LOCATION: FAYETTEVILLE LAKE
DATE : SEPTEMBER 27TH
TIME: SOMETIME IN THE AFTERNOON
"Ha! Reine! Got ya!" A little boy's voice yelled as a hand pushed Reine into the lake.
"Hen-"
Splash!
An angry looking face with black dripping hair, belonging to none other than Reine Aserdale, came out of the turquoise-colored lake. Reine glared dangerously at her little brother with her dark blue eyes, while stomping her way up to shore.
"Henri! What was that for?" Reine questioned while squeezing lake water out of her shirt with annoyance. The water was not freezing, but still cold, due to the cool autumn weather in Georgia.
Autumn, the time of the year when leaves would dance with the breeze in their colorful ballgowns; when the grass and flowers would lose their summer green suites and attempt to blend in with the ripe pumpkins. The time of the year for Reine Aserdale's birthday.
When she was finished with her shirt, Reine yelled at Henri, "Come back here! I get to push you now!"
Henri giggled and ran behind his Mom, out of Reine's reach. The sighing wind sent a shiver down Reine just then, making more annoyed than ever. Today was her birthday, after all! Could her little brother be nice for once?
Mrs. Aserdale looked up from her book and laughed at her soaked daughter, making the blonde ponytail on her head bob up and down. After patting her son lovingly on the shoulder, Mom winked at Reine's glaring eyes.
Closing her book, Mom shook her head and wondered amusingly out loud, "Why do y'all have to bother me when I just got to the exciting parts in the book? What about your Dad? Why don't you two mess with him for once?"
She tilted her head toward her napping husband in the shade and added, "He isn't doing anything productive at all."
"'Cause Daddy would just throw me in the lake like Rei!" Henri whined and stuck his tongue out at Reine.
Reine laughed and ran over to wake Dad up, who was still napping under the whispering trees. Finally after countless attempts, Reine managed to push Mr. Aserdale up despite his complains. After he stood up and stretched, Mr. Aserdale glanced over at Reine then at Henri and seemed to get the situation immediately.
"Henri, why don't you come and give Daddy a hug?" He asked and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture with a warm smile on his face.
Little Henri stared suspiciously at his Dad for a minute before shaking Mrs. Aserdale's shoulder and yelling, "Daddy is trying to throw me into the lake! Help me, Mom!"
"Oh no, you don't! You already pushed the birthday girl in, so now you get to be soaked, too," Dad laughed and said while running to grab his son's little arms and dragging him to the edge of the lake.
When Henri's feet touched the edge of the lapping water, he started making up excuses, "I didn't mean to! Rei, was, well... She called me stupid in the car here, so all I wanted to get her back!"
As Henri's 7-years old body was getting lifted up by Dad's strong arms, Henri screamed, "It's all Rei's faul-"
Splash!
...
LOCATION: ASERDALE RESIDENCE
DATE: SEPTEMBER 27TH
TIME: AROUND DINNER
"I hate Rei's birthdays!" Henri said crossing his arms when they finally got home from the lake and was having dinner.
Henri's chair squeaked as he sat forward to push his plate of cake away with unhappiness. The silver moon outside their wall-sized window filled the dining room with a warm glow in addition to the candles on the table.
YOU ARE READING
Ash and Dust
Fiksi Ilmiah#352 in Science Fiction (10/21/15) --- "Don't feel. Don't care." That was now Reine's golden rule to everything and anything in her life. If you can even call it living. After her parents' tragic death, nothing seemed to matter to her anymore. Or m...
