Adam liked to run.
He liked it very much.
Even though his legs were short.
And round.
And did not always listen to him.
He ran anyway.
The ground came up fast.
Thud
Adam fell.
Again.
His hands hit the stone path first. His knees followed.
It hurt a little. Not a lot. Just a little.
He stayed very still.
His eyes got watery.
But he did not cry.
Babies cried.
Adam was big.
He shifted and rubbed his knee with his hands. It stung, like a tiny fire
was sitting there and laughing at him.
"I am big," Adam told the ground.
The ground did not answer.
He stood up slowly, wobbling, and almost fell again-but this time he caught himself.
Good.
That hurt felt…familiar.
Like the other time.
The time with the maid.
Adam frowned.
He remembered that.
He was with one of the maids. The mean one. The one who smelled sharp and always said "didn't even when Adam didn't know what he was doing wrong.
He had slipped then too.
But that time, the pain was bigger.
And mama was there.
Mama was always fast.
She was beside him for a moment. Her hands were warm. She lifted him. He remembered being scared even though it didn't hurt that much anymore.
Then–
Thud
The maid fell.
Right on her knee.
Adam remembered being confused.
Why did the maid fall?
Mama had been very quiet.
Too quiet.
Adam had never seen mama like that before.
He thought he saw something white and shiny under her feet. Like ice. But ice didn't
belong inside. So maybe it was just imagination.
After, the maid was gone.
Adam never saw her again.
That was okay.
She was mean.
Adam shook his head hard.
No thinking about that.
Mama was not here now.
Good.
Last time Mama saw him fall, he was not allowed to run.
For a whole week.
The week was very long.
Adam did not know how long a week was, but Dad said it was long. So it must be very long.
Adam decided he would not fall again.
He took one careful step.
Then another.
He smiled.
Behind him, the Hale Manor rose quietly.
Adam did not think of it as a Manor.
Whatever a Manor is, that's what everyone calls it.
No it was just…home.
By walls. Tall shiny windows. Doors that opened by themselves when Adam and mama and papa walked near them. But not all doors opened for Adam
they were naughty whatever naughty Is. A guard used this word very often when he talked with his wrist band. When he thinks nobody is around. But Adam is very good at observation, dada said so.
So he must be good.
Adam liked those doors. They were polite.
The castle was behind him.
In front of him–
The lake.
Adam's eyes became round.
The lake was big.
Very big.
It was one of the biggest lakes.Adam knew this because everyone said so. He did not know what "biggest" meant, but he knew it meant important.
The water was shiny.
Not shiny like metal.
Not like Mama's jewelry.
Shiny like light.
The lake always looked like it was holding the sky inside it. When Adam moved, the light inside the water moved too.
Sometimes Adam waved at the lake.
The lake never waved back.
That was okay.
It was shy.
Adam toddled closer to the shore. His feet sank a little into the soft ground. It felt cold, then warm.
He liked that feeling.
He bent down and touched the water with one finger.
The water moved away.
Adam gasped.
"Hey!"
He poked again.
The water ran.
Adam giggled.
"You run too," he said proudly.
He remembered happy things.
Like when he was one.
Mama and Dada were always talking to him then.
They wanted him to speak.
They said words to him.
Lots of words
Adam didn't like that.
So he waited.
And waited.
And then one day he said–
"Mama."
Mama laughed. A lot.
She laughed for a whole week.
Adam did not know how long a week was, but she laughed for a long time.
Dada grumbled.
He said, "What about me?"
So Adam said–
"Mama"
Again.
Mama laughed more.
Dada sighed.
The mama hugged him.
And Adam hugged mama too, then dada because that made dada smile.
Adam liked it when Dada smiled.
He did not know why.
But one day he would know.
Because he was a man.
And Dada said men knew everything.
So Adam would know everything.
One day.
Adam's foot slipped on a smooth stone.
He fell again.
Thud.
"Oof"
This time his bottom hurt.
Adam sat there for a moment.
The sky was blue.
Very blue.
Adam decided the system was bigger than the lake.
That made him feel small.
But small was okay.
Small things could catch butterflies.
Adam's eyes suddenly locked onto something moving.
Something colourful.
Something floating.
"Fly-Fly," Adam whispered.
The butterfly moved slowly.
It had soft colours. Yellow and White and a bit of blue. It looked like a piece of the lake had learned how to fly.
Adam stood up very carefully.
His legs shook.
He took one step.
The butterfly stayed.
Adam froze.
He held his breath.
He didn't know why he did that, but it felt important.
The butterfly rested on a small flower near the water's edge.
Adam smiled so wide his cheeks hurt.
"Come here fly-fly," he said quietly.
He reached out.
Very slowly.
His fingers were small.
The butterfly didn't move.
Adam's heart felt funny. Like it was jumping but also hiding.
He leaned forward.
Too much.
His foot slipped.
He fell again.
Plop
This time, his hand went into the water.
Adam pulled his hands back fast.
The butterfly flew away.
Adam stared at the empty air.
"..fly-fly?" he asked.
It didn't come back.
Adam's lips trembled.
Just a little.
He sat there, wet and dripping, knees sore, heart feeling tight.
He did not cry.
He was big.
He sniffed hard and wiped his nose on his sleeve like he saw other kids do.
The lake was still shining.
Like nothing happened.
Adam frowned at it.
"You're mean," he told the lake.
The lake did not answer.
Adam stood up again. Behind him, the manor was still there.
Big.
Quiet.
Watching.
Adam felt safe when it was behind him. Like it was a big wall that said nothing bad comes here.
He liked that. He started walking again, this time slower.
He followed the edge of the lake.
The ground changed under his feet–stone, then grass, then smooth paths again. He liked how different things felt.
The air smelled nice.
Sometimes it smelled like flowers.
Sometimes like water.
Sometimes like the shinny lights that hummed softly in the air. Adam didn't know what that hum was. He knew it was always there.
Like breathing.
Adam liked the hum.
It made him sleepy.
But he didn't want to sleep.
There were still fly-fly to catch.
Adam had decided he liked light.
He didn't know why he just liked light. Like he liked mama and Dada
No. He likes them more.
But he liked light; it was just like Adam moved fast never stopped. Adam wanted to be like light.
One day for sure.
Now Adam had fly-fly to catch.
But Adam felt warmth from the sun.
He lay down on the grass.
The sky was big again.
Adam waved at it.
The sky did not answer.
That was okay.
Adam yawned.
He rolled onto his side.
The manor was still there.
The lake was still shining.
Mama would come soon.
Dada too.
Adam closed his eyes.
Just for a little bit.
Just until fly-fly came back.