[13.1] Time To Lock The Windows

[Author's note: This is a memory from the FL's first life.]

I could hear sobbing around me as I held a picture frame of an older boy similar in appearance to my own. My eyes were swollen from the endless nights I lay in bed crying.

The smell of flowers was so strong it made me want to vomit.

They aren't even his favorite type of flower.

An older woman touched my shoulder, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

I turned to her and nodded, "Thank you, Auntie."

She then moved to my father who looked at her with detachment in his eyes. She patted his shoulder, "No father should bury their own son."

He nodded at her and she moved on. Then, the next person came.

It was exactly the same.

They all said the same things.

They all looked at us in pity.

Everyone avoided my mother who wailed hysterically at the foot of a coffin surrounded by a variety of flowers.

After everyone expressed their condolences, we all sat down and listened as the priest came in to deliver the blessing. I could barely hear his bells over the sound of my mother screaming.

Once the funeral concluded, my father quickly left to go back to work. Never once did he check on me nor my mother. Soon, the only people who were left behind were my mother and me. The workers carefully approached me with timid faces. One spoke, "I-I'm sorry… But there's a funeral after this one so we will have to politely ask you to leave…"

I let out a sigh and went to my mother's side. She was kneeled at the foot of the casket, crying into her hands. I nudged her cautiously, "Mother…. We have to leave…"

I could hear her muttering something and furrowed my brow as I tried to make out her words.

"Mother? What are you saying?"

Suddenly, she spun around with a vicious look. My eyes widened as I flinched back in fear. I had never seen my mother look at me that way before.

Her voice was as poisonous as a snake, "It's all your fault."

I took a step back, "W-What?"

She stood up and used her strength to smack my cheek, "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

I grabbed my cheek and watched in horror as my mother suddenly started to double in size, towering over me.

Before I could react, she jumped on me to attack with frighteningly sharp nails.

I started sobbing as my mother scratched and screamed at me.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

I fell to the ground grabbing my head in the fetal position as she continued to attack me.

Eventually, her voice faded and the attacks ceased.

I could only hear my sobs as the world started to fade around me.

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

It's all my fault.

Surrounded by darkness, I suddenly felt a cold but gentle touch on my shoulder. I choked on my sobs as I looked up to see who had touched me. There was a woman standing beside me who was so bright, she lit up the darkness around me.

She smiled gently, "My precious Rei of sun…"

I stared at her with tears rolling down my cheek, "Who *hic* who are you?"

She didn't say a word and silently reached down to take my hand. She patted it gently, "It's not your fault."

….

[Author's note: This part is in the present day.]

I slowly woke up and rubbed my eyes. I furrowed my brow when I realized that there were tears drying on my cheeks. I raised an eyebrow, "What the-"

Zephyr yawned and glanced at me in his fox form, "You were crying in your sleep again."

I made a face, "I keep having bad dreams lately."

Zephyr looked at the flower pot next to my bed, "I think those flowers are giving you bad dreams."

I rolled my eyes, "How can flowers give someone a bad dream? They are just flowers."

He shrugged, "Yeah, but they are pungent."

I looked over at the flowers silently. After I had saved Felix and Cyrus from those shadow puppets, Felix insisted on giving me new flowers every day. And although the flowers were harmless, the smell was a bit too strong. It reminded me of…

That day.

I groaned, "They are strong aren't they…"

He saw my disgusted face and spoke, "Why do you keep them around if you can't stand them?"

I twirled my hair, "I couldn't say no… Felix started crying and I panicked."

This is why I can't handle children. After I saved Felix, he started giving me these flowers almost every day. He would even come to my house to drop them off. I tried to turn them down, but then he started crying! I panicked and took them from him. I even promised to keep them at my bedside just so he would stop crying!!

I let out a sigh, "He even said I didn't like him and that I wanted him to die. All. Because. I. Didn't. Want. His. Flowers. This is why I can't stand children!!!"

Zephyr looked at me sleepily, "You know you could have accepted them and then thrown them away."

My face twitched, "I thought about that… But then I remembered his happy face when I took them and I didn't have the heart to do it."

He yawned, "Are you sure you don't like children? Because it sounds like you do."

I glared at him, "I. Don't. Children are selfish, evil little parasites who only want to see you suffer."

"Then why are hanging around them?"

"I'M NOT HANGING AROUND THEM!!!" I cried out pitifully, "They keep following me around! That little blonde boy is like a weed! The more you try to get rid of him, the more he comes!!"

Zephyr snickered, "He is rather persistent. I don't understand why you don't just kill him. That would solve all your problems."

I frowned, "Why are your solutions always murder?"

"Because it solves everything."

I rolled my eyes, "While also creating new problems."

He clicked his tongue, "You are so picky."

I looked out the window with a frown, "Ah. Today is my last day of freedom, isn't it?"

"Freedom? You mean the last day of your suspension after you almost blew up the entire Academy?"

My face twitched, "D-Don't be so dramatic."

Zephyr snickered and put his head back down on the bed, "That was really interesting to watch. You should have seen how much they all glared at you."

I clicked my tongue, "They act like I blew up the whole school. I only made a tiny, little crater in the courtyard. They can use magic to fix it, so I don't see what the problem is."

He rolled his eyes, "You really do use magic to solve everything."

I looked at him innocently, "Why wouldn't I?"

*BANG*

We both flinched and looked over to see an owl smashed against the window. I frowned as the owl transformed into a person and let himself into my room.

I muttered to myself, "I need to start locking my windows."