Black Lotus

12 - "Love Thing"

August 5, 2016 | Friday

Four days. I haven't heard a single word from Max in four days. It would be nice to at least get a text saying that he's alive or that nothing bad happened to him. I had to really hold back from calling because it was bothering me terribly. Motionless, my orbs were glued to the blank piece of journal paper in which I'd usually jot down my current emotions. Nothing came to me. That writer's inspiration that always had hit me in the past had evaporated into what could have been thin air. The main source of my writing had not always been drawn from Max but the majority of it had came from him lately. I never met somebody who wanted me to write so often and who encouraged me so much to do it. Besides Ocean, that is. That dead feeling I used to have was returning to me, and I was not welcoming it nor was I being hostile towards it. It was just there.

"Oasis, Oasis." Uncle Sincere tapped my shoulder.

"Hm?"

"I called your name like ten times, are you okay?"

"Eh, it's whatever. I'm fine, though."

"Still Max?"

"Still Max," I breathed.

That was when he smiled as if a lightbulb appeared in his mind. "Go get dressed Oasis, we're going to go do family activities."

"And what would that consist of?"

"I'll figure it out somehow. Just go along with it. I'm going to go get the baby ready." He walked off.

I sighed. I couldn't say that I wasn't enjoying myself here, but another day or two more might just break me. My phone buzzed and I nearly freaked when checking to see who it was. Unfortunately, it was only Yvette.

9:33 | Yvette: Carmen told me everything that's going on with you and your boyfriend. Oasis, I hope you're okay. Stay safe.

It was nice to see that she was concerned, but that didn't make me feel any better or help me at all. Actually, it made me feel pretty embarrassed knowing that my supervisor knew my personal business about a stupid gang after me. Who else did Carmen tell? Hopefully nobody else. While remaining in deep thought, I proceeded to carry out my morning routine of the last three days; going in the shower, overthinking, getting out and drying off, crying for a bit in the bathroom, then getting dressed.

"Ahhhhhh!" A naked Camellia ran up to me and hopped in my arms, causing me to bust out laughing.

"Camellia what are you doing?"

"I don't wanna get in the bathtub! I lost Boatie!" she cried.

"Who's Boatie?"

"My bath toy, I can't find it! It protects me from bath monsters." She began to bawl.

"Cam, bath monsters do not exist."

"Yes they do! I saw a movie one time with monsters in the water! It was called Jaws and my big brother Khalil was watching it."

"Wait," Uncle Sincere came in the room and gave her a towel, "Khalil let you watch Jaws?"

"Not exactly. When he was watching it I snuck in his room and watched it until he saw me and kicked me out."