The other side

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Elara's dream filled eyes stared at the evening sky and its shade of purple and orange. Far below, Vaeloria is busy with the regular stuff that happened—today, something felt..wrong. It was like the world was waiting for her with baited breath. Whatever that is. Elara always fantasized that she was something different but that wasn't accurate at all. Elara was just a regular normal person who hoped for something extraordinary in her life.

"Elara!" She heard her mother shouts from downstairs, snapping her out of the deep thoughts she was in. "It's breakfast time."

Pursing her lips, Elara looks at the necklace which is kept on her cabinet. It was the birthday gift she had received it a week ago. Still, there was something off to this particular necklace or that's what Elara thought.

"Elara! Can you hear me?" Her mothers voice echoes up the stairs, with a hint of impatience. "Stop dreaming and come downstairs!"

"I'm coming!" Groans Elara. Her gaze shifts to her bedroom door and she gets up from her bed still feeling the day's weight on her shoulders.

CRASH!

Her brother Jack, came barreling down the hallway, laughing as he skids across Elara's room. He was covered head to toe in mud with leaves in his hair.

"Jack!" Her mother shouts, her footsteps growing louder as she makes her way up the stairs. "Stop messing around and come down for breakfast! Now!"

The tone in her voice was dangerously close to snapping. No, scratch that—she was definitely at her breaking point.

Elara sighed, shaking her head as she glances at her brother. "You're gonna get it" She mutters with a smirk, though Jack just shot her a grin before running off again.

It's always an adventure with Jack. He's always off doing something on the farm.

"Jack! Come here right now!" Her mom Naxa's voice reaches a pitch that made her wince. This time she is definitely ready to explode. Her footsteps become louder and louder as she takes a peek at the hallway, and then—a screech. "What is this!?"

Elara, confused peeks out from her door. Her eyes widen and a gasp slips out. The entire hallway is covered in a mucus green sticky substance oozing all over the floorboards.

"Jack! What is this stuff?!" Bellowed her mother.

Elara knew exactly what it was—Jack had been experimenting with one of his "brilliant" ideas again. But instead of saying anything, she kept her mouth shut, biting her lips to stop a smirk. No need to get involved in this one.

Naxa pulls a wipewhisk from her pocket with a sigh, eyeing the mess with clear frustration. "The things I do for the two of you," she muttered. She dabs at the goo, hesitating like the floor might bite back. When nothing happens, she sighs in relief and starts wiping faster.

The wipewhisk works its magic, turning the goo-covered floor back to its shiny, spotless state with each swipe. Elara watches from the doorway, impressed. Her mother was nearing the end of the cleanup when—splat!

Out of nowhere, a bucket of bright red paint tips over from a stack of crates, raining down all over Naxa. She freezes, now drenched in red, her face a mix of shock and fury.

"Elara!" she snaps, dripping with paint. "Get your brother. NOW!"

Not wanting to make her mother angrier, Elara rushes out of her room, expertly dodging the red paint leaking from the fallen can. She hurries down the hallway, eyes scanning for her brother. Jack couldn't have gone far. She spots a suspicious stack of hay bales in the corner of the hallway and immediately starts tearing them apart—splat!

Elara freezes. She glances down at herself, her hands and clothes now smeared with a thick, brown substance. Her eyes narrow at the hay bales. Then, out shuffles Jack, sheepishly looking at the ground.

"Jack!" She screamed. "How could you?!" Jack winces, guilt written all over his face.

Before she could finish her next thought, Elara lunges for him. Jack spun on his heels and bolted, but it was too late. He slipped on the red paint already covering the floor and went down with a thud, landing right beside their mom. He looks up, wide-eyed, from his place on the ground, caught red-handed—literally and figuratively.

"I'm sorry for splattering you with red paint!" he sputters, pleading for mercy to avoid being chased around the barn or, worse, stuck with extra chores for two months. He hesitates, swallowing hard. "And... I'm also sorry about the horse poop."

Elara blinks. "H-horse poop!?" She shrieks, her voice cracking with horror.

In one swift motion, she dash's toward Jack, scoops him up, and without hesitation, smears the mess all over him as he squirms and wriggles in her arms, trying to escape.

"EEE! I'm sorry!!" Screams Jack still squirming, trying to get away from poop covered Elara.

Naxa watches them, red paint dripping from her hair, a mix of exhaustion and amusement crossing her face.

"Siblings," she mutters under her breath, shaking her head.