章 18: Chapter 18
The sun is shining brightly in the middle of the day, casting its warm rays down on the town of Royal Woods.
*BOOM*
*Crash*
The sky is a clear blue, with only a few wispy clouds drifting by. The air is warm and still, and the only sound is the occasional bird chirping...
*Thud*
"Aaaaaa! Lana, I found your snakes!"
...and some more.
On this beautiful day, the town seems to be bathed in golden light, and everything seems to sparkle. The leaves on the trees are a deep green, and the flowers are in full bloom. The grass is a lush green, and it feels soft and springy underfoot.
*BOOMMM!!!*
"LISA!"
"I'm alive!"
A gentle breeze blows through the trees, carrying the scent of flowers and fresh air.
"Ewwwww! What's that smell!?"
"Who let my lucky gym socks out of their box!"
It is a perfect day to be outside, enjoying the beauty of nature.
People are out and about, enjoying the weather. Some are walking their dogs, others are playing frisbee in the park, and still others are just sitting on their porches, enjoying the peace and quiet...
...Especially the ones who were away from a particular house
*BOOOMMM!!!!"
"Lisa!"
"That was not me!"
"Exploseee me! Hahaha! Get it?"
"HEY, Louds keep it down!"
Unfortunately, one person couldn't fully enjoy this beautiful day. Mr. Grouse closed the window door with a loud *Thud* that didn't even hold a candle to the noise next to his house. His old hands still holding the window looking through the glass at the house. He couldn't see it. not fully. However, his old eyes could see some glimpses of white. more specifically white hair running up and down in the house.
Under his scruffy mustache a genuine smile appeared, with every glimpse of his hair and every sound of his voice when he rose loud enough to travel the walls of his house his eyes shined stronger and stronger.
When the young boy disappeared, he was the first to volunteer to search for him, he was leading the most groups in the search for the young boy. He even helped the Louds with babysitting and rides for the young Louds. He would always tell them it was because of the Lynnsagna made by the Lynn Senior, but everyone knew the truth.
He was happy that the boy was finally back, Some of these days he would visit the Louds "accidentally" to check on the boy but now he would close the windows of his house.
*BOOOMMM!*
This explosion caused his house to vibrate, it literally caused his house to vibrate! It was also accompanied with the voice of the smart Loud that brought a weary sigh out of his lips.
"That was me! Also, I'm alive!"
He would rather have a tv fall on his head than to admit that he cherishes those lunatics that live up to their name…
His thought got interrupted by another explosion that shocked his house once again, his eyes widened in surprise, but shortly after a light chuckle escaped his lips, and slowly shook his head.
In his life, he participated in TWO wars and he could swear with his hand on his heart…
*CRASH*
…both of them together couldn't hold a candle to the noise the Loud family makes.
While Mr Grouse started to close his other windows at least lower the noise Louds make let's see what actually happening in the Loud house.
Everything happened after Lili got caught together with Lincoln watching TV and eating some snacks while the other girls were still fighting.
In the beginning, all of the girls tried "sneakily" to directions as much of the attention of the boy with white hair towards them, but then the usual Murphy law of the Loud House got in the way of their plans, and with push there and a shove here, next thing they knew all of them where in a literal war with Lincoln trying to either evade and run away from their dangerous move and trying to stop them.
If you ask yourself where the Loud parents were, well they were watching from the sides the mother watching with a small smile while her husband recorded everything with a gigantic smile on his face. Both of them watched the sight before them. The family becoming normal again, becoming happy again and this couldn't fill more the Loud parents' hearts.
Yet while her husband was absorbed in recording the moments that they thought were long lost, Rita's beautiful smile disappeared slowly from her face.
They were happy but she knew they couldn't just brush this off under the rug and forget that their only son was probably, no, the evidence are on his body. Scars after scars. Scars that they wouldn't fade with time and they would be remembrance for her son of his pain.
