10 year old Anissa, Axel and William getting in trouble...
For the timeline, this moment happens to ten years old Anissa, Axel and William, who get in trouble but also have each other's backs. It also features Elianda who is William's mother, and mention Laura who is Axel and Anissa's mother. Those short stories help me build my characters, to make them more 'real'. I am currently working on the first book of 'A deck of cards' where all these characters live in.
They stand in Axel's parents kitchen on soggy feet, they clothes wet and muddy, Axel's shirt sporting a couple of holes while his own shirt is ripped on one shoulder. William and Axel face a scowling Elianda, a wooden spoon in one hand and a kitchen towel in her other. They try to appear as innocent as possible, but William isn't convinced that they are doing a very good job.
The mud all over Axel's face may be a give away... Or the state of our clothes.
'Care to tell me what happened to you two?'
Trouble. well deserved trouble has happened... How are we getting out of this one?
William tempts a quick glance at his friend, standing motionless and staring at William's mum. Awaiting judgement. William opens his mouth.
'Mum, we...'
'You shush! Let me guess: you fell off a tree? Oh no! Wait, that was last week. You slipped -both of you- on the same rock! No, I heard that one before. Where is...'
'Eli? Eli!!' A shriek calls out from the front door before it closes with a bang. Axel bites his lower lip just as William taps his arm quickly. Before Elianda replies to the child's voice, Anissa rushes in the kitchen, looking everywhere frantically.
'Oh! Thank the Goddess! Here you are! My heroes!'
Anissa grabs her brother into a crushing hug while William stares at the ceiling. He glances at his mum and opens his mouth to say something when Anissa grabs him by the waist and hugs him just as fiercely.
'Nissa, enough! Let go of me!' He says as he tries to push her away.
His mum clearly fights the smile threatening to show on her face. She says gently.
'Anissa? Tell me, what's happened?'
The little girl turns around abruptly to face her. She inhales to say in one breath:
'It wasn't their fault Eli! I swear. I was with some girls from the playgroup my mum set up. Those mean girls tried to push me in the big puddle next to the blacksmith forge. I screamed and may have pushed one of them to the floor, or maybe she fell down.' She takes a breath to continue her tale:
'I didn't know some boys were following us, I didn't see them! Will and Axel were just around and they helped me get away from those mean, mean kids! Please Elianda! Please believe me!' Anissa puts her hands together in a pleading act that Elianda has seen before, just as William and Axel sigh, exasperated.
We are gonna be in so much trouble now... Training is gonna be horrible from now on...
'Boys? Is that true?'
'Mum, we...'
'William! Is that what happened? Yes or no?'
'Yes.' He whispers grumpily.
'Good.' Elisa turns around to the sink.
Good? We're not getting into trouble? Laura told us off for trying to look out for Nissa. Why is mum saying 'good' now? What's happening?
His mum wets the kitchen towel she had in her hand while William glances at Axel who shrugs calmly. That's Axel though, always calm. Elianda turns back around to give the towel to Axel. William guesses that they may be alright, so he makes his own way to the sink to splash some water on his face, the same way that his dad does every time he returns from a shift. Anissa takes the towel from her brother's hand to help him get the rest of the mud out. Elianda shakes her head once. William cleans himself as best as he can, hoping they'll be allowed to go out and play. His stomach rumbles loudly. His mum walks up to him and messes his hair up lovingly before she hands him an apple.
'Go and play now.'
She hands an apple to Axel and Anissa and the three run off quickly. They decide to stay near, stopping at the edge of the forest by the fallen log. Looking over at his best friend's house, William sits down next to Anissa, Axel on her other side.
'That was a close one...' William says after taking a juicy bite.
Axel hums in agreement, then turns to his sister.
'Those girls won't make you cry again,' he says. 'I think you'll stay with us from now on though. It's better this way.'
'Mum will never allow it: 'girls don't mix with boys'. Remember?'
'Don't worry about that. I''m sure Eli will speak to mum and dad. On my side, I'll check that the guys won't mind, but I don't think it will be a problem. Will?'
'That's fine by me. Those boys deserved it as much as them girls. Why did they behave like that Nissa? Did you do something to them?'
Anissa shakes her head: 'It's always like this. I even told mum last time, but she didn't wanna hear it.' She tilts her head to rest on her brother's shoulder. They stay silent for a bit, all of them finishing off their apple before throwing the seeds behind them. She rubs something off Axel's neck, probably mud. He doesn't mind because that's what they do. They take care of each other. William closes his eyes, content of the day's events. His eyes opens quickly when Anissa finally bursts out laughing.
'I got them good though, didn't I?'
William and Axel both grin.
'Yup.'
'Yes, you did.'
