𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦

[04]

"What happened to King-Dad?"

Mama stayed silent for a long time and stared at Dad, who was very ill. He didn't move like he used to for the past few days. Traveling around the ruins and underground. He didn't even offer me a piggy-back ride today. I always got one. I looked at him with a worried face.

"Children, what did you put in the pie?" Mama asked with a soft voice like velvet. I turned to Chara.

I could see the hesitation in her eyes as she fiddled with her green sweater, tracing the yellow stripes. She looked at me desperately. I shrugged.

"We followed the recipe, Mama, but we had to add something different..."

"And that would be?"

Chara mumbled something. My gut wrenched.

"Chara?"

She repeated it, louder this time. "Bu...cups..."

"Please, child, speak up..."

"Buttercups," I said, voice cracking.

The air sparked with tension as mama's patience drained from her face. Seeing her scared made me scared. I felt warm water fill my eyes. I knew it was wrong to use the flowers, but Chara didn't listen. Mama placed her hands on her face and hunched over. My gaze flickered to my best friend. Through my tears, Chara looked... mad at me.

"Oh, my children. The flowers..." Her words teetered on her lips, but never left her.

"What mama?"

"They are highly poisonous," she murmured. A tear pricked my fur.

Chara stomped out, each step louder than the last. Mama was too sad to look up, holding dad's hand. My chest fluttered as a wall of emotions hit me. Guilty, angry, confused. I cried silently as I followed my friend outside the hall, not sure what else to do.

I started jogging to catch up with her as she sped-walk. "Chara!" I called after her.

She stopped. It took me a moment, with water in my eyes everything was blurry, but she shook. She fell against the wall, shivering and cold. Wrapping fingers around herself, she slid down the wallpaper.

"You're such a damn crybaby," she sobbed.