WillowWisp Street and the Everett's House

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The morning sky was painted with soft, colorful pastels, as the sun started it's descent from behind the horizon line and into the sky. A few clouds were scattered here and there, blotting out some of the stunning sunrise, but they only increased it's beauty. If you listened closely, some birds were chattering constantly, getting roused from their nests in the scarce trees on the block. The pink and orange hues of the sunrise would soon disintegrate, leaving the sun to take over and make the sky a brilliant blue. Against the tri-colored rainbow sky, trees, powerlines, and the roofs of houses were like shadows. These were the moments that made Skylar love her name.

The sky. It was a part of her, well, a part of her name. It meant so much more than just that to her though. The sky was brilliant, lovely, and warm, and she paled so much in comparison with it. Yet, her mother had still decided to name her after it. Every now and then she wondered why for hours and hours, but sometimes she just accepted the fact that there was no way for her to know why, or even get close. She never dared to ever to think she could even compare to it, since that was impossible. Who would be able to compare to such a beautiful thing?

Upon the small porch of Carol and William's house, Skylar was sitting at the top of the steps. Leaning against one of the side railings, she was curled up in a small ball. A quilt and her own black hair draped around her shoulders and pajamas, fending off the very same frigid early September air that was nipping at her bare toes. She wasn't paying attention to this though, instead, her eyes were locked on solely one thing; the sunrise. Admiration, adoration, and awe gleamed in the reflective surface of her bright green eyes, at the sight of the unfolding sunrise before her.
It was around eight in the morning, maybe fifteen minutes before. Skylar had been out here ever since five though, sitting on the porch in solitude with only the quilt from her bed to keep her warm. As her mother had used to say, 'Skylar rose with the morning sky'. Of course, this wasn't true; it was only because of her insomnia and deathly fears of nighttime and sleeping that she never slept in like normal teenagers, and her other siblings. Sometimes she wondered if all of these would truly go away after she got the cure, since the scientists said anything like fears and worries would go away after the procedure, and she'd be happy for the rest of her life.

Breathing out, the black-haired girl watched as her breath formed what looked like a puffy little cloud. After two or three seconds, it faded away into the crisp air of the early Saturday morning, and Skylar did it all over again. She loved doing this; sitting on the porch to watch the sunrise, and watching her breath float through the air. It was one of her favorite parts of the day, and even though she did it over, and over, and over again, she never once had gotten bored of it. It calmed her down. It surrounded her with a peculiar warmth that drowned away all the tiresome frights from the horrid night before. It reminded her of her mother.

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A tiny black-haired girl with bright green eyes sat on the porch, staring out at twisting sea of colors before her. She was dressed in only her pajamas, and had nothing to keep her warm from the chills that pressed and poked at her visible skin. She didn't notice this though, even though the surface of her skin was as cold as icicles in Winter. She probably wouldn't even have noticed if she had developed hypothermia by now.

"Lala, what're you doing out here?" The familiar voice came floating out from the direction of the door, and the sound of it closing followed it. The girl's mother was now standing on the porch, watching her little five year old black-haired daughter stare out across the sky. She had been talking to some of her other children, when she noticed the absence of one little optimistic girl.

The girl's bright green eyes specked with gold turned to reveal themselves to her mother, the girl having to twist her body a bit to do so. "Watching the sun come out," she said simply, wondering why her mother wasn't doing the same. "Doesn't everybody watch it?"

Her mother raised an eyebrow slightly, before laughing softly and walking over to sit down next to her feeble daughter on the porch, "Well, not everybody, but it sure is beautiful." Wrapping her arms around the pale body of her daughter, she almost pulled back as quick as she had hugged her. Her skin was freezing cold, you could even call it snow with it's pale complexion and freezing surface. A look of worry crossed her face, and she stared down at her daughter, hoping she wouldn't have a fever later, or maybe even the flu.
"Aren't you cold," she asked, before adding, "and tired?"

Confusion shone through Skylar's eyes as she blinked up at her mother, wondering why she even thought such a thing. Shaking her head, she pointed out towards the sunrise, silently wishing she could be closer to it, be surrounded and embraced by it's majestic appearance and colors. "No, it's morning, so doesn't that mean everybody's supposed to wake up?" she said. "And the fire's warming be up. Isn't it warming you up too?"