I dark remembrance of his pains and suffering that she knows they have to work through it and the very first step was…
*Sigh*
Fortunately, her husband didn't notice the sad sigh escaping her lips.
She knew what she needed to do even if they had to break this moment. It will be hard but she hoped her daughters would understand and she really hoped her younger daughters would not, at least not yet.
"*Whistle! * Girls! Stop this! Lincoln is tired!"
They didn't stop when she whistled, they didn't hear her when she screamed but the moment, she said the name of her only son it was like someone with a magic remote press pause. All of them froze in their spot watching their albino brother, who was getting a bit uncomfortable under their stares so suddenly.
The boy in question just lifted his arms with a sheepish smile on his face to assure his family that he wasn't tired.
"Guys! I-I'm no *Yawn*…tired"
…it didn't go so well.
He wanted to protest more but that big yawn sure came at the worst possible moment, which made some of his sisters smile and the others blush at how cute he looked, seeing his sisters staring at him like that made him blush which only made him more adorable. After a quick look towards her husband that gave her a discreet thumbs up assured her that he recorded their cute son blushing. She turned her head back to her children.
"Lincoln, you better take a nap, you are pretty tired sweety. We cleaned your room before you came, and if you need…"
"If you need something I'm here to help bro!"
Before finishing her daughter Lynn Jr. Interrupted her with a smile stepping in front of her sisters, even if on her face was her usual energic smile her sisters could feel her smugness for taking the first step. Lincoln turns his head towards the stairs that go towards the second floor where his room is, and taking advantage of the situation Lynn for a quick second her polite smile became one that just overflowed with smugness her eyes looking at her sisters while pointing quickly and directly with her thump at her t-shirt more precisely at the "#1" on her t-shirt.
The parents seeing the scene in front of them could only bite their lips to stop themselves from smiling and laughing out loud, Lynn Sr. was blushing a bit because he knew that she took that competitive side from him from his younger days.
Some of the sisters were left speechless with their jaws hanging so low that almost the floor, the others were grinding their teeth in absolute fury taking that as a sign of war and the others were in mid of their take-off position to jump on their sporty sister. The dark aura created by the sisters and directed towards the brunette with a ponytail only widened her smile.
However, Lincoln turned his head at the perfect moment, the second when his head turned towards his sisters in a flash, everyone was smiling and happy. Like the dark scene before was just a mirage.
"Ummm…I-Is th-that really ok with you gu-guys?"
Hearing his voice, they just realized just now.
Lincoln not only got from an intense care in the hospital where he got through a difficult operation but before all this, he came barely alive from God knows where on the FOOT.
He must have been absolutely exhausted but he still stayed there with them, listening to their every story and small talk to gather his attention and he also had to evade and run left and right from some of them after they started fighting.
They started to feel horrible.
"Of course!"
"Like mom said we're here if you need something, especially m…ugh, ouch Lucy! So that want to play huh!"
The Loud matriarch wanted to stop her sporty younger daughter from literally jumping on her roommate, but before she made a quick silent sign towards Lincoln to go towards his room that he reluctantly followed when she saw him going up the stairs slowly but surely, she turned her head towards her daughters that started another fight in the middle of the living room.
"Girls we need to talk."
Her voice was not loud, she usually had to scream from the top of her lungs to be heard by her daughters when they were in the middle of one of their fights, but this time.
Her cold and serious voice was in equal quality to her loudest scream and that is proven by her daughters who in not even in a second, they all stopped fighting and looked at her with hard-to-read expressions ready to listen to what she had to say.
"Girls what I'm going to tell you right now is going to be difficult for me and for you as well, ok."
All her daughters nod their heads not voicing their understanding not waiting to speak out of turn. They knew that when their mother was using that voice, they better stay silent and listen.
Rita took a breath of air before to open her mouth.
"The…. Doctor…He told us…."
