User blog:FirstDrellSpectre/Fanfiction - Spark in the Dark

My sixth fanfiction, Please comment.

It was a day of parent-teacher meeting at elementary school to which Lincoln and Lucy attended. At afternoon Mr. Loud went to talk with Lincoln's teacher and Mrs. Loud with Lucy's teacher. Meanwhile at the Loud House Lincoln was afraid and it was very visible unlike Lucy, who was just reading her poetry as usual. Lincoln was waiting for return of his parents, sitting on couch and sweating. The parents entered their house.

- Why so nervous, Lincoln? - Dad asked - No need. Only in P.E. your grades are bad. You must train with Lynn.

- So that's all. - Lincoln released his stress with one breath - I thought I was failing.

- You worry too much, son. - Mom said

- I will go to my room then. - Lincoln suggested

- No.You'll stay and wait till we speak to you again. - Dad replied

- Lucy! Come here! - Mom summoned her daughter

- I am already here. - Lucy appeared behind her parents much to their and Lincoln's surprise and stood next to Lincoln

- I had a conversation with your teacher. - Mom said to Lucy - Put this book on the table, when I'm speaking with you.

- After all, I just finished reading. - said Lucy and did as her mom said

- I was told you write poetry instead of making notes during your classes. - said Mom to Lucy

- This is just my way of studying. - Lucy explained - With rhymes I memorize much better.

- Your teacher doesn't see it that way. - Mom replied - But that's not the worst. I was told you don't play with other girls, you isolate yourself from other kids. During breaks you sit alone, writting your poetry or reading strange books and you don't speak with other kids.

- I just have nothing to talk about with them. - Lucy explained

- Don't interrupt. I am not finished. - Mom commented - The other kids are afraid of you because of your appearance and outright fascination with spooky things. Additionally you scare them intentionally. When the others are happy because of rainbow you always show a disgust. Once you ripped a colourful poster to shreds. You can't just destroy things you don't like. Also you can't scare others.

- If they fear me, they won't bother me. - Lucy commented - Their opinions are not my concern.

- They should be. - Mom replied - Why don't you want to be like other girls?

- Most of them wear cliche dresses and talk only about books and tv shows I don't like.

- I was also told if you don't start to act like the other girls, you'll be transfered to a school of special treatment.

- What? - Lucy was shocked - Is it so bad? Aren't my notes enough?

- Both notes and behaviour decide about your future. - Dad replied - Your interests are beyond common things and your social skills are very underdeveloped, that's why you'll accompany Lincoln in your every free moment.

- What? - Lincoln and Lucy reacted with shock

- Why do I have to spend my free time with her? - Lincoln asked troubled - Can't Leni or Lynn do it instead?

- Objecton noted and rejected. - Dad replied - Now show respect and listen to your parents.

- Am I supposed to be with Lincoln? - Lucy asked - We don't share same interests, we don't even play together for years. How is that supposed to work?

- Exacly that's why. - Mom answered - You're an avarage teenager and I expect you will have good influence on Lucy. As an older brother you should have been an example for her. And you Lucy shall learn from Lincoln how to behave normaly.

- Lucy, I'm taking your book. - Dad said grabbing her book - You'll have it back after you change. As for you Lincoln, you're not allowed to go to cinema until your mom and I are satisfied.

- I hope you'll become closer after this experience. - Mom commented - Good luck, children.

The parents went to their room, leaving Lincoln and Lucy alone in the leaving room. The siblings were angry for their parents for forcing them to be together. Lincoln sat on couch and Lucy on armchair.

- This isn't fair. - Lincoln complained - Why does it have to be me?

- I am also not pleased. - Lucy commented - So don't feel alone in your displeasement.

- If you were normal, this would have never happened!

- What's your definition of "normal"? - Lucy asked angrily - Do you think I am a freak?

- Normal mean acting like the most of your age. - Lincoln answered loudly - I only think you're spooky, freak is too strong word.

- Age is a state of mind, not body. - Lucy commented - Normality is just a preetier name for a glittery prison in which we are all forced to act as we are told to, defying our true selves.

- Spare me your elaborate metaphores, Lucy. - Lincoln complained - I have to fix you so you wouldn't have to change school.

- There is nothing to fix in me! - Lucy felt insulted

- I remember when you were cheerful and your hair wasn't black. - Lincoln spoke with sense of nostalgy - Why did you change?

- That's a long story for another conversation. - Lucy refused to answer - My life is already a prison, so I don't care about the another school, I just want to reclaim book with my poetry which only I can read.

