To Rest, or Not To Rest - Chapter 6

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Another week had passed since I’d lain useless in bed. Staring at the same ceiling beams over the course of weeks. Memorizing every small crack in the wood. But now, at this point, my body had begun to feel light again. Whole even. It was as if my body had finally forgiven me. The coughs had stilled, and the ache in my bones was no more. When I woke that morning, I was able to sit up without trouble, not needing Luisa’s help. Being able to stand and look out of the window with no pain felt relieving. Even setting up the bath took minimal work! Though it was mainly because I entered after Luisa.

The house hummed with a new source of energy today. I’d walked out of my room and looked over the banister to see Luisa and my mother conversing below. Luisa hummed while folding clothes, her cheeks flushed a shade brighter than usual, and even my mother seemed to be in high spirits. They’d huddled around the main counter, discussing a multitude of things. From ribbons to dresses, the fair—today was the day of the fair! I’d gleefully hummed to myself while walking down the stairs, meeting the two whose attention turned to me.

The thought of the fair itself weighed heavily on my chest, though I sort of guessed it was a phantom longing at this point. It was as if nostalgia had reared its head. I made a personal promise to myself to get better to experience this for the person who inhabited this body before me. I wasn’t going to mess this up for them. Luisa stopped her proceedings, looking at me with full eyes. “Chloe! You’ve made a full recovery!” Her words were filled with joy, as I posed proudly as if I’d been a superhero. “Fit as a fiddle!” I responded, proudly whipping my hair slightly. It felt better than ever to do so without the restriction of my bones feeling brittle as ever. Mother watched me as I approached.

“It looks like you pulled through,” she started. I stood in front of her happily, humming along to the tune I’d always hear them sing. She smiled, watching me strum along. From the joy of the fair coming around finally, to my sickness going away. Nothing could seemingly make my day go better than it had up to this point. Suddenly, the bell chimed above the door, catching our attention quickly. A man with a hat entered, donned in a somewhat stylish overcoat and leather shoes, had appeared. “Guess who’s back in time for the festival…!” his voice said, huffing as he’d fully stepped into the room. His words cut through the noisy chatter of the morning.

I felt an overwhelming sense of joy seeing him appear after these past weeks. Before I knew it, I’d sprung myself forward quickly. Tackling the man in front of me. My rush pushed the man back slightly in the doorway, causing him to look down at me quickly. The reaction I’d felt was instinctive, and it took over, as my emotions overfilled with joy.

“Father!” I called out, brightening at the mere sight of the man. His shoulders were damp from the misty air outside. He carried with him a bundle wrapped carefully under one arm. His expression wasn’t filled with what I could assume to be tiredness; it was something else. Excitement. He laughed loudly. A rare, booming sound came from him that even startled my poor mother. “You’re standing, Chloe! My little champion has defeated the sickness this time!” His shoes clattered against the floorboards as he crossed the room quickly after returning my hug with his free arm.

Before I could say anything, he’d knelt and placed the bundle he held into my hands. The wrapping came loose easily, revealing a weighty and freshly bound book. The leather smelled faintly of smoke, and the pages were tanned. Its cover was stitched neatly together with the utmost care. My eyes turned full, seeing such a refined book, I could almost feel tears welling in my eyes at the sight.

“My very own book…” emotions overflowed at the sight, hugging it close to me. During these two weeks, I’d wanted nothing more than to have a book of my own. Keeping track of many things I’ve seen and keeping a personal journal would be ideal in this world. And now, my father has returned with one. Specially made for me, and only me! Gratitude filled my body as I spun around happily, seeing it in all of its glory. The leather was a deep maroon, with tanned cream pages filling the outer covers. Father watched my joyous reaction with a wide smile. “It’s for you, so that you can keep track of the things you want to see, things you want to learn. All of the things you’d rather not forget. Since you missed coming with me last week. I thought—” His words faltered as mother placed her hand on my father’s shoulder, giving him a soft smile.

“I thought it might make up for you not being able to go with me. I know you’d wanted to so badly, but the sickness reared its ugly head.”. Something twisted in my chest at his thoughtfulness. I couldn’t tell why I’d been so overcome with emotions. It was just a simple want, and he offered it to me with no hesitation. “It’s perfect…” I murmured, holding the book close to my body. His grin widened. Clapping his hands together. “Good! Because if your health holds, this fair will be your first. I knew I couldn’t miss this, so make sure to write in all of the details you can during the fair. I know you’d been practicing before, might as well do so now!” The warmth of his words filled the room, spilling into Mother’s revered smile and Luisa’s squeal of delight. I couldn’t help but smile as well. I sat down on a free stool to look over the book before setting it down on the countertop.

