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Shame, dread, and humiliation heated Mirren's face as he trudged down the sidewalk, rain pattering against the cement and soaking into his fur. He really didn't want to break the news to his mother, but it was inevitable. Soon enough, waterlogged as he was, Mirren would reach the door of the apartment he shared with his mother. Oh, how disappointed she would be. Mirren could already picture the way her features would drop, eyes downcast and discouraged. It only brought more hot humiliation up to think of his poor mother dealing with this new stress.
A heavy sigh escaped as Mirren realized he had already reached the tiny apartment. The rain continued to splash on the asphalt, grey clouds blotting out that sun's cheery rays and instead casting a murky gloom across the city. It would only cause him further embarrassment to stall, so the young viscet bolstered himself up and pushed his way into the apartment building, escaping the restless drops of rain. The elevator ride up to the 15th floor felt deafening, and painfully slow, yet somehow everything was moving too fast at the same time.
Before he knew it (and without any conscious acceptance) Mirren was opening twisting the doorknob open, admitting himself into the shabby apartment. The drab walls and cheap, tattered furniture seemed to scream as Mirren, taunting him. Teasing him. Fresh shame burned his cheeks.
"Mirren, honey, are you home?" The ever cheerful voice of his mother called from the kitchen. He clenched his teeth, unable to keep the news in.
"I....I..lost my job today," he murmured quietly, ear pulled back as he looked away.
There was a beat of silence. The impact of the words swirled in the air. They were already in debt as it was, his mother working two jobs. The least he could do it pitch in. After all, he really was old enough to be considered an adult, he should be able to support himself, and he couldn't even provide half of his mother's rent. He felt like a failure.
"You'll just have to look around for a new one then. No employment lasts forever. Cheer up! It will all be fine." She said with a smile. Somehow her tolerance only made things worse. It wouldn't be fine, and it was his fault. If he had just been a better worker, more polite and well mannered, he would still be a bellhop. An unhappy, sore, but employed bellhop. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was enough, and now it was hopelessly gone. Mirren doubted that he could secure another job quickly, and the landlord have given a definite deadline; in 16 days they either needed to produce money that they did not have, or the landlord would toss them on the streets.
That night, as Mirren curled up on his stiff mattress, springs pressing against his back, he swore that he would make this right. Somehow he would fix everything. He and his mother would be poor no longer.
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"Mother," called out in the earlier morning. The older viscet hadn't even woken up properly yet. "I'm going to be out for a bit, see you later."
A mother always knows her son, and she could tell something was off, but she trusted Mirren to be safe. "I love you." She called back, just as the door clicked shut. Mirren was off on his mission, a backpack full of supplies accompanying him.
If holding down a job couldn't get them the cash they needed, that meant Mirren's only option would be to go treasure hunting. He wasn't sure how long he'd be away, but he'd do whatever it took. Recently there had been rumors that an ancient viscet civilization had dwelled in the cave system beneath the city. No one had properly documented this yet, but Mirren was sure that if the tales were true, there must be something interesting (and with any luck valuable) hidden in the cavern. Mirren didn't really have any experience with spelunking, but he figured that he could learned as he went. But first, he needed supplies.
The viscet entered the store which he had visited so often a few years ago in his teenaged years. The comic book store, a place of childhood nostalgia, welcomes him. It made him sad in a way. He'd spent so much time collecting these comics, reading their pages, absorbing their stories. However, in the interests of his future, he'd have to give them back now. Fifteen minutes later Mirren left the shop, his pocket a little fuller (although not nearly enough to dig himself and his mother out of debt), but a part of his adolescence left behind.
A quick trip to the outdoors store saw Mirren gain some rope, a flashlight, some spare batteries, and some survival foods. That was all he had money for, some how it was going to have to work.
The entrance to the caves were some distance away, which must have been part of the reason why they hadn't been discovered sooner. The rain had cleared up overnight, leaving the new day with a bright and brilliant sun to light the way through the woods. Under the cover of dappled light, Mirren soon found what must have been the cavern entrance; a dark mysterious part between some stones, just larger enough for a viscet to comfortably slip through. Ready for whatever may come, Mirren made his descent into darkness, the cheerful yellow sun shrinking behind him as he traveled further and further into the unknown.
Flashlight in one paw, the young viscet crept deep into the cavern of caves. The place seemed sprawling, larger than he would have imagined. Everytime he was forced to choose which way to advance, Mirren made a deep scratch in the wall with his sharp claws. There's be no point in find the treasures down here if he couldn't get back out. He traveled this way for a while, traveling along the dark musty passages, a dull beam of light being his only guide, stopping here and there to mark his way. After a time he began to doubt what he had heard about this place. There didn't seem to be any indication that life had ever passed by these lonely tunnels.
