Living Armor Boyfriend: Morrow (special preview)

Sometimes it’s hard for me to sit still and think straight. I have a hard time getting my words out properly when I speak. So, when I do feel like I can get my words out in a way that’s coherent for other people, I tend to shout and blurt it out loudly. It’s easy to feel like I don’t think like everyone else, especially not my sisters. Winifred is so responsible, and Edith is so smart, I don’t know exactly how I’m supposed to line up with them some days. My mind wanders, it blanks, it sometimes squacks loudly at me. It’ll shut off one day though, right?

At least I can read, is what I tell myself. Even if it does take time for me to focus on it, I can read things others can’t. In books, the words all make sense to me, I can see music and play it instantly. If I try really hard, I can sometimes read around a person. So far, all I can read about people is if they are acting nice or if they are acting mean. My mind won’t let me focus enough to read much else into a person. I’ve been told this is a blessing from Father Klaus, but I would give it away in an instant to be able to think normal.

I know I sometimes rely heavily on my sisters. I lean on them to help me plan and think ahead, but even then, it’s hard. Edith has always had good ideas for how to help me, like giving me something soft to touch, or making something that will occupy my hands while I read. I was told as a baby I was hard to hold, and my mother grew frustrated. My dad said he thought it was best I leave the Keep because it would be easier for me. I never knew my mother like Winifred and Edith did. So I feel bad that I want to know her, even though Edith is really angry with her.

I suppose that’s why I wanted to help Edith, because maybe, I could meet my mother, even for a little bit. I felt if I met her, I could put into perspective why my head was the way it was. Why was I so scrambled when my sisters were so hard boiled? So when we found books they couldn’t read, but I could, I grew really excited to be useful for something. But, I sort of twisted things, I did find a spell to summon an entity that could help give us power in doing Edith’s plan. Instead, though, I found something else, and since neither Edith nor Winifred could read like I could, I summoned it instead.

The spell said the spirits would mend hearts for the better, and I thought it would help Edith and Winifred, since they seemed so upset at our mom. But, I don’t think clearly all the time, so maybe I did do something bad. Because the suit of armor that stands before me is kind of scary. Okay, he is super fucking scary.

Black armor has never been good, right? I mean, in all the fairy tales, that’s the symbol of the villain. So this suit of armor, all black, sharp, and menacing, doesn’t exactly ring any happy bells for me. No, no, all I hear are huge, massive church bells that sound like darkness come to life.

“Wait,” I gasp out loud and turn. “Those are church bells!” I’m standing on top of a hill, but I had been in the pavilion with my sisters just a second ago. The area around me is dark and grey. Even the sky is shrouded with thick dark clouds. When I breathe, I smell smoke rather than the cold scent of fresh snow in the air. It feels like everything is still; no birds, no animals, no breath between the streets. Only stone like pine trees stood around me.

“Wait, where the fuck are we?” I snap back at the suit of armor. “What’s going on? Where are my sisters? What the fuck is this?”

The suit is silent and still for a moment, only moving to lift his hand up and point along a winding path behind us. I follow his pointing finger then look back at him.

“Fuck that. I’m not going anywhere near there,” I fuss.

He growls deep, rattling the metal armor around him.

“Shit,” I gulp and hold my tongue. Maybe it’s not the best thing to talk to this one too much. But, I never could sit still long enough to really hold anything. “I’m Lydia,” I say while pointing directly at myself. “I summoned you. So I command you to take me home.”

The suit snarled under his breath and shook his head.

“What do you mean no? Are you even allowed to do that?” I look around for the spell book. “I know there are rules for these sorts of things. This isn’t just something made up! This is magic and magic isn’t just a lot of surprising things. It’s real, you know? And it has rules just like everything else in life, so you can’t-”

The suit of armor roars at me, growing back his shoulders, craning his neck, and putting his all into it.

“Don’t talk to me like that! I can’t help this! My head isn’t put on right!” I knock my fist against my temple. “I’m also scared so it’s making all my talking worse! So the roaring and the spooky way you’re standing isn’t helping!”

He stands erect and lifts his hand, moving it in a strange fashion, but for some reason, I can understand the way his hands move, almost as if he’s talking with them.