Adding Shadows

Count On Me

Cold, bony hand.

"And in your own dark bedroom too."

Dark corner of the room.

"What does it feel like to scream in your head but not with your throat, I wonder?"

Screams that can't sound.

"Well, that was a nice talk. Let's do this again sometime." And then Declan left. Virgil could hardly breath. He closed his eyes, only to feel trapped.

"I'm going to put my hands over your eyes, but I need you to keep them open."

Roman's voice echoed in his head. He covered his eyes and forced them open.

Breath.

He pictured the sunflower field. As gorgeous and perfect as he had left it. He breathed in the sweet smelling air, gently lifting his hands off his eyes he sighed.

Back to normal. Mostly.

"Virgil, honey, there's a boy on the phone for you!" Brittney called from the kitchen. They had a house phone they were all aloud to use.

Virgil rushes downstairs and grabbed the cellphone from Brittney.

"Thanks, Brittney!" He thanked her quickly before rushing back to his bedroom and unmuting the call.

"Hello?"

"Why, hello, comrade!" Romans' voice sounded loudly into his ear. Virgil rolled his eyes.

"Hi, Princey!"

"Do you want to come to a picnic with me? My mom sad I could invite someone!"

Virgil gaped, shocked to be invited to a family thing "I, uh, sure. But, why?"

"Because, if I have to watch over you, you have to be there for me too." Roman stated "We're going to the park by the library, meet us at three, okay?"

Virgil nodded slowly "O-okay, I'll be there!"

They said goodbye, Virgil and Roman both had homework and chores to do, and hung up. Virgil happily skipped downstairs to give Brittney the phone back.

He tripped. Abigail giggled, her foot stuck out slightly "Oops." She laughed, going back to talking to Declan, who snickered.

Virgil hit the floor with to fast for him to catch himself, and with enough force to bruise his eye. Right after the black eye had gone away.

"Abigail Josephine!" Brittney shouted, running to Virgil and helping him up gently.

"We talked about this, Britt. It's Abigail Joe if your using my middle name." Abigail sighed, shaking her head.

"You okay?" Brittney asked, ignoring Abigail's comment. Virgil nodded.

"Fwigil!" Esther said, being only three she pronounced his name strangely. "You wanna cookie?" She asked, smiling a bright smile.

"I'm okay." Virgil responded, not unkindly. Esther nodded and waddled away again, a palate of toy cookies in hand which she offered to five year old Henry.

Brittney laughed "I have work, if you need anything, ask Jared or Jeremy, okay?"

Virgil nodded, keeping his happiness shining. He faked it this long, he almost believed he had made it. "Okay, bye."

Brittney worked as a lifeguard, so she had work on Saturday's. Virgil looked around at the other orphans, all awaiting the next day when people came to see if they wanted any of the fourteen children. Virgil was not so excited.