Sphaera Unda

Chapter 2

I rubbed at my eyes, confused at the gray glow outside my window that told me it still should be early. My clock told me otherwise though. I groaned and then stretched, patting at my familiar bed. Father had helped me set it up last night, using tools that had tarnished, lacking use. The pink walls looked drab and pale, almost the same gray of the morning, only with a pink tint. So this was home now. A far cry from the tiny place we had in the middle of nowhere, nestled in the backwoods of Illinois.

I looked around the rest of my mostly bare room, scattered with a few unpacked boxes and my only other piece of furniture; my cherry desk. I sprung on the mattress enough to bounce out of bed, rushing to my treasured desk so I could run my hand over the familiar wood. I placed a fingertip up in one of the empty cubbies waiting for my books, smiling to myself. I had always longed to be normal, wishing that I could interact like others did in the books I read; the closest I had ever been to making friends. I would unpack my school later, actually looking forward to getting started with biology and math.

I rummaged through the box of clothes I had yet to hang up and picked out an oversized gray hoodie, pulling it over my head and putting my hands through the ample sleeves while I looked around for a hair clip. I found one in the bag of my toiletries and gave a longing glance towards the box that held my workbooks and novels before running downstairs, eager to get breakfast out of the way.

I smelled kippers at the top of the stairs and practically floated downstairs, taking a chance by cutting through father's new library on the way to the kitchen. Going through father's spaces always made me nervous, worried he would catch me and make me sit on the stool for the day.  I skidded to a stop when I noticed father had gotten his computer out and the tiny gray deamon that ran it was hanging off of a dangling cord, inspecting one of the ports.

I checked to see if the coast was clear and smothered a giggle as I watched him try unsuccessfully to get the cord better fastened, a small spark and a curse the only reward for his efforts. I crouched, eye to eye with him, since he didn't like it when anyone stood above him and whispered, fearing Father would hear me.

"Morning, Stelly. Trouble in the house?"

Stelly turned to me, hands on hips and the telltale blue blush on his cheeks that told me he was ready to melt down.

"Aye. That stupid father of yours hasn't even given the ports a half decent look this morning, and I tell you pure one, if he so much as wags a finger at my call button in such conditions..."

Father would be unhappy if Stelly decided to give up first thing this morning, he always gave him the blue screen of death when he felt this way. I looked over the port and cord Stelly had been swinging on and pointed at it.

"Is this the one? Do I wiggle it?"

Stelly took in a sharp breath of horror, his threat clear in his fire-blue eyes . "Wiggle it and I'll wiggle those pearly teeth of yours out while you sleep. Gently now, just press it...straight you daft woman, straight! Of all the unholy...Be glad your father isn't here, I would scream the blue death curse at him sure, and there'd be nobody around to blame but you!"

I chuckled and patted him on the head. Stelly was my favorite deamon. Of the few that lived in the rare electric appliances my father owned, he was the only one willing to talk to me. The other ones were too shy, or they just didn't like me. Stelly moved around to the keyboard, clicking his pointed tongue at the dust. I made to wipe it away for him, using the sleeve of my hoodie, hopeful my help would put him in a better mood. I froze when the little guy suddenly grew quiet and began waving his arms wildly at me, meaning that I was about to get in trouble. I cringed when my father's voice changed the  atmosphere in the room from pleasant to gritty.