Father’s laughter still lingered in the air when Mother slipped behind him with something cradled in her arms. She hesitated at first, seemingly unsure if the moment was right. But when I turned to her, she smiled softly and drew closer. “This is for you as well, Chloe,” she said, laying the bundle across my lap. The fabric folded neatly, but even at a glance, I caught the shimmer of fream stitched against the deep black. My fingers trembled as I unfolded it. Taking my time to slowly and carefully spill out the dress in full. It was a sight to behold.

It was simple, but elegant. The kind of garment that I’d see the other girls holding in their arms, returning home from a day out with their family. The cream fabric caught the light in a gentle sheen, the black trimming along the dress, as if it’d been ink outlining on a page. It was a beautiful dress, and it was made for me. “A dress…” my voice was small, letting out a small breath. Mother watched as she crossed her arms with a soft smile. “For the fair,” Mother said, her tone both proud and gentle. Seeing as I’d kept my part in getting better for it, she seemed to want to reward me for my efforts.

“I wanted you to have something special. You’ve missed too many years locked away in that bed. This time will be different, and you’ve earned it, my dear.” Her eyes shimmered as if they’d become misty. Father placed his arm around her, slowly swaying her side to side for support. She accepted so graciously. It was a sense of relief, more so than sadness, coming from her. I held the dress to my chest, the soft weight of the dress pressing against me. Something swelled within me, as if my heart had become full again. It was as if the heartstrings of the past had been tugged, seeing such a dress.

Mother crouched beside me, her fingers brushing back the hair from my face. She looked over me and spoke. “I had thought of bows for your hair too, thanks to your sister’s suggestions…but…” she trailed off with a small sigh. “I didn’t have the materials, nor the time to get something made that’d match well.” Her words made me pause. An idea had sparked within my mind, the image of the shell from before pulsed with me. I’d kept it with me in my pocket, the gleaming fragment I’d taken from Gil’s delivery. Its glow never faded, glistening as if a flame had been captured underneath its glossy surface.

“Couldn’t we use this?” I asked, holding the scale up in between my fingers. The light flickered across the room as it hit the sunbeams entering from the window. It caught my father’s attention almost instantly.

He leaned forward, his grin curled wider by the second. “That…just might work!” he exclaimed. Without another word, he snatched the scale carefully from my hand, already turning on his heel. “Wait here, I’ve got something! Luisa, bring me some black silk fabric. I’ve got an idea.” Luisa quickly ran to grab some, as Father turned to his workshop, unlocking the door after weeks. A gleam I hadn’t seen from his brightened with the scale I handed him. It was as if his body was reacting on its own. Mother called after him, but he was already gone into the workshop. His leather shoes thudding against the wooden floorboards. I blinked, startled by his sudden burst of vigor, clutching the dress tighter against me.

It wasn’t long before he returned, breathless, his hands cradling something new. Two bows. They were sleek and black, stitched neatly with his craftsman’s care. At their centers were two pieces of the scale, perfectly split, their glow even stronger now that they caught the light from opposite sides. “They’ll shine brightest atop your head, dear.” he said, pride swelling in his voice as he handed them to my mother. She wasted no time, gathering my hair into two neat pigtails. My long, blonde hair fell neatly as she slid the bows into place. The cool touch of the scales brushed against my temples. Sending a strange shiver down my spine. When she stepped back, everyone’s attention was on me. Mother’s expression softened, and even Luisa let out a small gasp seeing the product on me. I’d noticed the small mirror that’d been propped on one of the walls, walking over to it, I looked at my new appearance. Green eyes, matching the sheen of the scales shone from the black bows. The girl who’d stared at me looked different. Not the same pale, frail child who’d spent her days staring out of the window, but someone brighter. Touched with a spark of something rare. The scales glowed softly against my hair, as if I’d carried the ocean’s magic with me.

My heart began to beat fast, as my face flushed with red, seeing my appearance. I felt a nudge in my soul, as if someone had felt something through me. I didn’t fight the feeling like I’d usually do; I wanted to take it all in. After all, this is the goal I promised to complete after all. Mother had helped me put on the rest of my clothes, and Father continued to fuss over his handiwork and his daughters’ appearances. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life. He dramatically gushed about us in our Fallfest wear.

The bows still tingled faintly against my hair when a sudden knock came at the door. It wasn’t timid, either. Three confident knocks that echoed through the room. Mother glanced toward Father, who’d glanced away from his fussing and went to open the door. I didn’t expect to be so startled by what I saw.