A Proper Scolding

A Proper Scolding
By Bananazilla the Telepath

CONTINUATION OF THE MYSTERIOUS WATERFALL

When Coral returned home, night had fallen over the small valley she lived in. The trees swayed eerily in the breeze, and Coral knew she was in more trouble than she could consider. So was Blake. Coral shook her head, knowing she shouldn't be thinking about him. Coral looked at her giant house that stood in front of her, and soon saw her mother, Linh Endal, who was standing outside the doorway.

"We were wondering where you were," Linh said.

Coral was about to explain when she saw Wylie, her father, walk through the doorway. Wylie, as usual, was looking regal in his Nobility cape and attire. Wylie whispered something in Linh's ear, and she nodded, walking back inside.

"Where. Have. You. Been?" Wylie asked, strictly.

This was when Coral knew she would be getting a proper scolding. "I--" Coral began, gathering her words. "I went into the forest...to calm myself."

Wylie's eyes flared with anger. "You flood part of a school, and don't come here to face your own parents? That's unacceptable!" Wylie met his scared daughter's eyes, and reigned back his anger, and put his hand on her shoulder, brushing back the long black hair that was getting in her eyes. "But, I guess you needed some time to...refresh yourself. Alright, then, my sweet. You're grounded for two days. That's all."

Coral sighed with relief. Being grounded for two days wasn't pleasant, but she had seen what her dad did when he was angry.

Coral fell asleep, tired, and dropped into a dreamless abyss of inky blackness until she was saved by the light seeping through her eyes when the sunlight bored through her drapes.

After she had lunch that day, she heard a knock on her door. When Coral opened it, she saw Blake, standing there in a much better tunic. And...was he wearing hair gel? Coral smiled at Blake.

"Hi, Coral," Blake said. "I just wanted to say thank you for what you did for me yesterday."

"It wasn't that much," Coral said.

"But it meant a lot," Blake said. "So, I drew you a picture, if you want to keep it."

Coral looked at the small framed paper drawn in colored pencils and amazing shading. It was the same waterfall she had been at the day before, in great detail.

"Thank you so much," Coral said. "I'll put it on my desk."

Coral walked over to her desk, and set down the picture, smiling at Blake's good work. Then, she faltered when she spotted the picture of her cousin, Leila. Coral hadn't seen her in so long.

"How's your cousin?" Blake asked, walking over to her.

"I don't know," Coral said. "But I'm about to find out."