Alacuta, Euclydia,
20, 000,000,000 B.C: Tale One: Tale of a Telekinetic Toddler
The ranch twinkles beneath the starlight, and the sky seemed to scream, "I love you," over head. No. This never happened. This never happened at all. No sky. No stars. Proper poise. Be good. Be kind. Be the girl that your parents want you to be. And that's when I snatched the locket from the birdie on the fencepost.
Hi. My name is Glee Mourningstarr and I am 2 years old. Though I seem small, and tiny, I'm not. I am not what you think. I am not just some low-life monster like everyone says. I'm not the Star Demon. I'm not a star. I'm just me. Glee. And that's all I'll ever be. Sure enough, you might be asking why my brain works like this. It's because I'm different. That's at least what my moms tell me. I'm different in good ways. Not bad. Like him. I'm a good different. Because I'm a good kid. That's what mama Starly tells me. And because of the prayer that they sent, that's the prayer that will be sent to me again. And it happened. And that's why I'm Glee. And only Glee.
I remember skipping along the green hills that surrounded the ranch, and I remember feeling the ground warm up as the sun started to hit the ranch at an angle that made it seem like it was a fairytale. Amulet in hand, one that I gave to all the birds around me so I could hear the thoughts of others, and back to understand what it meant. I am free. Because I live in Alacuta, with my Ma and my Mom, and they love me very much. And I love them too. My legs skipped across the ground into a sprint, and I made it to the house, stepped up the splintered porch, and into the house that seemed like a bunker. Emerica, my other mom, grew up in Alacuta. Her dad fought in the Naaric war, and she was raised on a military base. She was tough. And that was that. And that's why I grew up in a bunker-asylum type home. My other mom, my Mama, Starly, did not like this so much. So she moved away to states all around us, to record birds and decipher what it meant from the ones I summoned.
They were always different.
But the good different.
Like me.
She went away often, so only a few moments I would get to see her. Her personality was like a sweet butternut type of cotton candy. Like a banana bread that she made, hard on the outside, soft on the inside, except swapped. She was sweet this way. And that's what I love about her different. Her good different. My other ma, as you knew as Emerica, was really like the banana bread. She was like bitter coffee, one that would make you recoil quicker than you could sip, before adding coffee creamer, the sweet side of her. But that was after. And in the middle of the coffee. The inside. She was stern and stiff either way. Hardworking, though, according to Starly. Emerica would work till the 3 suns on horizon point went down, and the moon covered the sky- no, the land. Just the land. And that was her different. As mine was, and as Starly was.
Now, as you know, I'm hard working like Ma (Emerica), and I want to prove my worthiness as a Mourningstarr. So when I opened that door, you should know that I am gonna get jump-scared with a big, fat-
"GWYNNIE! WHERE THE HECK WERE YOU? WHY WERE YOU OUT THERE WHEN YOU NEED TO BE STUDYING YOUR MANDARIN!" Emerica screeched.
I sighed as I put down the locket.
Study.
No break.
Study hard.
And be perfect for her expectations.
And remember, always have a smile on your face.
"Come ON mom, I'm hungry, can we eat breakfast? Why else would I be outside, if it weren't for the wait, I would be-"
"MANDARIN."
"妈妈，如果你现在不给我喂早餐，我就吃掉你."
"Ha, try that when your mom comes over again, your gonna be deader than the boy when she sees you ate me, now-"
"Ōlelo Hawaiʻi pupule, ʻōlelo ʻo Ma i ka ʻōlelo haole, no ke aha e hiki ʻole ai iā mākou ke ʻōlelo pēlā, Māmā?!"
"Because that's her ethnicity and you better respect it, kid."
"FINE! FINE, FINE, FINE, FINE, FINE! You don't have to call me kid, cuz I'm not a kid anymore Mom-"
Emerica cuts me off.
"That's right, because you're a toddler."
Something switched off inside of me.
"I might be a toddler…but at least I don't act like one…like some people…"
Emerica slammed her fist down on the table, the clank echoing through the air.
"What was that?!"
"NOTHING MA!"
I breathed with a sudden flinch. Emerica softened into a menacing stance.
"Good. Cuz' if you ain't doin' nuttin', then you'll be doin' somethin', cuz' you'll be tilling the farm and herbs today."
