The Six Year Solstice: The Lost Stones

Smudged and crumpled

America's POV:

I awoke to the sounds of tweeting little birds and the sun smothering my walls. I groaned awakening as dads echoing voice and Canada screeching at one of Aussies pets from downstairs. Starting the day as we would usually. 

"Coming!" I hollered still groggy from sleep, I flung my legs off the side of the bed and reached for my phone which was on the floor charging. 

"Ame!!" Called Canada in fright, I hurried my pace, trying to avoid tumbling down the stairs and risking a broken nose, or a broken face.

I erupted into the kitchen, kicking the door open FBI style. I was met with the confused and terrified faces of my family. Mom looked like she was on the verge of a heart attack, dads head was almost fried by spitting oil from the pan and Aussie was frozen in time holding one hell of a snake over a terrified Canadas head. Where was Zealand? Probably still sleeping. 

"É-États-Unis d'Amérique!" Mom stuttered I felt my face heat up. I don't understand French, but I know that she was cross. I tried to avoid eye-contact with them to prevent even more embarrassment. 

"I... I was coming to save Nada..." I felt stupid admitting it. Dad and mom gave me "The Look", I bit the inside of my mouth, so much so that it started bleeding a little. Dad nodded his head down at the table where I sat, I awkwardly squeezed into my seat, next to Canada, who edged closer me every time Australia smirked at him.

"Britain, where is Zealand?" Mom asked, dad, looked over his shoulder, then peered down the hall. 

"Australia, my son, could be a dear and go fetch your brother?" Dad inclined, cracking a small, thoughtful smile. Aussie leapt out of his chair rushing into his room, only to come back out with a medium-sized cage in his hand.

"Sure thing Pa!" He exclaimed, climbing up the stairs as if he were on the vertical face of a mountain. Dad sighed, muttering inaudible words under his breath. I ate my breakfast cereal while tapping on my phone and swiping through my contacts and texts. I bounced up and out of my seat when a blood-curdling yelp of terror rang down the hall, followed by hurried footsteps.

"DAAAADDD!!!" Zealand screeched, sprinting down the hall, retreating behind dad. He put down his wooden spatula then spun around to face a giggling Aussie, and he quickly stopped laughing when dad raised one of his intimidating eyebrows. He sidestepped towards his seat and sighed, he tried looking over my shoulder to see my contacts, I ushered him off. 

I saw a contact from Germs at 2am, it was a simple picture with a caption:

Hello America, I hope it isn't a problem, but can you see if you can decipher this please? Thank you! 

I studied the picture, it was just a crumpled stained note depicting nothing but smudges of graphite which would have once made up words that were part of a sentence.

I texted him back:

It's either too blurry or the paper itself is too smudged to read. Sorry I couldn't help.

I snapped out of the moment when I got a gentle nudge from dad, he didn't even need to speak, as I could see in his slightly bloodshot eyes that he wanted me to put my phone down and continue eating my cereal. I did as his gaze commanded, his stare soon became meek then he continued on with his food.

In the corner of my eye I noticed Aussie scanning my phone with interest popping out with each expression.

"Do you know what it says...?" He muttered, his words then vanishing into a drifting silence.

I snatched my phone from him and gave an indecisive no. I Peered over my shoulder once more, he frowned dramatically tapping his feet under the table and rocking back and forth on nothing but a single chair leg, dad looked like he was going to have a heart attack, I could see he was eyeing Aussie, scanning him from head to foot in an outraged demeanor.