The Tales of Spio Shurg

Chapter 2

Izzy wakes up and stretches, feeling her limbs extend. Her cat Oscar jumps up onto the bed and begins to lick her face. She chuckles, "Oscar, I'm not awake yet." He meows at her, demanding to be fed. Oscar has white fur with black spots on the tips of his ears and toes, and his tail is black down to his rump. He meows again, but Izzy laughs and says, "Hold on, I'm trying to wake up." She reaches out and strokes him from the top of his head to the back of his tail, and Oscar purrs contentedly. As he starts to lick her face again, Izzy suddenly remembers everything that happened the night before. She jumps out of bed, startling Oscar, who lets out a loud yowl and dashes away.

Izzy rushes out of bed and quickly grabs her robe, racing down the hallway to her parent's room. She comes to an abrupt stop in front of the door, lightly knocking twice before hearing her father, Doxah's voice, "Come in, dear." Fueled by excitement, she turns the doorknob and attempts to race into the room but slips and falls on her way in. Concerned, her father sits up and asks, "Are you all right, Izzy? Your hyperness will get you someday." Brushing off her fall, she assures him, "I'm all right, just bumped my knee." She heads over to her father and sits on the edge of the bed, leaning into him as he wraps his arm around her in a comforting embrace. Suddenly, her mother Ekho stirs and sits up in bed, interrupting her father, "Izzy, if you would follow my instructions, you would not have so many accidents, sweetheart. Come here and let me examine your knees." Ekho motions for Izzy to come over, and she complies, walking over to her mother with a mix of obedience and shame, "I'm sorry, Mom. I'll try harder." Her mother reaches out and gives her a kiss on the top of her head and a warm hug.

Izzy's mom grins down at her, "Let me take a glance at your knees and check whether they need anything. You scratch your knees so often." Ekho leans down and checks Izzy's knees, and she sits back up. She looks at Izzy's and says, "They look fine this time. Try to be more careful, ok." Ekho gives Izzy a big hug. Izzy leans back out of Ekho's embrace and tells her mother, "I am going to go get dressed. The festival is today, right?" Ekho nods her head and says, "Yes, it is, and I have pies to get loaded into the wagon." The truck is a steam-powered vehicle with a trailer attached to it. It is a convertible with both a front seat and a back seat, and it can reach a top speed of 50 mph. Izzy opens the door and walks out to change.

Ekho turns to Doxah and asks, "Are you going to be doing anything at the festival, or are you going to stay here?" She gets up as she speaks and walks over to the tall dresser with eight drawers. She opens the top drawer and reaches inside to get her clothes, repeating the action for the other drawers until she has all the clothes she needs. She lays them out on the bed - a white blouse with black buttons on the front and a front pocket, a brown skirt with pockets on the front that reaches her knees, and her apron for the day. Ekho puts on her black boots, socks, and shoes. Meanwhile, Doxah is getting up and putting on his black shirt and pants. He replies to her question, "I will be staying here for the first day to repair the leak in the bathroom. I may be coming by later in the afternoon to help." Ekho nods her head and says, "Ok, well, I best make sure what Izzy is doing. The girl does not know how to dress." She sighs, walks over to their bedroom door, opens it, and walks out.

Doxah heads out to get the things he needs. He heads for the door and walks out. He walks down the hall towards his office but can hear Ekho's voice scolding Izzy about her outfit. He smiles as he thinks about his daughter's strong willpower and his desire to encourage her independence while helping her make good choices. As he sits at his desk and looks over the papers, he feels grateful for his family and the opportunity to be with them at the festival later. He sets to work on his task, knowing that he'll need to finish it before he can join them.

We enter Izzy's room with pink curtains and white walls, where she is dressed in a black shirt and a purple hat. She has on a yellow skirt and blue socks that catch Ekho's attention. "Izzy, can you at least match? The skirt and shirt do not look bad, but the socks and hat do not go with it," Ekho sighs. She walks over to Izzy's white dresser with golden knobs that reflect like mirrors. Above the dresser is a mirror decorated with stickers of all kinds. The bed in the center of the room has a canopy, completing the typical girl's room. Ekho pulls out a pair of black socks and a yellow sunhat from Izzy's dresser. Izzy takes off her blue socks, puts on the black ones, and wears the yellow hat with a string around her neck. "Are we going now, mom?" Izzy asks with a smile.