Not What She Seems

Why Can't I Be Normal (Stop PUNishing Me!)

  "Why are you scared? Don't be scared, I will protect you. I will leave a mark on you. You will be protected by me, you will be protected by the lion." the lion said.
"You don't want to appear too fierce, to balance it out, I will protect you too. I will leave a mark on you, too. You will be protected by the lamb." the lamb said.
  The child woke up from her dream. She looked at her hands. There were two different drawings on them. One detailed drawing was of a lamb, the lamb was traced out in ink and a dot of ink represented the eye, since it was sideways. The other drawing was also detailed and was a drawing of a lion. The lion was much like the lamb, traced out in ink and two dots represented the eye, since it was a frontal view and it was sitting on its hind legs. They were both glowing. Glowing. Glowing. Glowing. Then it was gone.

*****

"K.O. MELEENA WINS." the game says.
Hehe, stop picking that cyborg guy, he drains extra health in his punches." I say between giggles.
"How did you win?!" Raeve exclaims.
"Meleena and Kitana are my main people. And no, it's not because they're sisters." I comment.
"Really, they're sisters? I didn't think Mortal Kombat XL had that." Ravamara comments.
"They do, Cassy Cade and that John guy...John whatshisname are married." I reply.
"Oh, really?" Ravamara asks.
"Mhm.." I say. Markus walks in with Gevora holding Panda Express.
"Finally! I'm starving!" I say.
"Oi, mother here's your card." Gevora says, tossing mother's black card towards her. She catches it and puts it in her purse.
"Alright, your food is labeled with the first letter of your name." she informs. I grab mine and get a fork and start eating. Mom takes her food upstairs to her bedroom and starts eating.
We eat our food and head upstairs with our drinks. Then, we go to my room and again, I ask Verlynn to wait outside and let Relvin come in.
"Why were you upset earlier?" he asks as he closes the door.
"Relvin, I care about you but why are you so persistent? It doesn't matter." I say.
"Clearly it does." he responds.
"No it doesn't! It doesn't concern you, just relax." I reply back to him.
"That's even more unbelievable than the time you told me that the underwear fairy will come haunt me if I don't worship the underwear gods." he tells me. I burst out laughing.
"But you fell for it though. That went on for like...3 months!" I exclaim while laughing.
"Yavara, je suis concerné. Était-ce une vision? Qu'as-tu vu?" he asked.
"Non, ça n'a pas d'importance. Amusons-nous et profitez des vacances d'été." I answer.
"Oh, et quoi que vous fassiez, ne laissez pas Verlynn découvrir qui nous sommes ou notre relation. J'ai l'impression qu'elle est sur nous." I add.
"Yavara, s'il te plait, dis-le moi. Pourquoi es-tu si ..." I cut Relvin off.
"You can come in, Verlynn!" I shout.
"What were you guys arguing about?" Verlynn asks.
"Non, rien." I mumble.
"What was that?" Verlynn ponders.
"Oh, nothing...." I say. I hear a knock on my door. Allister opens the door.
"Mommy wants you." Allister says.
"J'arrive, je viens ..." I mumble. Allister hears me.
"Eh bien, pouvez-vous venir un peu plus vite? Savara a dit qu'elle jouerait le rôle de pilote avec moi et que vous prenez beaucoup de temps." Allister responds.
"Eh bien, Savara a déjà gagné. Vous êtes un pilote vraiment mauvais, vous avez fait couler l'hélicoptère." I say, stepping over Verlynn's leg and playing with his hair.
"HEY!!!" Allister exclaims.
"What? It's the truth." I say while walking down the hallway.
"RUDE! I'M TELLING!!!" Allister shouts, fixing his hair.
"Yes?" I ask.
"I hope you haven't told her anything yet." Mom says.
"Why?" I ask again.
"Because you can't trust her." Mom responds.
"I'm getting kinda sick of this. Why can't I just tell her and hope she doesn't say anything?" I suggest.
"Do you know how bad that plan is?" Mom scolds me.
"Ugh! I'm getting tired of keeping this secret, why can't I just be normal?" I complain.
"Because you can't." Mom answers.
"Did you just bring me down here to nag me?" I ask.
"No. I want to ask you a question." Mom says. I keep quiet.
"Should I tell them now?" Mom questions.
"No, I think it's too soon. Give it 2-3 years, when Savara and Allister know how to keep secrets." I respond.
"There's still Alton." she states. Her eyes drifting off somewhere.
"You can tell him when he's older too. Maybe like 8 years too." I suggest.
"I don't know if I can wait that long." Mom replies.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"This is shattering me from the inside. It's killing me to keep this secret now. Ugh, why can't I just be normal." Mom complains.
"Because you can't." I say, mocking mom.
"Shut up. You're starting to sound like Raeve." Mom states.
"Well then, that means you sound like Raeve." I shoot back.
"How does that even make any sense? Raeve—you know what? Doesn't matter." Mom shoots back.
"UUUGGGHHH! It's like this man hates me." Mom whines.
"That's exactly how I feel." I say.
"Hey! I did that for your own protection." Mom says defensively.
"Just like he did it for your own protection." I shoot back again.
"Can you not?" Mom asks.
"Sorry mom, I'm not trying to be NAUGHTY." I say, laughing.
"Go upstairs. I'm done with you." Mom says, pointing up the stairs. She drags me up the stairs because I didn't move and all the way I am laughing.
"Wait, mom, can I have some of the bacon you made? Mmm, now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I'll make it back downstairs, I'm really PIGGED OUT right now." I say, bursting in to tears of laughter.
"Go dig yourself a hole." Mom says, still dragging me to my bedroom.
"I'm not sure about that mom, I'm just not DIGGING it right now." tears of laughter stream down my face. Mom opens the door to my bedroom and drags me in there.
"Someone give me a knife." Mom says, walking back to the door.
"Mom, chill out. There's no need to PUNish yourself over these great puns!" I manage to say through laughter.
"SOMEONE. ANYONE!" Mom exclaims, closing the door and covering her ears for any more incoming puns. I lie there on the floor as more tears of laughter stream down my face, Verlynn and Relvin soon start laughing. We all just sit there dying of laughter for like eternity. All these puns are just PURRfect!