The Great Unknown

Renegade - Styx

The soft sounds of waves crashing could be heard from the open window, the morning's light warming up the home as the smell of pancakes filled the air.

"Good Morning Mommy." A sleepy voice said as the young girl came to sit at the kitchen table.

"Good Morning darling," Allison said as she came over and kissed Claire's forehead. "I'm making pancakes, would you like one?" The young girl's face lit up as she nodded happily causing Allison to laugh. "Alright, I'll see what I can do about that," Allison said with a wink.

Claire hummed to herself as Allison gathered pancakes onto a plate and brought over the pair's breakfast. The two sat with each other all morning and laughed at the silly ways they would eat pancakes.

They went down to the beach and the two played in the water and danced around under the sun with one another. They ate lunch under a nearby tree and then continued to play. Building sand castles as tall as Claire was and naming her princess of the beach. The sky never had a cloud and the ocean was the most amazing color of blue. The bright yellow sand seemed like gold to the pair as their smiles stretched from ear to ear.

They went back to the house and washed up before they worked together to make dinner. Claire helped her mother shred cheese for the pasta. They sat together as they ate spaghetti and meatballs. They snuggled together afterwards and watched a movie together under a soft pink blanket. Allison holding Claire gently in her arms. Allison kissed the top of Claire's head when the movie was over whispering that it was time for bed.

The young girl ran into her room yelling behind her that she was going to win the race.

"I didn't even know we were racing!" Allison yelled after her as she laughed at her daughter's game. She passed by pictures in the hallway stopping for a moment to look at them. Photos of Claire with Charlotte during Christmas, a photo of Diego with Claire on his shoulders at an amusement park, along with tons of photos of Allison and Claire.

Allison walked into her daughter's room smiling as her daughter skipped around the room singing that she won.

"Today was the best day!" Claire said as she hopped into her bed.

"I agree," Allison remarked before playfully skinting at her daughter. " did you brush your teeth?" She asked knowingly causing Claire to roll her eyes and laugh as she crawled out of bed and dramatically made her way to the bathroom. Allison took the time to glance around the yellow room. Rainbows appeared everywhere around the room along with the occasional unicorn and butterfly. As the young girl walked back into the room she hugged her mom. Allison lifted her up into her arms and tucked her into bed.

"Tell me a story mom?" Claire asked, "Please Mommy, the one you always tell." The young girl pleaded.

"About your Uncle on the Moon? Okay." She started with a smile but Claire's furrowed brows and confused look caused her to stop.

"Mommy what are you talking about?" She asked slowly. "I'm talking about the story about the Little Mermaid." She added holding up the Little Mermaid doll that had been laying beside her.

"Oh," Allison laughed. " of course I'm sorry sweetheart." She said quickly recovering before retelling the Disney story.

Once she finished she kissed Claire once again on the forehead and turned off her light. She walked out into the hallway, pausing she glanced down at her arm seeing her umbrella tattoo still there making her only more confused. She walked into her bedroom and over to her vanity, pulling up the drawer she pulled out the photo she had always kept there only now the photo had changed. A younger version of herself smiled back at her along with Charlotte, Five, Diego, and Ben all young and happy hugged one another in the photo.