Stryard paced back, forth, and the perimeter. Twenty-one steps one way and eleven steps the other sometimes he would miss count or loose balance so his numbers was always a bit different. He had by now remembered every microscopic dent, every pebble to big rock, and every creepy crawler that it no longer fazed him to blindlessly walk from one wall to another. The only thing that stirred real emotions and prevented him from completely losing his mind was the partial visits of his father. His father have become his entire world, sun and moon, right and wrong, and the law yet even months later when Alex was mentioned all was rejected. Could he follow his father and love his brother was the question that constantly racked his brain. Today was no different than waiting for the sun to rise. One click of the tongue. Two click of the tongue...fifteen clicks....nineteen...twenty...twenty-one...twenty two clicks of Stryard tongue past when the only way out opened and through the 8x8 square hole his father's head poked through and then the rest of him followed, but before he had both feet squarely planted on the ground Stryard’ s knocked him to the ground like an excited puppy.

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"Hello Stryard.” A faint smile flashed across Vessuillus face like a defective light-bulb if only for a second. “Hi father. How long are you going to stay this time?" Stryard snuggled into his father’s chest.

"For some time. Everyone's busy for some time."

Stryard feeling even braver than ever buried his face deeper in Vess chest.

"Are you happy Stryard?"

Stryard nodded. "I am now. Can you talk to me?" he purred.

"I want you to try and do something."

"Hmm...?" Stryard sighed nearly sleeping from happiness. Vessuillus took his son's shoulders back arm length to wake him up, looked him in the face. "Try and use your gift on me."

“I can't at least not without causing pain."

"We can at least take some of it away. Fill the room with butterflies." Vessuillus said like he says everything else, with command. Stryard eagerness to please outweighed his confusion. He sat up focused into his father's eyes. Vessuillus patiently sat and waited...and waited....and waited.

Vess knew when Stryard eyes darted back and forth rapidly at the ceiling before he was forced into a pain withering kneel. 'How could this be broken?' he thought.