lacuna [connor stoll]

II. Connor Steals Ellie's Fruit Loops

CHAPTER TWO: CONNOR STEALS ELLIE'S FRUIT LOOPS

Her dreamland wasn't fun, as it never was.

She was standing in her old house, facing the messy kitchen. Dirty dishes were overflowing from the sink. The pantry door was ajar, revealing the empty shelves. There was a box of crackers and an expired box of cereal on the counter.

It was her old house. Not home, house.

She heard a groan behind her, and she whipped around. Her eyes rested on her father, who had a beer can in each hand, a cigarette in-between his fingers. The living room itself was a mess. There was a dense fog from him smoking so much. The small television had a crack in it when he had thrown a beer can at it when his football team had lost. He sat on a gross couch, that looked long over due for a cleaning.

But the worst part of all was her father himself. He used to be handsome, he had shown Ellie pictures of him in college, an athletic build, chiseled face. Now...he looked a little different. He had grown over weight, to the point where he could barely stand. His teeth were stained yellow from cigarettes.

"Ellie!" He yelled. The girl watched as a younger version of herself ran into the room, just seven years old. She wore a wrinkly hand-me down shirt.

"Yes, father?" She asked kindly.

Her father squinted at the girl, crushing a beer can. "Get me another."

"But father, we're out! You drank them all!" Younger her exclaimed.

Ellie scanned the blank walls. No pictures of her or any of their family. Not even a painting.

"Liar!" He yelled. "Go get me one!"

Younger Ellie's legs shook. Younger her looked at where dream-Ellie was, almost if she knew she was there. She gave the girl a pleading look.

Her father threw the beer can. "Why are you just standing there? Don't you love me?"

Younger Ellie yelped, dodging the half-full can. Then he turned to her. He threw the second can, and just as it hit her face, the scene swirled to blackness.

The blackness spoke to her, whispering words that she couldn't make out.

She woke with a gasp, but that was a normal night for her. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, trying to shut out a large amount of campers from the Hermes cabin.

Connor's bed was across from her, so she couldn't help look as the boy sat up, shirtless. She quickly looked away, cheeks hot, before he noticed her stare.

She made her way to the bathrooms to change out of her pajamas, into leggings and a Camp Half Blood t-shirt.

Making her way to breakfast, she had hi to her friends, laughing loudly at a joke that Michael Yew said.