Chapter Text
”Give her back Sol.”
”I don’t even have it, stop asking me.”
”You’re lying! I know you hid her!”
”I did not!”
”Did too!”
”Did NOT!”
”DID TOO!”
The shrill noise of a sloppy violin note reverberated throughout the study as Sunny stopped playing with a frustrated sigh.
It was hard to practice a sophisticated instrument that required the utmost of concentration and patience, when said concentration and patience was being constantly tested by the twin crotch gremlins screaming at each other from the other room.
For a second he almost wished he listened to his mother all those years ago. When he turned 18 his mother sat him down and they had the ‘talk’ about condoms and staying safe, but next year during a Christmas-eve party, Aubrey’s constant drunk flirtations in combination with her absolutely stunning outfit was too much for Sunny’s alcohol muddled, horny brain. After that night, Sunny realized why people called it a “virgin killer” sweater.
”Wait Clem shut up for a second.”
”Sol, I just want h-”
”Dad stopped playing.”
”…uh oh…”
”Just stay quiet.”
”I-is he gonna be mad at us? Daddy’s scarier than Mommy when he’s mad.”
Clementine gave her brother a look that seemed like she was about to burst into tears.
”Ugh... Don’t cry! Just...Just stay quiet till he goes back to playing.”
”O-okay...”
Back in the study, Sunny rolled his eyes, Solar may be an unruly and rambunctious kid, but he wasn’t stupid. Sunny put the bow to the violin’s strings. He would have to start the song from the beginning.
As violin music resumed from behind the study door, Solar gave Clementine a mischievous smirk.
”Dare you to knock.”
”What? No! I don want Daddy to get mad at me!”
”Scaredy cat! Scaredy cat!”
”Stop it Sol!”
”Come on. If you do it I’ll tell you where your dumb plush is.”
”Mrs. Orange isn’t dumb!”
Silence filled the living-room before Clementine’s fully comprehended what her brother just said.
“Wait! You did take her!”
Solar kicked himself for letting that one slip.
”Er- Well- I-I only took it because you still haven’t given back that dollar you borrowed so you could buy Orange Joe!”
”Nuh uh! I gave you back 4 quarters yesterday! Now tell me where Mrs. Orange is!”
”Erm…”
”Sol! Tell me or I’m telling Daddy!”
”I uh… Now that I think about it…”
”Sol!”
Solar looked away from his twin as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.
”I-I don’t remember where I put it.”
Clementine gave Solar a sad look, as her eyes began to water and her lip started to quiver. Immediately knowing what was coming next, Solar scrambled to try and comfort his sister as not to incur the wrath of his father.
”Wait Clem! I’m pretty sure we can find it if we both just look around!”
Thankfully, Clementine wiped her eyes and looked up at her brother with a sniffle.
”R-really?”
”Yeah…” Solar let out a sigh of relief as he grabbed Clementine’s hand.
First up was the living room, Solar examined the various pictures perched on top of the fire place.
It’s a photo of your parents, aunt, and uncles all in a hug. You can tell this photo is very old, judging by how young they all look. Your mom’s eyes are turquoise and her hair is bright pink, apparently she was quite the troublemaker from what your dad and uncles told you. Funnily enough your dad looks like a taller, older Abbi in this one, minus the lack of pig tails and the fact that your dad is a guy. You also notice he doesn't have his glass eye, choosing to wear a nice black eyepatch over his right eye instead.
It’s a photo of your mother, in a hospital bed as she cradles you and your newborn sister in her arms. She looks a lot more like the mom you know in this one, with the lack of contact lenses and her dark hair dyed in highlights instead of full pink. She seems exhausted but the smile she has on emanates a nice warmth
It’s a photo of your parents at their wedding, Your mother is wearing an extravagant white dress while your father sports a nice tuxedo. This seems to be one of the only moments where you’ve seen him grin like that.
The last photo is a very recent, only being a few months old. It’s a family portrait. You and Clementine are standing right next to each other, giving off your best smiles. Your little sister Abbi stands between the two of you, to anyone else it seems that she’s giving off a blank stare but you and your twin can read her emotions like a book. Your parents stand behind both of you giving off warm smiles as Mom holds Lucas, your baby brother, though he seems disinterested in the camera, looking off to the side. You remember Uncle Basil trying to get his attention by jangling keys (and failing).
