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The symbol on my forehead took the shape of three interlocking comma-like shapes arranged in a circular fashion. Each comma had a unique orientation, with one pointing upwards, one downwards, and one to the side. Although it was a little strange, the odd design gave off the vague impression that the three shapes were aiming for a sort of balance amongst each other.
The design was very different from the one on my mother’s forehead, the same went for its color, hers was a light shade of green while mine matched the color of my hair, but according to her, there was nothing too strange about that.
Julia never really got into what this ‘Signum’ thing was, whenever I asked about it an expression of unease would spawn on her face that would pretty much signal the end of whatever conversation was to be had, even before it started.
I decided not to pursue the issue after considering the circumstances, especially since she’d just lost a close friend. Vreena’s death was obviously weighing on everyone, but it felt like they were being considerate of my childlike stature and avoiding an open discussion around the subject.
I’m sure Vreena would have had some smug remark to make if she ever saw them like this, but mourning was just a part of human nature, there wasn’t much that could be done about that. Even I wasn’t immune to such feelings of grief anymore, although the matter had been settled, I still couldn’t shake the feeling that her death was unwarranted, especially when considering the events leading up to it.
A murky feeling of regret still hung heavy in my chest, like a burden that was too great to swallow, this sensation was sure to haunt me in the days to come, but Vreena probably didn’t want anyone to agonize over her passing. The smile she wore in her final moments was one I rarely ever saw, but it wasn’t the kind of expression someone who feared death could form, that much I was certain of. If nothing else, I’ll atone for my carelessness by living up to her final wishes.
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“~There we go~” My mother nodded enthusiastically
As soon as she’d completed the final hour-long examination of my body, she abruptly decided that I needed a ‘good scrubbing’. I wasn’t opposed to the idea since I was more than capable of cleansing my own body, but to my surprise, Julia had something different in mind.
With an expression of relief on her face, the woman hoisted me under her arm and hauled me into the spacious bathroom. Before my senses could adjust to the dim lighting of the Aether crystal affixed to the ceiling and the resonant effect of the towering walls, I’d already been stripped of all my clothes and placed in the bathtub.
Without further ado, the water from the bird shaped faucet rained down on my sweltering body with merciless intensity, washing away the heat and fatigue in the process. Julia was squatting outside the confines of the bathtub, after slicking back her hair and tying it into the vague shape of a ponytail, she rolled up the sleeves of her oversized shirt that seemed like it belonged to my father - As soon as that was done, she squeezed out a handful of the aromatic cleansing agent, the ‘soap’ before proceeding to the next step of her cleansing conquest.
I stood there in a limp daze, relinquishing the strength in my limbs and giving in to the sensation of the damp cloth gliding along the surface of my skin as it conjured a veil of foamy bubbles in its wake.
Water was dripping from every inch of my body and yet I could still feel the subtle sensation of my face heating up. I don’t know how, but she must have sensed what I was feeling while she scrubbed away at my forearm.
Her green eyes peered up at me with a hint of mischief
“Fufu...Are you embarrassed, Liam?” She asked with a chuckle.
Shamefully, my eyes fell to the drifting trail of puffy white clouds at my feet. “I can shower on my own you know.....” That response came out in bits and pieces, lacquered in modesty.
“I know that, of course you can shower on your own.” Her weak words signaled the cessation of the damp cloths gliding motion, it slowly came to a halting stop in the middle of my chest. “Your mom’s just being a bit pushy right now.....this is more for me than it is for you, alright?” She whispered aloud.
Now that we were alone like this, and given the state she was in, I felt a bit compelled to bring up the issue at hand. “Mom, about Vreena...” I paused, searching for the right words that just weren’t falling into place.
“Yeah, I know.” She nodded, ignoring the sudden shiver that jolted her arms. “She’s gone.... I-Vreena and I were really good friends, but I know she wouldn’t want to see me moping around like this, so I’m going to smile, that’s what she would have wanted.”
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The burden on my chest was somehow lessened after she’d said that out loud, it was something I was already aware of but knowing that everyone else was aware of it too filled me with a sliver of reassurance.
“She was smiling the last time I saw her.” I said, adjusting my gaze. “She told me to smile more...”