They stay there for a little while, until they see Axel's mum walk inside the house. All three of them stand up and run into the trees, knowing very well that Laura won't go inside the forest. There will be enough time for arguments with the grown ups. For now, they just want to be ten year old kids messing about and enjoying the evening out.
They stand in Axel's parents kitchen on soggy feet, they clothes wet and muddy, Axel's shirt sporting a couple of holes while his own shirt is ripped on one shoulder. William and Axel face a scowling Elianda, a wooden spoon in one hand and a kitchen towel in her other. They try to appear as innocent as possible, but William isn't convinced that they are doing a very good job.
The mud all over Axel's face may be a give away... Or the state of our clothes.
'Care to tell me what happened to you two?'
Trouble. well deserved trouble has happened... How are we getting out of this one?
William tempts a quick glance at his friend, standing motionless and staring at William's mum. Awaiting judgement. William opens his mouth.
'Mum, we...'
'You shush! Let me guess: you fell off a tree? Oh no! Wait, that was last week. You slipped -both of you- on the same rock! No, I heard that one before. Where is...'
'Eli? Eli!!' A shriek calls out from the front door before it closes with a bang. Axel bites his lower lip just as William taps his arm quickly. Before Elianda replies to the child's voice, Anissa rushes in the kitchen, looking everywhere frantically.
'Oh! Thank the Goddess! Here you are! My heroes!'
Anissa grabs her brother into a crushing hug while William stares at the ceiling. He glances at his mum and opens his mouth to say something when Anissa grabs him by the waist and hugs him just as fiercely.
'Nissa, enough! Let go of me!' He says as he tries to push her away.
His mum clearly fights the smile threatening to show on her face. She says gently.
'Anissa? Tell me, what's happened?'
The little girl turns around abruptly to face her. She inhales to say in one breath:
'It wasn't their fault Eli! I swear. I was with some girls from the playgroup my mum set up. Those mean girls tried to push me in the big puddle next to the blacksmith forge. I screamed and may have pushed one of them to the floor, or maybe she fell down.' She takes a breath to continue her tale:
'I didn't know some boys were following us, I didn't see them! Will and Axel were just around and they helped me get away from those mean, mean kids! Please Elianda! Please believe me!' Anissa puts her hands together in a pleading act that Elianda has seen before, just as William and Axel sigh, exasperated.
We are gonna be in so much trouble now... Training is gonna be horrible from now on...
'Boys? Is that true?'
'Mum, we...'
'William! Is that what happened? Yes or no?'
'Yes.' He whispers grumpily.
'Good.' Elisa turns around to the sink.
Good? We're not getting into trouble? Laura told us off for trying to look out for Nissa. Why is mum saying 'good' now? What's happening?
His mum wets the kitchen towel she had in her hand while William glances at Axel who shrugs calmly. That's Axel though, always calm. Elianda turns back around to give the towel to Axel. William guesses that they may be alright, so he makes his own way to the sink to splash some water on his face, the same way that his dad does every time he returns from a shift. Anissa takes the towel from her brother's hand to help him get the rest of the mud out. Elianda shakes her head once. William cleans himself as best as he can, hoping they'll be allowed to go out and play. His stomach rumbles loudly. His mum walks up to him and messes his hair up lovingly before she hands him an apple.
'Go and play now.'
She hands an apple to Axel and Anissa and the three run off quickly. They decide to stay near, stopping at the edge of the forest by the fallen log. Looking over at his best friend's house, William sits down next to Anissa, Axel on her other side.
'That was a close one...' William says after taking a juicy bite.
Axel hums in agreement, then turns to his sister.
'Those girls won't make you cry again,' he says. 'I think you'll stay with us from now on though. It's better this way.'
'Mum will never allow it: 'girls don't mix with boys'. Remember?'
'Don't worry about that. I''m sure Eli will speak to mum and dad. On my side, I'll check that the guys won't mind, but I don't think it will be a problem. Will?'
'That's fine by me. Those boys deserved it as much as them girls. Why did they behave like that Nissa? Did you do something to them?'
Anissa shakes her head: 'It's always like this. I even told mum last time, but she didn't wanna hear it.' She tilts her head to rest on her brother's shoulder. They stay silent for a bit, all of them finishing off their apple before throwing the seeds behind them. She rubs something off Axel's neck, probably mud. He doesn't mind because that's what they do. They take care of each other. William closes his eyes, content of the day's events. His eyes opens quickly when Anissa finally bursts out laughing.
'I got them good though, didn't I?'
William and Axel both grin.
'Yup.'
'Yes, you did.'
They stay there for a little while, until they see Axel's mum walk inside the house. All three of them stand up and run into the trees, knowing very well that Laura won't go inside the forest. There will be enough time for arguments with the grown ups. For now, they just want to be ten year old kids messing about and enjoying the evening out.
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