The City of Darkness and Blood

Chapter 3

Time: 3:59 pm

After getting off the bus, I approached the front door. It feels so good to be home. Before heading inside the house, I noticed that a car was absent. Kyle's probably out with his girlfriend or hanging out with his friends, and I know my parents are at work. Perfect. That means Silver and I can have some alone time. I unlocked the door and went inside, where I encountered the girl on the couch petting Maisie. Both appeared happy to see me as they got up to greet me. "Hey, girl," I said, rubbing my dog's head before looking up at Silver, "Hey." "Hey," the girl welcomed me with a smile, "So, you're back?"

"Yeah, I told you I'd be back," I said as Maisie walked away after petting her, "Wait, did my parents see you?" I asked in a worried tone.

"No, they left before I came down here. Also, I want to show you something," Silver says, handing me the cube.

My eyes widened in disbelief as I took in the sight of the perfectly solved Rubik's cube. "You got every color, right? How?" I exclaimed, my voice filled with awe.

Silver giggled mischievously, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mystery. "That's my little secret," she teased, "Besides, I have a soft spot for puzzles."

"Well, that's freaking impressive. Hey, you wanna go to the park?"

"Sure," Silver answered with a warming smile.

I set down the cube and my backpack, and the two of us exited the house as I locked the door back. We traveled to the park on foot; it wasn't that far, it was up the street from my home. While we walked, I couldn't help but look at Silver's feet. I'm not being creepy. I'm just baffled by how her feet aren't bleeding. If I ask her if her feet hurt, she'll probably say 'no.' We made it to the park; a few children were there, and their parents and guardians sat on the bench watching them. No one was on the swings, so that's where we went. We both sat on them and talked. "So, Silver? Do you have any family?" I asked. "No," the girl answered without hesitation.

I forgot she was an orphan, so I asked a different question. "Do you have any hobbies besides solving puzzles?"

"Not really," she said sadly.

"So, no aunts, uncles, or-"

"I said I don't know!" she raised her voice, cutting me off. She changed her tone when she saw my reaction. "Sorry," she looked away in regret.

"It's okay," I didn't mean to pry, "About your hair-"

"I was born like this," she interrupted me again, but she knew what I would ask, "Not that anyone understands. Every day, they picked on me and called me 'little grandma.' I did my best to ignore them, but it wasn't enough."

I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. People are so cruel, especially when it comes to those born with genetic disorders. Everyone is born different, and as a society, we should welcome them, not judge them. Sometimes, I wonder why cruelty runs through people's blood. "Well, I think it looks nice," I complimented. Silver suddenly looked at me; she was taken aback by what I said. She seemed to have doubt, judging by her look. "You're just saying that," she said. "No, I mean it. You look pretty with white hair," I said truthfully. Silver blushed and smiled at the compliment. I've seen many girls smile, but something about Silver gives me goosebumps. She looked so elegant and angelic. I quickly snapped out of it. "Hey, you wanna play sword warriors?" I asked. "What's that?" Silver asked.

"Simply, we grab sticks or something and swordplay," I explained.

"Okay," she agreed.

"C'mon," I said as we got off the swings and headed to a tree. I pulled off a long stick and gave it to Silver while I got one, "En garde!"