Conflict

“MERCY!”

It was almost unheard of for Mercy’s mother to raise her voice like that, especially around non-family members. The adult candle noodle was clearly furious as she marched towards her daughter. The gathered wick-wyrms that were even younger than Mercy stared in shock, while Mercy herself tried to suppress a smile.

“What, mother? I was just educating them.”

“By frightening them? Mercy, I expect better of you!” Mercy’s mother replied. She looked around at the faces of the wick-wyrms. Some looked shaken, others were wide eyed, and all were unsure of what to do in this situation. Mercy’s mother took a deep breath before dismissing them to the yard outside to play.

It was their household’s day to watch over this group of the neighborhood wick-wyrms. Deciding that her daughter was old enough to take charge of the younger children, Mercy’s mother left her to play games with them, sing songs and read to them. Later stopping by to check in on the group, she discovered that Mercy was indeed keeping them occupied but not with one of her picture books. Instead Mercy was telling them a scary story better suited for older Faians, perhaps told around a campfire.

Now that they were alone, Mercy’s mother continued. “I expected you to have the maturity to not scare those kids. Now they’ll tell their parents and no one will want their children to be over at our house. Do you want that, Mercy? To have no playmates over?”

Mercy rolled her eyes. “I was just having fun with them, Mom. Besides, the story was educational. I was telling them about the Wither.”

The Wither. Mercy’s mother regretted ever letting her husband give Mercy those books on it, incomplete as they were of modern information. It only fueled Mercy’s obsession.

Of course all the wick-wyrms there knew about the Lightkeeper Cause, even at that young age, but the details involving Wither was something Mercy’s mother would rather keep from them until they were more emotionally mature to handle it.

“I don’t think that a story where all the children disappear is very appropriate for wick-wyrms that little, Mercy. You’re just going to give them nightmares,” she answered.

Mercy frowned. “I’ve never had nightmares about it…” she said.

“That doesn’t matter, Mercy,” her mother replied. “I want you to go out there and apologize to the kids. Then, when their parents come to pick them up, you’ll apologize to them too.”

“WHAT? Why their parents too?” Mercy questioned. Apologizing to the young ones was fine, but to the parents? That was like admitting she actually did something wrong.

“Just do as I say, Mercy,” her mother said firmly, motioning to Mercy to go outside and talk to the children. Mercy just grumbled under her breath but did not move.

“Mercy.” The mother glared at her daughter. That got Mercy to say “fine!” and get up. She walked outside and to the nearest wick-wyrm. From what her mother could see through the window, Mercy actually was apologizing. The littler one smiled and accepted her apology, and Mercy continued on.

It would be more difficult to get her to be as sincere to the adults later and Mercy would resent this conflict they had, her mother knew. Maybe Mercy needed more friendships with Faians closer to her age, ones that could handle her interests.