~ Truth or Disillusion ~407Please respect copyright.PENANAsfLhoDtgJL
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Rain fell, pounding against the glass trying to find entrée only to be denied this and only leaving the sounds of small rocks striking the glass from the force before sliding down the smooth surface leaving the impression of a crying beings face. The dark storm filled sky rumbled with life flashing its lightening like eyes overseeing the landscape below. Lightening flashed illuminating a darkened room lit by candlelight scattered about the luxurious bedroom.407Please respect copyright.PENANAjPjKBtPsW0
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Soft blankets donned the canopy bed, the floor a soft white carpet with walls of sky blue mixed with waves of green and white and a ceiling of a soft eggshell white for a gentle touch. Paintings hung on the wall in their wooden frames of family, scenery and some of royalty in the eye of the painter that were not based on any one real person/s.407Please respect copyright.PENANAwEsmvmfdBL
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A desk with chair for writing, a vanity with three tall mirrors and a bench all made of fine wood. To the side sat a small table in which to eat meals at if wished to also doubling as a stand to hold a beautiful figure of clay painted to shimmer and reflect like glass of a doll like girl holding in her hands a purple crystal cut and shaped like a diamond. The eyes empty of emotion like any dolls were with hair straight down to the waist of its soft ruby, white, and black gown stopping at the knees where lower white socks with a black lace came to continue down to meet a pair of cute black shoes befitting a doll.407Please respect copyright.PENANAFPsFAYhzJ7
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As the thunder rolled and rumbled like a bellowing dragon with a hissy fit, inside the room the soft sound of footfalls on the soft carpet came into the night air with another lightening flash the form of a young woman appearing late teens paced around the spacious room with a mixed expression on her face of frustration and pain. Strikes of red hair like blood glided back and through the air like brushstrokes with her steps quickening as her mind reviewed over a memory stirring up her emotions.407Please respect copyright.PENANAzmfo9RT4rn
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“Why did they laugh? Why? It wasn’t supposed to be funny.” Her words came out in a soft whisper though a tremble was noticeable with each word. Her body tensed slowly with fists gripping two small sheets of pale lined parchment paper. What replayed in her mind was not helping ease her emotions down only working them up all the more.407Please respect copyright.PENANAvVQIaRC2Vh
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Earlier in the day when the sun had been shinning bright above in the blue sky kids were out playing laughing and one with her hair pulled back at the base of her neck, the sea of red tamed by an elastic tie sat with notepad in hand. Her back was towards the others playing ball or whatever they were playing she hadn’t taken notice. Her mind was set on the sight before her. Sketching away on the parchment with a few pages separating her quick notes taken during class was the sight of two birds close together with one nuzzling the other. It was an adorable and loving sight the girl had to capture.407Please respect copyright.PENANAbGlPil74nN
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She was fairly talented with a pencil if allowed enough time. She watched the pair with their eyes closed and a pleasant aura resonated off them before turning her eyes down every so often to the paper below to ensure she was getting the place of lines, markings, and shadows correct wanting to be as accurate as she could to capture the love of the pair.407Please respect copyright.PENANAQe9JOcir79
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This took some minutes with the sound of the others playing behind her she focused as much as she could on the birds with hope they would stay long enough for her to finish. Sadly as she neared the end of her sketch a ball flew slamming against the tree causing the birds to break from their pose and flap hard with frantic fright fleeing from the tree and scene. The girl gasped jumping as her head whipped up to look and her face fell in disappointment with pencil paused in motion.407Please respect copyright.PENANAPx1fQPjJ0Y
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She had almost completed it. All she needed was a few more minutes to finish. As the ball landed on the soft grass and rolled towards the launcher she turned to see it picked up by one of the other kids. “Hey what’cha doing? Why aren’t you playing too?” One asked with eyes of the five on her.407Please respect copyright.PENANAQlb7rU7u8p
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“I was drawing a beautiful scene of two birds in love before one of you scared them away.” The girl replied with a sharp tone getting to her feet and turned to face the group fully. “Was that an accident or intentional?”407Please respect copyright.PENANAE6aGKc2Crc
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“Oh don’t give us that. Come on you’d rather play with us than do some stupid drawing. You can draw birds anytime you want. You got a garden at home, right?” A second one asked with a giggle behind smiling lips.407Please respect copyright.PENANARl5c0Vmtsd
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“I do but it wasn’t polite to do that.” The girl snapped gripping her pencil a little tighter as a few of the five snickered behind their hands to her being upset with them. “Fine you are going to laugh then I am going to leave.”407Please respect copyright.PENANAqRYvjDMWFc
