Settling in Cavetown

Everything is Made of Clouds

Walking out the school exit doors, 14 year-old Robin Skinner, with his hands clenching on a stuffed bear's belly; a pronounced frown curving across his forehead. He could never find comfort in any friend group he dug himself into. Conversations always followed with a continuous stutter; he couldn't speak his mind to anybody. To anybody, but the bear between his arms.

"It's okay,"

"We are gonna get through this." he reassured himself, face rubbing against the bear's fur.

The bear replied, not with his words, but with a comforting embrace of heart. Delivered in silence, but still heard, as Robbie walked with a defined smile; bear held in a tight grip.

He walked down the sidewalk, heading home; he was desperate to see his Casper; a chameleon who shone beautifully, bright colors upon the sight of him.

Ever since Casper's adoption, Robbie's own personal self care has had an uprising in attention. Having someone to look after is positively engraving to his emotions; It's mainly due to Casper being one of his only true friends to heart; his other being his bear. The thought of that isn't even hurting to Robbie, he's experienced "read receipts" long enough to no longer find a place in his heart to care; almost.

Robbie had enough love from his two pals to suffice without the need of anybody else. A meet up at a coffee shop didn't compare to the plenty of meetups he could share with the nature that surrounds him.

As he was walking through the neighborhood, he couldn't bare to ignore the clouds that flew above him. They surrounded him all around; every step taken would land him in its clear shadow. It wasn't a scary thought to Robbie; he enjoyed the company of the following clouds.

It's changing shapes could replicate any thought that occurred to him. He always found it pleasing to the mind, and with such an explorative mind, it was almost as if everything was made of clouds.

He sat down at a nearby front yard, setting his bear pal beside his hip, arm wrapped around its waist. He noted how sweet to the tongue the moment ran through as he savored the creativity that came upon him, while his eyes were set on the clouds. He could almost hear a sweet tune ring in his ears, as the wind playfully pushed against the clouds.

"If I could taste the clouds, I'm sure they would taste like marshmallows."

"Surprised they haven't melted," he giggled with a slight squint of his eyes, head falling to the grass.

The bear was now resting on his belly, face down. Robbie placed his fingers on its head, lightly scratching at its scalp. The clouds were now sculpting a figure of a bear; Robbie stared in awe, pecking a small kiss on the edge of the bear's ear.

The sweet tune of the wind, now perfectly audible. It's notes serve as a light, like fireflies dancing across a swamp, lighting up their environment with their every passing measure.

His eyes slowly reeled closed, listening to the sound of the basses that follow. Birds harmonizing the winds, as nearby squirrels' footsteps formulate a steady beat.

"Fuzzy, One day I'd like to recreate that beautiful sound," he cooed, pulling his bear even closer.

With a sigh, he lifted himself off the ground; creating a halt to the song. It wasn't an upsetting moment, after all, they were going to see Casper back at home. Casper is one of the most beautiful musical instruments of nature that creates a majestic tremble in his heart, just like his bear, Fuzzy. Knowing this, he proceeds to walk in the direction of his house, a pinch quicker than usual.

They walk for approximately 10 minutes, skipping across the cracks of the concrete flooring, before arriving directly outside his home, driven a bit tired from the heating of the sun.

Before coming across the front porch, Robbie notices a cat behind a rubbish can. He's had his attempts in befriending it in past times, but it doesn't seem to appreciate close contact with other people; it always ran away from reach. He simply decides to wave at it with a faint grim before entering the front door; Robbie has never liked to disturb animals, especially when they have shown prominent discomfort.

He enters the house, and is immediately greeted by the smell of boiling potato soup.

"Hey, biscuit!" he hears from across the kitchen, upon entering the living room.

"Hello mum, have you seen the clouds outside?" he asks, eyes beaming.

"Yes, of course, they are so pretty, aren't they?" a delicate, angelic expression reflected on her a face.

He looks at hear with a sugary smile, and delivers his mother a tight hug, before passing by her into his room. Robbie is a big sweetheart, and the way he views the world is a direct mirroring of his mother. Oh, how he loved her.

His mother had just overcome her struggle with epilepsy almost 2 years ago; it was one of her many consequences of having a benign brain tumor. Constant seizures had become a normal occurrence; Robbie was taught at a young age to emergency dial in such situations. It wasn't up until 2011 that they had discovered that the tumor had become cancerous, potentially placing his mother's risk of a passing life at a higher rate. The sole reason for her attendance to current day was because she went under radiotherapy. Yet, even after such a traumatizing experience, his mother never ceases to pause her wholesome, positive aura.

Entering his room, he finds himself idle in front of Casper's little home. His little bud was so happy to see him, his colors transitioned from a neutral tone to the pattern of a childlike painting; it was alluring.

Robbie gently picked him up, placing him lightly on a flat palm.

"I've missed you, my little man." he spoke to him in a sweetly, hushed tone.

Casper slowly crawled up onto Robbie's shoulders, hand slightly slipping on the edge, before giving him a playful lick.