The Persistence of Memory

Chapter Two

Cessair counted the seconds he had left in the house, relishing in the fleeting smell of pumpkin pie that had seeped into the wood the day prior. His ex-mother called him from downstairs and he grabbed his worn olive green backpack.

He felt hollow. Utterly empty. He felt like crying but,  surprisingly no tears made their way to his eyes, just an unfamiliar emptiness sat in his stomach.

Cessair trudged towards his ex-mother's old, Cherry Red 1950 Chevrolet 3100. He glanced back at the house one last time. Cessair stared out the window blankly. Only snapping out of it when he saw Joyce step out of the house, and make her way to the car. Her greying ginger hair was pallid and her chestnut brown eyes seemed as dull as the cloudy sky. She avoided eye contact and drove down the dirt road in silence. The sky darkened as they drove out of the country and into the city. Little droplets of rain sprinkled onto the crimson-colored truck as the crescent moon illuminated the sky.

The silence was deafening. Cessair was sure that with a sharp enough knife he would be able to cut the tension in the air. He waited for her to tell him about her new job or about the weather today. He waited for something. Anything. The only sound that interrupted the silence was the clap of thunder followed by the lightning that lit the entire sky.

"There's a storm comin'," she mumbled ever so slightly and that's it. That is all she said the rest of the ride.

Cessair felt sick. He wanted to turn the car around and go back. He wanted her to tell him that it was actually just a cruel joke that she just took a little too far. He wanted her to apologize, to give him a warm hug and the last few slices of pumpkin pie that they had shared for breakfast together. He peered out the window that faced the colorful city that gleamed through the glittering raindrops that created a red and purple neon haze. It was beautiful, the thought had been the only thing that distracted him from the inevitable.

"God's Hands™; Orphanage for Young Boys & Girls"

Cessair's stomach dropped.

Everything faded into grey hues, the darkening sky, the car, and her hair. A filter was put over his eyes making everything appear bleak. She parked near the entrance and as soon as he opened the two glass doors, the vibe of the place alone overwhelmed him. Of all the orphanages he's stayed at, this one was the most depressing.

"This is goodbye Cessair." Her tone was thick with sorrow and guilt as she struggled to bite back the ideas of taking Cessair back even if it would destroy her financially. She tucked a rogue strand of Cessair's dark chocolate brown hair back behind his ear to kiss his forehead. She wrapped her arms around his lithe waist. Her warmth and comfort was contagious and made him feel complete. He fought back tears at the idea of being left here alone.

As he watched her drive off, a piece of him left with her. He watched the clumsy truck speed down the road and wished her a safe return.

Chapter Two End

Hi, it's me again. Sorry for this chapter coming so late. My apologies ^^;  Thank you for reading! feel free to visit my Instagram: morning_rain0