The Fragile the Broken and the Brave

31. Wrinkles

8.15.20

Devon's POV

"Come on Papa, you have to eat just a bit more." I held the spoon closer to his mouth, and his sad green eyes followed it just a bit. It's been hard taking care of my parents ever since my grandparents passed, but I've gotten used to it. There were times I could see a light of happiness in their eyes, but then I would blink to find it gone. The passing of their role models had taken a huge emotional toll on both men, and it was left to my job to make sure they got what they needed.

"No." While papa spoke, he turned his head away from me like a toddler having a temper tantrum. Please don't make me order the adult diapers!

"Please?"

"No."

"So help me God I will use the airplane."

"Your airplane will crash into the damn sea."

"That's not nice. There's children on there."

"You're insufferable."

"Oh my God it isn't a child!" Suddenly, his hand came up and smacked my soup out of my hand. The bowl flew for a few dramatic moments before crashing down into the floor, and I saw it break as the liquid spewed everywhere.

"I don't want your tasteless soup."

"Bitch that was my favorite bowl! And my favorite soup- did you just diss my tomato soup!? I tried so hard to make this shit!"

"You forgot the salt. And the tomatoes."

"No I did not! It's tomato colored!"

"That doesn't mean it has tomatoes in it you baboon."

"That doesn't mean you had to throw it!"

"I was contractually required to throw your shitty soup."

"By who?"

"Myself."

"Well fine then, what do you want to eat?"

"I want Applebee's."

"Okay, now there is something seriously fucked with your taste buds."

"Well excuse me!"

"Why in the world do you want Applebee's of all places."

"My dad used to take me there as a kid when he and my mother were fighting. It was still really good back then, but that was 50 years ago. I know that it's horrible now, but I need something to remember that memory by. Would you please bring me some Applebee's."

"Fine, okay. Don't die while I'm gone, and clean up that damn bowl mess before I get back and make you."

"Is that how you speak to your elders young man?"

"Yes."

"I failed at parenting you."

"Papa you didn't parent me."

"Oh! Right, sometimes I forget."

"That's because it isn't your issue that you suffered with for 18 years."

"I suppose that is true."

"I'll just go get the stupid Applebee's now," I snapped before walking out, and I knew his eyes were following my every move... Calculating everything I did. I love him and my father, but sometimes they can be really insensitive.

***

Alex's POV

"Is he gone?" Ash poked his head out of the bathroom slowly, and I turned around with a small smile. It seems that those are all I'm able to pull anymore. My head nodded up and down slowly, and his feet shuffled towards mine on the carpet.

"Seriously though, why Applebee's? You never said anything about it to me."

"I figured he would be gone for longer if I sent him to a restaurant that barely exists anymore, has slow customer service, and is about 2 hours away."

"Isn't that kind of mean?"

"Well, it is life."

My soulmate pulled me into a loose hug, and I allowed his head to bury into my shoulder. It has always been weird how small his is, but that feeling increased when he started shrinking. I found it sort of comedic, but I would get a glare off of him every time I made a joke about it. The looks were always playful, but they still terrified me slightly into submission. "I miss them..."

"I know, I do too."

"This makes us the oldest men in the family. That's a big job."

"We can handle it though, right?"

"I'm sure we can. We have to make them proud."

"Mhm... Now I should clean up that bowl before Devon kills me."

***

Oli's Dad's POV

I paced back and forth in this stupid prison they all put me in, and every few seconds I sent a blast of magic through my feet hoping that one would send the door wide open to my freedom. I've been down in this dank ass hole for a long time; way too long. The only way to measure time was the hole in the ceiling that betrayed the night and day cycles, and even then I had to map out a chart on the ground to count the years; 17 lonely, starving years that I was alone down here. When it would rain, water would come down the hole and flood the few belongings I had. My entire body was soaked almost all the time, and the mud scent was very similar to my dead grandmother.

"Sir Dray, the potion you asked me to make is ready."

"You got their DNA?"

"Yes sir."

"Good job, Cameron. I didn't expect you to be capable of an actual job."

"It wasn't that hard since they all share the same set of DNA. I just had to get the parents and that one warlock boy's."

"Now I can finally get free."

"Sir, they'll know you're out as soon as you are. Are you positive that you're ready?"

"My magic is as strong as it has ever been after 17 years of doing nothing but practicing and perfecting my technique. Unless they have some access to a very well hidden spell, I'm unstoppable."

"How do you know this spell is still hidden?"

"Because I have it, right here." I pulled the spell out of my boot slowly, and the golden colored parchment glittered slightly in the sunshine from the hole. "Very few people on the earth even know it exists, and those that do are so hard to find they have like 10 trials to get to."

"You're amazing Sir Dray."

"I know. Now stand back." I took a drink out of the potion not really caring if he stood back or not before readying my hands, and I felt the added power the concoction gave me rush through my veins. I allowed it to mix with my power before shooting intense beams of magic through my hands, and I felt the ground begin to shake and rumble. Any stealth I had before was gone now, but it didn't matter. Their magic had weakened substantially since the day they put the seal on, and it was almost too easy to blast down the door. As soon as it was down, I felt the fresh air rush into my body very helpfully. My posture grew straighter, and just the thought of being free gave me a tingly feeling all over my body. They're going to regret the day they put me in here with their dumb tricks. Let's just hope that they can keep their kids safe, or there might be a little... Accident.