Through The Fractured Lens

Lucian

I settled myself beneath the shade of an oak tree, excited to enjoy a moment of peace. As I gazed up at the sky, my mind wandered upon the clouds. Despite the recent chaotic events, I found a sense of peace in their slow movement as they travelled to the ends of the earth.

What would it be like to be a cloud? I asked myself. To have no responsibilities weighing down on you, just drifting aimlessly through the open sky. It seemed like such a simple yet peaceful existence.

As I sat there, it felt like hours had passed. Lost in my own thoughts, I wondered about the purpose of my existence. I had done nothing noteworthy in my 7 years of life, and I didn't even have a real home to call my own. Time seemed to drag on endlessly, wearing me down as the days went by. My only escape was school, while sad to say, at least I could distract myself with different forms of education, to enlighten myself, or even talk to a few friends that I had made through the very few years I'd been alive.

Even though I was only 7, I felt like I'd lived centuries. Time moved so slow in the vast thought of everything—every day felt like a year had passed.

But even then, I couldn't answer my own question.

Finally, one of the police officers from the station interrupted my thoughts. Grateful for the break from my own mind, I thanked him silently for his presence.

"It's time to go. Are you ready?" The officer asked, sounding almost reluctant. I didn't blame him; who would want to be a personal driver for a 7-year-old like myself? Even in my situation, I didn't want to be here either. But everything was beyond my control, and I had to make the best of it.

"I'm ready."

The officer glanced down at me and then at a small box sitting in the grass next to the tree where I had been sitting. It was marked with my name—Lucian—in black sharpie. Inside were a few of the only possessions I had truly ever valued in my short life—a worn teddy bear, a few books that I grown quite fond of recently, and a locket given to me by my late Uncle Orin. He said it belonged to his mother and would help guide me through tough times in the future. But I couldn't bring myself to open it; every time I looked at it, it reminded me too much of him.

***

"Lucian? Hurry up, we don't have all day." The officer's voice snapped me out of my self-induced trance. "Oh, sorry. Coming." I hurriedly gathered the box and stumbled over myself trying to keep up with the officer.

Once we reached the car, I quickly placed my box neatly in the back and got in, sensing the impatience coming from the officer, which was clear as day. I hadn't learned his name yet, but it was clear that he didn't care for formalities.

As we drove off, I didn't bother trying to make small talk. I knew any attempts would just annoy him more than provide a distraction. It was going to be a long ride, and I tried to push away the fear that had been building up inside me, wondering what's next for me.

I lost sense of reality as I drifted back into my thoughts, staring out the window at the endlessly passing array of trees. I'm quite smart for my age, I'd have to admit. While that came with quite a few benefits, including being able to properly converse with adults, it also came with quite a few negatives. I was shunned by a lot of others my age, including adults as well, who seemed to have a growing inferiority complex.

I wondered, in the end, would anything I do matter? Would, in 100 years, people remember the great and mighty Lucian? Or would I be lost in time, my life efforts so frail and void of any true accomplishment to write in the history books?

The car hit quite the bump on the road, dragging me back to reality. Taking a second to collect my thoughts, I realized we had left those lush forests that I was amazed by and were now driving through a small, yet beautiful town. Weathered buildings and old-fashioned shops lined the streets, which have clearly seen better days. However, I noticed quite the abundance of people walking around.

"Where are we? And what is with the crowd?" I asked, the curiosity overpowering the resolve to remain silent the whole way.

The officer took a second to reply, his eyes never even shifting off the road ahead. "Millbrook. Your new home, for now. And, about the crowd—it's quite normal. This town seems to have quite the active community."

I didn't reply, silently accepting the information given. The answer had felt lackluster, however I wasn't even sure what I wanted from that. Maybe I just didn't want the conversation to end, fearing that cold silence setting in again. However, my fears quickly intensified, as the car slowed down to a halt. We had arrived.

"Do we really have to do this?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Sadly, you don't have much of a choice." The officer replied, a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"I guess you're right." I mumbled.

"Maybe it'll be good for you. They seem like quite the nice couple, eager to start a new life with you. Show some spirit. After all, apparently they've also fostered a girl your age. Maybe the two of you can be friends." The officer tone was supportive, which was quite a surprise to me.