For a brief second, her mother wondered what she meant by 'the fire'. Realization hit her as quick as the question did, however, and she smiled softly as she glanced at the brilliant sunrise, drowning the town of Portland in colors of orange, red, yellow, and pink. "Just because it's morning doesn't mean you have to wake up, Sky..." she said softly, staring out at the sun as it inched it's way into the sky before turning her attention back to her daughter. "And the fire's very, very warm, and beautiful... But I don't think it'll keep you completely warm."

Skylar frowned a tiny bit, obvious disappointment showing through her expression. What did her mother mean the fire wouldn't keep her warm? It confused her greatly, but then again, she didn't even know that it wasn't a fire in the first place. "What do you mean?"

"Well," her mother started to say, but soon trailed off. She didn't want to say that it wasn't a fire, like how she didn't ever want to say she was infected with the deliria. It was better to let her daughter, and the rest of her children, stay happy for as long as they could. Of course, the truth would soon backfire at some point, but they were all so young. Theo had ever started to tell her that what she was doing was wrong, even though he was only five.
"Never mind. It's a secret." Smiling again, she leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. "I'll tell you sometime."

A huff came in return to her mother's teasing, and Skylar stuck out her lower lip in a pout as she crossed her arms. This earned a bright laugh from her mom, which made her smile a bit again. "Promise?" she asked, not wanting to have to wait to know the secret.

"Promise."

At some point, her mother would tell Skylar the truth about the sunrise. Just like at some point, she would tell all her children about how infected she was. She wished she could just keep all these secrets locked up in a little box, and toss it into the ocean, freeing her children of all worries and cares. In this world, there was no possible way though, not even through the cure.
For now, she just had to continue smiling, even if all the smiles concealed drops of sadness.

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Drowsily, Sylar's eyes fluttered open, consciousness slowly starting to come back to her. For a few seconds, she just remained there, leaning against the railing, wanting to sink back into a world of happy, yet saddening memories. There was a loud creaking sound filling her ears, along with what sounded like footsteps. Her mother, her mother, was she heading down the stairs of the porch in the night that she left? Was she maybe still alive, and coming up the stairs to sweep Skylar up in her arms? No... that wasn't the sound. Awareness then slapped Skylar in the face, and she sat up abruptly, glancing around with wide eyes. Aunt Carol was heading down the stairs inside the house, and, even from out on the porch, the sound echoed throughout the air.

She must've drifted off for a few minutes, as much as it horrified her. Pictures, thoughts, memories, and the sound of her mother's voice lingered in her mind, refusing to budge, and a fleeting forlorn look showed in her eyes. Push the thoughts away, push them away. she willed herself, tears threatening to fall. To her relief, Aunt Carol's voice then came to her rescue, distracting her to keep the memories from flooding over her.

"Skylar!" A muffled click followed the familiar call, and the sound of a window sliding open. Carol was already in the kitchen, probably preparing breakfast. It must be a pain to have to cook for eight people every single day, Skylar would think ever now and then. Then again, Carol hadn't offered to take care of the six siblings out of care or love, it was simply out of responsibility and family duty.
"If you get sick from being out there in the cold every single morning, don't expect to get any special treatment from me or William," Carol said, narrowing her eyes at Skylar. Skylar knew Carol never liked her habit of coming out here on the porch in the morning, especially since she always would come out before Carol was awake. This was almost just as bad as breaking curfew, in Carol's point of view. As Skylar looked backed at her aunt, she caught a look at the clock inside. Eight o'clock. She must've drifted off for only fifteen or ten minutes, which was a slight relief.

For the first month when the Everetts moved in with Aunt Carol and Uncle William, almost every single night, Skylar would come out onto the porch once Carol had fallen asleep, and would sleep out on the small bench, curled up in the thickest quilt she could manage to find. These nights were usually spent sobbing, and hiding in her little mass of blankets whenever she heard regulators pass by, hoping they wouldn't see her. Luckily, the regulators had never noticed her cowering on the porch, but Carol certainly had. She had been scolded countless times in that month, and at some point, she gave in. It was then that she started to climb out of the window in the bedroom she shared with Theo and Fishi, to crawl up onto the roof and sleep up there under the stars, and even now, she still does it sometimes.

