Halloween Movie Night

AN: Taji inspired me today with writing a request I had for our Defender RP characters. You see, I wanted Adelle to have a giant fluffy puppy and she gave me an amazing drabble featuring the new addition to our story. I’m in love with Bruin and he’s love for Adelle as well as his new nap time buddy Elliott. So I asked her for a prompt to write as well and we now have a request for a Halloween movie So night. So here’s Adelle, Elliott, and Thad getting ready for a spooky movie night. And as luck would have it, their different personalities strike again and conflict rises. I fear I may be completely writing the characters wrong here but I’m just trying to get back into writing again. Hope you guys enjoy and have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!! 

A echoed chime of the grandfather clock rang out from the foyer, a blaring signal for Thaddeus Normanle to scurry down the hall to make the appointed time for their evening soiree. He stepped quickly along the wooden floorboards, his fingertips ensuring not a single hair was out of place as he approached the doorway to the lounge. The seamstress and designer had taken each specification to heart as she created the perfect Halloween costume for the evening, Thad grinning like a fool in his vampiric prince costume. A silken cape bellowed behind him as he came into the room, his hopes for impressing his dear charges his goal as he stood in a proper pose.

“All Hallows Eve has come at least and the prince of darkness has come to claim the souls of your foolish mortals,” he hissed through prosthetic fangs as he slid into the lounge, though his act quickly grew sour as he glared upon the duo sitting there on the couch completely ignoring the newcomer.

Elliott sat poised at the end of the couch, his usual lazy demeanor and attire present as he frowned towards the other time-traveler before him. The only possession of a costume was the obvious toilet paper wrapped about his limbs, chest, and skull. A lazy mummy, how fitting for the time-traveler who had likely barely woken up from a nap to participate in the Halloween Party they had planned for that evening while no work awaited them the night following.

With her back turned completely towards Thad, Adelle sat there likely sharing the same frown as her companion as they stared each other down in some argument they’d begun prior to Thad’s entrance. Thankfully she seemed more fitting to the theme of the holiday as she was dressed in what seemed to be a corseted witch’s dress with webbing and little bats embroidered into the fabric. Atop her braided curls flopped a pointed hat made of the same fabric, topping off the ensemble with an elegant flair.

Thad had told the maids weeks prior to ensure the two of them had everything they would need to help create their ghoulish attires for the evening. At least one of them showed some interest in participating in these delightful evening.

“Ahem, I said-,” Thad began again but his voice trailed off as Elliott’s oddly thunderous shout blasted into the room.

“I told you we’re not watching that gory monstrosity!” The time-traveler declared, his nose scrunched as he quivered at the thought of oozing blood and guts possibly painted upon the screen before them. “What on earth is wrong with you? Do you honestly enjoy such unnecessarily graphic displays?”

“But that’s the fun! They are outrageous and graphic to send chills down your spine. They are meant to bring fear into your heart with blood and devastation,” Adelle responded with less boisterous display, though she did slap her hand upon the back of the couch for emphasis. Upon the floor, a large mound of fur spurred up from the signal, Bruin glancing up at the exchange with a tired glance. The poor pup seemingly had an extra set of fur wrapped around his large neck, Thad noticing it immediately as a lion’s mane. Even the dog had more effort put into his costume than Elliott. “Halloween is about fear. Not happy musicals. And let’s face it, Nightmare Before Christmas is just that. A Christmas movie.”

“The creators of the film said themselves that it was a Halloween movie! Not a Christmas movie!” Elliott sneered at such a comment, feigning distress as he pressed his back into the armrest. “You just slandered a Halloween Classic. Have you no shame? Have you no decency?”

“What are you even talking-?”

“Halloween is meant to respect the classics! And Nightmare Before Christmas is just that! It’s a classic! So we’re watching that!” The time-traveler hissed, his matter-of-fact response seemingly striking a nerve with the girl as she dared to raise a finger towards him.