I took a second to really think about everything that has led up to this moment. While my life may not have been the greatest, I really did value the time I had spent living with Uncle Orin. He had a lot of great stories, and taught me well. While he was a bit strict at times, I knew he just wanted to make sure I grew up to a be a respectable man, and I appreciated that.

Stepping away from my thoughts for the moment, I embraced the present.

***

The officer gave a knock on the door, and it felt like time rushed to a halt. I could feel the fear building up inside me, just waiting to explode. It'll be fine, I reassured myself. I gave a quick thought to what the officer had said earlier; a girl, my age, also fostered by this couple. I wondered, could we be friends? Or would she ignore me like the majority of the people my age did?

Finally, I heard the voice of what sounded like a female, most likely late 20's to early 30's. "Coming, coming!" The lady stated, her tone flushed with a bit of obvious embarrassment. Finally, she opened the door. The lady had long, curly brown hair that fell just below her shoulders. She wore a kind smile and had noticeably gentle features, however it was hard to ignore the hint of worry etched on her face. 

A light scent of lavender and vanilla seemed to attack my nose, which was quite overpowering. However, there was no covering up the obvious scent of anxiety and seriousness that radiated from her.

The anticipation of meeting this woman and her husband, which I had met to meet of course, had left a sinking feeling in my stomach as I bit down on my lip. It was finally happening, however I wasn't ready to let go my previous years. I missed Uncle Orin, I really did, however I had no choice but to move on. I tried to listen the officer's advice, and have a bit of hope for the situation.

"So sorry to keep you waiting, I hadn't expected your arrival so early!" The lady said.

The officer was quick to respond. "No need to apologize for such a thing."

"Of course, of course.. anyway, yes—Lucian! Is that correct? It's good to finally meet you!" The lady stated, as her anxiety and flush of embarrassment from earlier seemed to have faded away.

"Y-Yes, that's correct. I-It's good to meet you t-too." I muttered, fumbling a bit on my own words, but I still had a shaky feeling about this entire situation. After all, it wasn't really a favorable one at that.

"Well it's getting pretty late outside, better come in and get situated." The lady said, with an oddly serious tone.

"Okay, sounds good!" I said, with a more joyful attitude, as I realized my fingers have been slipping from my box that I've been subconsciously holding for the past few minutes.

The officer folded his arms. "If everything seems to be in order here, I'll have to take my leave." Relief washed over him as he doesn't have to handle me anymore. It's been quite a few days since I've met him, and I probably haven't been the best person to hang with.

"Very well then, thank you for dropping him off, I really do appreciate it!"

"Of course! Good day ma'am." The officer replied, as he began to walk back to his car. "Oh, and—yes! Lucian! Take care buddy, don't do anything stupid." He said sarcastically.

We both seemed to watch silently as the officer got in his car and drove away. The lady started tapping her fingers on the door. "Well, that's enough wasting time out here. Again—it's getting late. Come, inside. We'll discuss further about the arrangement."

While a lot of my fear washed away after the surprisingly pleasant conversation, the way her tone shifted after the officer left did shine me with a hint of worry that lingered on, however I tried to suppress it the best I could, after all, what good would worrying do? I asked myself. This was my new life, and I had to learn to live with it, and appreciate what I can.

I took a second to really process what was happening. Noticing the lady trying to shroud her growing impatience, I gathered myself and walked through the door, as she proceeded to close it right behind me. I took a second to look around the house. I never really gave much attention to the house when we were outside, however I did notice it to be quite nice. A newer house, I noted. It stood out like a sore thumb amongst the older homes around the town.

The walls were painted with a light pink color, almost pastel-like, giving the room a soft and peaceful feel. The furniture was a mix of different modern and antique pieces, creating quite the unique look. Slithers of sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm rays of light onto the wooden floors.

Apart from a bit of unusual designs, the house was very neat, and obviously well maintained. Plush carpets and curtains added a nice touch of luxury. While newer in comparison to others, this house is still quite dated. I wondered who the original owners were? It obviously couldn't have been the lady and her husband.