That's when he saw it, the perfect sign. Like an omen splattered upon the stone wall, calling to him, encouraging him to hold on to hope and never let it slip his grasp. It was so faded Mirren almost could have passed over it unaware, but the smear of paint did catch his attention. There, plastered upon the face of the wall, a simple drawing of what looked like a viscet shown forth, paw prints splattered around it. His heart pounded and he eagerly rushed to the wall to look closer, his own paw hovering over the painted paw print of an ancestor long long lost, though he dare not touch or disturb it. Who knew how long the painting had been there, only now to be discovered by the desperate viscet.
Inspired, Mirren picked up the pace. Belief fueled his steps now as he swiftly followed the tubes to what could hopefully be ancient architecture and treasure. Perhaps Mirren was had grown too confident, for all the sudden open space was the only thing beneath his paws. A startled cry escaped him as he took an unforeseen tumble down a steep slope. Even with the flash light, the darkness was so oppressive he had missed the sudden change in the inclination.
He groaned as he pushed himself up, and although relatively unharmed, Mirren could feel a couple sore spots where bruises would be forming. Still, Mirren had to carry on. He gathered himself pick, retrieving his light and readjusting his bag and continued on, ignoring the new found limp in his leg.
Although Mirren wasn't sure how long he spent in the underground tunnels, he was sure that it was quite a while. He was more careful after that first fall, never rushing to quickly and making sure of where he was stepping. He encountered a few more paintings on the walls, but for the most part everything was uneventful. He stopped to eat a few of the meals he had bought, and even slept a little bit, although the atmosphere made Mirren a little uneasy.
After what felt like an eternity of silent exploration, Mirren heard something faint echoing to him. At first he thought it might be his imagination, but as he traveled on he could swear it was...a voice. His ears perked up, and then he quickened his pace, deciding to risk it. He took a sharp turn and then suddenly what had once been a narrow tunnel opened up into a massive cavern. Mirren stopped to look around in awe. A soft pale light flittered through the space, although the viscet didn't know it's source. Moss and rare flowers clung to the rocky walls. In the center of the clearing stood an impressive statue of a viscet, which gazed up at the ceiling with its stoney eyes. Mirren had never seen anything like it in his life.
It took him a moment to process it all before his stepped further into the clearing. Slowly he approached the statue, all the while looking about the cave. When he was just a few steps away from the base of the stone figure, Mirren noticed something: there was an ancient looking chest. An...open...ancient looking chest. Mirren simply stared for a moment. Then he noticed the paw prints that criss crossed the mossy space. They were fresh, yet not his own. The voice! Someone else had already come and collected the valuables.
"No..." He whispered unconsciously. "No no no no no." He took a deep shuddering breath, but it didn't calm him. "NO!" The shout echoed against the stones, reverberating through the entire cave system. Mirren's anger caused him to lash out, slamming his paw against the base of the ancient statue. He realized his mistake and he the stone shook and tilted.
Frantically the viscet tried to scramble away, but in his haste he tripping over the loose straps of his back pack, only further delaying his escape. The sone statue crumble apart, stray rocks raining down on MIrren. A solid hit on the hit by a hefty stone rendered him unconscious.
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The bright light attacked Mirren's eyes as they fluttered open. It was only a moment before they adjusted, albeit a painful one. The white starkness of the room cued him to the fact that he was in a hospital immediately. The feeling of defeat rose up again. He couldn't keep his job. He couldn't recover the treasure. And to top it all off, he wrecked what could have been one of the oldest sculptures in existence.
"Mirren!" His mother's voice called from beside the bed. She must have seen his eyes open. "I'm so glad you are okay." He shook his head in the negative.
"I almost had it," He sighed, looking at his empty paws with longing. "Almost..."
"The only thing that matters is the fact you are okay. The team of archeologists heard you yell and they went back to rescue you. It was so foolish what you did."
Mirren did not respond.
"...but very brave." She added.
"What are we going to do?" He sighed. "I don't have a job, we don't have money..."
"It's taken care of now." She smiled. "That statue that came down on you had a chest of gold beneath it, and, since you uncovered it, you get the profits!"
A big smile spread across both their faces, and, even though the movement upset his injuries, Mirren leaned over to hug his mother.
"I love you."
"I love you too Mirren."
[1972 words]
◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wanderer's Lullaby
- by Adriana Figueroa
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◢
█#001B42 █#00467A █#008ABB █#92CAD7 █#D5E9F0
This is the a song to Mirren from his mother. She sees how hard he tries to please those who he cares for, often even chasing unnecessary goals for the wrongs reasons. Still, his heart is in the right place, and she knows that. He is young and still figuring out the world, but she can tell he has a huge future in front of him, even if he has a lot to learn to get there.