“You think you can just decide for all of us just like that? Huh, if I didn’t know any better I would think that you were sc-,” Adelle’s voice trailed off as a sudden gasp echoed from her throat. “Oh my gosh you’re totally scared aren’t you? You’re a wussy at the sight of blood and guts?”

“That’s completely absurd. I’ll have you know that I-.”

“Chicken,” Adelle interrupted, Thad could only imagine a slight twitch of a mischievous grin forming on her lips as she sat before her companion. Whatever expression she made only infuriated the man before her as his defenses grew.

“I am not a chicken and I am not scared! So let’s just drop it and watch the freaking movie already!” Elliott huffed and seemingly pouted before the girl, his gaze lifting for only a moment before he adjusted his seat to face the screen.

Adelle seemingly noticed the glance and thus turned to face the newcomer, her usually neutral tones now adorned with a spooky display of makeup in the shape of shimmering spiderwebs. The maids seemed to have a fun time with the girl.

“I should have known your costume would be outlandishly intricate,” she hummed, a hint of excitement in her tone as she marveled at the display before her.

Thad seemed to shrug off the earlier ignorance and decided to spin and show off every inch of his costume. Bat-like designs were embroidered into his silken cape of suit, his skin dusted with a pale makeup with the exception of a red tint dabbed about his lips. Atop of his pristine, slicked-back blond locks was a crown of black metal bats he had ensured was prepared by the finest craftsman. He wanted it to be made clear that when he was excited about something, he went all out.

“My dear Adelle, your words wound me,” he joked with a wink as he then slipped onto the couch beside her, gesturing to her own costume. “And I would say yours is much more intricate that mine.”

The girl’s blue orbs glanced away for a moment, her cheeks hinting a shade of pink underneath the spooky makeup. She muttered under her breath, “I just asked for a witch’s costume. The maids were the masterminds of this.”

Thad could only imagine the fun the maids had at throwing his money about to construct such a wonderful costume. Though his thoughts soon turned sour once more as he gestured towards the pouting mummy at the other end of the couch. “Really now, you could have tried a little harder Elliott.”

“I did try. I wanted to be a mummy,” the time-traveler remarked, his snarky demeanor seemingly childish to his companions.

“You’re literally wrapped in toilet paper. You put so little effort it’s somewhat baffling to behold,” Thad continued, a sigh forming in his throat as he then let a hand wander to pet the beast sprawled out at their feet. “Now will you both explain the outburst from before? What was all the commotion about?”

Elliott sunk further into his seat, his childish pouting at an all-time high while Adelle matter-of-factly expressed herself as polite as she could in the presence of her guardian. “We do not seemingly agree on our choice of film tonight. It seems Elliott wants to watch a musical feature with little means to send a chill down your spine instead of a true horror film with gore as its prominent feature. I believe he is scared of-.”

“I am not scared! Stop saying that!” Elliott spurred into the conversation yet again, his voice raised to show his dissatisfaction with what was being said. “I just wanted to watch a classic! Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic Halloween movie!”

“I have to disagree, I truly feel Nightmare Before Christmas is more of a Christmas feature more so than Halloween,” Adelle added.

“Now don’t start that again!” Elliott interrupted with a glare towards the girl, Adelle sporting a rather rare mischievous grin Thad had imagined from the argument beforehand.

“Alright, that’s enough of that now,” Thad began with a raised hand in hopes to calm the flustered personalities within the room. “A classic Halloween film might not be such a bad idea. After all, this night is all about the spookiest stories ever told. We should honor the master filmmakers who created such delightfully wicked tales.”

Both Elliott and Adelle seemingly raised their brows at their guardian’s declaration, the girl finally speaking up with a hesitant chuckle, “my, you’re awfully excited about all this.”

“I assure you my dear, Halloween is perhaps one of my favorite times of the year,” the Normanle son grinned at her words before continuing on with his suggestion. “I do agree that classics are what we should aim for. But perhaps something a little less gory so as not to upset the scaredy-cat at the end of the couch.”