"MOOOO-OOOM-"
"No whining! Now get to work!"
Emerica screeched as she walked over to a steel closet that looked like it could chill spines, and threw a steel rake, like the closet, at me.
"And then maybe…we can go to the park today."
She said with a snap so soft, but honest, and she took a beer bottle and walked out the door, off the patio, and into Mourningstarr farms.
I grumbled.
I hated farm work, especially with herbs. But of course, I had my own hope, because of what Emerica said that she thought I didn't hear.
"And then maybe…we can go to the park today."
The park.
The park was a gateway to a new world!
A place where Gwendolyn Charly Mourningstarr could be herself! God, I love the park so much!
And if you're wondering, that's why I followed Emerica out down past the patio ranch, into the wilderness of herbs, vegetables, wheat, animals, and more.
All because of the park.
Los Equalateris, Euclydia, 20,000,000,000,000 B.C
"PINKIE UP! LITTLE SIPS, NOT DRASTIC MEASURES OF GULPING LIKE A LOPSIDED ELEPHANT, YOU OAF!"
5:00 A.M.
That has got to be a new record.
5:00 A.M just to take your pitiful little, "oaf", of a son to tea lessons. All too soon, I would say. But when your hierarchy stance is tall, you might have to just suck it up, Bill.
"SIP NEATLY, SIP, YOU'RE NOT JUST SOME TYPE OF, RANCHER, ARE YOU?! THEN SIP!"
I bite back a wince as mom slaps my hands into a cramping position to hold the tea correctly. I just don't get it. I'm not normal. I see the stars. They don't believe me. The government (even dad) says it's illegal, and they take me to take pills from the doctors to convince everyone, I'm 'normal.' But I'm not. I see the stars. And I'm on the top hierarchy. So what? Who gives a crap? The public? Well, yeah, I guess they do, since father is the mayor of our world of our second dimension, so why wouldn't they want to commit treason against me? Just give Euclydia a bunch of knives, and they'll figure it out. That's what my parents did for my last two birthdays. Yup. I'm two years old. Toddler, but being forced to hierarchy even though it's not gonna happen because of my eye. But that's what happens in our mighty home. Triangle, squares and circles on top, irregulars, multicolors, stars, Naarics, and extraterrestrials on the bottom.
"Good, good, now you'll be prepared when a rancher tries to be your friend when we move from Los Equalateris to Alacuta."
Ranchers.
That's what top hierarchies call the low hierarchies. I've heard it so many times, it has been stained into my brain and memory. And now that we are moving to the rancher category to prove to the whole world of our region that just because we are on the top hierarchy stance, it doesn't mean that we hate, (We do) mom is making me learn all the proper manners that way if someone tried to hang out with me…
They won't.
Lesson #1: Don't ever hang out with a rancher, even if you live among them.
After mom made me play some notes and such on the piano, with parts she made me press through to memorize and get perfectly on every try, dad walked through the cascading doors of our large mansion, something we got because, duh, dad's the mayor of Euclydia. The door slammed, and I raced down the stairs to greet him.
Out of this entire family relationship, he was the only one that I DIDN'T want to trick into bashing their head in with a piano lid. I hugged him, letting my arms wrap as much I could around him, but of course, he did a better job.
"Hey kiddo," Dad breathed.
"Hello da-father." I corrected myself, while gently pulling away, a cringed look plastered on my face.
"It's okay kid. You can say that in front of me, just not in front of your mom. She'll probably kill us both this time. SCALENE!"
His voice echoed through the halls, as a response came tumbling through as well.
"EUCLID! ARE THE DRIVERS HERE TO PICK UP BILL AND TAKE HIM TO ALACUTA?!?!"
Dad sighs, and adjusts his tophat, before grabbing my hand and leading me to the door unexpectedly.
"Yes honey bun, I'm taking him over right now…"
He had answered mom wearily.
"GOOD! I want that disgrace out of this house right now- erm, lovely, child…out into the van now! Chop chop, Euclid!"
My eye widened wider as I replayed what mother had said in my head. Disgrace? Surely, I had one eye and could see things I shouldn't be able to see, but that shouldn't mean I'm any….DIFFERENT….then anyone….right?