After a bit of looking around the only thing of note the two found was a couple coins of lose change under the couch cushions and an unopened pack of cookies that Solar happily stowed away in his cargo shorts for later.
Abbi’s room was next. It was a Wednesday so she would be at Uncle Basil’s, helping him with his garden. Despite being 3 years younger Abbi had her own room, though it was a lot smaller than theirs. Solar did remember his Dad saying something about how it was used as a storage room back when he was a kid. Similar to Abbi herself, the room wasn’t really special, if you ignored the few amount of potted plants she was tending to the entire room would scream “bland”.
”Er... Sol?”
”Yeah?”
”Can we skip Abbi’s room? I don’t like going through all her stuff.”
”Same, I don’t think I put your toy in here anyways.”
”Mrs Orange isn’t a toy! She’s my friend!”
”Yeah yeah... let’s just get out of here.”
After still not finding anything the twins moved upstairs to check their own room, They didn’t mind having to share a room as they did grow up together, plus neither of them would admit it but it was nice having the other close by for comfort when one of them (mostly Clementine) had nightmares. Before Clementine could start searching Solar stopped her.
”Wait. Don’t bother.”
“Huh? Why?”
”Because why would I hide it in here? It’s your room too. And didn’t you say earlier that you already looked in here?”
”Oh… Right.”
Solar simply face palmed. He took a second to think. Where would he put it? He knew he hid it in a spot where he was absolutely sure she wouldn’t look. Somewhere where she couldn’t look. Then it hit him.
”Let’s go check the tree house.”
”B-but Daddy told us not to go up there! He said it’s too old and dangerous.” He knew that already, it was the main reason why he put it there.
”We’ll be fine! I go up there when he and mom aren’t looking all the time.” That was a lie and Solar knew it. The only time that he went up there was when he hid “Mrs. Orange”. But from what he saw. It was completely fine! His dad was probably just over exaggerating.
”If you say so…”
When the two entered the backyard Solar made sure to completely avoid the tree on the left, for some reason that specific tree gave him the heebie-jeebies and he couldn’t stand to be near it. Which was a shame because the tire swing looked awfully fun when he saw Abbi and Clem play on it.
When they got to the small clearing, from the outside you could tell that the tree-house was in a sorry state, the ladder was old and cracked, the wood on the house itself was rotten and soft, and the nails that held the entire thing together were rusted and poking out. Unfazed Solar walked up to the front of the tree-house. Before he could get onto the ladder however, he felt a tug on the back of his hoodie.
”Huh?”
Clementine had a frightened look on her face.
”I-I don’t want to go u-up there… I-it looks too scary…”
Solar rolled his eyes with a groan as he grabbed onto the ladder again.
”Fine. I’M gonna go up there and I’M gonna look for YOUR stupid Mrs. Smelly Orange. You can go be a scaredy cat somewhere else.”
Clementine's face puffed up in irritation.
”Y-you don’t have to be such a meanie about it!”
Clem could only look on in suspense as Solar climbed the ladder, old wooden rungs groaning as it struggled to support the 12 year old boy’s weight. He confidently climbed up into the tree house and scanned the interior.
"Now... where did I put the stupid thing."
There. On the old table was a bright orange plushy, it was a small stubby humanoid figure with an orange for a head. Now all he had to do was grab it. He shimmied across the floor, making sure to be extra-careful as not to step on any parts of the wood that were rotten and weak. Slowly but surely he made his way over to the table and grabbed the toy by it’s stubby little limbs, he then carefully made his was back.
”Found it! See! I told you I’d be fine!” He called holding the plushy up in the air so his sister could see it.
Clementine’s eyes lit up.
”Mrs. Orange!! Thank you thank you thank you Sol!”
Solar smugly smirked as he began to climb down the ladder.
”Told you it would be fine. Let’s hurry and get back inside before Da-”
He didn’t get to finish his sentence as the ladder emitted a sickening groan. Solar realized that the ladder rung was finally giving out and panicked. He would just turn around and jump off! A fall from this height wouldn’t be too bad if he just landed ri-
It broke.
Solar could barely comprehended what was happening. As he saw the tree house slowly get smaller, a pang of regret rang throughout his mind.
Oh...
“SOLAR!”
Pain exploded from his right arm.
And then black.