“I’m not-!”

“You’re not a fan of the gory films because they don’t necessarily scare you. Instead, they make you sick to the stomach,” Thad guessed with a gesture towards the mummy, Elliott’s words trailing off as he shifted a glance towards his companions. “And as for Adelle, she is frightened by the sight of blood and such horrifying displays of devastation. However, she has accepted a night of fear because, this may be just me reading too much into it, she is willing to put herself through such fear because she has us by her side to keep her from completely collapsing from the fear.”

The girl was silent at his remarks, though her thoughtful expression was enough to reassure Thad that he was correct in his assumption.

“So what exactly do you have in mind?” Elliott questioned, his interest piqued as he eyed his guardian across the couch. “You mentioned classics. What kind of classics were you talking about?”

“A great suspense!” Thad chimed with a generous grin, his first charge sputtering at such a decision.

“You’re talking about a suspense horror film? That’s even worse than her suggestion! No way!” Elliott seemingly whined as he shook his head to keep out the looming thoughts of terrifying scenes that awaited him. “Not a chance! I don’t want to watch some stupid movie where people are stupidly making rash decisions when they should avoid the situations altogether. Oh there’s a spooky house? Don’t go in it! Oh there’s an urban legend about a mirror? Don’t go near it! The list is endless!”

Thad chuckled at the stuttering words of Elliott, “you know I was giving you the benefit of the doubt before but perhaps Adelle is right. You’re absolutely spooked out of your wits right now aren’t you?”

“I am not! Now let’s move on and-!”

“I can compromise with a suspense horror I suppose,” Adelle chirped between them, her sudden answer sparking two completely different reactions from her companions. Elliott’s rage boiled at an all-time high while Thad sported a wicked smirk upon his lips. “Though I do hope it is a climatic masterpiece for its time. Something to truly send a shiver down your spine. After all, it’s All Hallows Eve. We should honor such a time with a spooky tale.”

“My dear Adelle, your wish is my command,” Thad hummed with a gentle pat upon the witch’s shoulder, his expression once more wicked as he then focused towards the mummy.  “Two against one, we win. Prepare to be scared.”

“T-That’s not fair, you two are nuts!” Elliott grumbled as he pouted once more at his end of the couch. “I say it’s two against two, no way is Bruin going to watch a scary film!”

“Bruin’s asleep so I doubt think that counts,” Adelle added, Thad chuckling at the remark.

“I’ve got just the film in mind for our showing tonight. I’ll signal the maids and we can begin!” Thad chimed and soon the maids had brought them an assortment of popcorn, candies, and spooky pastries.

The film had begun and despite his better judgement, Elliott remained as to keep his pride intact. His quivering form was bawled up at the edge of the couch, Adelle beside him with a comforting hand entangled within his own as well as Thad’s. The witch had held strong at the beginning but as the suspense grew even she began to shiver and hide behind Thad’s handy cape. The bravest of them all held tight to the girl’s hand and smiled his vampiric toothy grin, pleased with how his Halloween had turned out that year. It was the most fun he had in awhile. And despite the fear growing within them, he suspected they were also having fun as well.

Sure, they were terrified. But it was Halloween. And fear was all apart of the fun.

*~End~*

Charlie Understands More Than You Know – Part One

AN: It’s been so long since I had a chance to write a little drabble featuring characters belonging to Fia aka hubedihubbe on tumblr. Most of the characters featured here in the drabble plus the settings belong to her. I’m just borrowing them for storytelling purposes. Definitely check out her and her amazing Centuary art 🙂 What belongs to me is my OC for this realm named Alex. She’s a fun girl to write and she’s kind of grown up with the centaurs as well, though more as an outside figure unlike Sawyer and family. She’s a child that frequented the fence line and played with the centaurs since her mother would kick her out of the house for being to rambunctious with the boys in town. The girl has a fascination with Charlie, one of Fia’s centaurs who is a grump more or less. You can learn more about him on Fia’s tumblr. Also, if you want to read the first story I posted about these two, search for Charlie’s Admirer in my stories here 🙂

I want to find more information on Charlie’s age and such; I’ll have to search through the tags again because I vaguely remember a huge post with storyline on when and how everyone came to the farm. All I really remember from that though was that Charlie had been with a wealthy family but was pretty much abandoned by them. I know it was a very traumatic separation so I’ll have to look more into that one.