Dad gripped the side of me ... or…if triangles could have a side/like shoulder to them….eh. He lifted me up and took me in his arms, wrapping me up in a tangle of them once again.
"Come on kid, you heard mom."
"..."
"Bill, did she scare you?"
"..."
"Bill."
"..."
"BILL."
"..."
"BILL CIPHER, answer me, does that croak in the throat scare you?!"
"ALIVE, I'm alive, sorry father, it's just…"
I point behind him.
Because there was fuming mom.
The doors to the inside of the mansion opened, and a bunch of fancy men in tuxedos, like circles and squares paraded in. One of them looked 3 years older than me, 5, and looked like a purple square. He had one eye too, though, on the side of his face. Downside, he's not like me.
As they took me to the limo with the postured, purple square by my side, I heard rampant fighting, and throwing, and crashing from the inside. But the louder, more dominant voice was not masculine. I found a newfound interest at looking at my feet now, and the square did as well.
The boy held onto a rainbow swirled lolly, and we piled into the limo.
"Hello…." The boy whispered.
"Hi…" I said back. He wasn't a rancher. I was safe from mom's fiery wrath of racism.
"I'm Tad. Strange. Tad Strange. Although there's nothing really…how do ya say it…STRANGE…about me…who are you?"
Well, if that eye doesn't count, then believe whatcha wanna believe, lover boy. I thought to myself while looking into space, well, the air, remember? Space doesn't exist in Euclydia, according to the government. My brain bubble popped back to reality when he elbowed me.
"Wait, what?"
"You were gonna tell me your name, remember?"
"Oh, right. How can you not know me, I'm the mayor's son!"
Tad licked his lolly, and let his eye slowly relax.
"Oh, yeah, I don't really listen to political biz. My mom put me into the show biz instead, big opportunities when you are on the top hierarchy. Mom made me accompany you on the limo so it's not awkward for you-"
"...You're an actor?"
"Yup. The best in town. And in Euclydia. Or maybe even just the entire dimension-" He giggles, his eye going bright. "I've even starred on the Oprah Winfrey show once! I'm so awesome. You gotta admit it….errrr-"
Oh. He was talking about himself so much like a narcissistic brat, that I almost forgot to introduce myself.
"Oh. Bill. I'm Bill Cipher."
"You gotta admit it Bill, nothing can beat me."
I rolled my eye playfully, and he laughed contiguously, and of course, it spread to me.
"So you really were on the Oprah Winfrey show for best acting once?!" I shrieked. The limo driver, a lime green double stacked circle, turned to stare at me, putting a lip to his eye, and shushed me. I sunk into the leather seat, and Tad giggled.
"Yeah. She's cool. She's a star."
The limo stopped immediately, and the driver turned his head toward us slowly again.
I practically leapt onto Tad, and covered his eye…or whatever the speaking came from.
"SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, THAT WORD IS ILLEGAL, DON'T SAY IT, OR ELSE WE ARE BOTH GONNA END IN TIMEOUT, OR worse…"
Tad looked at me in fear, and he made the cutthroat symbol.
Lesson #2: Euclydia doesn't fear strict punishment for execution, even for the little things.
Thankfully, the limo driver just reared in for a sneeze, and the car keeped on going.
We sat in awkward silence for the rest of the drive, looking out the window at the states as we drove through. Eventually, I had to get off, to the new home, and destination, and I turned a blind eye to wave goodbye to the first boy who ever really wanted to talk to me, almost like a friend. He stared at me, before shaking a no, and turning away. Another cold shoulder. I got those a lot. Even from the ones who I thought liked me. The car drove away, leaving me lonely and alone in a new state of Euclydia. Alacuta.
All for me, and only me to explore.
"To the park! To the PARK!" I screamed in a charade as Mom followed me down the grassy swamp trail.
I loved the park.
Although no one wanted to play any games with me, or even try to be my friend, (because baby I'm a PENTAGRAM)I still enjoy letting out what my mom calls, "my potential energy." Basically, it's me letting out my gleeful bursts of energy I hide all day while finishing chores on the ranch. Mom hates when I mess around on chore time. I guess I can see why, it probably is pretty hard to keep a hyperactive child in sync with chores.
OINK! OINK!
Oh yeah! I forgot to introduce you to my pig, Pig Pen!
