𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓢𝔀𝓪𝓷

Chapter Seven

ＥＮＣＨＡＮＴＥＤ ＦＯＲＥＳＴ

🄿🄰🅂🅃

A crowd gathered round watching a puppet show in the village market as a young boy weaved around the towns people sneakily slicing the bottom of their bags and pickpocketing them, once he had gathered all the pouches he could muster he snuck into the trailer with his finds.

After the show the boy emptied his treasures in front of his parents, "Woah, woah, woah, careful, careful." the father said, the mother glanced at the boy "Don't let the coins roll away." the father Martin picked up a coin "No, they might disappear." he said as he did a magic trick making it disappear.

He pulled his hand towards his wife Myrna pulling the coin from behind her ear, "Woah, woah, look at that." he laughed showing the ginger haired boy the coin who smiled slightly, he rustled through the black sack pulling out a cage with a cricket inside, "Oh, a cricket, I love crickets." he gushed staring at the creature, his mother glanced at his father, "Crickets are trouble, noisy bugs."

He looked up at her as his father took the cricket from his hands "But they get to do whatever they want, hopping from place to place, they're free." he said as his father shook the cage, "You're free." Myrna told him simply, "To do what we want." Martin continued eyes still on the creature.

"To be who you are." the woman glanced at him again "And you are who you are." his father turned to him, Jiminy huffed "Well, maybe I want to be something else, maybe I don't want to steal, maybe I want to be good." the father rolled his eyes glancing at his wife "All that from a cricket?"

The mother stared down at the thing "Told ya, trouble." the father pointed a finger at the boy "Good is another word for weak." he told him, Myrna placed the glasses on her face "Let us do the thinking for you." Martin nodded "That's what parents are for." "To help you."

"You are who you are and there's no changing it, Jiminy, right?" the man spoke again, Jiminy sighed "Right." "Right, problem solved." his father said making the cricket in his hand disappear.

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Amelia sat perched on the edge of counter talking with Gold in his pawn shop just before the shop was due to close when the bell above the door dinged causing them to turn where they saw Marigold and Lucas walking towards them, the girl waved at her friend who ran over his mother following close behind, Gold smiled down at the boy before glancing to the blonde "What can I help you with today deer?"

"We're here to find something for dad's birthday tomorrow." the boy told him a giddy expression crossing his face, the man nodded telling them to look around, Amelia slid off the counter running over to her friend who was stood next a cabinet as his mum looked around, the boy pointed towards a chameleon plushie reaching out to grab it, he turned to Marigold who was staring a painted plate.

"Mama, mum look." he practically jumped with excitement, the woman turned to him a smile gracing her lips "You want to get that for dad?" she asked, he nodded as he waved it around, Amelia turned to her dad tilting her head as a slight smirk plastered his face.

Marigold gently took his hand with her free one guiding him towards the counter placing the decorative plate and teddy onto it, a bronze medallion with a gold sun pattern caught her eye and Gold upon noticing pulled it from the case allowing her a closer look.