"I know," Skylar said, her voice soft and honey-like, yet quiet, like if she spoke too loud she'd ruin the beautiful sunrise. To look at her aunt, she had to adjust herself a bit, despite the fact that she hadn't wanted to move from her comfy spot. "I've been making sure to bring the thickest blanket I can find out with me every morning, and I'll start to wear my coat as it gets colder." Of course, she'd probably get sick at some point, even with the coat, but she didn't care. As long as there was a time when the sun came up, lighting up the sky and ridding the town of nighttime, even if just for a bit, Skylar would be happy.

A tsk came from Carol's direction, and as she closed the window to keep the cool air from drifting in, Skylar heard her mumble something about how one day the regulators will probably get mad at her for being out on the porch so early. She simply disregarded this though, and turned her attention back to observe how much the scene of the sunrise had changed. The sky now looked like a sea of cotton candy, drizzled with many layers of honey. It brought a small giggle to Skylar's mouth, at the thought of what such a thing would taste like. Cotton candy and honey would probably taste gross. She'd have to try it sometime.

The little amount of sleep Skylar had gotten the night before now was taking it's toll, and Skylar's face turned tired. Nosing back up against the railing, she pulled the quilt tighter around herself, wondering if any of her other siblings had woken up by now. Maybe she would be able to go and pester Theo to give her a piggy back ride? Well, she'd go inside to see if he and the rest of her siblings were awake later, for right now, she just wanted to remain out on the porch, watching the sun's never ending climb. Anyways, if anyone needed her, they'd know where to find her. She wished she could just watch the sunrise forever though, the very same sunrise that washed away every worry in the world. Of course, she knew it could never last forever. There was always a beginning, and an end. Like life and death. Like when you are born, and when you get the cure.

I shouldn't even think of things like that... she thought, shaking her head as if it would literally shake away the thoughts. Standing up, she held the quilt around her shoulders as she went inside, rubbing her eyes to try and get rid of the tiredness.

"Skylar, breakfast should be ready in around ten minutes. Go wake up everybody else," Carol said, "William plans to head to the Stop-N-Save after breakfast, so he's already awake."

Skylar grabbed the quilt in one of her hands, and let it fall to the ground. A yawn escaped her parted lips, and she stretched her arms above her head, before replying to what Carol told her to do. "Alright," she mumbled, heading through the tiny living room before starting her trek up the creaky stairs. Hopefully Theo would carry her back down the stairs, since she really didn’t want to have to walk all the way back down the stairs.

"Theo, Fishi!” she hollered, finally reaching the top of the 'mountain', getting an irritated call from her aunt downstairs at the racket. "Tux, Hannah, Lulu! Dinner- Wait, wait… breakfast! Breakfeast's ready! Well, soon to be ready!”

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While it didn't surprise him to hear his twin yell out his name along with their four other siblings, it made his sleeples morning even less appealing. He often wondered if Skylar knew that he woke up most of the time when she did.Maybe it was a twin thing, he honestly had no idea. He knew for a fact Finn didn't wake up, that boy could probably sleep through a bomb raid right over their house. Well, their aunt and uncles' house. Not one part of it was theirs, save for the few things they brought with them from their mothers' house.

The thought set him to writhing inside. He hadn't even bothered to count the years since she had been taken away. She wasn't their mother, not by his standards. Pushing the thoughts out of his mind Theo stood up and stretched, the mass of scars twisting and pulling on his skin where it no longer grew. Some of them were old and faded, some where newer, pink and healing. But the one people noticed the most when they ever caught him without his shirt on was the one that started just under his let shoulder blade, wound it's way across his back, around his right side, and then crossed over his abdomen, ending just above his left hip. While it certianly wasn't his newest, it was probably the whitest, and certianly was his longest. All five of his siblings had asked him about it, and he had told not a one. Despite what he did, if anyone found out he was wandering out into the Wilds, it'd be a one-way ticket into the Crypts for him, but on the opposite side he wanted to be.