Even after stelling herself, she couldn't say it. The memories, the words were so fresh in her mind so deeply implanted in her heart, she could see clearly the face of the doctor when he tried to tell them the exact news, trying to keep an expressionless face, failing at how hollow his eyes looked and his eyebrows scrunch down with every word he told to the pained couple, trying to regain her voice she asked herself if she make the same face. She couldn't even speak properly.
Her shoulders shook a bit when she felt a big hand taking hers her blue eyes looked at her right and right there was her dear husband. He knew what she wanted to do and his green eyes assured her that he was there for her.
Rita felt a warmth in her chest, and a small smile appeared on her face a form of silent thanks that her husband understood immediately,
She turned her head towards her daughters who didn't say anything, waiting for their mother to speak but after the moment with their father, they knew.
This was not going to be pleasant.
"Girls, the doctor told us about Lincoln's condition. They told us about everything they found on his body and… they hurt, him but not how you think. They hurt him in the most horrible way, they told us the one who did was and because of this we have to make some rules."
Worry and confusion were evident on their faces, the younger sisters the most, while the older ones and Lisa her little genius, could be clearly as day see that they already think of some theories about the words, she said concerning their brother. Going between pure fury and sadness with every one of their own speculation their faces became darker and darker.
However, Rita knew she had to make it clear for them. They have to know so we will not aggravate Lincoln's situation. The blonde woman took a deep breath and squeezed her husband's hand feeling his warmth. Lynn didn't interfere, even if he wanted to continue this discussion himself and ease his wife's burden, he knew that this kind of topic would be more appropriate to be discussed between females even if it was not an easy task.
So, he made sure to silently support his wife, and be there for her if things go south.
Rita took another breath and started her explanation, hoping from the bottom of her heart that the youngest didn't catch on.
"When Luan started her business and she began to come home late we had a discussion about the… dangers… the ri-risks of what would happen if she was not careful. That's why we insisted that she would follow the curfew… that all of you follow it and be very careful… d-do you under-understand?"
She could feel how a pressure weight on her chest with every word, together with a burning sensation right in her heart, the words were harder and harder to say but she somehow finished them. Lifting her blue eyes from the ground she looked at her daughters.
Being suddenly remembered of a such random memory their minds needed a couple of seconds to let the memory sink in and the meaning behind it, shortly after all of their eyes widened in horror at the realization, their eyes getting moist trying their best to keep new tears coming in and the sound of the heavy and shuttering breaths made themselves hear in the room.
Lynn and Luna, red faces and trembling with barren teeth showed their canniness. Their eyes slowly became bloodshot in their anger. She could hear from where she stayed how their teeth grind in fury for those who did… that horrible act… on their little brother.
Lori, with widened eyes, froze in horror she almost fell on the floor if it wasn't for her little sister Leni who caught her in her arms. Leni had the same expression as Lori, but she didn't even look like she knew she caught her oldest sister in her arms or if she still holding her sister in her arms. Her wide eyes had a distant look in them. Like the act itself was a pure instinct, of her numb body.
Luan, she could see her face, when the news sank into her brain she covered her face with her palm and she could hear her hushed breathing and the soft whimpers coming from her mouth, but she quickly took them off when her little sister Lucy extended her little pale hand towards her. In a quick motion, she hugged her tight to her chest covering the bottom half of her face with her head. She didn't know if Lucy extended her hand because she wanted to comfort Luan or she herself wanted a hug, but it didn't matter, because they were there for each other.
From the younger ones, only Lisa realized about what the older ones were speaking, when the realization hit her she could only cover her glistening eyes with her small hand and sink as hard as she could her nails in her face using the pain to stop herself for crying even more than she already has. Meanwhile, the younger ones looking confused and scared at the older ones in the room trying to make sense of this situation.
"Who hurt him, Mom?"
