Blue Sheep || ONGOING

Chapter 2 {EDITED}

Hireath;

Homesickness for a home to which you can't return.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The rain had stopped, leaving behind endless amounts of puddles and revealing a darkened rainbow far off in the distance of the infinite fields that Charise used to adore as a child.

The taxi stopped beside a large, old wooden farmhouse made out of grey planks that used to be white. The roof, a tainted rusty-blue color that was begging for a replacement, and stained windows that were barely intact - the house was falling apart after the passing of her father.

Charise thanked the driver, paid him with the last few coins that she had, and cautiously stepped out - making sure not to soak her navy blue shoes in the mud. She heard the engine of the taxi behind her, and stared at the house she wanted to call home while listening to the car drive off, leaving behind a faint smell of gasoline.

This would probably be the last time she'd feel the seat of a car for a while, and just the thought of that made her want to cry. Her hand gripped tighter around the handle of the suitcase and she pulled it behind her. She made her way up the front stairs, struggling slightly with the weight of the suitcase, and was about to ring the doorbell, when she remembered the doorbell doesn't work and was only there to trick unwanted visitors... Was she an unwanted visitor?

She wanted to be.

Charise sighed and knocked on the oddly-painted blue door that too, was riddled with scratches and cracks and waited. She immediately heard her mother's muffled voice and her brother's heavy footsteps, reminding her of the time she was a little girl; "Come on Charise, help your brother with those gifts," her mother would say to her when she scurried to the front door to greet the guests. What would it be like now; "Oh yes - this is my daughter Charise, she uhh.. had the potential to be an artist?"

The door swung open and Charise was instantly greeted by the sweet smell of home - the smell of the fireplace mixed with apples and cherries and lord knows what. Her mother practically stood on the edge of the door frame - a big smile splattered across her face. Charise forcefully lifted the edges of her mouth to make out a smile and stepped inside.

The house hadn't changed since she was here a few years ago, only the last time she was leaving. Leaving with a huge smile and hope for what the future could hold. Now, she was back because all that hope had fallen apart.

"Charise... oh honey... I'm so glad you're home." her mother wrapped her arms around her. She soothingly rubbed her back which sent sentimental shivers down Charise's spine. A bittersweet feeling filled Charise, she missed this place but she also knew that it would never be the same. It would always be a representation of her failure, a representation that she was nothing but a mindless little girl.

"Charise? Damn you've still managed to grow." she heard her brother's voice. Her mother rubbed her back one more time and stepped back, still unable to control the smile on her face.

"Daniel, how have you been?" Charise said softly, feeling her voice almost break. Her brother smiled softly and took the suitcase from her grip.

"I've been well," he replied and pointed upstairs, indicating that he'll carry her belongings up to her room.

Charise watched her brother mount the stairs - he was a tall, fit man with the same dark brown hair she had and blue eyes that reminded her of their father. Something about Daniel rubbed her the wrong way, even though to the bare eye he looked the same, something in him had changed. She couldn't say exactly what, but this man was not the boy she grew up with.

~*~

Charise sat upstairs in her bedroom, it hadn't changed a bit from the last time she was here. The soft blue walls were still decorated with her past drawings and the lacey white curtains that provided no protection from the sun still hung in front of the large window that opened to a beautiful view into the fields.

Her bed was covered with her favorite blanket - a white piece of fabric with blue embroidering. She smiled when she saw her old vanity on the opposite side of the room. Charise came closer to it and rubbed the mirror with her sleeve, removing a thin cover of dust. She smiled and sat on the small pillow chair and looked at her own reflection, a woman with wavy dark brown hair and blue eyes were staring back at her. The rosiness from her cheeks had faded and she could no longer see the sparkle in her eyes.

She wasn't a child anymore.

And this didn't felt less like home.