Subject 3

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄: 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓

A sigh leaves your lips as you sprawl your sweaty arms onto the cool wooden planks beneath you. It's a reward for your long day of work, hauling box after box up into the empty room that you had designated as your own. The late afternoon sun shone through the window sheers you had just hung up, casting a hazy warm light throughout the whole room.

"Hey, sweetie," Your mom leans on the doorway, a light sheen of sweat shining on her skin. She tilts her head with a smile as you lazily turn your head to the side, using the minimal amount of effort possible. "I know you're tired, but remember we need to go meet our neighbors? Clean up and we're gonna walk over there in a few minutes."

A groan of pain leaves your lips as you kick out your feet like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

"But I'm sweaty and gross."

"Well you have ten minutes to become not sweaty and gross," She nods, before clapping her hands and retreating back into the hallway. "Hurry!"

You sigh, lifting yourself from the comfortable flooring beneath you and snorting out a laugh when you see you left a sweaty outline of your body on the surface.

"Okay, let's get this over with."

☆

Your Converse lightly taps against the staircase as you descend it, hearing a glimpse of your mom and dad in the kitchen.

"We haven't seen Sylvanna since..." She trails off, her eyes darting to your figure emerging from the doorway.

Her throat clears, before looking back at your dad with her hands sternly on her hips. "You're going with us."

Your dad huffs, glancing back at you before scratching his chin in annoyance. "Fine."

She hums in satisfaction, before turning her attention back to you and tightening her ponytail. Her lips stretch into a bubbly smile as she snatches the house keys off of the counter and ushers the two of you out the door.

The late summer heat hits your face as you make your way down the sidewalk, the smell of freshly watered grass and heated pavement entering your nose.

"Mom, who are these neighbors again?"

"I told you, the Salomes. You were friends with her daughter, Aphmau, when you were little. I guess you were too young to remember." Her voice almost sounds distant as she explains, her eyes stuck forward on the concrete.

It's only a couple of houses down, a large gray house with a bright red front door. Slightly overgrown hedges and white flowers decorated the otherwise neat landscaping, giving it a more homely appearance.

"A single mom and daughter lives here?" You ask aloud.

"Her useless husband paid it off before he left." Your dad grunts, his voice not sounding too fond of this man he was referring to. "At least he did one decent thing for them... that no good–"

Your mom cuts him off with a warning look before striding up the porch stairs, rapping her signature "shave and a haircut" tune against the wood with her knuckles. You vaguely hear the rushed thumping of feet inside before it opens, revealing a woman looking just a bit younger than your parents.

You were only able to tell by the assumption that she had a daughter around your age and the few streaks of grey that ran through her long black hair. Her skin was a beautiful tawny color, and her eyes were a stunning brown that was only a few shades darker than her skin and had an almost golden shimmer to them as the sun shone against them.

The same eyes crinkle in joy as her eyes land on all of you, and she lets out an elated noise as she wraps her arms around your mom.

"Ah, it's so good to see you!"