Reflections of Light

Grounded

"He's grounded."

"Well, he sounds like he's being tortured."

"He's just throwing a tantrum because he's in trouble. Just ignore it."

Billy was screaming angrily at the top of his lungs, stomping around on the top floor of the house, and making sounds that suggested he was emptying his entire belongings all over the floor.

"It's good for him. He's learning a lesson."

Sebastian watched as a spray of paint flakes dislodged themselves from the ceiling, floating down in front of him, as result of Billy's angry dinosaur-stomping.

"Tell me, is he going to learn it before or after he brings the house down on top of us?"

Luci put down the rag she was wiping the top down with, and made her way towards the stairs.
"William, what are you doing?" She called up in a sing-song manner.

"Go 'way!"

She began to make her way up the stairs, turning her way into his bedroom.

Her young son was spread-eagled dramatically on the floor in the centre of a fray of trashed belongings.

"Hey, no, you don't get to be mad because I told you off for doing something you know was wrong. Only I deserve to be angry here, okay?"

Billy said nothing, turning his face away from her.

Luci sighed, crossing over to crouch by him.

"Look, yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. You now know what you did was wrong, but you also now know not to do it again, don't you? So all's well that ends well, isn't it?"

"So I'm not gwounded no more?"

"No, you're still grounded. I may be willing to forgive you, but you need to learn that all actions have consequences."

Billy kicked his legs frustratedly against the floor.
"When'em I un-gwounded den?"

"When I say so!"

"An' when's dat?"

"I'll let you know when you get there."

Billy groaned loudly, kicking his feet again in complaint.

Luci raised an eyebrow. "Throwing a fuss isn't going to endear me to speed up my decision."

"Go 'way."

"Hey, that's no way to speak to me either.
Now, you can come down and have some lunch now, if you calm down, okay?"

Billy stomped his feet against the floor sulkily.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Luci soothed. "Stop with the kicking! You're damaging the ceiling and I don't actually own the place!

Now, what's actually wrong? Because I know you, you've been upset about something since before this. What's going on?"

Billy pouted his lip, turning away from his mother's penetrating gaze, which seemed to be pulling the truth out of him.

"... Don't like et here."

"You don't? Aww, I don't blame you sweetheart. But we've just got to stick it out for a little bit, okay?"

"Don't want to! Want to go somewhere else!"

"Billy, you can't go back to the mansion, it's dangerous. And you can't go back to Wesley's family, because I don't think they'd want me to come."

"Den I want to go somewhere else!"

Luci stroked his feathery hair softly. "Where do you want to go, Sweetheart?"

"I want... To... Go... Live wif my Daddy."
He quickly corrected himself as he saw a flash of... Something... Flit across his mother's eyes.
"All of us, you and me and Daddy together!"

Luci broke into a brilliant smile, sweeping him up into her arms, silver tears glistening just behind her eyes, joy for her son's innocence tinged with an old sadness.
"Oh, William, Sweetheart. I'd love that too. But... It's difficult right now... We can't just..."

"Why?"

"You know why."

"No I don't. You didn't tell me, not really."

Luci rubbed her forehead. "William... I don't think... It's quite complicated..."

Billy looked at his hands, fiddling his fingers.

"Mummy... Can tell me a storwy? Storwy 'bout Daddy? Please?"

Sorry I haven't updated in a few days!
I was actually working on a different chapter for this story, got writer's block half way through, and figured I'd leave it a day or so until I got inspiration.
5 days on and I realised I needed to do something or I was going to get distracted entirely.
Then I realised I could push that chapter forwards and do this one instead, which I knew what I was going to do for.

So, hey presto, here we are!