Heart of a Thousand Sun's

Grey and Red

Walking down the docs of my small farming and fishing town, I look at all the faces towering over me as I walk. I never knew why people like to stare so much, but it doesn't bother me. It never has, but what does bother me is I don't know why they do it. I guess I'll never know, my mother and father had sent me to the market early this morning to get the freshest foods since it was my father's birthday. As I handed the man the money I owe for this fish I hear footsteps pounding on the dock as twenty or thirty people swarm towards the square, it's a nice one for a rundown town but still, run down. The square was flooded with people young and old wanting to catch a glimpse of the palace guards. It amazes me how people can be so easily fascinated, or at least the ones I know. People say I'm mature for 10, but that's because I've been warned about appearances, and tricks and lies, and I've been told the truth about the emperor and his wife. They are evil, and supposedly they have a son, we don't know much about him, or what he looks like. But he's there. I walk past all the commotion to see the man at the sweets stand. He waves to me and starts small talk. " Greetings Xien! How are you!" Says the jolly man behind the counter. " I'm fine, but I've said to just call me by my first name, mae. We are friends after all." I said in reassurance. He laughed and handed me dragon's beard candy. My favorite. "Here you go Mae, since we're friends, it's on me." He said I thanked him and bowed as I wished him a good day. Snacking on my sweets, I think back to the people, I guess when you've only seen grey things, seeing blue for the first time makes you calm, seeing pink makes you happy, seeing red makes you scared. But the people still are drawn to the red and gold coats of silk and furs. Making me wonder why they all care. I don't know, "but I do know it's going to rain." I said to myself as I felt a drop on my head, it starts to come down faster as I walk up to my steps. As I open the old oak door, I feel a draft of cold but soft air blow my hair a little. As I step in and take my shoes off and slip on slippers, I put the basket down in the kitchen, and call out my mom, I don't hear anything so I yell for both of them. I walk all around the house and call out their names, as tears start to sting my eyes I walk past the back window and see them, lying down... in the rain... dead. I ran out to them crying, and calling for help as loud as I could, I couldn't just up and leave them, I needed to stay, I need them to stay. My Mother opens her eyes to see me, "It's a joy seeing you one last time, be careful, don't let them find you, it was them." My mother said during a coughing fit she also added, " the men in red." I thought to myself the men in red, it had to be the guards. But I don't know why. My mother handed me a skeleton key, she said: " Use this upstairs under our bed, hurry before they come back." My mother said as she started coughing again and passed out. She wasn't losing as much blood as quickly as my father has. So maybe I can save her if I'm quick enough. I run up the stairs and into my parent's room, I go under their bed and find an oak box, I run downstairs with it, not wanting to open it now and I stuff it in the basket with food and close the lid. I rush outside with a cloth I found from the kitchen and held it against my mother's side. " Mom, come please, get up we can still save you." I cried out, as she tried to stand but couldn't. " Mom! Come please!" I cried harder, as she tried to stand up again and got balanced, I wrapped her arm around me as we walked into the house, I grabbed the basket and we walked out. I didn't bother grabbing anything else. " The box!" She cried " Mom I have it don't worry!" I said and she calmed again. As we walked down a trail that leads to our grandparent's farm we hurried as it was getting dark and the guards are about. The farm was in sight, but my mother crumpled. She cried out in pain, but I couldn't leave her, I dragged her, as far as I could, past the entrance, past the fields, past the gate, to the porch, and feel myself. Banging frantically on the door my Grandmother Chein opened the door, She saw my mother, "Loua!? What happened to you!" As she helped me pick her up and carry her inside. I told her everything, as she tended to my mother unconscious, she nodded and looked pale. We stayed up all night, waiting for my mother to wake up and hopefully be better... but she never did. Hours went by, her heart still beating slow as I held her hand with fading warmth in them, I cried softly holding her hand and leaning on her shoulder. Listening to her jagged breathing, by the sunrise, I knew she wouldn't make it, crying harder, Chein told me to say my goodbyes. I never felt such hard despair, I kissed her goodbye and watched the fading warmth finally fall in on itself and disappear, taking her life with it. Chein grabbed me by the shoulders and brought me into a big hug, " We did everything we could, her wound was beyond me. You were a good help, I know she is proud." She said as I cried the day away. At noon I looked out the window in the bonsai garden, a hole bigger than me lay there, under the biggest and oldest bonsai tree in this town, and next to her laid my mother, draped in pink silk, with plum blossoms, her favorite fruit. I walked outside, and I stood next to chein, she put a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and helped her lower my mother down, down with the silk, the blossoms, to smell that masked the face of death. And the soil that allows the breath of life to be grown. Trying to forget the pain, I walked to the kitchen, thinking of all the lessons my mother and father taught me, and she said 'when one memory ends, a new one begins' I'm guessing she means this. The memories of her have ended, now I have new memories of this life without her. Chein stood by me and she told me "let us talk."

1206 words, have fun reading the rest, I love this story