- Do you not care that you'll go to school where you know nobody? - Lincoln asked surprised

- I don't even meet you during breaks. - Lucy answered - I am stranger to everyone here, being a stranger to others is no difference to me.

- Do you know schools of special treatments are with internat? - Lincoln said with insidious smile

- How do you know this? - Lucy asked

- Do you think special treatment takes part only in education? They also organise your free time. They won't allow you to read your favorite books or write your poetry. I wonder who will take your place in your room and change it so it won't remind your room anymore. Maybe....

- Stop! Don't give me any more details! - Lucy interrupted - I will not be able to suffer a separation from my family! My half of the room is my sanctuary, nobody will even relocate my books.

- I see how you just changed your mind. - said Lincoln sarcastically

- You and your silver tongue! - Lucy responded - Fine, I'll do it to please my parents and make the teacher leave me alone.

- Let's play a video game together for a change. - Lincoln suggested

- Too colourful and too flashy. - Lucy complained

- Then let's play draughts, they are black and white.

- I will play by black ones.

The draughts match lasted about 20 minutes. Lucy won.

- Oh, come on! - said Lincoln - You've won so why aren't you happy?

- I've been playing this game with myself for some time. It's boring already.

- I am happy even with my small victories. - Lincoln commented

- To beat you I sacrifaced most of my pawns. - Lucy explaned - This is a phiric victory.

- But still a victory. - Lincoln commented annoyed - Find some happiness, even the slightest in such situation.

- Where is light there is shadow and with no loser we have no concept of winner. Still it was a nice change to play with someone other than myself.

- With such philosophy you won't find friends. - Lincoln commented

- I already have friends. Ghosts.

- They are just photos. They don't even reply when you speak to them.

- I speak to them when I sleep. You should experience this to understand.

- More we talk the less I understand you. - Lincoln complained with tired tone - How does Lynn endure this all about you?

-  Compare to Lynn you're much more tolerant. - Lucy replied - She keeps mistaking drama for depression. She also has no sense of rhyming, she dislikes my climate and refuses to help me in writting. That's why I come to you for help over her.

- Why not to Luna? She writes a lot of songs, she's a  better   rhyme expert than me.

- She does not like speaking about death. She doesn't feel what she should to help me.

- I have more reasons to be sadder than you and yet I'm not. - Lincoln  complained   - For example I live in 10 shadows.

- 10? I get Lori, Luna and Lynn but me? How do I overshadow you? - asked Lucy confused - As mom and dad told I lack social skills and you  have a girlfriend. I don't have any trophy in case when you have. You're a quite good detective for a young boy, you're the best person to find solutions for our problems and arguments. All I can do is lamenting. So how can you feel you live in my shadow?

- My main reason is that I'm a black sheep as the only boy.

- You think you're the black sheep in the family because you're a boy? - asked Lucy sarcastically - No, you're not. I'm the true black sheep. You all try to find happiness everywhere, when what I see everywhere is another reason for sadness. I don't try to be happy.

- So we both consider ourselves outsiders. - Lincoln said - At least that's what we have in common.

- We have more in common, brother. - Lucy commented - You're just too short-sighted to see it.

- Lets's do something different. - Lincoln changed topic - What type of stories do you like?

- Horrors, ghost stories, mysteries, dark fantasy.

- I prefer Sci-fi and classical fantasy. But I have one manga you can enjoy because of it's preety dark tone.

- If you say so, then OK, let's read it. - Lucy said with enthusiasm

- But on fresh air.

- Fine but in shadow.

Lincoln and Lucy went outside and sat near tree in their garden and began reading first tome of manga Fullmetal Alchemist. After 30 minutes the first 2 chapters were read.

- This is even interesting and quite tragic. - Lucy commented - I admit, you made me interested much to my joy.

- Did you enjoy this? - Lincoln asked

- Quite. - Lucy answered - You know, it reminds me something.

- I'm burning with curiosity.

- I always loved Great Grandma Harriet, she introduced me to her passion, spiritism. - Lucy started her story - I played with her during my visits. However she was over a century old and passed down when I was 6. I felt so lonely and I missed her. I tried to speak with her spirit thanks to informations in her books. Nothing worked until I started using incenses, then I fainted. I saw her in my dreams and I spoke with her. I woke up in hospital and my conversation with her was interrupted.

- I do remember this. - Lincoln commented - Then I found you poisoned and unconscious, I alerted mom and dad. They thought its because of those incenses, so they throwed them away.

- They did what? - Lucy asked surprised - I wanted to talk to our Great Grandma Harriet again. Only thanks to this my visions were clear and I could understand what she was saying to me. Now communication with her is ...