He wandered over to his dresser, his bare feet padding on the cold floor as he walked. He pulled on a simple black t-shirt, ran a hand through his shaggy mussed hair, and pulled on his jacket. He stared at his reflection. He looked almost haunted. A bitter smile crossed his face at that, and he rubbed his eyes, trying to make it look like he wasn't ready to fall asleep on his feet. He passed his younger brothers' empty bed on his way out of the room, raising one eyebrow. It wasn't often Finn was already out of the room before him. Maybe he had dozed back off and not noticed.

He walked out into the hallway, stopping next to his twin sister. By the look of her, wrapped up in the quilt off her bed and all red-faced, she had been outside. He had only known when she had woken up, and then he'd lain there in the dark. He never really payed attention to where she went or what she did, so long she stayed in or around the house. Letting out a slight huff, he looked at Sky and said, "You're going to catch your death of cold, getting up like this every morning. You know that, right?"

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"Lucy."
The two year old turned around at the sound of her mother's voice. She smiled happily at her mother, waiting for her to continue her sentence. When her mother did not continue to speak, Lucy bounded over to her, nearly stumbling over her own feet on the way, to which her mother chuckled. She picked the little girl up in her arms, before placing her upon her lap.

"Lucy, Lucy, Lucy.." she murmured, humor in her voice. "What have you done to yourself?"
Lucy didn't respond, not sure what the question was. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? She glanced down at her dress, only now noticing the large, purple stain that covered the floral print. She blushed slightly, before putting a hand to her hair, which she could tell was wild.

"I.. I dunno, Mama," the little girl admitted, blushing. Her mother smiled warmly at her, shaking her head slightly. Her smile didn't reach her eyes, though, which were filled with sadness. Lucy took no notice of this, though, as she chewed the end of her sleeve.

Her mother gently pulled the little girl's hand away from her mouth. "Just remember, Lucy, that I-"

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The sound of her sister's voice awoke her from her slumber.
Lucy opened her deep blue eyes, wincing at the sudden change of lighting. The rays of the rising sun shone through a crack in the curtain. She slipped out from under the green duvet cover before making her bed drowsily.

She blinked away the sleep from her eyes as she got undressed, and into some sweats and a loose tank. She knew Carol and William would most likely be annoyed that she looked a mess, but she didn't really care. She wasn't really bothered to dress up, and hopefully she could just stay inside all day. She grabbed a dark jacket before sluggishly heading downstairs.

Her dream still rocked around her head, unsure what to think. She had these dreams often, but didn't tell anyone. They were just dreams, after all. She was having a hard time deciphering what was imagination and what was memory.

When the fifteen year old entered the dining room, she wasn't surprised to see that she was the last one there. Lucy wasn't known for being an early bird, and she certainly wasn't a morning person. She sluggishly shuffled into the dining room, smiling sleepily.

"Moooorrnniiing!" Lucy said, her tired voice still louder than comfortable. She sat down in her usual chair, so short her feet could barely touch the ground, Though Lucy was fifteen, she could be mistaken for a twelve year old.

She ran a hand through her wild hair, then realizing what a complete mess it was, tried to tame it, but to no avail. She finally sighed and grabbed a hair tie from around her wrist, tying it in a messy bun.

"Hello, my dearest siblings," she said cheerfully, before chuckling. She sat and waited for breakfast.

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Theo grit his teeth together and said nothing as his eldest sister, Hannah, ruffled his hair. All it did was remind him of their mother, which only mad him seeth with anger. Klein passed, and made his way downstairs with a simple 'good morning', and he stood, stoic and silent as the others made their own way to the table. He sighed as he listened to his twin babble on about sunrises, and raised an eyebrow when she said something about him joining her. Before he could even so much as reply, she had bounded, and nearly fell, down the set of stairs, slipping through the house to the dinning area.