The house had a very faint smell of lavender, which instantly reminded me of the smell of lavender I picked up from the lady when I first met her, which was quite overpowering at the time. It was quite obvious that the lady prided herself in this scent, as she practically let loose, spraying it everywhere she could. Even with the smell of lavender, it wasn't hard to notice the musty scent of old wood and dust that tickled my house as I walked forward. The smells mixed with the lingering smell of what appeared to be cigarette smoke.

To add on to the abundance of smells, I was able to pick up on the smell of freshly baked cookies, which filled me with a sense of delight.

Noticing the smile on my face, the lady smirked. "Freshly baked, just came out an hour ago. Go ahead and grab one if you please, but I'd also like to introduce you to my husband, and another kid who we had also fostered just recently, a girl named Veyra—your age, actually!"

***

As I took the last bite of that quite delectable cookie, I felt a lot better, and any worries I had eased away. I had met her husband on my way to the kitchen, as well. We didn't talk much, as he was in an apparent rush to get somewhere. He was quite nice, but I could tell he didn't want to share much about himself at that moment. He was a very tall man, with a full beard. He held himself quite high, seeping with confidence. I noticed his eyes quite fast, which were quite puffy. It was quite obvious he was a working man, who definitely craved a good night of sleep.

I passed along the hall, of which the lady told me to follow her in. I still didn't know her name, which was odd to me. I would find out soon anyway, after all, we would be living together, I told myself.

We finally stopped, reaching the room at the end of the hallway. There, a girl, my age, stood. My eyes widened at the sight of her.

She was as tall as I was, which was quite shocking, as I regarded myself to be quite tall for my age. She had long, dark hair that was worn in a braid. Her eyes, a strikingly beautiful grey-green mix, were noticeably alert and observant. She dressed in pretty bare rags, with slight patches of dirt and grime, which I was also wearing. It seemed to be the average outfit you'd find a 7 year old foster child wearing, more or less.

At that instant, I knew I wanted to be friends with her.

"You must be Veyra. I'm Lucian, it's great to finally meet you!"

Veyra's eyes widened slightly at my enthusiastic greeting, her expression a mix of curiosity and caution. She regarded me silently for a moment, as if weighing her response.

"Hello, Lucian," she finally said, her voice soft but clear. "It's nice to meet you too."

I noticed her gaze flicker briefly to the box I still clutched in my arms before returning to meet my eyes. There was an intensity in her look that belied her young age, as if she were trying to see beyond my words to understand who I really was.

The lady who had brought me here cleared her throat gently. "Well, I'll leave you two to get acquainted. Dinner will be ready in about an hour. Veyra, why don't you show Lucian around a bit?"

With that, she turned and headed back down the hallway, leaving Veyra and I alone in her room.

An awkward silence settled between us as we stood there, neither quite sure how to proceed. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, my mind racing to find something to say.

"So," I began hesitantly, "have you been here long?"

Veyra's eyes narrowed slightly, as if trying to decipher my intentions. "About two weeks," she replied. "It's... different here."

I nodded, understanding the weight behind her words. Every new home was different, each with its own set of rules and expectations. 

"I like your room," I offered, glancing around at the modest furnishings. A small desk sat in one corner, a worn bookshelf in another. The walls were bare save for a single poster of a night sky dotted with stars.

Veyra's expression softened slightly. "Thanks. I haven't really had time to make it my own, but I'll get there soon enough."

After I broke the tension between us and started some conversation, Veyra seemed to open up a lot more. We began talking for a while, but it only had felt like seconds had passed until we we're called for dinner.

"I know right! I thought the same thing—not many agreed with me. However, I'm glad to learn I wasn't the only one!" Veyra replied proudly.

"Come get dinner while it's hot!" The lady shouted.

"Well, I'm eager to learn all about the project you made, however I think it's time we eat first." I said, a bit sarcastically.

Veyra sat in silence for a second before her stomach started rumbling. A slight smile brushed over her face as she gave me a quick nod before heading out of the room.

I made my way down the hall and met them at the dinner table, and took my seat.

When I sat down, both the lady and her husband stared intensely at me, as Veyra sank in her seat.

"Now that you've settled. It's time we discuss about your situation, Lucian. We need to figure out how you'll benefit us." The husband shouted quite abruptly, almost like he'd been insulted.

The lady had a mysterious and evil grin over her face. 

"Now, let's talk, shall we?"