- Stop! - Lincoln interrupted - Back then you weren't speaking with her spirit, you had halucinations caused by those incenses. That was only your imagination.

- I don't believe you! - shouted Lucy irritated

- Do you or simply you don't want to believe? - Lincoln asked - There was no mysticism, you just missed her as you couldn't get used to her being gone.

- I regret I agreed to tell you this story and that I came here with you! - Lucy yelled and stood up - My faith is broken! I'm going back home! Stupid manga, stupid sentiments, stupid...

- Wait! - Lincoln stopped Lucy by grabbing her arm - I also miss Great Grandma Harriet, she was funny and interesting. You used to visit her very often. I understand origins of your fascination with spirits but what's with the rest? Spiritism and occultism aren't the same.

- I hoped to find a ritual to bring her back so I searched for similar things and I got interested in gothic things. - Lucy replied - Maybe I got interested too much. Dead interest me more than living.

- If such ritual ever existed, there would be news in TV about it. - Lincoln said - I understand you. I also felt bad for her death, ...

- You still understand nothing! - Lucy yelled - I visited her so often to play with her because you didn't want to play with me! - Lucy angrily explained

- What? - Lincoln was shocked

- All because I am a girl. You regretted I was not born as a boy.

- I'm sorry. I didn't know. - Lincoln made a sad face expression

- You just didn't care! - Lucy shouted and started crying - Do you know how I felt because my brother didn't want to play with me?! Now it's too late to fix anything!

- Hey, it isn't too late at all! - Lincoln embraced Lucy - Great Grandma Harriet is gone and she won't come back but I am still here. You felt lonely and you tried to befriend her spirit. That's why you isolated yourself from others. All because I selfishly refused to play with you and made you feel abandoned. For this  I'm   sincerly sorry.

- Do you naively think a soft hug and apology will fix it? - asked Lucy angry while crying

- No, I know it will take time. - Lincoln answered with a sad tone - Now we can start again and play together in whatever you wish. I simply want you to not feel lonely anymore. Just give me a chance.

Lucy bit her lower lips and took a breath as her heart started beating. Then Lucy rapidly gave Lincoln a very strong hug, loudly crying in his chest to express her deeply hidden sadness cumulated for long. She was relieved that Lincoln finally understood her loneliness and how he hurt her. Lincoln kept hugging her and holding her head to make her feel better. He told her It took some time before she finally calmed down and stopped crying.

- Strange, now I feel better. - Lucy commented - I feel like a big burden fell from my heart.

- You just needed to express yourself. - Lincoln replied - Don't cumulate negative emotions inside. That's not healthy.

- You're right, I needed to express myself. - Thank you, Lincoln.

- When you lose old friends, find new ones. That's what I learned after Great Grandma Harriet was gone. Clyde is my only success for now. - said Lincoln, rubbing tears from Lucy's face - I will spend more time with you so you wouldn't feel lonely anymore. I'm sorry I didn't notice it earlier.

- Lincoln, you're my best friend. - Lucy smiled - I love you but as you said I need to find new friends. I need to start to not live in the past.

- Life doesn't have to be as dark as you thought before. You said where is light there is shadow but also shadow can't exist without light.

- I still remember that one day we all will die. - Lucy commented grimly - But it doesn't mean our lives are meaningless. Now I understand it, thank you Lincoln for opening my eyes. - Lucy smiled

- We both openned eyes of each other. - commented Lincoln - I'm glad I could help. Let's go home.

- I'd rather read this manga book with you to the end.

- As you wish.

Next day after school Lincoln and Lucy were returning home together.

- It's been while since the last time we were going home together. - Lucy said

- I saw you speaking with your classmates and they seem less afraid of you. - Lincoln commented

- It's because I smile when I meet them. - Lucy replied

- Does this fake smile not bother you?

- Not as long as it helps me to find new friends.

- It seems our honest conversation changed you. - Lincoln commented

- Only a little. - Lucy answered - I didn't abandon my fascination with spirits and gothic things.

- Nor your cynicism. - Lincoln added - I never admited it but I've always liked this in you.

- You'll see more of this as at school you try to spend more time with me during breaks.

- Did mom and dad give you your book back? - Lincoln asked

- Yes, they did. - Lucy answered - Hey, will you come to me to hear my new poetry first?

- Sure. -Lincoln answered - What is it about?

- I don't want to ruin you a surprise. - said Lucy with a sincere smile - The title is "Spark in the Dark".

THE END