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“Hey you can’t just go!” The first called as the girl had turned her back and began to walk away. “You can’t just skip the last three classes of the day! You’ll get in trouble with not only the teacher but also your parents who are shelling out the money.” The first ones words brought the girl to a stop and a sigh of frustration to exit her lips since she couldn’t skip the last half of the school day though she wished to with her annoyed emotions towards the group of her classmates.407Please respect copyright.PENANAslUSZOhoaW
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It wasn’t a large school mostly just for those of royal or noble blood and upbringing so they could get the best and still it be like any other schooling so to feel normal and attempt to not put an elitist thought into their growing minds.407Please respect copyright.PENANAKnXDoVZHHi
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Returning to class the girl finished her drawing even taking part of a second one to try and do another angle of the birds from memory though she’d only seen them from the one angle part of her wished to see how well she could do in recreating them from another. By the time classes were over and the students released she was on her way back, stepping into the carriage sent by her parents to bring her home safe. They lived within the town limits but her mother was cautious and her father as well though less so than her mother.407Please respect copyright.PENANAyTBGwmUjom
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Held in place close to her chest the girl kept the small book close to her chest being no bigger than the length of her elbow to her wrist and no wider than her two hands put together side by side she held the thoughts of showing her parents what she had drew feeling sure they would appreciate what she’d done. Why wouldn’t they like it? She was their little girl so they would at least have to not be rude about it. Or so were her thoughts on the matter.407Please respect copyright.PENANAOUDjXU6oD0
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Walking inside she made her way to her father’s study where her mother and father normally could be found working. Knocking she entered slowly till her entire body had set itself into the room with shelves for books, papers, and anything else her father decided should be there even if her mother would remove it to put something else of the girl assumed more importance.407Please respect copyright.PENANAYvgBhNPfJc
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“Yes dear?” her father asked turning to look at his daughter approaching.407Please respect copyright.PENANANEwGxiGscN
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“Are you free to see a new sketch I have done?” she asked keeping the book clutched close to her chest only releasing her hold once he nodded so to open the pages to her first and second sketches. He frowned then smiled patting her head paying her compliment to her growing skill. This drew her mother over who also paid her praise along with two of their partners aiding in the creation of a new agreement with one of their neighboring cities for fair trade between their goods.407Please respect copyright.PENANAmVzUvImyUR
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All appeared fine bringing a smile to the girl’s lips from the praise but one small look from the second aid had brought a bit of concern to the girl when praised only for the second aid to turn and return to work shortly after relieving the praise of her abilities from their lips. She felt odd but tried not to linger on the thought taking her leave once told to go get ready for supper they would be having in a few short hours.407Please respect copyright.PENANAzGg2lA8m7E
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The girl nodded leaving and when time came she went down cleaned up for dinner stunned to see the two aids having a meal with them. When explained about the storm it seemed reasonable as their ride home would take longer in the storm. The meal passed quietly with soft chatter the girl ignored. A small noise drew the girl’s attention to her side looking down to see an odd sight. Beside her stood a dark colored fox head tilting it gave a small noise almost like a purr or whine.407Please respect copyright.PENANAsbMiJJJjwP
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When she looked to see if any other heard this no one seemed to react so returning her attention to the dark colored fox with eyes as teal/yellow eyes wide and innocent. Taking a cut of meat from her plate the girl placed it on her hand, lowering the piece of food to the fox. “Here you are.” She whispered softly watching the fox sniff the meat as if debating if it wanted to eat.407Please respect copyright.PENANAG59nUhinoQ
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A few moments of eyeing and sniffing the fox decided to take the offered meal. It never occurred to the girl why a fox had been in their dining room, not bothering to question it as some reason it felt normal. It was yet it wasn’t. Mixed emotions she did not want to focus on wanting to keep the rest of the evening straight and positive in her mind. Her thoughts were disrupted when the fox took the meat, nipping her skin a little and when her hand recoiled close to her body quick and watched the fox race off with the meat in its mouth.407Please respect copyright.PENANAD7GwLh9gFQ
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That had hurt and looking down saw a little bit of blood. Taking her napkin she began to apply a bit of pressure to help it stop quicker but with this she began listening to the chatter between her parents and the two aids. Now from their laughter came a strange feeling inside. It wasn’t a horrible feeling yet at the same time not one she thought landed under the side of a good thing.407Please respect copyright.PENANAGe7hwK5ieH
