Twinkle's Story: Chapter 28 (Special)

3 YEARS AGO

The young fox's golden blonde hair flows down, a sense of warmth embedded in her hair. Her paws move in the way only angels can. As a long strand of her hair falls in front of face, right against the right side of her snout, she pauses in her work to fix her hair. With much precision, she ties her hair back again.

The older fox leans slightly forward and looks down at the younger one. She looks at the pale golden colored fox who kneels down, level with the other one's calves. After a moment of hesitation she asks the younger fox, "Why are you doing this?"

The angelic fox replies, "Because I don't like seeing you hurt."

The other fox, not yet satisfied with the answer, speaks again. "It really isn't necessary..."

About to say another word, the pale golden fox stands up tall again. Her eyes, though blurry and cloudy, shine a brilliant light. The cloudy white light shines intensely. The other fox, getting intimidated, squints her eyes against the white light. About to speak again, she just ends up swallowing the air. The younger fox gently places a paw on the older fox's pale orange colored shoulder. "Just remember I'll always be there with you."

She then smiles due to the gentle touch. "You're lucky, Fauna. You can't see the ugliness in all of them."

Fauna slowly takes her paw off the other fox's shoulder, and takes a step back. She sighs and then says, "I don't think you truly understand, Twinkle..."

Feeling guilty, Twinkle says, "Oh gosh, I'm sorry I referred to your blindness!"

Fauna just giggles. "No, that's not what I meant." She steps forward again.

"I might be blind in this state, but I still clearly see the beauty in everyone."

Interrupting Twinkle's objection, she clarifies her words. "Yes, everyone has beauty in themselves." After a moment's pause, she continues. "Actually, Twinkle, I honestly don't mind being vision impaired; blind. Want to know why?"

"Why..." Twinkle just breathes the word out.

"I'm only able to see the beauty in everyone, and I can just simply block out their ugliness. But that doesn't make me see everyone as perfectionists; I see their flaws too."

"Oh you..." Twinkle murmurs, starting to get up.

"Watch it! I just put a bandage on your knee."

Twinkle carefully gets up, and hugs her sister. "With you, I'll always know that my wounds will heal." She suddenly becomes teary-eyed as she recalls earlier events from that day.

Surrounded. The rough bark against my back. Attempting escape. Tripping over rocks. Falling down. Down, down, down. Scraped knees.  Drops of blood appearing on the more severed one. Words like knives, slicing up the remaining parts of my dignity.

As long as Fauna and I are together, I'll have a reason to live. I love her more than anything and anyone.

~*~*~*~

"Shouldn't you be finishing your homework, Twinkle? Come on, right to it!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. In five more minutes."

Next to Twinkle sitting on the couch, Fauna lies down. Even though her eyes are closed, her ears are still alert. Hearing every noise- the TV, their father, Twinkle.

Their father goes right up to the TV, and presses the button to turn it off. "Do your homework now. It's better than interrupting your sleeping sister."

"Dad, she's not sleep--"

"I said now!" The father's rage is heard in his voice.

"What's all the fuss about?" Fauna asks quietly, even though she clearly heard everything.

Saying in a soothing voice to Fauna, he says, "It's alright, Fauna. You can go back to sleep."

Sitting up, Fauna says, "Oh, I wasn't sleeping."

Completely ignoring Fauna, he speaks to his other daughter again. "Do your homework right now, Twinkle!"

Twinkle says meekly, "I finished it already, Daddy."

Frustrated, he shouts at her. "You really want me to believe such nonsense?"

"But I did!"

"Then show me!"

Defeated, Twinkle mutters, "Fine, I'll go finish it."

Twinkle gets up off the couch, walking past her father without saying a single word, in the direction of her backpack.

~*~*~*~

Hesitating before entering the room, she holds the math workbook closer to her chest. She gulps and then takes a step inside the room. "Umm, Daddy...."

"Excuse me for a sec," the father speaks into the phone, and then places it on the table. Facing Twinkle who stands in the place where the door would be if it's shut, he says curtly, "Can you see I'm busy here, Twinkle?" He rearranges the load of office papers on his desk in his home office.

"I'm sorry..." Twinkle says, submissively, then exits the room.

When she turns back around, she sees that the door is now closed. Her father continues his business talk on the phone.

She sighs as she goes back to the place where she completes her homework. 

As she struggles with the last math problem that remains unsolved, she looks out the window. The stars shine brightly in the pitch black sky.

Tapping the eraser end of her pencil on the top right part of her head, she sighs.

"Never leave me. You're the only one who has a basic understanding of what I'm going through every day. I need you....."