Stay Vigilant

How it used to be

How it used to be... 

The tall yellowish grass swayed as she ran inside its grasps, immersing more and more of the little 9 year old girls small frame. A drop in a crouch was all it took to hide away. The sun burned in the blue sky, she smelt of sun screen and dirt, birds chirped in the awfully uncivilized forest.

The loud bang of the back door got her to crank back as she crawled farther back.

"I know your out here you nugget!" His voice boomed "You left the door unlocked!"

She tensed trying not to laugh, getting a vague glimpse of the slim figure bearing a teenager who had just undergone a major growth spurt, making him look like a cricket. The loser of the game would have to clean up the kitchen and do pushups. She had 30 seconds before winning, before she could laugh at his sweaty farmers face.

"Mariiiaaa" he taunted, before the girl noticed a waning whisper "Shit".

Maria couldnt help but repeat it back to him, knowing all well how forbidden it was.

"SHIT" she yells, short giggles following.

The tall slender man jolted towards the direction and didnt delay a millisecond to sprint, "What did I tell you about swearing Maria."

"BULLSHIT!" she defended, wheezing from trying not to laugh.

The faster and closer his pace got to her, the faster she breathed. Maria, that mischievous girl, quickly pulled the camouflage blanket over her body and laid down flat, mingling with all the insects under the soil. And, before she knew it, the sound of rapid pacing haunted her only metres away. Peering through a small cavity in the old fraying blanket, a glimpse of long fingered olive coloured hands grazed through the grass fields as the figure ran linear in a crouch. 

He was gonna find her if she did not move

Like a 9 year old, or anyone would, she laughed and screamed like a hyena getting chased by the lion at her tail. A fluffle of brown rabbits darted out of the way as the chase blew up. 

The teenage boy was very fast for a 15 year old, but yet to outrun time, or catch a poor 9 year old.

Of course, it was too late, when the radar on his watch started to nail into his ears. The sound mixed with the victorious yelps of a child, only a metre away, jumping up and down endlessly. The boring sun makin him musky and regretful for wearing black clothing as he pulled up the fabric to wipe his melting face. 

There was a time only 2 months ago, where she couldnt even peep out a word to no one but Andrew, her Father. A mute.

He would much rather watch the same cartoon series for the millionth time than cook and clean and cook and clean for the millionth time, but the deal was settled. But she needed him, and maybe that was why he stayed. 

....

She was playing and staring at her food once again. He sighed, looking down at the wooden table. The silence was confusing but obvious and left him gaping. Light from the double cross windows overseeing the porch deck under dawn, gave an orangey hue to the already lit candle light on the dinner table.

He watched in the shadowy haze, intently, as water started to leak out casually of the kitchen tap without even being touched, like another autonomous being. A common symptom of her pain, discreet and hidden.

drip...    drip...    drip...

A symptom she didnt know how to conceal

"Do you want something else?"

Her lips stayed sealed, a frown.

"How abooouuuut, chocolate cake?!" He enticed with a clown plastered grin.

"Is the fan too loud? you drank your water right?!" His face cringed right after raising his voice.

Now it was him staring, at his cooked oats, stirring it, as the silence grew greater and ominous,

"Sebastian.." his ears then perking up

"hm?"

"When is Daddy coming back?" 

His eyes widened, visibly clenching the spoon as he analyzed her helplessness helplessly. "Im not sure"

"Are you going too? Like, weeks... not coming back"

 He looked back up at her with a coy toothy smile and glowing eyes.

 "Never. Besides... I don't know if those maids could survive any longer without my help."