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THE LATE EVENING summer sun's warmth leaves it's warming imprint on Lucia even as storms rage across young doe eyes, helpless in the thundering chaos before her. Whipping red capes that originally weren't red, last little Lucia recalls, block her vision as a scream reminiscent of her dear sister Tova's voice rips through the dining room.

So much noise clatters and echoes in the young girl's ears that nothing registers, even as she's yanked back from where her loving parents, her always smiling and ever-so-doting father and mother, were sitting what feels like just moments before.

Lucia's young brain can't get a grip soon enough, as she screams in retaliation, yanking back at the death grip on her arm. She looks back with as fiery eyes a confused and frightened child could ever surmise, meeting the eyes of some unknown man splattered in red. She doesn't recognize a thing about him, so she squirms and screams more, even as the crest her father so proudly borne that very evening glitters under crystal lights.

Silverware hits the marble flooring and Lucia jumps out from her skin, eyes darting every which way, worrying that flashing silver is coming for her throat as well despite being so young, despite just being a bystander, yet still a victim.

Instead, frightened eyes meet unblinking concern as she recognizes her older sisters and only younger sister. Lucia grins, muttering a quick apology as she bends to pick up the silverware, lightly jabbing Rowan through her silky, light beige dress skirt in the leg to cover up her less than ideal daydreaming. Rowan yelps, pushing her chair away from Lucia's bent head.

"Lucia! You just dropped your silverware to jab me!" She accuses, pursing her pink lips in annoyance, chest full of indignant accusations and Lucia grins at her flawless performance.

"What do you mean Rowan? I'm just picking up my fork?" Lucia tilts her head innocently and concern ebbs away from her sister's expressions into amusement as their eyes crinkle, letting a missing warmth seep back into Lucia's rapidly thrumming heart.

Reviving the boisterous sound of her family's chaos, Lucia allows her thoughts to swarm back in for but a moment, letting the complaints and yelling become background noise. Lucia internally shakes her head at herself, she swore to never let herself get drawn into the past again. Never again did she want to remember the feeling of warmth from the sun drain from her skin amidst thundering storms again. As long as she made sure the sunlight never drained from her sisters' laughter or smiles again, she would never have to worry about the cold again.

"Lucia, don't forget we have a council meeting tomorrow morning. I expect you to be there this time," Tova quirks a brow, a hint of a smile showing despite her attempt at acting firm, and Lucia can't help but sulk a little, letting her posture drop in defeat. Maybe she should prioritize her sanity first.


hi hello it is i

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hi hello it is i

did i spend an outrageous amount of time creating the banner? maybe, and maybe that's why it took me so long to post this. maybe.

toodles

Dancing on Eggshells  |  KSJ Where stories live. Discover now