Chloe Mallory - Chapter 7

“No, no. You need to get some rest; your sister and I will handle clean up. Your father will put you to bed.”. She glared at the man who’d been rubbing his belly; it’d been a different sightseeing his stomach so big. I could have sworn he’d eaten three whole bowls on his own. One thing was for sure: he had a big appetite for Mom’s cooking. “Ah, right…it is about time to put the kid to bed,” he muttered as he lifted himself slowly out of his chair. He reached out his hands and lifted me into his arms. I felt a wave of exhaustion fill my body, and the food began to settle alongside the weird happening with the script. I felt the heat continue to stem from my body, as sweat built.

After walking up the stairs, he opened a door revealing what seemed to be two beds placed next to one another, making a deceptively larger bed. The blanket covering the beds was a shallow cotton. He carefully placed me in the bed, making sure to place my boots beside the bed. He did so quietly, as I felt myself slowly drifting off. The mattress didn’t feel the most comfortable, but I could manage, as my small body couldn’t feel much of the inconsistent filling within it. He then placed my head atop a pillow before sliding the cover over me. I watched as he took extra care with me; it felt nice to be looked after like this. It was a rarity.

The candlelight beside the bed flickered softly on the small table next to the frame. The burning wax smell filled the room as my father seemed to be messing with a small phial. I watched his movements, grabbing a powdered substance and mixing it into the phial with some water he’d taken from the kitchen. He shook the phial, seeing it change to a green hue. What exactly was he making? Before I could question some more, he’d return to the bedside with said phial in hand. “Alright, time to take your medicine, Chloe,” he said, letting out a small huff of breath as he leaned down. The mysterious phial spun softly within the glass phial. What was medicine like within this world? It seemed to be mostly herbal from what I’d seen him use…I wonder if the script would appear again if I tried to focus hard on it.

I tried my best to recollect the feeling I got from the last time it appeared, but to no avail. The script wouldn’t show as I stared intently at the phial in my father’s hand. He smiled softly, offering sorts of encouragement in the process. “If you drink this, you’ll get better…and strong enough to go out more.” His voice was reassuring as I stared at the mysterious medicine some more before he opened the top of the phial.

“POP!”. The cork holding the phial’s contents sounded as he pulled the top out. The smell of the medicine wasn’t the best, though. I gagged slightly as the scene slowly filled my nose. “Yuck…why does it smell like that…?” I gagged, and he wore an awkward smile before responding. “Sorry, it’s still natural after all…” he winced as he placed the phial on my lips, the last line of defense from the putrid liquid entering my system. I could tell he hated doing this as much as I did, so I tried my best to bear with the medicine, planning to take on the repercussions later.

With the phial being tilted and me drinking it, the taste was as awful as I’d imagined, causing me to gag even more. A tear filled my eye at how disgustingly fresh the ingredients tasted. It was like chewing on wet mud, which’d describe the taste in my opinion. With the medicine down and my resting head on the pillow. He looked over me as I prepared to sleep. I wasn’t too sure how this family usually went to bed, but it seemed that this room wasn’t either of my parents. Looking around, I’d noticed a small desk within it. Maybe this was Luisa’s room? It did have a sort of girly air to it. I wouldn’t be surprised that we shared one.

“Now, to send you off to dreamland…” he whispered. It felt he’d been looking for a way to help me sleep after the putrid ceremony of medicine I’d endured. His eyes wavered, sensing a bit of confusion in how to do so. I wouldn’t be surprised, as it seemed he’d been away a ton; maybe Mother wanted him to do this, not for my sake, but his as well. His eyes suddenly lit up the next moment, placing his fist within his open palm, as if he’d finally figured out a solution. His eyes glanced at me, who’d already been somewhat hazy after the meal. Truthfully, I wanted to sleep, maybe with the solution of whatever he thought of; it’d help me.

Without a moment’s notice, a sudden crescendo of disaster befell my ears.

“Oh, my beautiful daughter Chloe, your skin is so fair and nice.

Your smile brings light to my life!

Oh, heavens bring me joys, letting me sing my praises…

You’ll always shine for…erm—day-ses.”

Was this a song of praise? This guy needs to get a grip, especially since his vocals were atrocious! I’d rather hear the mice fight over cheese within the walls than this! Not to mention the terrible wordplay at hand! I begged him to stop, pleading that I wouldn’t be able to sleep with his loud songs ringing in my ears. He agreed to stop abruptly, placing a kiss upon my forehead before stepping out of the room. I guess that’s all it took for him to get the hint. The room was silent, leaving me alone with my thoughts and light from the candle.

Today has been a full day, from interactions to learning many new things. It’d been so draining, I didn’t realize how tired I’d become. A yawn left my mouth, causing me to cuddle up under the cover. It wasn’t the most comfortable sleep, but I’d been so thankful for what had happened today. From meeting Gil and Luisa at the beach where I was found, to the children in the town…and whatever that boy’s name was. To meet my parents in this world, a hardworking, devoted father, and a cautious, yet scary mother who cares deeply for us. It’s been an overwhelming experience meeting so many kind people over the span of a day. I’d love to meet more of the locals soon; maybe I could learn a thing or two from them. But for now, rest is what’s important. Can’t get too caught up in the sweep of things! Plus, tomorrow might be my chance to see some more of the town! I giggled as I placed my head under the cover to hide my excitement.

There’s so much out there for me to see and explore…I can’t wait to see what’s next. I leaned over to blow out the candle, leaving the room dark, allowing myself to fall into a deep sleep slowly.