Incandescent

Chapter 6

Mother and I have been sort of awkward with each other after the market. I told her about what happened with Lime, and I could see her get kind of irritated.

I half expected her to defend me and see my side of why I was so mad.

But she just shook her head and started mumbling about how I'm always breaking the rules.

I don't try to defend myself, and start doing the chores. These walls need to be scrubbed.

Maca runs in and jumps on my back.

"Stop you silly child!" I exclaim, laughing. I try to lower myself to put him down, but he grabs onto the collar of my dress. I started to shake myself to get him off.

A small tearing sound produces my mother and father to look up from what they are doing.

Father's eyes narrow in on my shoulder. An angry red purple yellow green mark on my shoulder screams out.

"What is that?" he asks, voice uneven.

"Uh, umm..." Again! I cannot respond! I am frozen!

"What is that Tea?" My mom reiterates. 

Maca jumps down off me, I start to see little tears well up in his eyes. We are not used to violence or anything of that kind.

Now I am unfrozen, but just thinking about the Official makes my whole body shake.

I start to pull my sleeve back up, and in walks Thyme, who immediately sucks in a loud breath.

Father turns to him and then back at me. "What do you know about this?"

"Know about what?" Thyme asks, a terrible liar.

"What is that awful injury Tea has, she cannot even speak." Father's voice has gotten a little angry, which is so rare for him. It unsettles me.

We do not lie in the family. Or we try really hard not to. So it doesn't take anything for Thyme to say what really happened.

Father turns red. 

Everyone is quiet.

Everything is still. 

Outside, palm fronds and banana leaves bristle in the breeze.

Father starts for the door.

"What are you doing?" I ask alarmed, grasping his arm.

"I will not let them take advantage of our people this way, especially you." He says through a heavy breath.

"Marjo, stay, what will you do?" My mom asks breathlessly, grasping his other arm.

"I don't know, but I have to do something, there cannot be an outcome where I just allow what happened to Tea go unnoticed." He is still breathing angrily. 

If one did not know my father, you would think he was calm. We know, he is not.

Thyme places both of his hands on Father's shoulders. "Father, please, nothing good can come out of this."

He pushes us all off, we do not fight. Ever. And exits the house.

Mother and I run to braid each other's hair and put our shoes on. Thyme is already briskly walking behind Father. Father stops only when he gets to the Main Square. There are many officials patrolling, lazing about.

He turns around and grabs my hand. "Which one?"

"I..." I look over to Mother and Thyme for help. 

"Which one?" He asks again.

I look around, I don't plan on pointing him out; that's just allowing this situation to escalate. But as soon as I see him, and we lock eyes, the Official grins and starts toward us.

"What's your purpose in the Square?" he asks tauntingly, eyes locked on mine.

I shrink back, did I forget how to breath?

Father steps in between us, forcing the Official to shift his eyes over to him.

"Hey, step back." the Official reaches for his stick.

"You are fortunate I have a family sir, or I would've taken your very life from you myself. But I will be reporting you to your Commander, and let him deal with you." My father's voice is venomous, and very low.

I am shocked, I have never seen anything like this, from any of our people. 

Thyme takes a step toward him and all of a sudden, so quickly, everything happens.

The Official laughs.

He grabs towards me.

I am no longer behind Father, I am behind HIM. He is grabbing my arm so hard. It throbs.

My dad begins to yell out-but before he can even finish the sound-

The Official brings the stick down hard.

I scream.

Mother screams.

Thyme is ready to pounce.

Is this really happening?

The Official goes in for another blow. 

I side step in the way.

A sharp pain hits the side of my face, neck and then back.

Father is bleeding. I feel faint.

We are not used to seeing blood this way. Things like this don't happen in Purple.

I fall down to the ground.  Another blow to Father.

Another to me. And all of sudden, someone says, "Stop!"

I look up, a Green stands not too far away. The one who bought the passionfruit not too long ago.