A Wallflower’s Sunny break
Underneath the soft gentle winds, swaying palm tree leaves’ shadows upon a fair complexed red head. Her porcelain skin trickled bronze moles that decorated itself from absorbing the sun. Paying no heed to the visitors walking past her, splashing around in the ocean’s freezing salt.
Merely left sticking her nose in a short novel about an apothecary heroine hired by a king to produce a cure for his kingdom plagued by parasitic pathogens rumored to be traced within the apple orchids. Delving deeper into the world, Suzanne found herself entranced with the twist and turns the young apothecary had to navigate. Whether it was political strife, or crooked smiles of the character's facade for sincerity. Yet, the pure nature transcended its cruel gloomy outlook. Ensuring everyone would be free from the witch’s curse.
Before another passage could be glanced by her wandering amber eyes, a coarse finger tapped Suzanne’s exposed shoulder, one that had been cooked by the sun. Flenching at the soft touch.
Shaking her head, Suzanne turned to her left to see her fellow classmate Jack Howl, a little surprised at the reaction initially but an emotion that quickly became a stoic softness. Holding some items in his other palm.
“Sorry about that, I saw you over here by yourself and thought I’d stop by and say hi.”
“Pft–dude you know how finicky I am as a person. I freak out at the slightest loud noise. What’ca got there, Jack?”
Jack sits down on the ground, folding both of his legs together as he looks up to Suzanne that’s reaching for her bag to apply Aloe vera gel to her burnt shoulder.
“Went exploring on the shoreline with Ruggie and found this little creature. He’s a little hermit crab. Ruggie suggested it’d be funny to put this fella on the Pompfire’s leader’s towel to see if Vil would run away screaming–to get the bottled sparkling water they packed in the cooler.”
Suzanne snorts, wiping the last of the gel before leaning over to cup her hands next to Jack’s so the crab can crawl into her palms. Watching the tiny creature hesitate before moving onto her, watching it move around a bit before standing stationed, its little antennas and maxillipeds animate as she brings it closer to stare at.
“Might not be a good idea to bring this tiny guy over there, after all you could scare him. Pitting something so innocent against giants or worse, have him emasculate by dropping his big claw? A fate worse than death. Offering him as a sacrifice to have me keep him as a pet?”
Jack lets off a soft laugh under his breath, wagging his tail.
“Figured it’d be the first one on your mind. Unless you want to put him back.”
Suzanne stares at the stationed crab, slowly retreating into his shell. Then back at the open ocean where several Night Raven College students were playing chicken jockey and throwing each other into the water. A deep dread sulked in her heart, but then again she too couldn’t retreat back into her shell.
Placing the unfinished novel with a soft close and back into her graphic tote bag, she unties her long red hair. Letting it flow in the wind as she stands up with Jack to put the creature back into the water and accepts her ultimate demise of being body slammed by classmates.
Jack adjusts his red tropical shirt, walking alongside Suzanne as he takes back the scared hermit crab. Nothing but a shell. Moments of quietness lingered as familiar faces shuffled out of the water to greet them. Distant and eager. Mainly for one of the strongest students to tussle.
“Saw you reading that novel with a golden serpent wrapping itself around an apple. What was it about?”
Jack places his cupped hands into the moist sand, watching the crab scurry back into the ocean. Disappearing under the uptide that reaches towards the pair’s ankles. Never to be seen again.
“If you ask me, I think the pure-princess inspired the main protagonist a little bit.”
Suzanne, fully content with breaking out of her shell.
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