go on to open other boxes with other items from is past would just stab him in the heart more.
Jake crawled on all fours on the floor to his backpack he dropped by the door. He pulled out the dragon that was like his safety blanket. It was his only comfort when he was alone.
Jake climbed onto the bed with old blue held in one arm. He lay on his side both arms wrapped around the dragon pressing it to his chest. He pulled his legs up bringing his knees as close to his chest as he could.
Jake could fell water gathering at the edges of his eyes brought forth by his memories. He willed his mind to think about something else anything else. His mind wandered to something forgotten.
Jake figured it was a dream why he dreamed it he didn't know.
A/N This may get confusing later on if it isn't already so any questions just ask. Review