Robin's Song

Family Photos Got Me In My Feels

Robin

My bed has been my only lover. The bed at the school just wasn't the same as the one I'm currently lying in. All of my weight is comforted by the feather-stuffed mattress, which was custom-made by a village worker. The heavy gray blankets are extra long so I can pull them up to my chin. Warmth surrounds me enough to where I rarely have trouble falling asleep. Sadly, this is one of those nights when my comfortable bed cannot knock me into deep sleep.

The thoughts that usually swarm my head were peaceful until I found a dark purple bottle sitting on my dresser. I didn't need to read the note to know if was a sleeping drug. The one my father had asked me to use for our visitors. Anger burns inside of me, making me slam the glass bottle back down. I can't even bear to look at it. Never, never, would I poison my friends to fulfill my father's plan.

With fire in my stomach, hot tears start to roll down my face. I feel suffocated in my blankets. My body thrashes to separate myself from the heat. The hands that are wiping away my tears go to grab at my hair. I'm not a servant of my father. That is not who I am. Why do I feel like I am just like him? I will never be a good person because of the monster who raised me. My friends probably don't trust me and are only helping me because they feel bad. That is what a good person is. Those characteristics my friends have will never be my own... because I was never given the chance to grow up without the grip my father holds on me.

In the middle of my breakdown, sleep decides to finally take me. Sleep has always been a favorite of mine. I close my eyes every night just to escape from the hurt I have always felt.

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Sunlight stings my eyes in the morning. Instead of getting up to close my curtains, I had forgotten about last night, the closest pillow is thrown over my face. Most days I would stay in this position for as long as I could go, but my stomach rumbles violently. It begs for me to get up. The wooden floor is cold beneath my feet until I slide a pair of shoes on. Before leaving my bedroom, I take a quick pitstop in the bathroom to freshen myself up. My outfit choice today consists of blue trousers and a white tunic. Nothing fancy because no big events are going on today. Or at least I hope.

After I put a little effort into fixing my hair, I walk into the hallway that has all of our rooms close together. Instead of the soft rays that sneak through the windows at this time, it was completely sunny. I guess I had slept in longer than I should have. The maids had already come through here and opened the corners. New flowers had been replaced in a nearby vase as well.

There's a good chance that my friends are all awake by now. Hopefully, they were comfortable to move around my house without me. If not, I would feel terrible for keeping them in their rooms while I was oversleeping. Lightly, I knock on Arlo's door which is across from mine. No rustling or movement sounds from inside. My hand turns the nob slightly to peek inside to see if he's sleeping.

No Arlo is inside the room. Only a perfectly made bed is what I find. I guess he's up, I'll check the sister's room. If they're all gone then they're probably all together. I don't bother knocking on Eden's room. Fox and her have decided to share a room, so there is no point in knocking on it. My hopes are low when I knock on the sister's bedroom. For a moment, there is no noise inside of this room either. But, right when I go to turn away, the knob turns as someone from the other side opens the door.

"It'ssoearly," A sleepy-looking Fox opens the door. Her words are slurred together as her head rests against the door frame. Her eyes can barely stay open. She doesn't seem to care as I stare at her wild hair in shock. Does it always look like this when she wakes up? She lifts a limp hand to rub at her eyes. That's when I noticed the tiny dagger gripped between her fingers.

"You know," I laugh quietly, "I think you need some more rest," I tell her. Softly, I guide her back into her room. Sleepy Fox could be something dangerous. Cautiously, I pull the weapon out of her hand and place it on her nightstand. Fox walks to her bed but instead of getting in it, she sits on the side. She looks more alive now that she's been walking around. Her eyes are open and staring at me.

"Do you know where Eden is?" Fox yawns in my direction. Because of Fox's state, I hadn't even realized Eden wasn't in here.

"She must have gone somewhere with Arlo. He wasn't in his room either," I answer her with a slight smile. Of course, those two lover birds wanted some time away from us. "Do you want to go see if they're eating breakfast?" I offered her and I responded with a small head nod. Fox stands up and slowly goes to rummage through her bag for clothes. Before I could leave her room to stand in the hallway, she told me to sit on a couch.

"I'll be quick," Fox informs while carrying her clothes to her bathroom. "Just sit and look pretty over there."

My fingers tap against my knees as I look around her room while I wait. Before this trip, I rarely went into any of the guest bedrooms. It's nice to see them being used, however. Guests are rare in my house so I often question why we even have extra rooms. Most of the decoration is the same in all of the rooms. The same bed covers, wall colors, and carpets. They are all in a light, welcoming blue. Something stands out in this room. My eyes squint to make out the picture frame sitting on the far dresser. A silver frame outlines the photo. All of the frames in my house are gold. It must belong to Fox or Eden.

Even though Fox told me to stay put. I go over to look at the displayed picture. My heart drops once I recognize it to be her family. In the photo, two little girls smile brightly as their parent's hands are wrapped around them. I've never seen a photo of the Xander family before. I know they are one of the larger kingdoms in this world, but I had never brought myself to find out about them. A larger man's hand pats Fox's head in the photo. He smiles warmly down at her. A large silver crown is balanced on top of his head. Next to him, is a beautiful woman with long, blonde hair. A crown is also placed on her head.

"I was seven in that picture. I think it's funny because I didn't have my front two teeth."

My body freezes with the picture in my hand when Fox comes out of the bathroom. I didn't hear her sneak up on me. Quickly, I place her valuable item back on the table and apologize for touching it.

"It's okay, Robin. I'm not embarrassed by that picture, but Eden might be. It's rare when she's satisfied with a picture she's in," Fox explains while staring at the photo. After a heartbeat of silence and remembrance, she pipes back up. "Well! We should go, shall we?"

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