I've kept him on Mourningstarr farms for a few years now. Ma had him as a pet, and when Mom came around, she wanted to turn him into a bacon meal. Luckily, with a few charismatic moves, Ma convinced Mom not too.
And that's how we still have the darling Pig Pen with us still today!
And of course, I'll bring him to the park if I want to.
Because even though he isn't Euclidean, he still is to me.
Pig Pen oinks excitedly as we approach the entrance of the dingy old, broken park.
Perfect.
Just like home.
I approached the monkey bars, and climbed on, wrangling around like a little monkey, like Mom says.
Mom was sitting on the bench, smoking a cigar, and puffing out slow rings as she watched me.
Kids played around me, and that's when I saw them. 3 of them. And not just any kids.
The kids who saw me.
Not Glee.
But the real me.
The part that actually makes me….different.
I hung at the top, and watched them curiously to see what they were doing. I scoffed as I saw the 3 kids, Cylinder, who was double stacked with ovals, and a Scare Ball cap, being green. Another one, a stunning Naaric, who wore a long dress shirt, and was brown. Lilac. The last one, was someone who actually experienced it more than ever. Jeez Louis. What I could best describe as what looked like a …taco? A pink taco with a party hat. And two eyes. The leader of the group. And they were all surrounding some kid…a triangle? No. Not just any triangle.
A one eyed triangle.
"Doh- QUIT IT!"
I screamed as they all mocked me. I felt anger siege through me. I'm telling the damn truth!
Why don't they believe me…?
"He thinks he is SOOO special just because he is the mayor's son, but when out in Alacuta, he's nuttin' but wrong." The Naaric girl spat.
I didn't get it.
They should be bowing DOWN to me.
After all, I gave them knives, AND the privilege to work on my dad's basic land. They should be grateful.
"Potato brain probably doesn't work because he still thinks he's still in Los Equalateris!" The green one cackled, and the rest joined in in terrifying unison.
They shoved me to the ground, and I dropped my luggage. I came to the park after I got everything set up in my new home to meet new people, and tell them about the stars, not to be shoved around like some piccolo bust!
The pink, taco looking shape came close. "Listen here, and listen NOW. You think you're so fancy, and you think you're so cool and poised because you come to the highest family in the land. You think you're more important than us ranchers. You think just because your mommy and daddy send us to work out in the fields, farms, ranches and mines to make their broken economy-wise plan make 'em feel good, that you can just boss us around and tell us things that are even more fake than the hierarchy plan. Well you're wrong, lover boy. You're wrong times all the lies your cheatin'-apple tossing double cross cotton lickin' book burnin' back whippin' olive prickin' short eyed parents had ever told you. Because now that you're here, your pretty cover-boy face ain't gonna look so pretty anymore. While, at least with the eye, of course."
They all laughed as they circled closer. That hurt. Hurt times 63. And now that they were gonna hurt me, I could only brace for the worst backlash punishment my little two-year toddler brain could comprehend.
"But I'm telling you, the stars, they are real!"
"Is what he said before we hurt his pretty little-"
"A-a-a-a-a-a-a-a…A-" The Naaric stuttered.
The pink taco sighed.
"God, what is it NOW, Lilac?"
Then, it was the green double stacked guy.
"A-a-a-as…-As-Ast…"
"OH MY GOD, AND NOW IT'S ZACH, JUST TELL ME BEFORE IT'S YOU TWO ARE THE ONES THAT I VICIOUSLY HURT-"
Taco guy quickly turned around, but from the looks of it, really regretted it. And then, again, like the laughs before they stuttered, screeched-
"A-STAR!!!!"
I slowly turned around and saw a one eyed, magenta star, with a maroon like french hat, and green on the end of well…whatever those things were. And of course, why wouldn't the gleeful looking thing be hanging upside down from some monkey bars. She hopped down, and landed on some red boots. Surprisingly, she looked my age. And like me.
A one eyed star. A STAR!
But like the purple dude, on the side of her face.
Double damn.
"Look, I told you they exist!" I whimpered.
She then, for the first time, spoke, her body defended me from the shivering and terrified bullies.
"Yeah, yeah, it's me, "Scary girl, the one who burned away half your home, friends and family," we get it, we're all ranchers, get over the fact of it. You're not special, guys. And let's admit, he isn't either."