༻ ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔Shame, dread, and humiliation heated Mirren's face as he trudged down the sidewalk, rain pattering against the cement and soaking into his fur. He really didn't want to break the news to his mother, but it was inevitable. Soon enough, waterlogged as he was, Mirren would reach the door of the apartment he shared with his mother. Oh, how disappointed she would be. Mirren could already picture the way her features would drop, eyes downcast and discouraged. It only brought more hot humiliation up to think of his poor mother dealing with this new stress.
A heavy sigh escaped as Mirren realized he had already reached the tiny apartment. The rain continued to splash on the asphalt, grey clouds blotting out that sun's cheery rays and instead casting a murky gloom across the city. It would only cause him further embarrassment to stall, so the young viscet bolstered himself up and pushed his way into the apartment building, escaping the restless drops of rain. The elevator ride up to the 15th floor felt deafening, and painfully slow, yet somehow everything was moving too fast at the same time.
Before he knew it (and without any conscious acceptance) Mirren was opening twisting the doorknob open, admitting himself into the shabby apartment. The drab walls and cheap, tattered furniture seemed to scream as Mirren, taunting him. Teasing him. Fresh shame burned his cheeks.
"Mirren, honey, are you home?" The ever cheerful voice of his mother called from the kitchen. He clenched his teeth, unable to keep the news in.
"I....I..lost my job today," he murmured quietly, ear pulled back as he looked away.
There was a beat of silence. The impact of the words swirled in the air. They were already in debt as it was, his mother working two jobs. The least he could do it pitch in. After all, he really was old enough to be considered an adult, he should be able to support himself, and he couldn't even provide half of his mother's rent. He felt like a failure.
"You'll just have to look around for a new one then. No employment lasts forever. Cheer up! It will all be fine." She said with a smile. Somehow her tolerance only made things worse. It wouldn't be fine, and it was his fault. If he had just been a better worker, more polite and well mannered, he would still be a bellhop. An unhappy, sore, but employed bellhop. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was enough, and now it was hopelessly gone. Mirren doubted that he could secure another job quickly, and the landlord have given a definite deadline; in 16 days they either needed to produce money that they did not have, or the landlord would toss them on the streets.
That night, as Mirren curled up on his stiff mattress, springs pressing against his back, he swore that he would make this right. Somehow he would fix everything. He and his mother would be poor no longer.
▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱
"Mother," called out in the earlier morning. The older viscet hadn't even woken up properly yet. "I'm going to be out for a bit, see you later."
A mother always knows her son, and she could tell something was off, but she trusted Mirren to be safe. "I love you." She called back, just as the door clicked shut. Mirren was off on his mission, a backpack full of supplies accompanying him.
If holding down a job couldn't get them the cash they needed, that meant Mirren's only option would be to go treasure hunting. He wasn't sure how long he'd be away, but he'd do whatever it took. Recently there had been rumors that an ancient viscet civilization had dwelled in the cave system beneath the city. No one had properly documented this yet, but Mirren was sure that if the tales were true, there must be something interesting (and with any luck valuable) hidden in the cavern. Mirren didn't really have any experience with spelunking, but he figured that he could learned as he went. But first, he needed supplies.
The viscet entered the store which he had visited so often a few years ago in his teenaged years. The comic book store, a place of childhood nostalgia, welcomes him. It made him sad in a way. He'd spent so much time collecting these comics, reading their pages, absorbing their stories. However, in the interests of his future, he'd have to give them back now. Fifteen minutes later Mirren left the shop, his pocket a little fuller (although not nearly enough to dig himself and his mother out of debt), but a part of his adolescence left behind.
A quick trip to the outdoors store saw Mirren gain some rope, a flashlight, some spare batteries, and some survival foods. That was all he had money for, some how it was going to have to work.
The entrance to the caves were some distance away, which must have been part of the reason why they hadn't been discovered sooner. The rain had cleared up overnight, leaving the new day with a bright and brilliant sun to light the way through the woods. Under the cover of dappled light, Mirren soon found what must have been the cavern entrance; a dark mysterious part between some stones, just larger enough for a viscet to comfortably slip through. Ready for whatever may come, Mirren made his descent into darkness, the cheerful yellow sun shrinking behind him as he traveled further and further into the unknown.
Flashlight in one paw, the young viscet crept deep into the cavern of caves. The place seemed sprawling, larger than he would have imagined. Everytime he was forced to choose which way to advance, Mirren made a deep scratch in the wall with his sharp claws. There's be no point in find the treasures down here if he couldn't get back out. He traveled this way for a while, traveling along the dark musty passages, a dull beam of light being his only guide, stopping here and there to mark his way. After a time he began to doubt what he had heard about this place. There didn't seem to be any indication that life had ever passed by these lonely tunnels.
