Sorcery (Louis Tomlinson)

ii. New Home

Dad upheld his end of the bargain that night when he made his to die for spaghetti and meatballs. Legend has it, he made Mom them on his first date with her, and the whole reason she stuck with someone so dull as him was so she could eat his amazing cooking whenever she felt like it. That story always made me laugh, and it made Dad laugh too. He never really laughed when it came to things about her after the accident.

I never knew my mother, she died when I was barely a month old. The only way I know what she looked like is the small picture of her Dad carries around in his wallet.

She seems happy in the picture, a big bright smile on her face as she turns to look back at the photographer (who I assume was my father). She isn't wearing anything particularly special or fancy, only a pair of jeans and an old Arizona Cardinals t-shirt that belongs to my dad. My mother is smiling and laughing as she sits on a patch of grass, arms wrapped around her bent knees. She's sitting on a picnic blanket, the sky above her beginning to fade to shades of a dusty rose and deeper purple. Her hair is wild and pulled up in a crazy bun, cheeks flushed with a natural beauty that ensnared my father in a trap of devotion and craving.

She isn't wearing any other jewelry other than her thin wedding band and the glowing heart locket, but my father claims that that photo is one of the most beautiful he ever took of her, even going so far as the rival the photo he snapped on their wedding day of her.

My mother was a beauty, and I bet in Dad's eyes I look just like her with my dark blue eyes and dark brown hair. I imagine he must have sparked Mom's interest with his hazel eyes and dark hair, but Dad would always assure me it was Mom who always charmed him and took him on grand adventures. He was just lucky to be in the passenger seat, snapping photos of his wonderful time whenever he could, hoping to eternalize the love of his life.

It was almost cruel, how the only legacy left of the woman who was Amelie Lane was the photographs her husband had taken of her and the pendent around my neck.

I guess I would technically count as a legacy too.

Dad and I didn't do much the rest of the night besides unpack and get settled in. I folded all my clothes and put them in my wooden cabinets and hung whatever couldn't fit in my closet. I unpacked my cameras, ensuring I had them all and that they weren't damaged somehow on the trip. They were soon placed on a bookshelf by my bedroom door, only a few actual books residing on the shelves.

I changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth, getting ready for bed since it was already pretty late when we had arrived. Dad had come in my room to give me a goodnight kiss on the forehead like he had ever since I was little, no matter how much I complained to him I was too old for that sort of thing. He would always kiss the locket around my neck too, like he could somehow kiss my mother just one more time.

I laid in bed for a while after Dad left, just staring out of the sliding glass doors that led to the dark forest. I hoped I would like this new home, hoped that maybe my life could change for the better here.

I closed my eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep not much longer afterwards.

***

I was never a real heavy sleeper, and by sunrise I was already up and snapping photos of the slowly rising sun in my pajamas, complete with fluffy slippers and a coat I threw on to keep me warm in the chilly air. I made sure to take a variety of pictures, I would go back and delete the ones that seemed less interesting later. I snapped a Polaroid of it too, writing a caption for it. I usually saved my Polaroids for special things, and I decided my first morning in my new home was special enough.

The sweet smell of breakfast loomed heavily in the air when I closed the glass doors, my stomach practically dragging me to the kitchen.

It seemed that while I was out taking photos, Dad was up making pancakes. I sat at the small wooden kitchen table, setting my camera on the surface next to me. My breakfast was made for me, a few stacks of the heavenly pancakes with plenty of syrup, a glass of milk, and a few colorful pills resting next to it.

I glared at the medications, only to receive a joking glare from my father.

"Those pills never did anything mean to you, why are you looking at 'em like that?" Dad joked before seeing the very serious annoyed look on my face. His joking mood didn't cease, pushing the small capsules closer to me with raised eyebrows and a silly smile.

My face didn't waver, fingertips pushing the pills back to my father as I grabbed my fork to eat. Dad only sighed before sitting at the table next to me as he waited. The pills were pushed back towards me, my father's joking mood having vanished into thin air now.

"Mira Riley Lane, you need to take your pills. Why do you do this? We go through this everyday." Dad asked, his voice full of disapproval.

I stared at the pills on the table as I chewed my pancakes.

I knew exactly why I hated taking them. First off they tasted terrible, they were like a foul tasting fizzy candy as soon as they got in my mouth. Second, they represented everything that was wrong with me, everything that kept me from being normal. Three pills in all, three problems: my dead mother, my barely working heart, and my lack of a proper normal life. Taking those multicolored tablets was like reminding myself of pain I wanted so badly to forget, opening up scabs that had barely started healing.

But I knew it would make my father happy, so with a gulp of milk all three were soon gone. Dad even made me open my mouth as proof, he always caught me when I tried to hide them under my tongue or throw them away while his back was turned. It was like he could this paranormal sense that the medicine wasn't in my body, and that was the most frustrating thing ever. I nearly made it one day when I was twelve and snuck those pills in my pocket and tried to leave the kitchen, but he pulled me back and watched me take them right in front of him, one by one.

With a satisfied smile, Dad went back to making his own breakfast, and I went to looking over my photos on my Canon.

"Plan on taking any photos of lots of trees and water today?" Dad asked with a chuckle, my lip going between my teeth as I considered it.

"It's possible. The forest behind this place looks very promising. It lives up to its potential for sunrises." I held out my camera for Dad to see, his impressed look satisfying my need for taking good quality photos.

"You should see if maybe a newspaper or magazine here will pay you for those. Earn your keep around here." Dad winked at me before nudging my arm, a smile erupting on my face.

"I'll look into it." I assured him, getting up from the small table. "I'm gonna be in the forest and wander around, see if there's any good photo opportunities there."

"Alright, be careful. Take your phone with you." Dad ordered me, refilling his coffee mug.

After dressing myself in jeans, my favorite boots, and a warm sweater, I was off for adventure. My Canon was ready for a quick snapshot in my hands, the support strap around my neck. My phone was in my back pocket, but I doubted I would have to use it. Dad really only wanted me to carry it around should I have a heart problem and collapse in the middle of the forest.

The cabin had a little back porch with a trail that led to the forest, small lamps dotting the trail for a few meters in case one wished to go exploring at night. My shoes made a crunching sound on the scattered branches that littered the earth on the trail, the brisk air warming up slightly from the chilling temperature it had been this early morning.

The forest was huge and expansive, monumental trees everywhere. The underbrush was delicate in the way the trees were sturdy and strong, occasional small flowers and ferns dotting the landscape. Wildlife was everywhere, from the birds in the trees to the small critters running amongst the grass and moss covered rocks. It was enchanting in a mystical and ancient sort of way, the dim amount of light only adding to my excitement.

This place was perfect for pictures.

I didn't keep track of how long I was in the forest, but I knew it was a while. I was practically in heaven, taking snapshot after snapshot of the beautiful landscapes. The forest was peaceful and tranquil, a perfect place to just walk around alone and be with your thoughts.

It had to be close to noon when I decided enough was enough for the day and that Dad would be upset if I stayed out too long with my poor health. I had gotten up from the rock I was carefully perched on when I heard a cracking sound from behind me. I turned to find nothing there, waiting for a few moments to see if it was an animal that just got spooked by me. Nothing ran out, and after about a minute I decided there was nothing to hang around for, and made my way back to the cabin.