Flabbergasted, my eye widened, and my pupil shrunk in shock.
The dudes shrunk, and they looked at their feet.
"And that's okay. So what if he isn't special? Who actually gives a shit?"
The majority raised their hands.
Including little 'ol me.
"Wow," she breathed. "That's, like, really sad. Nonetheless- look, it doesn't matter if he is royal, it doesn't matter if he has- one, eye-" She unmistakably enunciated the, 'one,' "He lives here now, and we need to be kind to him. And by the way, potatoes have more energy in their bodies then y'all three slacker-packer tomato factors combined. And that's all to charge an electronic. They're also the smartest veggie there is, and that's no doubt. So not only do you call geek attack smart, you also called him athletic, and dunced yourself before even thinking first. Boom. Science. Mic. Drop."
I felt my face burn. No one ever complimented me like that. Ever.
And at the same time, no answer from the gang in front of us.
Until they ran out of the park's playground, screaming- "A-STAAAAAR-!", leaving me and the star alone in the park playground. She sighed, and screamed after them- "IT'S ASTAR, you idiots, ASTAR! GET IT RIGHT, OR DON'T SAY IT AT ALL!"
She walked over to a bench, and crossed her arms, sitting on a bench, with a huff.
I followed her, and sat next to her, in awe.
"Not that Astar is still my name, anyways…" She mumbled.
I looked at her in awe, eye shining.
"You're a star…"
I mumbled. I was right-
"Woah, woah, WOAH, I don't associate with stars anymore, I am NOT a star, don't EVER call me that, I am a PENTAGRAM. Say it with me, PENTAGRAM. PENTAGRAM."
We said it together.
"Pentagram."
"Good," she responded. "Anyways, I'm Glee Mourningstarr. My friends call me Glee. That is….if I had any…"
I looked down again, pitying the girl.
Lesson #3: Don't ever talk to or befriend a rancher, even if they seem more than the picture.
No.
We're both friendless.
Alone.
And in need of ssomeone like each other.
I extended my hand, and looked her in the eye with a happy, relaxed look.
"It's nice to meet you, Glee," I remarked, "I'm Bill. Bill Cipher."
"Meet my mama! Emerica!"
I shrieked as I led Bill over to my ma. With one overlook, ma grabbed me, tenseness first heard in her voice.
"GWYNN, HOW DO YOU KNOW THIS BOY?! I DEMAND YOU TO LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE AT ONCE, YOU, YOU FREAK!"
The boy stumbles backward, and I gasp at my mother.
"MA, HE'S NOT A FREAK! I'm a cyclops, you don't think that of me ... .do you?"
Ma looks at me, flabbergasted, before groaning, and pulling me back again.
"...No, of course I don't….it's just….it's different. He can actually see…the…" She gulps, and nudges towards the sky- well, as much as she could anyways….
I gulped back.
I grab the boy's hand and look Ma in the eyes.
The boy finished the gulp triangle.
"Well, Ma, if that's how you feel….if…ergh! I can hear the stars!"
I storm off with the boy towards the park, and Ma looks at me in disgust and shock. Of course, I couldn't see her, but…I could FEEL the prickles of her sight on my neck.
And it does NOT feel good.
"Sorry about my Ma….she…gets that way about newcomers. Actually, she gets that way about everyone except me. She's a hater."
We both glance back at ma, and she shoots back a mortifying stare.
The boy shivers.
"Yup. That's a hater."
"What about your Ma, where is she-"
"Oh, she's not here-"
Just then, a limo pulled in. A pretty fancy one too. All black like the burnt toasts that Ma makes for me in the mornings when it's time to work the fields, and shiny like the toy weapons she gives me as she trains me for what she calls, "one-day-you-might-need-this-hand-to-knife-combat-skill-when-the-second-
Naaric-war-occurs,"or some crap that her pa taught her after he got home after the first Naaric War. (fought on the Naaric side, if you're wondering) I watched as a fancy blue shape and a red one, both triangles, piled out
the car, more elegant than my mind could comprehend. I saw their expressions, too.
One overlook at the playground, and I could tell who they were.
The royal family.
I turned to the boy, and decided to make an inference off of what he'd say.