For the most of the loud family surprised the one who spoke those words was Lola. The princess girl was looking at her mother with red eyes, showing clear signs she struggles to not cry but also shows a maturity that she had never shown before her twin Lana holding her hand looking the same but she involuntary let some tiny tears escape freely on her rosy cheeks.
Both their eyes were fixated on their mother standing straight, and forcing themselves to not treble as much as they could. Their mother looks at them surprised by this display of maturity and courage. Rita and Lynn suddenly realized that their daughters were much more mature than they would like to believe.
Rita took another breath, closing her eyes, and regained her strength. When she opened them, she was ready to continue it was hard but she knew she had to do this for them. She looked at her pink-loving daughter looking directly into her eyes.
"Sweety, your brother was hurt… he was very hurt by… possible … many bad, bad people. Some of them possibly female… gi-girls. That's why the doctor told us that to be careful in the close present of how we… get close to Lincoln from now on."
God, every word made her to be disgusted with herself, the mere thought that a woman like herself forcefully putting her hands on a child not older than 12 deeply repulsed her, an audible *gulp* was heard from her throat despising the dryness she felt in her mouth.
Disgust, fury, sorrow, shame, guilt and sadness. She could see all those emotions on each of her daughter's faces.
Once again, she felt she was choking, and her once again the warmth of her husband's hand, trembling while covering his mouth with his other hand to stop himself from crying was enough to bring her back. She stelled herself, and while looking at her daughters she said seriously.
"These are the rules…."
His steps were slow and light like he was walking on a sacred ground, and in a way for him, it really was. His greenish blue eyes looked at each detail of the hall, some small details, like small stains, and dents, and some photos he recognized, but there were also some he didn't or he forgot, and the fact he didn't know which made him deeply sad.
Without knowing he reached the end of the hallway. Standing in front of the door that looked so familiar and at the same time so different. The exact door that he opened and closed every single day since he was 4, the door to his so-called 'sanctuary' where he would, despite the size, always appreciate that the walls were a bit thicker than the rest of the house and stop most of the noise his sisters made on a daily basic.
While looking at the door with his big eyes, his hand slowly reaching up towards the doorknob grasping lightly the familiar metal he opened his door slowly. The door let out a familiar creak. The light from the hallway goes through the door letting out a very thick line of light that was illuminating mostly the wall in front of him.
Taking a little hesitant stepped in the room still grasping the door and reaching carefully his hands towards where he remembered the light switch was his hand slide a second on the cold wall till he reached the plastic switch his finger was on the button but he didn't press it.
What all this is an illusion? …a lie … another cruel dream, where he would wake up on that place wh-whe… where she…. She wou… wou-would do that again and then she would send him THERE where they would hurt him more.
His heart was beating so loudly that he thought he could see it through his shirt. He squeezed his eyes, wanting to bite his tongue as hard as he could before they would touch him again, before…
*click*
In his panic, he unintentionally pressed the light switch snapping his eyes open he saw,…
….
…his room.
Everything was the same as he remembered the posters, his muscle fish clock next to his bed… his bed?
On his bed looking straight ahead with its head slightly crooked to the left was a beige plushie rabbit with black eyes and nose wearing an exact polo shirt like his old one but his is purple.
His eyes sting a bit wanting to cry again but unfortunately, he didn't have any tears to give. He almost jumped on the bed snatching the plushie and hugging him strongly in his arms.
"I missed you so much Bun-Bun."
Bun-Bun was always his source of comfort for him. His parents gave it to him when he was just a baby and when he moved into his room and he was lonely he would always hug him to sleep. Bun-Bun was always there when he had a bad day, or when he wanted to let someone a worry or a secret.
His tired head hits softly the pillow, he turns around to his front towards the wall, not bothering to cover himself with any blanket or even changing his clothes, while still hugging the rabbit to his chest, his eyes close slowly having a little smile on his face.
While Lincoln just entered the dreamland and Rita was telling the girls the new rules a red truck parked in front of the Loud's house.
週次パワーステータス
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