That's when he saw it, the perfect sign. Like an omen splattered upon the stone wall, calling to him, encouraging him to hold on to hope and never let it slip his grasp. It was so faded Mirren almost could have passed over it unaware, but the smear of paint did catch his attention. There, plastered upon the face of the wall, a simple drawing of what looked like a viscet shown forth, paw prints splattered around it. His heart pounded and he eagerly rushed to the wall to look closer, his own paw hovering over the painted paw print of an ancestor long long lost, though he dare not touch or disturb it. Who knew how long the painting had been there, only now to be discovered by the desperate viscet.
Inspired, Mirren picked up the pace. Belief fueled his steps now as he swiftly followed the tubes to what could hopefully be ancient architecture and treasure. Perhaps Mirren was had grown too confident, for all the sudden open space was the only thing beneath his paws. A startled cry escaped him as he took an unforeseen tumble down a steep slope. Even with the flash light, the darkness was so oppressive he had missed the sudden change in the inclination.
He groaned as he pushed himself up, and although relatively unharmed, Mirren could feel a couple sore spots where bruises would be forming. Still, Mirren had to carry on. He gathered himself pick, retrieving his light and readjusting his bag and continued on, ignoring the new found limp in his leg.
Although Mirren wasn't sure how long he spent in the underground tunnels, he was sure that it was quite a while. He was more careful after that first fall, never rushing to quickly and making sure of where he was stepping. He encountered a few more paintings on the walls, but for the most part everything was uneventful. He stopped to eat a few of the meals he had bought, and even slept a little bit, although the atmosphere made Mirren a little uneasy.
After what felt like an eternity of silent exploration, Mirren heard something faint echoing to him. At first he thought it might be his imagination, but as he traveled on he could swear it was...a voice. His ears perked up, and then he quickened his pace, deciding to risk it. He took a sharp turn and then suddenly what had once been a narrow tunnel opened up into a massive cavern. Mirren stopped to look around in awe. A soft pale light flittered through the space, although the viscet didn't know it's source. Moss and rare flowers clung to the rocky walls. In the center of the clearing stood an impressive statue of a viscet, which gazed up at the ceiling with its stoney eyes. Mirren had never seen anything like it in his life.
It took him a moment to process it all before his stepped further into the clearing. Slowly he approached the statue, all the while looking about the cave. When he was just a few steps away from the base of the stone figure, Mirren noticed something: there was an ancient looking chest. An...open...ancient looking chest. Mirren simply stared for a moment. Then he noticed the paw prints that criss crossed the mossy space. They were fresh, yet not his own. The voice! Someone else had already come and collected the valuables.
"No..." He whispered unconsciously. "No no no no no." He took a deep shuddering breath, but it didn't calm him. "NO!" The shout echoed against the stones, reverberating through the entire cave system. Mirren's anger caused him to lash out, slamming his paw against the base of the ancient statue. He realized his mistake and he the stone shook and tilted.
Frantically the viscet tried to scramble away, but in his haste he tripping over the loose straps of his back pack, only further delaying his escape. The sone statue crumble apart, stray rocks raining down on MIrren. A solid hit on the hit by a hefty stone rendered him unconscious.
▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱
The bright light attacked Mirren's eyes as they fluttered open. It was only a moment before they adjusted, albeit a painful one. The white starkness of the room cued him to the fact that he was in a hospital immediately. The feeling of defeat rose up again. He couldn't keep his job. He couldn't recover the treasure. And to top it all off, he wrecked what could have been one of the oldest sculptures in existence.
"Mirren!" His mother's voice called from beside the bed. She must have seen his eyes open. "I'm so glad you are okay." He shook his head in the negative.
"I almost had it," He sighed, looking at his empty paws with longing. "Almost..."
"The only thing that matters is the fact you are okay. The team of archeologists heard you yell and they went back to rescue you. It was so foolish what you did."
Mirren did not respond.
"...but very brave." She added.
"What are we going to do?" He sighed. "I don't have a job, we don't have money..."
"It's taken care of now." She smiled. "That statue that came down on you had a chest of gold beneath it, and, since you uncovered it, you get the profits!"
A big smile spread across both their faces, and, even though the movement upset his injuries, Mirren leaned over to hug his mother.
"I love you."
"I love you too Mirren."
[1972 words]
◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Wanderer's Lullaby
- by Adriana Figueroa
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◢
█#001B42 █#00467A █#008ABB █#92CAD7 █#D5E9F0
This is the a song to Mirren from his mother. She sees how hard he tries to please those who he cares for, often even chasing unnecessary goals for the wrongs reasons. Still, his heart is in the right place, and she knows that. He is young and still figuring out the world, but she can tell he has a huge future in front of him, even if he has a lot to learn to get there.
