After another day passed, Billy knew it was time to continue his mission. The morning was filled with sad goodbyes and emotional moments.
"Your spot at the table will always be open, Billy." Theodore promised.
"Goodbye, brother." Karl attempted to hold in his tears as he gave Billy a handshake, which quickly turned into a hug.
"Be safe, Billy." Albert spoke sweetly, like his mother, and gave him a hug.
The twins gave him a simultaneous hug and goodbye.
"Goodbye boys." Billy replied. He still couldn't tell them apart.
"I caught you this stick." Floyd announced as he handed Billy the stick that was covered in grass.
Billy placed the stick from the strange boy in his bag alongside the three onions.
"Gilbert Gus" Was all that the youngest boy said, and that was enough for Billy to understand.
"Now, my little traveler, you best come back to this house in one piece. We'll be waiting for you no matter how long it takes." Mama Jo smiled, her brown eyes filled with warmth.
"Yes, Mama Jo. I'll be back as soon as I can." Billy promised with a nod.
Billy walked away from the Holeman house with new food, a stick, three onions, a sharp rock, and love. The eight members of the Holeman Family stood in a line outside their house. They all watched with tears in their eyes as young Billy walked down the path.
Mama Jo knew that even though it hurt her heart to admit it, it was time for another son to leave.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Billy was walking again. He was alone again. Without company to distract him, Billy's mind quickly wandered back to his heaven.
"Toad! Stop eating snow! You don't know what's in it!" Billy scolded his best friend.
Toad, with his mouth full of snow, gave him an innocent smile.
"But Billy...eating snow is part of the holiday celebration!" The small boy whined, his words muffled by the snow.
"We don't even know if it's a holiday! All we do know is that it's snowing!" Billy exclaimed dramatically as he lifted his face and arms up to the snowy sky.
"Well, it has to be some kind of holiday somewhere, right?" Toad questioned, trying to trick his friend into joining in on the fun.
"Hm I guess so..." Billy gave in.
"Jump in then!" Toad danced around happily in the snow piles that lined the street.
"Fine, fine. Just be careful you don't jump in the road, ok?" Billy asked with concern.
"Yup!" Toad assured as he dragged Billy into the sparkling pile of snow.
"Toad! It's cold!" Billy complained as he fell face first into the slush.
"...Sorry!" Toad apologized as he raced back to their alleyway home to avoid Billy's wrath.
"Get back here, Toad!" Billy called after him, his face covered in street slush.
"Never!" Toad shouted back, most likely trying to find a hiding place.
Billy walked into the alleyway and looked around, ready to get revenge.
Toad's little laughs gave him away. He was under the only blanket they owned. Billy watched the small lump moving around under the blanket with amusement.
"Hm, I wonder where little Toad went... I guess I'll take a short break and get some sleep..." Billy trailed off as he approached the blanket.
"Daisies!" He heard Toad curse.
"Oh what's this?" Billy asked aloud as he poked his friend on the head.
"Just a lump." Toad replied.
"Oh, a talking lump?" Billy questioned.
"...Yes." Toad laughed.
"It's time to get my revenge, little talking lump." Billy declared as he lifted the blanket and threw the snow in.
"...Now I'm a cold lump." Toad mumbled as his head popped out of the blanket.
With both boys freezing and their only blanket soaked, Billy and Toad walked to Ms.G's shop. She kindly let them sleep on the floor of the shop for the night. The boys stayed there for a bit until Toad requested to go back outside because he missed the stars.
"You don't have to come with me, Billy." Toad protested as he tried to push his friend back into the warm shop.
"Wherever you go, I go." Billy replied with determination.
Toad, knowing he couldn't win, just blushed at Billy's statement.
That night, the two boys lay together under the still wet blanket. They stared at the stars until Toad fell asleep. As soon as Billy knew his best friend was fast asleep, he scooped him up in his arms with the blanket and carried him back to Ms.G's shop.
He placed Toad, all wrapped up in the blanket, close to the heater. Billy lay down beside him, finally able to sleep peacefully knowing his friend was warm and safe.
Billy couldn't understand why memories of snow and the cold still haunted his mind even when he walked past fields of spring flowers.
Trying to shake the memories to the back of his head, Billy kept walking until he reached the enemy kingdom's border.
It was time to complete his mission.
A/N:
Thanks for reading! Want more flashbacks? Any requests?
Marjoram= Comfort, Blushes
YOU ARE READING
Where the Purple Flowers Grow
FantasíaWilliam (Billy) Francis had been a peasant in the Empire of Pratopia for his whole life. He spent his days begging for food and stealing what he needed alongside his best friend Todd. However, one day, he's pinned with a huge crime he didn't commit...
