Vir Fortis vs Malificus

Chaser and Ossei Argue

My leg still felt swollen and stiff the next day, and I still had a limp, but it didn't feel quite as bad. Yet, I couldn't go outside and walk around. I had to lie around and rest my left leg. That was incredibly boring and what made it even more painful was that it was such a beautiful day. It was the kind of day that made you not want to waste it, a promising morning that made you want to try new things, be extra kind, or go out and explore. The sun was shining brightly, contrasting starkly with the dark blue shadows. The grass was full and green, the sky vivid and blue, the leaves on trees translucent with different shades and angles of the sunlight. There was summer-green hanging on, but the sunset of foliage from autumn's reds and oranges and yellows were also setting in finely. The air was cool but not too cold, there was a breeze but not too windy. It was a quiet day, but even the sounds that could be heard were pleasant, such as wind stirring leaves, faint birdsong, grass waving gently back and forth.

And to think that I was wasting such a precious day as this to sit on my butt and do nothing! I could have cried, but of course I had already shed all my tears last night. Longing pierced my heart more than any words could as I gazed out at the colorful, lively morning, peaceful and exciting at the same time. I wanted to be out there, feel the refreshing air, bathe in the sunlight, soak in the shadows. But I was stuck in here, trapped in my stale boring house, stuffy and dirty and messy...

Fate sure had a good sense of humor.

I sulked inwardly, but outwardly, I put on a polite face, for the sake of being like Chaser.

"How are you feeling today?" Ossei asked anxiously. "Is your leg any better? We might have to take you to a doctor if you get worse. You could be permanently crippled for life. I'm sure you could overcome your agoraphobia."

Struggling not to show how upset I was (I hated it when people mentioned my agoraphobia), I answered, "It feels about the same... maybe a little bit better."

"That's good," Ossei said, as if I had just said I was perfectly healed. "I wonder if you should have a knee brace. That would prevent you from straining it or bending it or twisting it too hard or too suddenly. It's such a beautiful day."

Just rub it in, will you?

"I wonder what I should do?" He sighed. "I miss my friends at the orphanage. I wish I could go back with them. I can't wait for next week."

So, I'm not good enough for you, eh? I waited to get a word in.

"Some time, I should take you—I mean, take Jacinthe to visit you." I wondered if she was one of his precious friends, but he continued. "Jacinthe's my sister. We're pretty close. I know some people who have bad relationships with their siblings and that really sucks to know they can't get along." I thought of Chaser. "When siblings fight, it means they can't compromise, and I've deduced that siblings who fight with each other will be more likely to divorce their spouse."

"Where's Chaser?" I asked because I really wanted to know.

"He went out early," Ossei replied, always eager to talk. I bet he would be enthusiastic to talk about death and doom. "He was also up practically all night—"