Alex was basically originally brought into the mix as a child to kind of grow up alongside him with the intention of her having sort of a best friend relationship like Aerick has with Sawyer. Only their friendship is pretty much Alex being rough and tough and happy-go-lucky while Charlie groans and moans and barely tolerates her presence. Despite their conflicting personalities, there’s something there that clicks and the two do spend a decent amount of time together. It may have been due to Alex’s fascination with him but eventually Charlie stops shooing her away at the first sight.

I had it in my mind that as Alex grew a little older she would come to the farm as a helper of sorts, the job just a way for her mother to keep her out of trouble and keep her from wrecking the house with her energy. She wouldn’t be the only helper, I’ve got the idea for two other helpers that could join in for minimum wage if even that (I have a suspicion Alex would do the work without the need for payment lol) but for right now I’m focusing on Alex because she’s my favorite and I really like her and Charlie’s dynamic.

This little drabble of mine also offers a glimpse at Alex from a different angle of sorts from how I originally introduced her. All in all though she’s still the same happy-go-lucky kid fascinated with a certain grumpy centaur. Also, depending on the age of Charlie and when they met, I figured they would be close in age so she’s probably a bit older than originally introduced. I also just decided that I’m going to do this story in parts because I am still working on the last part and wanted to at least start sharing what I wrote. Hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own the centaurs, the setting, characters, or anything featured here with the exception of Alex. They belong to hubedihubbe. I’m simply borrowing them for storytelling purposes.

 Crisp white snow blanketed the farmland as Charlie stepped carefully out of the barn, layers of clothing hardly able to keep the young centaur from shivering from the frigid cold. His blue orbs narrowed as he cursed through gritted teeth, his hooves marching along with little care for the harmonious crunching beneath his weight. Already a trail of freshly-made hoofmarks signaled that the younger generation was out and about playing somewhere in the winter wonderland, a group Charlie knew best to avoid at all costs. He was already too cold for comfort to be bothered with their childish antics.

The sudden jolt of icy fragments bursting upon his skull froze the young centaur in his tracks, his muscles tensing up at the impact while a chorus of laughter erupted behind him. Fabian and Pistachio were practically rolling in the snowy mounds while Hamish was poised beside them with a wide grin on his lips. However, the youngest of the group soon gulped hard in his throat at the notice of the burning red of Charlie’s cheeks.

“That was awesome! Best snowball ever!” Pistachio cheered, her brown fur dusted by the snow crystals as she continued to howl upon the mounds. “I win! I win at snowballs!”

“W-We didn’t mean to hit you Charlie! We’re sorry!” Hamish chirped up with a sincere glance towards the victim of the snowball attack, the twins both perking up from the laughter to raise a brow at the boy.

“Yeah we did,” Fabian and Pistachio chimed in unison, clearly ignorant of Charlie’s boiling blood. That or like usual they didn’t fear him in the least. “Easy target!”

His fury rumbled throughout his body as Charlie prepared his slew of curses at the pests who often force him into their ‘fun’; however, the sound of another’s hooves crunching along in the snow interrupted the lot of them, each of the centaurs turning their gaze to see who approached. Trotting about through the snowy field was an ecstatic Aerick, the paint holding tight to Sawyer who was poised firmly on his back. The two of them smiled at the sight of the others playing, the human girl the only one to seemingly notice Charlie’s discomfort in the situation.

“I see you’re all up early this morning. Guess you couldn’t wait to play in the snow,” Sawyer hummed as she slid off Aerick’s back, patting his cover lovingly before marching towards the twins and Hamish. “You three aren’t causing Charlie any trouble are you?”