"Hey, who is that, they look really-"
"Mom."
"Huh?"
"That's my mom. You were…wondering."
He seemed to wince the last words out in a strain.
"Oh. Wait, wait, wait, wait ... .I knew you were special, but I didn't know you were the boy!"
"Huh?"
"THE BOY! The boy that everyone knows about, the one who is a cyclops, the one who can see the FREAKIN'-...stars?"
"SHUT UP!" He said, his face flushing.
"I can't let mom know that I was telling
people about myself without her know-
Ing! She's….very secretive….about me…."
The red one walked over to us two, and
I gawked unknowingly at how beautiful
she was. She had perfect sides, she was
the perfect tint of cherry, as if the hea-
vens saw her as an opportunity to make
something beautiful out of the leftover
charm they had in a bucket. She turned
towards the boy, and hugged him like he was
the last thing living in this world.
In a speculated and refined tone that reflected
a gruff British accent, she had an outburst.
"OH SAINT HEAVENS, BILLY, YOU'RE ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO OUR NEW HOME NOW, other than…this ... .pigsty…."
I could tell she really enunciated that last word.
Pigsty.
Because of us RANCHERS.
It made me want to SPIT.
After smothering the boy with a hug, she turned to me, looked me up and down like she did to the park earlier, and immediately spat out words that I got all the time.
"Who is this little narc, and what's she doing around you, Bill?"
The boy turned around from the hug, and reached his hand out to me. I smiled a warm smile, or, what I think was a smile, never can really tell, and reached to his hand as well.
Before the fancy class woman slapped my hand away.
"Sweetie pie, you know and you have always known that you can NOT befriend a RANCHER! Ugh, GOD, we are DEFINITELY gonna give you a long bath when we get home, come along, Bill, we are going hom- WAH!"
All of a sudden, another hand slapped the lady before taking the boy home.
I could recognize the power in enough time to know who it was.
It was-
"MA! What are you doing, if he has to go home, then he has to go home-"
"NO! This big brat insulted you, and no one insults MY daughter! NO ONE INSULTS A MOURNINGSTARR!"
The lady stopped walking away, and the boy turned towards me once again.
The lady, in a low, menacing voice spoke softly, but you could tell she met BUSINESS.
"Did you say...Mourningstarr?"
Ma took my hand, and pushed me behind her.
"Hello, Scalene."
The air was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
It only got thicker when the lady responded.
"Hello, Emerica."
Ma laughed, which only made me grateful to be able to hide behind her even more.
"Wow, look who finally came crawling BACK for more…old friend."
I don't know exactly what is going on, but I do NOT like it. I honestly have been in a tangle of spaghetti, (my favorite food) since I met this Glee girl. (AND SPAGHETTI IS NOW RUINED FOREVER) First she shook my hand and made a deal that she'd always be my friend if I promised the same. Next, she showed me around the park to show me who to become friends with, (if I can, no joke, she is BRUTALLY honest)
and who to silently avoid. Then, she told me about how much birds love to follow her, and sometimes just appear. This was the tip of the iceberg of my confusion. Then, she showed me her mom. Then mother appeared out of nowhere. And now apparently, our moms are enemies
with each other! (at least, that's what I think, according to what mother says about tone of voice)
Just one question: What the HELL is GOING on?!?! (Excuse my profanity)
I turned to Glee, who shared my same confusion, and then I turned to Mother, who seemed to be fuming in frustration. Well, at least what I thought was mere frustration.
"WHAT THE HELL EMERICA, IT'S BEEN 4 YEARS, AND ALL THE SUDDEN YOU COME CRAWLING BACK TO ME LIKE ALL OF YOUR RANCHER ALLIES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE DUST!" Mother turns to me, lowering her voice into a whisper- "And for good reason too," She snickered, and I guess that is what she met for triggering a snicker from me as well. So in order not to be hurt by her dangerous wrath, I went along and snickered like a wicked wizard as well. Although everyone could tell that my giggles were a sham, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Glee, sulking as if she was betrayed by her most beloved friend in the world.
"Scalene, you know why I had to leave, I did it for my family-"
"Correction, your FUTURE family. You left our….friendship to go be with that stupid little freakshow of a mistake Charly-"
"Starly."
