The Weight of the Family

1 (NEW)

ETHAN

"Ethan! Ethan! Where did he go?"

Here.

With his reflection in the glassy pond for the company.

Water trickled through the cracks of the rocks where he stood at its banks. He had snuck away with Jesti's attempt at showing off. An edevium lighter. Heat brushed against his fingertips as he gripped the capsule, while he held a piece of paper in his other hand. Quick, small footsteps sounded in the leaves, while distant shouts of other children rose into the air.

Fire in the palm of his hand.

Ethan glanced around, then brushed his thumb against the opener. Sparks shone and dripped to sizzle into nothing. Paper over its end, he smiled when it turned ashen orange. With the breeze, he allowed it to float, and sprinkle into the stars of night and scatter over his watery reflection.

"Ethan!" Jesti whined close by. Left to the scattered starlight, he turned when Urto and Jesti tumbled through the undergrowth in the schoolyard. Both their pudgy faces red from exertion. No doubt trying to find him in his usual hiding spots, but he pride himself on being the best to hide among his class. "Give it back! Daddy doesn't know I have it..." He jut out his lower lip, clasping his tiny hands together. "I'll get in trouble."

Ethan tipped his head at Jesti's barely held back tears. "Why bring it then?" He stepped closer to Jesti, who shrunk into his shoulders. When the other child didn't answer, he flipped the edevium lighter in his palm. Confusion curled his fingers against Jesti's 'toy' when Jesti whined again, while Urto hung back with a tight expression.

"I wanted to show it," Jesti argued with a tiny sniff. "I didn't want you to just take it and run..."

Ethan glanced at Urto, who jumped. "Don't look at me."

He shook his head at the two. "You're no fun." A distant alarm rang for the end of the school day. "Why do you still look like you're going to cry?"

Silence.

"Are you scared?"

Jesti frowned. "I just don't want to get in trouble with my dad and teacher, Ethan."

"So you are scared?"

"I am not." He snapped his hand forward to grab Ethan's wrist, stomping his feet and pulling hard. "Give it back!"

He didn't believe him. Not from the way water swam in his eyes as if he faced a monster under the bed, but everyone knew those didn't exist. Their family had no reason to be afraid of monsters. Ethan tightened his grip on the lighter, holding himself still as Jesti tried to pry open his fingers.

Father says so.

Ethan let go, causing Jesti's own strain to send him toppling to the ground.

Ethan stepped between Urto and Jesti to head back to the school yard. Cars slipped into the circled parking lot for parents to pick up their children.

Only the weak of heart would be afraid of their own actions, Father's deep tone rang out.

Children gathered around, but Ethan hung back waiting for Mother and whoever had the job of driving them back home that day. Urto and Jesti whispered behind him, but followed in his shadow. Minutes dragged on as his classmates dispersed with their parents, while the teachers waited until each one had found their family.

Urto and Jesti went their separate ways with their fathers.

Ethan sat on a bench, waiting. Alone, with nothing but the wind and the flicker of fire in his ears. Starlight still reflected off a distant surface. He blinked when Ms. Beylett, their Quadrum teacher, stepped up to him.