| Pure written: charlotte date started: november 2003 note: this is a piece of the novel i'm working on; i hope to complete it someday ^_^ this is an excerpt from one scene of what i've written previously; it'll probably change. the story is about a family and their myopic life; the mother wants to keep her boys forever, but they want to grow up. they're also very close, sharing a strange brotherly love as they get older. there's so much more - i just have to write it ~_^ - - - - The ocean waves struck the shore with force and clawed at anything that moved in its path, hoping to drag it back into its cold belly. But, the boys were bouncing and skipping through the waters without a care, squealing with delight as the icy fingers snapped at their ankles and licked their legs. The woman lay on the brightly colored blankets, her husband's fingers tickling the skin on her calves. The breeze danced around the pair, lifting the white linen skirt and sweeping through the man's hair in gentle play. "They'll be all tired out after this," said Mia. The sand was hard under the blankets, and she shifted into a more comfortable position. Ken was watching his boys chase each other across the damp sand with a smile. "All the more peaceful during the drive home." Mia chuckled, turning to stare out into the horizon at the melting globe of orange that was quickly fading from view. The cold was creeping in quickly, its icy hand sweeping from the ocean to the air, sinking into the sand and reaching her skin which prickled in response. The brothers were tossing clumps of sand at each other, laughing all the while from their play area situated twenty feet away. As she opened her mouth to scold, they abruptly stopped and sat down to begin building a sand castle. As they scooped and gathered the brown sand, Mia grinned, thinking maybe they had read her mind without even glancing her way. The ocean's sound filled her ears as she closed her eyes, the lunging and crashing and soft retreat repeating itself over and over. Ken was lying on his back, his arms crossed beneath his head. He was trying to sleep, unsuccessfully. He hated to ruin the comfortable mood with talk, but nagging thoughts kept making their way to the surface and wouldn't let him rest. "I think we should send the boys to a real school." Mia's eyes opened. "What?" "I'm leaning towards private school. They're just so sheltered. I think it would be wise to bring them into more of a social setting." "Ken, are you trying to say I'm not a good teacher?" Ken pursed his lips, mumbling, "Where do women get these things?" Glancing at his wife, he said, "Mia, you're a great teacher. The boys are smarter than children much older. But, I'm not talking about academics. I'm talking about being around people." "Why do they need to be around a bunch of silly kids?" "It's healthy." "The curriculum won't be strong enough." "Private school is quite challenging." "How long have you been thinking about this?" "Only a short time--" "If they get girls pregnant and start swearing, I'll just blame it on you." "They're nine. Could you let me finish?" Mia was silent. She eased her frowning facial expression into one of neutrality. The man laid his arm across his face, focusing on his words. "It's only natural to be surrounded by different faces and cultures. Books and movies and maps only teach so much. We could try it for a year, and if they didn't like it, bring them back into home schooling. There are home school groups, I think. Maybe you could get involved with that. I just don't want them to become hermits." "I'll think about it." That conversation was finished. With a soft exhale of breath, Mia sighed, letting her eyes close once more. The air was still and silent. The ocean's waves rolled gently. Something was missing. Mia's heart constricted itself within her chest as her instincts tugged at her gut. Her sons were no longer in sight as she sat up with sudden realization and stared out over the beach. Ken leaned up on his elbows, having heard a startled sound slip from her lips. Quickly, Mia stood and began to move across the cold sand, her long white skirt flaring gracefully behind her. She called their names loudly, hoping to hear their childish voices echo back.� "Max! Luke!" "I'll check further up on the beach," Ken said as he jogged past Mia.� � From a trail of thick boulders, jagged rocks and tufts of grass that lead upwards, above the area where the striped blankets lay, high over the beach on a cliff overlooking the sea stood the boys. The chocolate haired one took a step forward, his mild fear of heights preventing him to stand right at the cliff's drop. But, his brother, his pale skin a soft blue in the moon shine, walked right to the edge and began to wave towards the woman below. "Hey, mom!" Max shouted. Stopping short, his mother looked around her before glancing up with a relieved smile. Without turning toward his brother, Max said, "I guess we should go down." "Parents always ruin the fun." "Hey, I think I see dad." Max leaned forward slightly. Luke watched the foot slip in slow motion, watched his brother's face change expressions in an instant. Max's mouth opened, his breath lost, his eyes widening as his head rolled back and gravity took over. Luke could see the boy's body slamming into the earth, splattering into tiny pieces at his mother's feet as her look of horror etched itself into her face forever. And then Luke's arm was around Max's chest, yanking him backwards before Max could fully fall over. His legs were unsteady as his pulled his brother to safety, and the body was heavy with fear. Max was whimpering and Luke was murmuring soft condolences to slow the pounding heart that lay beneath where his hand grasped his brother's shirt. The pair moved away from the cliff's edge and out of sight from Mia's terrified gaze. She was surprised she was still standing. She knew her heart had ceased beating just a moment ago. Her body was numb as she stood there, encased in the frozen air around her. "What happened?" Ken appeared suddenly at her side. "They're both fine. They were playing up there." "Then why do you look so frightened?" Blinking, she glanced at her husband and forced a tiny smile. "I was just worried." The boys were climbing down the steep trail of sand and rock, and Mia rushed forward as they dropped to the ground. Gathering them in a hug, she pushed her face gently against each cheek as she savored the feeling of them in her arms. "We're leaving now. Let's go to the car," she said quietly. "Why do you two do that, scare your mother by disappearing?" Ken's words were stern, but un-harsh, and with a shake of his head walked back to where the blankets lay and began to clear the site. Mia and the boys made their way to the dirt area where the large SUV was parked and climbed in. Leaning her head back against the leather seat, Mia stared up at the ceiling of the car, examining the tiny balls of lint stuck to the fabric as she spoke. "You both alright?" "Yeah," Luke said from his seat behind her. He glanced at Max. "You're fine, right?" "I'm okay." The auburn haired boy's voice was quiet but steady. "Please be more careful, okay?" Silence. "Okay?" "Yeah, mom," they murmured in unison. The back door of the vehicle was opened wide as Ken stuffed blankets and the little cooler in the back space. The door shut with a thick bang, and Ken's footsteps could be heard crunching little pebbles and dry soil as he walked to the driver's side door and hopped into his seat. The night had closed in quickly, and nothing but the diamond-like stars and plump moon could be seen. They were traveling alone, passing very few cars as the road slipped steadily beneath the big vehicle as they drove on. Mia turned to look outside and watched as the moon followed them. It slipped past mountain and through trees and over country homes as it sped along with them, its huge form like an eye that never woke but could see all. Turning in her seat, Mia glanced back at the boys. Luke was sleeping sitting up, his mouth open a little. Max had taken the seat belt off and curled up against the door, his hands acting as a pillow under his head. Turning around, Mia spoke in a low voice. "Ken." "Hm," he answered, looking at her once, then returning his stare to the road. "I've thought about the school idea." He nodded, prompting her to continue. "No." [End] |