Hamish seemed panicked at the question, his cheeks pink in color as he tried to dispute her words. However, the twins were already to their hooves with wicked grins on their lips. “Of course we were. Easy target!” Fabian and Pistachio declared, their triumphant stances sending their victim into a cursing frenzy.

“And here we go, so early in the morning too,” Sawyer groaned at their boisterous battle unfolding, her eyes soon inching away from their small group to two slow forms stepping down the entrance path. “Everyone quiet down please,” she said, a rather serious tone compared to how she sounded mere seconds ago. Aerick and Charlie were the first to notice the sudden change, their brows raised while the twins and Hamish both quieted down and glanced the direction she had been gazing.

“Is that-?” Fabian began.

“It is! It’s Alex! Aw yeah, Alex is here! She’ll be sure to play with us!” Pistachio cheered as she began forward, the twins suddenly skidding to a stop at Sawyer’s command. “Aw what’s the problem huh? It’s Alex. We can play for sure with Alex and-huh who’s that with Alex huh?”

Sawyer had a rather saddened look in her eye as she pushed forward, gesturing for the others to remain behind. Young Hamish was clearly scared by the sudden shift in tone, his small hand reaching for Fabian’s and tugging it hard for attention.

“A-Alex looks different. And she’s with a very serious lady,” the young one whimpered, Fabian and Pistachio both taking this description to heart as they eyed the two figures now being met with by Sawyer.

Hamish was right, Alex did look very different. Usually a rough-and-tough tomboy dressed in ripped clothes and muddied boots, her outfit was now replaced with a dark dress, peacoat, stockings, and shiny boots. Her wild curls were tamed into tight braids and she was properly dressed for the weather with a brand new scarf, hat, and gloves. The wide grin that she usually showed the world from her lips was just a bit small today, her excitement rather faded.

At her side stood the spitting image of Alex but as an adult with a tight hand on a bouquet of flowers, the woman’s expression rather serious as she looked Sawyer up and down before she offered a hand to the girl before them. Charlie turned to stare upon the scene and he felt his throat close at the outlandish sight before him. From the short time he’s known the girl, he was certain he’d never see her remotely groomed and seemingly holding proper manners, and yet there was this primed and poised young girl standing down the path. But something that caught him off-guard even more was that hint of sadness in her gaze that she hid behind her small grin. Something was wrong.

A shift in attention formed as Sawyer ushered the older woman into the house, Alex finally lifting her gaze to the small group across the way. Everyone remained still until her smile brightened at the sight of them, the girl waving over to them to signal it was ok to come over. Without a second thought, Pistachio was right at her friend’s side and admiring the new outfit with a childish delight.

“Well look at you all prettied up, looks like you’ve taken some fashion tips from Leah,” the female twin chimed with a wink and a nudge, the girl seeming to chuckle at her words. “It’s a little too fancy though for a snow day on the farm. Who’s that lady anyway? She seemed super serious!”

“You’re such a funny sort, Pistachio. I’m actually off work today silly. But my mother wanted to stop by and thank Sawyer’s father for allowing me to work here. Oh, yes that’s my mother Erin. She may seem serious but she’s actually very nice once you get to know her,” Alex explained, the girl oddly careful to not make a mess on her new outfit.

“Aw your mom is here. That’s so awe-hey wait a minute, you’re not working today?” Pistachio suddenly whimpered at the thought. “You mean you aren’t here to play with us? I had a whole day planned of throwing snowballs at Charlie.”

“I ought to-,” Charlie’s voice suddenly roared as he stomped towards the girls, Alex peeking up at his with a shy wonder as he then shook off his anger to address the newcomer. “Your mom is here and you’re dressed odd-well odd for you-what seems to be the occasion for such madness?”

Alex blinked at the question, the other centaurs of the group trotting over to shower her with attention. Her smile tight on her lip, the girl responded, “Well, today is December 11th. It’s a very special day for our family. We’re going to see my Dad today.”

