Mom's hair used to be strawberry blonde. The sort of blonde you would only see on American bombshells at the bar.

But mom was nothing like a bar-goer in her manner. On the contrary, she was a gentle caretaker of two kids, that would choose sunbathing on a midsummer's beach over intoxication any day. Her skin was painted a pale, ethereal gold from her days spent by the sea, and bright specks of copper flicker in her irises, glowing whenever she smiled.

Dad used to say that our God painted a river of caramel into mom's eyes, but gluttonous humanity stole it away from her and left only breadcrumbs in their wake. Mom would further the fables by always making Kiki and I caramel-filled sandwiches as snacks for school, insisting that if we ate enough, we could grow a river in our eyes too.

That's how I remember mom the most. The scent of caramel dancing around the kitchen like an echo, paired with the gentle whiff of fireplace charcoal that frequently strolls into the room, before her sneakers follow suit.

It smells like mom here, but in the most twisted way possible.

From the angrily peeled skin of the walls, and the charred edges of whatever wallpaper is left, it's evident that the abandoned building I stumbled on, had been left vacant after the arrival of a furious fire. Retired moisture was draped across the floor like a shadowy veil, and the air still held the ghost of dead embers.

When mom died, did she leave embers on the ground too?

It's not at all pretty here, and I could almost feel the presence of a demon or two lurking around a corner, ready to grab unsuspecting runaways by the neck. But these conditions had to suffice. The sun had set all the way down to a gorgeous purple shade, and night was eager to jump upon us at any second. I know that the real demons would never be in an abandoned building. The real demons, are the police officers in full uniform that could be right outside my doors at this very second.

There is the scent of burning charcoal here, but no caramel, no rivers, and no mother to save her son.

It is void.

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// SIDE NOTE: Intended to write a vignette but decided to have some more fun and write a bit of a monologue. Thanks for reading! <3