Anderil

IV*

"Eldwin, breakfast is ready." A woman's voice wafted through his ears. Eldwin moaned and pulled the covers up over his head. He didn't want to get up, not yet. "Eldwin!" She called once more, "Get up!" With a sigh, he grabbed his top sheet and pushed it downward. The sun shone through his windows, causing him to blink and adjust. He forced himself into a sitting position, stretched his arms towards the ceiling, and placed his feet onto the cold hardwood floor. Chills shot up his spin. "Eldwin!" The teen bolted upright and rushed to the door. He knew far too well if his mother didn't sense any life, she would come upstairs.

Rising to his feet, he wandered over to his closet and quickly threw on a pair of jeans with a shirt and a long-sleeved shirt serving as a light jacket. Eldwin rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he wandered toward the stairwell. He stood at the top of the stairs and stared at the bottom, sighing. He began descending the stairs when a cold shiver went up his spine, causing him to step on the next stair at an odd angle. Pain shot through the arch of his foot, causing him to stumble forward, falling head-first and tumbling to the foot of the stairs. Eldwin rested his head against the bottom step as the world swam around him.

Footsteps echoed around as his mother's face appeared above his. "Eldwin," she spoke with concern, "are you alright?" Eldwin moved his lips, trying to inform her he was fine, but his brain was too addled to form any words. He watched as his mother drew in a sharp breath before reaching into her pocket, withdrawing a small flashlight, and shining it into his eyes. "You don't have a concussion, but that's a good sign." She sighed as she shoved the light into her pocket, "you probably just had the wind knocked out of you." Eldwin moaned and sat up with his mom's hand pressed firmly against his back.

"I feel fine. I just missed a step." He groaned as he reached and grabbed a peg from the stairwell and gripped it tight. With his mother's hand firmly against his back once more, Eldwin rose and staggered forward. He noticed his mother hovered nearby, ready to grab him if he fell. "I said I was fine."

His mother's shoulders rose and fell as she breathed deeply. "I'm a mother and a nurse, Eldwin. Just trying to watch out for you."

"All I need is breakfast, and I'll be fine."

Eldwin watched as she nodded before walking to the small hallway leading toward the kitchen. He let off a sigh of his own and followed her close. He walked into the kitchen and watched as she pulled a skillet off the hot stove and dumbed eggs and bacon onto a plate before turning her back on him. He walked towards the island, pulled out a stool, and sat down. He eyed the plate and noticed the egg was darker than usual. His mother must have been cooking before his trip down the stairs. 

His mother turned to face him as he pulled his plate closer. "Sorry, Eldwin. I would make you a new batch if there were time." Her face had taken on a sad hue as she glanced toward the analog clock that hung up to her right on a wall beside the refrigerator. Eldwin shoveled food into his mouth and chewed swiftly, and his eyes wandered over. The clock read seven thirty, causing excitement to grow through his body. 

Today was the long away trip to the museum to see an Egyptian exhibit people thought had been lost from times past. He smiled as images of pottery, sarcophagus, and temples raced through his mind. He had hopes of being an archeologist someday and traveling the world like his father had before his life was taken in an accident. He dared not speak his dreams to his mother. She tried avoiding the subject. It was very touchy for some reason. 

As if in the queue, the sound of tires screeching to a stop before his house sounded through the house, causing Eldwin and His Mother to glance toward the window. "El," his mother cooed, "it's not too late for me to tell the teacher you can't attend if you're feeling unwell." 

"I am feeling fine." He assured her as he rose the stool and headed into the central part of the house to grab his back. "Ik, you're a nurse, and it's your job to worry about me, but unlike other kids, I hate missing school." He stopped before the front door and paused as he took down his bookbag from a hook and threw it over his shoulders. His mother stood before him as a horn honked from outside, signaling him to come out.