Charlie raised a brow at her answer. During all of their talks since meeting, he had never heard mention of her father before. Only her mother. And that relationship seemed rather strained due to Alex’s rambunctious nature. Something seemed very wrong with what was happening. However, he dared not press it further, for fear of seeming too interested in the girl’s life amongst his peers.

“Is that why you look so pretty today?” Hamish asked, a blush forming again on his cheeks as he gasped. “N-Not that you don’t look pretty any other time, I just meant-!”

A laughter rose up from the girl as she winked to the embarrassed young centaur. “I promised my mom that I would look my very best on special days. And today is a very special day for us,” she explained, Fabian and Pistachio exchanging looks before hugging around the girl’s shoulders. Despite their wish to drag her off into the snow, the two simply held her tight with frowny faces directed right for Charlie.

“We will just have to throw extra snowballs at Charlie for you instead,” griped Fabian.

“Yep, we’ll just have to make up for you not being able to play with us today. But then when you’re back tomorrow, we’ll have even more snowball fun!” Pistachio roared with anticipation.

“If you throw even a snowflake in my direction, so help me I’ll-!” Charlie shouted in retort, his fiery attitude quickly simmering as Alex’s mother and Sawyer returned from the house, the woman eyeing the centaurs for a moment upon approach.

“I’ve said thank you to Mr. (I forgot his name and will fix this later lmao) for allowing you to work here. He seemed very thrilled with your work Alex. I’m very proud of what you’ve been doing here,” the woman said with a smile to her daughter, the twins quick to pull away from their hug to stare upon the woman who seemed so much like her daughter. “Hello everyone, I am Alex’s mother Erin. It is a pleasure to meet you all. Sawyer and Alex have both shared so much about you all. You must be Fabian and Pistachio.”

The twins both perked up at such knowledge, “Yes ma’am! That’s us! We love Alex a whole lot! Thank you for allowing her to be here with us!”

Alex blushed at the booming words of confidence, her mother continuing down the line as she gestured to each of the centaurs in their group. “And you must be young Hamish. You are just as precious as Alex described. And the paint is Aerick I presume? Such a fine centaur by the look of you. And such a beautiful coat.” Both Hamish and Aerick blushed at her words, the younger of the two hiding behind the other as they both reacted sheepishly to the comments.

“And this one on the end is-.” Erin paused a moment to look upon the rather spoiled centaur before her, her lips curving at the end as she glanced back towards her daughter. “Let me guess, this one’s Charlie?”

“Yes Momma, that’s Charlie,” Alex said with a smile, her mother smiling at the warmth her own child’s happiness provided before she turned back to the centaur eyeing her up from his frustrated stance.

“Charlie, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I must say that of all the stories I hear about the Centaury, many of them feature you as the main star,” Erin hummed with a chuckle, Charlie’s cheeks burning red as he glanced towards a blushing Alex. “Well, I’m sorry to cut out so soon with my daughter but we have a special day today. She’ll be back tomorrow bright and early for work. Thank you again Sawyer and be sure to thank your father a million times over for me. Alex has been doing so much better since joining you all here at the farm.”

“Absolutely ma’am, it’s been a pleasure for us to have Alex here to help. She’s amazing with the centaurs. And clearly she has a few fans of her own here,” Sawyer chimed with a nod, scooping the girl into a hug as she smiled. “You let me know if you guys need anything you hear? I’ll be sure to come right over.”

“Thank you Sawyer,” Alex whispered and gratefully accepted the hug, the girl then pulling away as she then looked to her mother who was already back to her more serious expression as she wandered down the path towards the entrance gate. In hand, Erin held the bouquet tight to her chest, as if afraid the frosty air would shatter the blossoms without her protection. As Alex began after her mother, the woman glanced her way with a raised brow.

“Your flowers Alex? Did you forget them?” The woman asked, her daughter’s expression of panic causing a sigh to form in her throat.

