WTTM x The Traveler AU

◇●°• Chapter 13 •°●◇

Part Written by Jen Says Hi

I shifted the patches of grass over the exposed dirt to disguise the grave. A gentle bird crawled into one of the bird houses on the guarded pole. The tiny chirps of it's offspring filled the air. I smiled to myself. I used to catch and kill small birds for entertainment, but seeing the small creatures surviving in the harsh wilderness fascinated me. They were living, breathing beings with blood and organs. They had thoughts. My mood shifted when I circles my idea back to Nicholai.

As soon as I opened the door, Speckle grabbed the tv remote to turn the volume down on the Saturday morning cartoons. He knows I get upset when he's blaring that thing while people are sleeping. I frowned at him when I saw him sticking his bare hands in a big box of sugary cereal. Noah tried to grab it from him, but ceased his efforts once I walked in.

"Speckle! That wasn't for you!!" I said. He ignored me and kept pulling out handfuls of cereal which spilled out of his small hand onto the leather couch. I sighed pulling the box out of his grasp talking it back to the kitchen counter.

"Hey!!!" He shouted. He teared up and whined at me. I decided to put the boxes in the pantry where he couldn't reach. As I walked around the counter my shin met a small snout. I tripped over Katiya almost sending her flying.

"Oh shit!! Fuck...I'm sorry are y-"

"DAD SAID A BAD WORD !!!" Speckle hollered.  "YENZOOOOOOO!!!" Katiya scampered away from me and hid by the turntable cabinet. She leaned against it, only to jump back as it turned. She acted as if she had just discovered a secret passage in our kitchen. I chuckled and leaned down so she would be frightened by my size. I held my hand lower than her chin for a while hoping she'd understand I had no intention to harm her.

"Dark!" Noah said annoyed.

"He said a bad word and took my cereal!!! Tell him to give me my cereal back!!" I rolled my eyes and looked over at Noah who stared at me, dead inside. With unblinking eyes, he pursed his lips. Speckle started dragging him over towards me before letting out a high pitched squeal as he layed eyes on the 'intruder' in our house. I picked her up and set her in one of the stools by the kitchen island.

"Dark!" Noah said. "This isn't the best way to introduce them!" He grabbed Speckle's wrist and dragged him out of sight down the hallway. "Uuuummmmm its fine you're asleep," I heard him say.

"I'm sorry about him. It's not you, he just doesn't like meeting new people," I whispered to Katiya. She glued her eyes to the table, carefully studying the curves and swirls of the granite melting together to form intricate patterns. She rested her chin on the counter defeated. I felt responsible for my kids' reactions to her, although I can't control everything they do.

The small child sighed like she had been through a similar sequence of events many times. Something about her kept prodding at my prior memories. I saw myself in her actions and habits. I applied them to my memories remembering the horrible context along with them. I shivered; she shivered back at me. We both had the same anxiety tic. 

The plastic bag sitting on the counter held the other box of cereal Noah bought from the store. This sugary shit couldn't be good for these kids, or any kids for that matter. Nevertheless, I poured a bowl of it and set it in front of Katiya. She stared at the dry wheat puffs, sticking her nose near it to smell the sweet scent.

"Is you're brother in the room?" I asked her. She nodded. I didn't want to be the one to get him up. So I called for Noah down the hall since he was semi-cool with him.

"What!?" He barked back. I walked over to Speckle's room where he was trying to comfort the toddler.

"Would you mind checking on Michail? I'm gonna make breakfast and I want him to be up." He nodded and stood up. "Stay here brat."