Shaking his head, Theodin slowly followed after her, and sat down just as his Aunt said something about wanting them all in before eight that night. Theodin stared down at his plate. A storm then? Storms usually meant scavengers and Invalids would be cropping up in town, wanting to get supplies so they could survive the storm. Which also meant a perfect opportunity for him to lurk around the fence, and prey upon those unwise enough to enter in daylight. Or he could slip over into the Wilds and do some hunting there, plenty of the weaker ones who would be left behind. To top it off, both his Aunt and Unlce would be out for most of the day. So long as he could slip away from his other siblings he would be just fine. Now all he had to do was formulate a plan.

He had said not a word to anyone since sitting down, instead staring intently at his food, deep in thought. He hadn't touched the food either. Anything said in his directions was either ignored or brushed off with a mumble.

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"Good morning you all," said Aunt Carol, not bothering to glance up as she spoke. Lucy didn't bother with a response, just waited for Carol to finish her sentence. "Just to warn you all, there's a dangerous storm said to be coming tonight, around eight, so don't be deceived by the clear sky, or the warm weather." Ooh, dangerous storm. How exciting. Lucy smiled silently to herself as she listened to her Aunt, not really thinking about her words.
"I want you all to be home before eight, since me and your Uncle have a big day today, so we're also planning to head to bed by then. " This wasn't a problem, at least not for Lucy.

"Be in your rooms, or at least inside. Skylar, that means no watching the sunset."
This comment seemed to annoy her sister, who huffed with annoyance.
"I only like watching sunrises, not sunsets," Skylar replied. Lucy knew better than to ask the question she was thinking, which was, What's the difference? Skylar stuck her tongue out when Carol turned away, making Lucy giggle slightly, before Skylar sat down at the table.

"Hi," Lucy said, a slight greeting to her older, yet shorter sister. She traced little drawings with her finger on the table as she continued. "Err, what are you planning to do today?" she continued, awkwardly trying to make conversation. As stated before, Lucy as definitely not a morning person. This was her least favourite time of day, when her mind wasn't woken up yet, so she couldn't even have a proper conversation without seeming strange.

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The day had gone by quicker than she'd thought. She'd spent the day studying mostly, cleaning up casually around the house, daily chores. Though souding extremely boring, it was normal for Hannah and she tried to make the best of most things. It was about 7 in the evening, and she'd lost track of time. She'd planned on starting her run at 6, and be home by at most 7. Usually, she ran though a path in the woods, jogging nicely until she reached her usual stopping point by a spring. There she'd take a quick drink, and start to head back. As always today would be no different, because messing something up in her schedule may just give her a break down. Running gave her space to think, or to clear her head of pressing thoughts.

She leaned over her knee, her right foot up on her bed. She tied her laces of the shoe, then let her foot slide off the covers. She stood up straight and tall in front of a full length mirror. She wore her running shorts and tshirt. Her semi-old sneakers were still in pretty good shape, and her hair was pulled up into a pony tail, the tip just touching the back of her neck.

She left her room, closing the door lightly behind her. She gracefully made her way down the stairs, her hair lightly bouncing along with her. At the bottom she called for her Aunt, or anyone really, saying she was going on a run. No one responded that she heard, which she expected. She didn't give much time for an answer either, eager to leave. She slipped through the front door, shutting it behind her. There she stood outside of the house, stretching a bit before she began to jog down towards the trees.

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She was aware that there was a chance of rain, and she'd hoped she'd make him home before it would hit. It was around 7:40 when she'd felt a small drop of rain hit her cheek. She'd brushed it off, and decided she might want to pick up her pace. Though she thought she was making progress, it was pouring at 7:55. Drenched, soaked, tired, and somewhat breathless, she decided she should take some sort of shelter for the time being. She was blinded by darkness and water, but she could make out an overhang.

Once she'd entered, she pulled the tie out of her hair, and let her red locks fall. She was ringing the water out of her hair when she noticed she wasn't alone. From what she saw, he was male, taller than her, with dark hair. She started to say something, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Oh.. um. I didn't see you there.. I hope you don't mind I join you to take shelter.." she started and trailed off. He seemed deep in thought, and she felt a bit guilty for disrupting him. Just then a boom of thunder and a flash of lighting hit, making her jump a bit. Caught slightly off guard, she flinched, but luckily she wasn't very scared of storms, and it wouldn't be a huge problem.