Youth Transformed

Chapter 12

Karmony

Well, it's Christmas morning, and I haven't seen my family or been out of this house for four days! Surely my family is worried about me? The only thing I hear is when Heif and I play his ridiculous game, and then I'm awarded some freedom within the home. Heif always texts my mom to verify my answer. I've only lied once, but he caught it pretty quick and I had to give the right answer. But, why wouldn't my mom want to talk to me? Or dad? he's always been my biggest defender.

I am thankful that a Dewbie courier brought over a suitcase for me, so I didn't have to wear Heif's mom's clothing anymore. Maybe I should ask Heif again about calling them, but he assures me that they are being updated and want me to stay put. I shrug my shoulders and roll over to look at Heif sound asleep. I shouldn't like the view, but it's not all bad.

After the first night, of being handcuffed and tied at the ankles. I won the right, through his game, to no more handcuffs. But, as a compromise, I now have to sleep next to him, tied ankle to ankle. Heif rolled up a giant blanket to put between us and the only time we touch is our feet. Another compromise was the bathtub. He put the makeshift divider back up and I soak, while he sits on the floor texting on his phone or napping.

Sometimes we talk, but that often ends in a fight. After the second day, he brought me a couple of books to read during the elixir time, entitled World History of Dictators and Etiquette Book of Female Rules. I'm sorry, not sorry, to say they both fell in the water. So, I sat and sulked instead. However, later I wished I had kept the book on Dictators, because I think Heif is quickly becoming one!

My color is almost back to normal, and I really don't want to admit that he was right. He's egotistical enough, without any help. Lost in my thoughts, it takes me a moment to realize, a pair of brown eyes are staring back at me.

"Merry Christmas Karmony," Heif whispers.

"Merry Christmas Heif," I say back, and that's our first discussion with no yelling or threats. It's nice, but I keep my smile inside.

"I know you're tired of being inside, I am too. Your parents sent over a few gifts. Why don't you open those and then we can go for a brisk walk in the snow?" It's like Heif is offering me an olive branch, a start to a possible friendship.

"Okay, can you remove your "leash" from my body please? Seriously, though, how did you learn to tie ropes so good?" We both sit up, while he begins undoing the array of knots.

"Joven and I had this year where we tied up everything we could find, nothing was safe. We tied up shoelaces, apron strings, once we grabbed all our dads' ties and tied them end to end. They stretched about fifty feet, but then we got caught. You should've seen our dads' faces to seeing all their ties connected and stretch across the floor of the cavern in Joven's backyard." He laughs, then continues on. "We learned all sorts of knots, like bowline, reef knot, clove hitch, trucker's hitch."

"Were ya'll planning a future as stalkers or kidnappers?" I ask, enjoying this side of Heif.

"Well, Joven had this great idea, that we might need to become bank robbers, if our money source, the fountain, ever ran out," by now Heif is full-on laughing. It's something I've never seen before, it does something funny to my stomach, and I don't' like it.

Finally, freed, wanting these odd feelings to stop, I hop out of bed and rush downstairs to see what my parents have sent for me. Not waiting for Heif, I start tearing into my gifts. Wrapping paper, tissue and bows start flying around the room. It takes me only a minute to go through the three gifts; they sent me, a new coat, mittens, and a neti pot. Odd, why would they think I'd need one of those? I can understand the coat and mittens, but why the neti pot?