“I-I thought I had them in my coat pocket. Oh no they must have fallen out. Oh no,” Alex began to panic, the group overhearing their conversation from where they stood.

“It’s fine. Maybe you’ll be able to find them on the way home. If it’s not too dark out, you can take them there as an extra visit for your father,” Erin was the last voice the group could hear before the two of them disappeared beyond the gate down the road.

“Welp, guess we should get back to playing before chores,” Sawyer tried to edge the group along but she turned to find a wave of gazes upon her. “W-What it is?”

“Why’s today special?” Pistachio and Fabian chimed together, their brows raised at Sawyer’s shifted glance.

“Alex said she was going to see her father. So I guess that’s a special occasion,” Hamish added with a confused stare. “But why doesn’t he live with them?”

“And why do they have flowers-oh?” Pistachio and Fabian finally paused in understanding, the two of them exchanging looks before beginning to trot away with each holding one of Hamish’s hands. “Well, what matters is that tomorrow is a new day with Alex. Let’s play for her sake today and then she can join in on the fun later. Come on Hamish!”

The young centaur followed after, his confusion still piqued but soon relented at the thought of such fun they would have together. Soon only Charlie and Aerick remained with the human girl, the spoiled sort frowning at Sawyer while Aerick still looked on with a confused gaze.

“I’m not entirely sure what’s going on but-Alex looked sad. At least sad in her own special way,” Aerick muttered aloud, his best friend sighing at his words before running a hand through her dark locks. “Did something happen?”

Sawyer debated if it was best to share what the duo had been wondering but when her eyes met Charlie’s she couldn’t hold it back any longer. She could see in those blue orbs that he already knew what she was going to say, just like the twins had guessed previously.

“Today is a special day to Alex and her mother. Five years ago on this very day, Alex’s father was tragically killed in a wintery storm. He was trying to save a brother and sister who had fallen through the ice of the lake and unfortunately he was unable to be revived himself after becoming trapped. When he was finally pulled out, it was only a matter of time before he was gone forever,” Sawyer answered, her voice slow as she explained the tragic story. Aerick’s eyes widened and tears brimmed them as he listened, all the while Charlie’s expression remained the same. Despite that however, the spoiled centaur couldn’t help but feel his heart ache for the girl who’d latched onto him that fateful day at the fence line. Not that he’d ever admit that. “Her father, his name was David, he was a doctor and very caring. He put others above himself…which is unfortunately what led to his death. Shockingly he was able to save the siblings and they have grown to begin studying medicine in dedication to the man that saved their lives. Many who knew David, including his family and the family of those he saved, go to the cemetery every year on December 11 to lay flowers at his grave and to celebrate his life. Father and I go too if we are able, but with the work that needs to be done today and us down Alex we decided it best to simply pay our respects to Erin instead. Which is truly the main reason she and Alex stopped by today.”

“That’s so sad! Why didn’t Alex say anything to us about this? We could have been much more respectful about-well, about her father and-!” Aerick whimpered as Sawyer raised her hands in protest.

“I’m sure that Alex didn’t want to bring sadness to your hearts. Besides, I don’t know how long that smile of hers would hold if she mentioned her father’s fate to you all,” Sawyer frowned as she gestured towards the snowy field. “We’ll welcome her back tomorrow with open arms and bring happiness to her life. I think that’s the best gift we can offer her. For now though, we should enjoy this winter wonderland before chores creep up on us. Come on and let’s join the twins and Hamish Aerick. I’m sure there will be lots of fun to be had today. And Charlie you’re welcome to join us too.”

The selfish centaur scrunched his nose at the comment Sawyer made, rolling his eyes before trotting further away from the scene. Sawyer and Aerick both exchanged looks before heading off towards the others, oblivious to Charlie as he stepped towards the fence line of the property. His blue eyes scanned the path with a heavy precision, looking in the distance for something he knew waited to be found.

*~Part One End~*