Julia slowly lifted her head to glance at the thin curvature of my lips - “I see...that’s very much like her...” With her pupils still dilating, she replied with somber eyes.
The tilted smile she flashed me just now definitely wasn’t genuine, but it couldn’t be called deceitful either. Now that she was being forced to feign a gesture that would have otherwise been second nature for her, something flipped in my mind that made me want to lift her spirits.
“Never mind about the whole shower thing, I’m alright with it.” Both of my arms extended to their elastic limit as I widened my stance. “You can wash me all you like mom.”
After bursting into a sporadic fit of laughter, Julia floated to her feet with a smug grin.
“Goodness....I wasn’t expecting that from you, but alright.” Emphasizing the last word, she arched her fingers like a hawk's talon and wiggled them in the air with eerie anticipation.
“Heh-Heh-Heh.... You better not back out of this~” She remarked with fierce determination burning in her eyes, her soap coated hands prowled at me with slimy intent. The sight of her drawing closer to me with that mischievous look and a devious smile made me realize that I’d probably made a mistake somewhere, but alas, it was too late now.
“Alright little man, C’mere!” Her soapy hands lunged at me like a predator, coating everything from the wet strands of my hair to the soles of my feet in a sea of white foam. Consumed by the tickling gesture, I could do nothing else but surrender, surprisingly, I found myself laughing through it all.
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After that relieving bath, I followed behind Julia as she stepped across the door frame that gave way to the wider world, the sky was being dyed in a veil of red and as usual, a flock of cawing crows just conveniently happened to be flapping by right on cue as if this was their scheduled time or something.
She was now wearing something a bit more ‘fitting’ for the occasion, a pleated skirt that surpassed her knees and a lightly colored, short sleeved blouse. As soon as I’d cleared the door frame behind her -
“Ohh! Looks like your mom really did give you that scrubbing.” My father began laughing at the glistening sheen of my skin, right now it was probably smoother than ever before. I foolishly assumed I was prepared for the worst, but I didn’t actually think Julia was going to take the word ‘scrubbing’ literally.
“I think I did a pretty good job, right Liam?” She winked at me, her face beaming with pride.
“Is my skin supposed to sparkle like this?” I asked, pinching my glistening forearm.
“Yes” My mother laughed, “You’ll need it to sparkle like that from time to time.”
I had no idea what she was even talking about, but she seemed fairly confident in her own words.
“So I take it you're both ready to go?” he questioned, dimming his smile.
“More or less, I just didn’t want Liam walking around with all that sweat and fatigue sticking to him.” Julia answered in her own benevolence
“Are we going somewhere?” I asked, tugging on her skirt.
“Just a little walk” She said, taking a few steps forward and offering me her hand “It’s not that far from here.”
Rubbing my eyes, I accepted the gesture and matched her pace as she led me towards my father on the other side of the gate barring the Ashwell family home from the rest of the world. Like clockwork, the instant we met up, a dreadful yawn escaped my mouth, one too loud for these small hands to conceal.
Embarrassed, my gaze suddenly dropped to the floor, but my parents thought nothing of it, they just looked at each other and smiled.
“Guess it can’t be helped....” A manly murmur echoed from above me.
Before long, my body was enveloped by a weightless sensation as I got lost in the thrill of being lifted off the ground and positioned to sit just above the base of Oliver’s neck.
“There we go!” He brazenly declared, “That’s better isn’t it, Liam?”
“Mhmm; but the sun’s too bright.”
“One after the other huh?” Obviously dejected by the failure of his futile plan, I felt his shoulders sink a little. “It’s fine father, you can go.”
Spurred on by my words, he straightened his posture and aligned his body with the other passerby's on the scanty road. “Alright, honey we’re all set so let's move. Liam, careful not to fall off.”
“Got it.” I answered immediately despite the feeling of dethatched luster creeping over me, from my elevated position I heard a chuckle escape my mother, followed by her saying “How long has it been since we’ve done something like this....”
Her whisper, almost too weak for even the drifting winds, set off a flood of memories in the back of my mind, from the early days of my incarnation to the most recent scuffle with those mercenaries, all of it blurred through my mind like a sudden tempest.
In hindsight, it felt like a great deal had happened over these last four years but at the same time, not much at all. Like the setting sun in the distance, I could easily deduce that my dull days in this small town were coming to an end.