Quies walked to the front door and slid the door open.
'Not locked…'
He had to put some force into it. As it slid open, particles fell from the rails on which it slid on. Valerie stood close behind. The inside of the house felt… eerie.
'It never looked this lifeless. Not even when I left.'
He kept his hand on the side of the door and peered in. His heart raced as he looked into the darkness. He moved his other hand on the wall hurriedly, trying to find a switch to turn on the lights.
"Let me just…"
Valerie reached out with one of her hands pointed towards the light. A moment later, it flickered and turned on, illuminating the room to their right. In front of them was the hallway. The living room was… far from neat.
At the center of the living room stood a misaligned coffee table. On it stood two small glass cups. One was empty and toppled to its side. The other was full. The full one was meant for Quies.
'It's dirty from all the particles it's been collecting for… damn, 4 years.'
Quies walked towards the empty table, a window to his right that peered out into the front of the house, with the interior light now flooding out. They couldn't stay here long.
He expected Valerie to interject and say something, but she didn't. Instead, she stayed quiet, observing his house and all of its nooks and crannies. She approached the table as well and studied the drinks. Meanwhile, Quies lowered himself down behind the table, sitting down. He sighed.
Valerie picked up one of the empty cups and swirled it, moving the liquid which had been sitting for a few years. She made a weird face, one that Quies couldn't interpret. Eventually, she put it back down and sat across from him.
It was hard to find the words, but Quies eventually spoke after a momentary silence.
"I left when I was around 15."
***
The cross shaped sun soared high in the sky. Its movement was predictable, rising and setting from the same coast, taking a momentary pause at its peak. White clouds obscured its searing hot rays.
Morning light poured into an unassuming house. Its furniture was unique, yet orderly. A small coffee table was set in the middle of what seemed to be a dining room. Three cups were laid out on three sides of the rectangular table, all full. A savory aroma spread from the kitchen. The smell of omelettes and mushrooms being cooked in tandem was alluring. So alluring, in fact, that a young gaunt kid was woken from his deep slumber by it.
As he awoke, he noticed a looming shadow over him.
"Quies, get up. We were gonna go fishing today, remember?"
"Huh? Are you ready yet? Is breakfast ready?"
"Me and your mother have been ready for a while. Finish your breakfast quickly, before it gets cold. I have the gear set up near the door already."
The looming shadow walked away, the sun's rays of dawn filling in its presence. Quies wiped his eyes and sat up.
'Can't really sleep anymore because the damn sun is in my eyes.'
He sat there thinking for a moment. He mustered up the will to take off his blanket and get out of his bed to eat breakfast. Maybe he would've had time to shower and properly get ready if he had woken up earlier, but fishing was one of the only times where he was able to talk to his father. During most days, his shift would last from morning to late evening.
Quies never went to school. In fact, proper education was a luxury in the world. A luxury reserved to children of high ranking officials and nobility. However, the idea of sitting in a seat and listening to a person talk for hours wasn't all that pleasant.
'That's usually what happens with dad when we go fishing anyway.'
He walked into the dining room. Two cups were set on the table, both full. A plate with a mushroom omelette was next to one of the cups, which he assumed was for him. His mother was in the kitchen while… he didn't really know where his father was right now. Probably still preparing things for fishing, although Quies didn't know what.
He sat down on the firm matted floor in front of his food. He picked up his utensils and started to eat. His mother's mushroom omelettes couldn't be beat by any chef in the world. A delicacy which he never got bored of, even though she cooked them often for him.
"How's the food?"
"Good."
Quies remarked with a mouth stuffed with food. He put two thumbs up and faced towards his mom, who was peeking around the entrance to the dining room. The kitchen was separated from it. Her sable hair was smooth and flowing, contrasting the sharp glint of her crimson red eyes.
"Where did dad go?"
"Oh… I don't know, I've been in the kitchen for most of the time."
Her cheery expression died down a little.
"Well, just ask me if you need anything. I'm going to be a little busy today from noon to evening. I have to go get groceries."
She left. Quies stared at where she was just moments ago, and then turned back to his omelette.
Today would be a great day.