"Starly, who whatever that bitch's new name is- however, you knew we had a chance for our dreams. But you gave up immediately for that lady, and now you come crawling back to me after such a short time, just as I speculated. And you barely made a family too. Just a little girl with one eye, who probably gets picked on more than usual. And not for the eye, for the parents instead."
Glee winces, recoiling in embarrassment, as far I could see.
"Correction back at you, Mrs. Cipher, you came crawling back to ME in MY town, in MY home, your son to MY daughter, and to MY park. And for the record, your boy has one eye as well, more deformed then Glee, if I may say so myself, so you better mentally prepare him for the bullying he is about to endure. And ain't no one saving him."
Glee looked up at her Mother, and I could see the confusion in her eye.
"Ma, what do you mean?"
Emerica looks at Glee.
"I mean, we're going home, and we're leaving your silly little friend behind. Say goodbye to Bill. It's gonna be the last time you'll ever be able to, too."
Glee looked horrified, but she couldn't resist when she started pulling on her wrist, tugging her in the direction away from me.
Emerica looks at Scalene in her eyes one more time, a loss of hope reflecting.
"Get out of my town. And don't come back."
And with that Mother starting dragging me away, both Glee and me kicking and screaming.
And then we never saw each other again.
…Or so you thought.
"Gwynny," She began, closing the door behind her, "we need to talk."
I put down my banjo into its case, and patted the spot on my messy bed next to me. Her surface crinkled as she saw Pig Pen, and sat at the very edge, avoiding the pig.
I avoided gaze.
Ma and I weren't close. At least not close enough to cuddle like Mama and I do. I sighed as I pulled my legs up to my pentagram-shaped body, and held them like I did with Pig Pen most times I was in this position, and at the same, that pig sprawled onto my lap. I looked down at my feet, and scratched Pig Pen.
She avoided gaze.
Silence.
Until-
"Gwynny, you really have no clue why I had to separate you two, do you?"
Silence.
Until-
"...no. All I know is that you took away from the first friend I've ever made right when you saw his mom. And you know how hard it is for me to be able to make friends."
Silence.
Until-
"...I know. And that's why I have to tell you a story."
Silence.
Until-
"...go on."
Silence.
Silence.
More silence.
Until finally-
"When I was 18 years old, there was nothing more I wanted to do than spread the word about how unfair life was for us ranchers. Farmers. Field workers. How we were worked to death in the flaming hot suns until our backs gave out at the countless amount of times we were whipped. I said that I wanted to be a political activist as a young child. Your grandmother said otherwise. She was a smart one, and clearly said, 'Activists rarely get paid, and what everyone needs now is a good stack of green ones. Become a talk show enthusiast. Become a host for what everyone really needs. To not just hear. To hear the truth.' So ever since that day, I wanted nothing more. Especially when the Naaric War broke out, I fought with the Naarics. I fought hard, and was scarred when your grandfather showed me everything a young 12 year old never had to see. I knew what it took. I had the guts, and I had the courage to speak the truth. When I was 16, I met a girl who int- met me- MET me at a party. Her name was Scalene. Yes. Bill's mother. And, well, we became close friends despite our well…differences. I wanted to share the mistakes of the society her evil, corrupt family had made, and well, she wanted to fix them. We became close, going to college, getting noticed, and finally, being invited to another party that would seal the deal to our future. Our TALK SHOW. We got to the party, and that's when I met her. Charly Winifry. Sister of Aubrey Winfrey, and yes, your mother. She was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, and I knew I had to talk to her. I walked over and chatted, and knew for sure that I had just fallen head over heels for a woman I shouldn't have fallen for. That's when Scalene noticed. And she was MAD. So mad that she left me. She left our dreams. She left Charly and I, well, we got married, and since Scalene was the main credit holder for our college debt to get the talk show, I had to go back to the farm, and work my butt off with your mother each day. We were eventually married, and lived a happy life, and after some sperm donors, we had you, Gwynny. Our little ray of sunshine. But the prayer, remember, we had to say it to change you into our little ray, remember? Astar?"
Astonished at her story, I was quiet until I remembered she was asking me a question.
"I was mad…and the gods helped fix that. They gave me my blessing."
"And if they didn't?"
