Black as coal

Cleaning! But where was the fun in that? Kea huffed as he lugged the bucket up to the room, and waited for Dusk to arrive with the shovels. He stared at the sooty fireplace as he heard his sister padding down the hallway. He started to poke his head inside, breathing in the funny smell of coal, until it tickled his nostrils.

He felt the sneeze coming and tried to stop it, squeezing his eyes shut as it shot out of his body. The coal stirred violently around him, and he just knew he was already covered. He cracked open one eye cautiously, and found his eyes weren’t blurred. That was something at least.


"Ciaran Carpathius"