Induced Euphoria.
003.
Hazel eyes, sunkist skin, bare feet, and forest green grass. The tiny, limp blades fell through each painted toe like itchy sand and the sound of children's laughter filled the breezy air. Laney looked down at her paint covered arms and cracked a smile. Flowers and hearts and small hand prints danced circles on her skin from when the little children had ambushed her.
Laney was always volunteering when she wasn't in work. Whether it be at a rehab or a soup kitchen but she made sure that every Saturday she would stop by the abused women's shelter and sit with the women's children. It was a hard thing for her to do, seeing all the kids with black eyes or busted lips just didn't sit well with her. Neither to did the times when a husband would march through the door and the police would be called. Every time that happened Laney would rush the children into the back room and lock the door. It terrified her every time.
It was just another day, the kids played on the enclosed play ground and others painted on the wooden lunch table with Laney. Her cotton, black, thick strapped sun dress lay just above her knees and the curly brunette hair was pulled back into a loose bun. Laney sighed and let her paint brush hit the white sheet of paper, her head wasn't really on the children, rather on Zacky Baker.
Laney sat through the whole practice with her gaze locked tight on his thick frame, his green eyes, his black hair. She couldn't get the way he sucked in his snake bites out of her head and the way his hair fell in his eyes. She was completely hooked and it had only been their first meeting. This scared her. She wondered that if she could so easily obsess over Zacky, could she easily fall back into her old habits?
She knew she needed to call her sponsor, but it had been almost over a year and she wasn't really sure how that conversation would go. Suddenly a little girl screamed. Laney's head shot up, ready to pounce, when the comforting eyes of Matt appeared. "He has monsters on his skin!" The girl cried and hid behind Laney's legs, this earned a gentle chuck from Matthew.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she ran a hand through her bangs. It was unusual for her brother to show up at volunteer work places, only for serious reasons. Yet his eyes showed no worry; they barely showed any emotion at all.
"Dad called, he said that we need to go home." Matt was always the strong one; he always held the family together, sen when Laney was using.
"What, why?" Her mind began to run wild with horrific situations but in the back of Laney's mind, she knew, it wouldn't be that bad.
"I don't know, he just said we all needed to talk."
Laney nodded and stepped away from the wooden table. She made her way into the tan building and let one of the supervisors know she was leaving.
Matt met her in his SUV, music poured from every speaker, and the windows were all rolled down. Matt mumbled a "ready," and they were off. Down PCH and off onto side streets, the siblings finally found themselves in the drive way of their childhood home. Laney took a deep breath before opening the door and following her brother into inside.
The living room was quiet, and there on the hazelnut leather couch sat their mother. Her milky white skin clashed against the dark fabric and her short wavy brown hair was pushed back by a bandana. Both instantly knew something was wrong. "Hey," Their mother grinned and pulled them into a hug.
"What's wrong mom?" Matt asked, his voice cracked.
"Let's wait for your father," As if on que, their father sulked down the stairs and stood before them. "Well," She started but was interrupted by her husband.
"There is no way to say this," Laney could see the pained look in her fathers eyes and knew. She just knew what he was going to say next.
"I have cancer." Her mother spoke softly. Laney's eyes bulged and her breathing hitched in her throat. She expected a divorce, not a disease. They already had one in the family, they didn't need another.
"You what?" Matt breathed and let his head fall into his hands. "When, how?" His fingers ran through his short hair and rested on the back of his neck.
"We found out yesterday." Their dad spoke.
"It's ovarian cancer. The doctors didn't catch it soon enough," Laney's mother spoke. "It spread with in my pelvis and abdomen."
"What does that mean?" Laney asked. Everything was happening so fast for her. She didn't know what the hell was going on?
"It means it's going to be difficult to treat. It means I'm dying."
"You're dying?" Laney sobbed, "You're fucking dying?"
"Laney, language." Her father hissed and wrapped and arm around her mothers waist.
"You can't die mom," Laney bawled and was pulled into a hug by her muscular brother. His face was broken, his heart empty, his heart beat irregular.
Moonlight seeped through the large bay window, casting soothing shadows upon the boy and girl that lay underneath the cowboy comforter. Crickets eased the painful silence until Laney let a few words pass her dried lips.
"I can't believe it," She whispered. "I'm so confused."
"Trust me," Matt whispered and rested his arms underneath his head. "I'm right where you are. I don't want mom to die." His voice was weak, unlike the Matt Laney knew.