"Instead of being a ray of sunshine, I'd be a ball of sunshine and they have fireballs, balls of sunshine."
"Correct. And that's why you got your blessing. And we better pray now to thank them. Got it?"
"Got it…uhm…Ma?" I squirm on the bed, Pig Pen doing the same as I remember something I forgot to tell Ma before she found out and got mad.
"Yes Gwynny?" Ma raised a brow, and put her hands on her hips.
"Ya know how I said that I was gonna be up in my room fixing my positivity board?"
"Yes…?"
"I ... .actually wasn't really fixing my positivity board…I was playing with the birds in the park. And….we were….spying on people….actually." I flinch, afraid that Ma would hit me. She does that a lot when she gets mad. Pig Pen flinches as well, his curly bacon tail getting up in my face.
Ma huffs, her eyes widen as I see her hand clench, and start to rise, before it falls down, and she sighed, looking away from me again.
"Gwynn…go to sleep…we'll…discuss that tomorrow…and ... .other matters…okay?"
"Ma, I really am sorry, please know that-"
"TOMORROW….Gwendolyn…tomorrow."
She used my full name. I looked down at my feet, and just sat on the bed like that as Pig Pen begged for more scratches until Ma left the room. I just couldn't wait for tomorrow.
I sighed even harder. Bird drones scanning people's thoughts in the park to my amulet? No big deal, I'll deal with the abuse. Being friends with someone and making me breakup with him because of his Mom? That, I can NOT handle…but…can I do something about it…?
I think to myself for a few moments, and that's when it hits me like a train.
Gwendolyn Mourningstarr, you scan people's thoughts all the time- right? Even when you don't even realize it…newsflash….we still have that lucky photographic memory that helps us learn languages, so if I was with Bill…and he was thinking about his new home…does that mean I can find OUT the address of his new-
My body snaps upright, and Pig Pen squeals, jumping off my lap with surprise.
I had a plan all right.
And now, it was time to put it to the test.
All I had to do was communicate telepathically with the birds, and tell them to go to Bill's address, and then I talk to him and tell him that my Ma made a big mistake because Ma and her ma were actually best friends! I mean it wasn't EXACTLY a lie…but it kinda was…?
But it's for the greater benefit…and that's what matters. At least to me.
Just talk to the birds.
Tell them what to do.
And convince Bill that we really, really are friends.
And that I am NOT just a mistake.
"YOU FUCKING SLUR!"
Again, with the endless shouting. The endless, meaningless, horrible shouting. I groaned as I covered my head in a suffocating position with a pillow.
All my parents do is:
Fight.
Fight.
Fight.
"Looking, darling, if I had known, then I never would have moved us he-EEERE! Not the chair! Put it down! DARLING! PUT! IT! DOWN! AH!"
Tapping footsteps and a crash.
A growl.
"You didn't even get his medication today! How else are we supposed to convince the public he's normal when we have absolutely no evidence that he IS?!"
"I-I-I didn't have the time to! Look, it was an honest mistake, we just moved today, you can understand? Right? And yes, maybe I didn't give him his…'normal' drugs, but hey…I bought silly straws….? Heh?"
"SILLY STRAWS? UGH! ALRIGHT, MR. EUCLID, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOu
AND YOUR SCANDALS, YOU KNEW ABOUT EMERICA AND HER LITTLE TYRANT LIVING HERE BUT YOU DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THE CAUSE! YOU DIDN'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT ANYTHING! A FUCK ABOUT ME, A FUCK ABOUT BILL, A FUCK ABOUT ANYONE! I DON'T WANNA SEE YOU EVER AGAIN AND YOUR RANCHER-SUCKING FACE!!!"
And then feet storming off in one direction. A sigh.
Whoof. Mom on FIRE.
And with the F word too? Who is she?
That… was sarcastic.
I was being sarcastic.
GROAAAAAAN.
I just stuffed a pillow in my face until I heard footsteps ascending up the stairs. Scared it was Mom, I threw my pillow to the side, and sat up straight like she always told me to.
Sure enough, it was her.
"If you heard that yelling, mind your own business,"
She turned away from the door, and I started to slouch a little bit.
"and Bill," She starts, "Use that pillow to sit you up straight, you look like a rancher."
And that's when she left.