Kiploft

Birthday Blues

     The presents lined up across the table reminds me of how all the generals, soldiers and guards line up before battle. How quickly they salute to the generals and how quickly the first bullet is shot. How many times the soldiers flinched when they heard the word die, anywhere. The thought of war seems unbearable to me, but that's how things work here. No one chose a different system. Everyone is too stubborn to try. We have a strong belief system and when someone tries to break it, our trigger goes off.
      "May, it's time to sing Happy Birthday," Tuck says walking backwards into the dinning room. William is a very close friend of ours. Mine and Tucks. He has a mother but sadly his dad died in the Frog King war. I wish I could take that back, all of it. But the war is not mine to change, if we could change it.
      "Right," I sigh taking one last glance at the presents.
     William is turning fifteen. His birthday is close to mine and Tucks but he's older.
November 2, 7145. Today it's raining which makes everything seem droopy and sad. Birthdays are supposed to be happy, but William says his birthday will never be a good thing. The time the war happened is way to close to our birthdays for it to be called a good thing.
     The dinning room was decorated with blue curtains and lamps made of water. There weren't many things to be decorated and I'm sure William refused to help. The cake was small, though that was the last thing on Williams mind. He was dozed off thinking about whatever his mind trails to. I wanted to walk over to him and give him a hug or pat him on the should to tell him that birthdays are a good thing, but I can't force myself to because my own birthday feels like we're celebrating a tragic death.
     When the we stop singing, William snaps his head to the candles and freeze. I don't know what he's thinking but I know that it isn't happiness. His mom looks at him with desperation in her eyes. I wonder what it's like to be a mom with a son who refuses to celebrate his life.
     William finally blinks and lifts his head to blow out the flame. Beside me, Tuck suddenly disappears.
     "Where on Corridor did he go off to?" I murmur so quietly that no one hears. They are all too focused on Williams cake, hoping in the littlest bit that there will be enough.
     My mind scans a map of the created world for magical beings. I search every named corner, every building, but I see no Tuck.
     "Want a piece?" A voice appears to my left. When I look, Marcus stands straight forward.
     "Um, no thanks." Talking to Marcus is really the last thing I want right now. Actually the only thing I don't want. I can't let any sign of my feelings show. That would be un-wise. I have to hide my heart.
     "Why not?" He asks practically steping on my heels showing that he can keep up with me.
     "I'm not one for cake," perfect. I'm getting soft. Normally if anyone I don't want to talk to won't leave me alone, I threaten something harsh, but with Marcus? I just can't seem to pull myself together enough to do so.
     "Oh," there's something in his voice. Something that sounds sad. I force the thought of making him laugh away. That would surely show Sharlie something. Then again, maybe I'm thinking too much. I see no sign of Sharlie.
        "But. Cherries and vanilla is something I can't hold myself from," I laugh and teleport back to the party. We only walked as far into the kitchen but teleporting seemed like a good idea. Until I remembered, Marcus doesn't have that ability.
     "Sorry." I said teleporting myself back to position I was before, "forgot something," I said sticking my arm out hoping he would link on. Finally he laughs too and links arms as the world squeezes and the air becomes denser as we go.
     When I reach the dinning room, Marcus is still laughing. My eyes quickly fall to Sharlie staring at us, arms linked. I can't keep Sharlie gaze and pull away from Marcus. Sharlie appears at his side faster than he realizes I walked away.
     "May."
        "Tuck! Where did you go?"
      He shoves a box terribly wrapped into my hands.
      "Forgot his present," he says and nods in the direction of William.
     After we scarfed down the mini cake, we head to the next room for presents. William sits in the birthday chair and his mother brings her present forward.
     When William unwraps it, he finds a watch. It's a dark black color that ticks the time by minutes. 55 to 56 is the closest minute it takes for the depressing look on his face to change. A smile spreads across his lips which makes his mom delightfully happy, to see his son smile.
     It took thirty minutes to get all the through the presents. I couldn't tell which one he liked the best, but he seemed happy all the same.
     "May, have you came up with a name yet?" William says just before we left his house.
     "No, not really. How did you-" I began to ask but he answers my question nodding to Tuck.
Exactly.
     "I was thinking a Demand. Ya know, because you demand things all the time and you can be scary."
     I smile. "Thanks for the compliment," I said. Though I hope I don't scare every soul I meet. Somethings I would like to have for a good reason, not just because someone was scared of me. That would be sad.
     "Yeah, Demands I like it." I added.
     "Better get going," Tuck said.
     On the way back to the castle Tuck finally tells me the whole deal with this Johnathan guy.
     Johnathan knew his brother was alive. His friends and family lied to him saying that his brother died in the war but Johnathan needed a way to prove his family that it is wrong to lie. He broke into the castle so that he could steal our rings that leads you to someone you've lost or something. We shouldn't just give the rings to him....I think Johnathan should be punished for theft and attack.
     "Ohh okay, but I think he needs to be punished for almost theft and attack. How about, we send him off to sunk spot for a month. And when he returns, if he still wants the rings I guess we could bargin."
     Tucks face lightens, "That's a great idea."