"I-" Laney turned on her side to stare her brother in the eye, "I can't be alone right now Mattie, can I stay with you for awhile?"
Matt smiled and ruffled her hair, "Of course, Lane, of course."
Laney was always volunteering when she wasn't in work. Whether it be at a rehab or a soup kitchen but she made sure that every Saturday she would stop by the abused women's shelter and sit with the women's children. It was a hard thing for her to do, seeing all the kids with black eyes or busted lips just didn't sit well with her. Neither to did the times when a husband would march through the door and the police would be called. Every time that happened Laney would rush the children into the back room and lock the door. It terrified her every time.
It was just another day, the kids played on the enclosed play ground and others painted on the wooden lunch table with Laney. Her cotton, black, thick strapped sun dress lay just above her knees and the curly brunette hair was pulled back into a loose bun. Laney sighed and let her paint brush hit the white sheet of paper, her head wasn't really on the children, rather on Zacky Baker.
Laney sat through the whole practice with her gaze locked tight on his thick frame, his green eyes, his black hair. She couldn't get the way he sucked in his snake bites out of her head and the way his hair fell in his eyes. She was completely hooked and it had only been their first meeting. This scared her. She wondered that if she could so easily obsess over Zacky, could she easily fall back into her old habits?
She knew she needed to call her sponsor, but it had been almost over a year and she wasn't really sure how that conversation would go. Suddenly a little girl screamed. Laney's head shot up, ready to pounce, when the comforting eyes of Matt appeared. "He has monsters on his skin!" The girl cried and hid behind Laney's legs, this earned a gentle chuck from Matthew.
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she ran a hand through her bangs. It was unusual for her brother to show up at volunteer work places, only for serious reasons. Yet his eyes showed no worry; they barely showed any emotion at all.
"Dad called, he said that we need to go home." Matt was always the strong one; he always held the family together, sen when Laney was using.
"What, why?" Her mind began to run wild with horrific situations but in the back of Laney's mind, she knew, it wouldn't be that bad.
"I don't know, he just said we all needed to talk."
Laney nodded and stepped away from the wooden table. She made her way into the tan building and let one of the supervisors know she was leaving.
Matt met her in his SUV, music poured from every speaker, and the windows were all rolled down. Matt mumbled a "ready," and they were off. Down PCH and off onto side streets, the siblings finally found themselves in the drive way of their childhood home. Laney took a deep breath before opening the door and following her brother into inside.
The living room was quiet, and there on the hazelnut leather couch sat their mother. Her milky white skin clashed against the dark fabric and her short wavy brown hair was pushed back by a bandana. Both instantly knew something was wrong. "Hey," Their mother grinned and pulled them into a hug.
"What's wrong mom?" Matt asked, his voice cracked.
"Let's wait for your father," As if on que, their father sulked down the stairs and stood before them. "Well," She started but was interrupted by her husband.
"There is no way to say this," Laney could see the pained look in her fathers eyes and knew. She just knew what he was going to say next.
"I have cancer." Her mother spoke softly. Laney's eyes bulged and her breathing hitched in her throat. She expected a divorce, not a disease. They already had one in the family, they didn't need another.
"You what?" Matt breathed and let his head fall into his hands. "When, how?" His fingers ran through his short hair and rested on the back of his neck.
"We found out yesterday." Their dad spoke.
"It's ovarian cancer. The doctors didn't catch it soon enough," Laney's mother spoke. "It spread with in my pelvis and abdomen."
"What does that mean?" Laney asked. Everything was happening so fast for her. She didn't know what the hell was going on?
"It means it's going to be difficult to treat. It means I'm dying."
"You're dying?" Laney sobbed, "You're fucking dying?"
"Laney, language." Her father hissed and wrapped and arm around her mothers waist.
"You can't die mom," Laney bawled and was pulled into a hug by her muscular brother. His face was broken, his heart empty, his heart beat irregular.
Moonlight seeped through the large bay window, casting soothing shadows upon the boy and girl that lay underneath the cowboy comforter. Crickets eased the painful silence until Laney let a few words pass her dried lips.
"I can't believe it," She whispered. "I'm so confused."
"Trust me," Matt whispered and rested his arms underneath his head. "I'm right where you are. I don't want mom to die." His voice was weak, unlike the Matt Laney knew.
"I-" Laney turned on her side to stare her brother in the eye, "I can't be alone right now Mattie, can I stay with you for awhile?"
Matt smiled and ruffled her hair, "Of course, Lane, of course."
♠ ♠ ♠
Short again.Enjoy. :D