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“You must be joking or losing it. That doesn’t look like any animal.” She heard her father say drawing her eyes to look at the scene to see her father and the second aid discussing over a piece of food set in the middle of the table.407Please respect copyright.PENANAAjU73kTMoJ
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“No I do not lie. Look here and tell me you don’t see the wings and little feet like they are holding onto a branch see? Right here and here is the beak and eyes. You must be blind if you cannot see it.” The second aid said pointing out these things laughing with her father.407Please respect copyright.PENANAoGBcrtISq2
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“You must go get your eyes checked because I don’t see it.” Her father replied laughing. During this laughter the second aid got her mother into this and she too laughed at the silly thing as the first aid chuckled mostly staying out of it.407Please respect copyright.PENANAfCSR6lTocv
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As this went on the girl felt a strange anger starting to rise towards their laughter at what the aid was pointing out on the food that to her did not look like anything than a torn up piece of food. It annoyed her but why she wasn’t sure. She stayed and finished the meal listening to the laughter as she ate and kept her eyes down trying to ignore them. After eating she left the table excusing herself and bidding all a goodnight leaving calmly enough but inside it felt like a raging storm looking for a way out or like a force wanting out she was holding inside.407Please respect copyright.PENANAwBe3rZu9SF
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This lead to current where she stood in her room alone in the dark by the candles and lanterns lit around her room casting dancing shadows that moved with the flickering flames. Her door shut and locked as she now stood still her body shaking with range. Why were they laughing? It wasn’t funny. It wasn’t at the least humorous so why? Why were they laughing?407Please respect copyright.PENANArBqx5T4cVn
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Her mind asked that question over and over: why? She didn’t understand why and it made her that more frustrated especially when their voices entered her mind again to replay the sound of their laughing voices. They echoed like an annoying fly bringing her jaw to tighten in her frustrated anger. “Was it my birds looked like torn up food so they were making fun?” the girl asked quietly with shaking shoulders moving to walk around the room slowly for some minutes then after sitting on the edge of the bed staring at the carpet with narrowed eyes holding in them pain and attempting to hold back tears.407Please respect copyright.PENANAUg0bZhtpMB
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Slowly as she sat still with her stewing anger she was mostly unaware as the shadows started to sway and dance more closing in around her circling her arms and chest almost like a hug. It was after this a head began to form with the shadows and the swirls began to shape like arms without hands the head opening its mouth with a soft smile pulled as it spoke in soft whispers into her ear.407Please respect copyright.PENANAhrNGyUttpw
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As the whispers continued soothing and slow her eyes began to close listening to the soft airy whisper. “Why be so sad? Your art is more magnificent than theirs. Don’t show them your hate not yet. Here, come to me and rest. Let us calm the heart you hold filling with anger. I shall find a beautiful place for your professional artwork.” The voice smooth and soothing bringing her to nod and her hand clutching the crinkled paper, dropping the easily destroyed material to the floor into the shadows.407Please respect copyright.PENANA52ZqdwlhEc
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The girls eyes closed as the shadows wrapped around her body more slowly laying her back and feeling like a warm blanket with the soft whispers praising her work and talking against those who had laughed soothing her farther into sleep as her eyes closed and once laid back on her pillows the girl was asleep dreaming with the shadow grinning overhead releasing her from the shadows wrapped around her body. “Sleep well little” the shadow’s voice speaking her name became static un-hearable as the shadows grin did not fade, “continue and soon you…will….” The shadow’s voice faded as static began to noise in with pieces of white noise streaking across till it quieted once the speaking shadow had faded and left her room quiet.407Please respect copyright.PENANAfvfFq0OpdB
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In another room a man with dark strains showing sat with one leg over the other with elbow resting on a wooden desk waited. Seeing shadows slip inside and morph forming a fox before him his grin widened showing a pointed toothy grin of pleasure as the fox made a small yep noise. He nodded and extended a hand which brought the fox to deform and flow up and seep into the man’s ungloved hand painted pale by shadows and moonlight from the window.407Please respect copyright.PENANAKUpc7nWjJI
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His fingers closed in once the shadows had seeped in the grin not leaving his lips which moved in words unheard but his small short chuckle played out in the air within his quiet room. Lifting his other hand up then twisting his wrist the curtains closed cutting off the bright moonlight to cast his room into the nights darkness.407Please respect copyright.PENANAQETgI9SnVM