Change is slow, until it's not.

Chapter Three: Vander

When the sun rose, it was faint, it raised slowly, not sure if it wanted to show itself or not, but over time it became bright, filling the sky with colors, red, pink, orange, and yellow, blasting out all of the dark colors. Little bits of peach orange sat atop of clouds, dancing through the sky. The sun rose, blindingly, and Vi looked at it. It looked like a painting. Casting away the darkness, slow at first but gradually over time becoming faster, until it became a bright and brillant color, one that no one could copy.

Vander left his room to go make breakfast. He closed the door and looked in front of him to see the small girl with red hair going down the stairs. Her head snapped to the side, her eye's wide, and nervous, she had dark eye bags, like she had stayed up all night with not a wink of sleep. By the looks of it, she had just got out of her room and was heading down.

She stood still and looked at Vander like a dear in headlights. Watching his every move. Her cheek with the bruise seemed to turn different color's over night and the one on her collarbone started to become purple.

"Good morning," Vander said, his voice still husky from waking up. "I was planning on making pancakes for breakfast. That okay with you?" He asked, trying to break the silence. The girl was malnourished. Badly. She nodded, her head slowly turning in front of her. She seemed to be debating herself on something. Her mind in two separate places.

Finally she took a step down, and then another step, and another. Vander walked to the stairs, but didn't begin walking down until she was most of the way down. Vander began and reached the bottom of the floor. Vi looked over her shoulder, her hands clenched and ready for a fight. Vander recognized the look. He had seen the way kids looked terrified, ready to fight. He used to be one of them.

Vander slowed down his walk and didn't mention the look. Vi didn't know where to go and that was obvoius, she had only been introduced to three places, her bedroom, the dining room and the living room. Vi turned toward the living room, checking over her shoulder again, and watching Vander.

Vander found his way into the kitchen and opened up the pantry; he began to make pancakes. He grabbed flour, baking powder, sugar, brown sugar and more. He then went to the refrigerator and pulled out everything he needed. He caught a pair of light blue, almost gray eye's peering at him. 

He stopped as he was grabbing a bowl from a cabniet. They stared for a few seconds, her eyes getting wider and more terrified. Vander's being calm and thoughtful.

"Do you want to help?" He asked, turning his eyes away from her and his back to her. He brought down a large yellow bowl. He walked over, slowly as to not startle the young girl. Vi slowly brought herself into the light. Vander rested everything he had gotten on the kitchen island. Vi was on the other side of it.

Vi kept quiet and watched him as he got out measuring cups and different utensils. He pointed to a cabneit near the floor and asked,

"Some pans should be in there, can you go get one?"

Vi was quiet, and Vander kept to himself. He didn't notice she had moved until she asked,

"Will this one do?"

Vander looked over, and at the pan. It was big, but not too big the pancakes would spread out wide and thin. He nodded and resumed pouring things into the bowl. Vi put the pan on the stove and walked away. She was in her head about something, and began doing things on autopilot.

She watched Vander with intent, like she was scoping for something beyond his skin. She had sat in the corner, able to see Vander while Vander couldn't see her a whole lot. Vander pretended not to notice.