01: Sunflowers

Chapter 1

Sunflowers

“Ashley! They’re back again!”

Ashley fluttered their eyes open to canary-yellow walls and their brother standing by their bed. The sun lit up the room, casting light onto the shiny and colourful cat ornaments, feathers, and crystals tucked into every nook and cranny.

Ashley: “R-Really?!”

Their cerulean eyes sparkled with a warm, cat-like smile. They were soft and round with their chubby build and delicate features. Their long ombre hair flicked at the top like cat ears, and they had a dark olive complexion. Their brother looked like an elongated, masculine version of them, dressed in a leather jacket with darker blue eyes and darker hair that he wore in an undercut style.

Ashley rolled out of bed, dressed in their cat onesie pajamas. They squeezed into their long, brown faux fur coat and followed him into the living room with the same canary yellow walls. Green couches and an ornamental rug surrounded the TV. The sweet and earthy concoction of fresh cookies and sage leaves filled the house. At the centre of the room, a family photo hung on the wall. It depicted them as children, standing with their parents. Their father had a slender build and wore the same faux fur coat. Their mother was short and plump like Ashley. Her long caramel hair flowed down her white dress, and she wore a crystal necklace. Their faces were obscured by the sunlight beaming through the window.

He opened the door, presenting them with a pile of sunflowers on the doorstep. Ashley beamed with a glint of hope in their eyes.

Ashley: “Blake? You don’t suppose?”

They quirked an eyebrow at their brother, tugging at the same necklace their mother wore in the portrait. Blake flicked his gaze to the family portrait on the wall.

Blake: “That’s not possible...”

He said gently but firmly.

Ashley: “Did I do this then?”

They pondered, picking up one of the sunflowers. Blake turned to gape at them.

Blake: “What do you mean?”

He pressed them.

Ashley: “...I had that dream again.”

They glanced down at the sun tattoo on their hand. It depicted a circle within a circle with triangular points around it. Blake paused.

Blake: “So, you were sleepwalking?”

He queried skeptically.

Ashley: “More like I was sleepcrafting!”

They beamed, picking up the sunflowers. Blake gaped at them.

Blake: “Magic isn’t real, Ash.”

He scoffed and laughed.

Ashley: “How do you explain it then?”

They challenged him.

Blake: “I dunno. Maybe you have an admirer?”

He shrugged. Ashley laughed disbelievingly. A tabby main coon cat trotted up to them, rubbing around their legs with their bushy tail. Ashley lit up and scooped the cat up in their arms.

Blake: “Maybe Stella did it?”

He shrugged, patting their cat.

Ashley: “Stella?! Where would he get sunflowers from?”

They laughed, gazing at their cat.

Blake: “I don’t know. Maybe he got it from a neighbor’s garden or somewhere in the bushland?”

He shrugged. Ashley laughed disbelievingly and skipped back inside with the sunflowers.

The kitchen beamed brightly with its earth tones and sunlight casting through the window. It resembled a kitchen catalog from a bygone era. A vintage kit-cat clock hung on the gaudy 1960s-style wallpaper pattern. The bench tops, cabinets, fridge, and stove were a matching set of lime green.

Ashley: “Magic is all around you, Blake! You just gotta believe in yourself!”

They exclaimed, placing the sunflowers in a vase and admiring them under the sun.

Ashley: “And think outside the box!”

They added as they picked some fresh sage and rosemary from the cooking herbs sitting on the windowsill. They then proceeded to the fridge, where they pulled out mushrooms, bacon, and eggs.

Ashley: “Even cooking is magic! Taking these ingredients from the earth and transforming them into something extraordinary and delicious with the element of fire!”

They explained as they sautéed the mushrooms with butter, garlic, and sage, and cooked the bacon and eggs.

Ashley: “Watch as I turn these eggs, blueberries, flour, butter, and sugar into muffins!”

They exclaimed as they mixed them in a bowl, waving their hands over it like a magician. They then poured the liquid into the muffin tray and shoved it into the oven.

Blake: “That’s not magic!”

He laughed. Ashley frowned as they served up their breakfast and sat down at the table across from him.

Blake: “If all I have to do is believe in it, where is your magic then?”

He challenged them. Ashley paused.

Ashley: “...I don’t know. Ever since the day we left… I lost my spark.”

They glanced down at the sun tattoo on their hand.

Ashley: “But it looks like it's coming back now!”

They beamed hopefully at the sunflowers in the vase and took a bite of their mushrooms. Blake paused.

Blake: “Ashley…”

He began sympathetically, placing his hand on their shoulder, revealing his matching sun tattoo.

Blake: “Sunshire was a cult.”

He said firmly, frowning at his tattoo.

Blake: “The ‘magic’ came from mushrooms spiked in our food.”

He explained skeptically, holding up a mushroom. Ashley recoiled.

Ashley: “T-That’s not true! Sunshire is our home and our family! That wasn’t mushroom magic!”

They countered. Blake sighed.

Blake: “Well, Selene Valley is our home now, and we are the only family we have now…”

His voice trailed off, locking his gaze on Ashley.

Ashley: “I know…”

They said softly, gazing at the family photo on the living room wall, through the archway, as if it were divided.

~

Later that day, Ashley sauntered onto the veranda, dressed in bellbottom jeans and a charcoal shirt with their father’s coat over it. They sipped on their lemongrass tea and drank in their lush surroundings. Their green weatherboard cottage was nestled amongst the trees and a long dirt driveway. The gentle breeze flickered through the windchimes, and the chirping magpies in the gum trees filled the air. Blake stepped out onto the veranda, lighting up a cigarette.

Blake: “I’ll be back later.”

He nodded to Ashley, heading over to the orange HQ Kingswood station wagon parked on the lawn. Ashley’s eyes perked up.

Ashley: “Ooh, where are you going? Can I come, too?”

They pleaded with Blake. Blake held his hand up.

Blake: “No, Ash. You stay here.”

He got in the car and started the engine. Ashley’s shoulders slumped with a frown.

Ashley: “Aww, I never get to go anywhere…”

They sighed as they watched him cruise down the driveway.

When Blake was out of sight, Ashley flicked their gaze to their closest neighbor with curiosity. It was an old mansion on a hill, surrounded by bushland between the two properties. A soft ball of fur circling their legs snapped them out of their daze. They glanced down and smiled at their cat.

Ashley: “Did you bring me those sunflowers, boy?”

They knelt and picked him up in their arms. Stella meowed.

Ashley: “We’ll see about that. Let’s go on an adventure!”

They scooped up their cat and snuck out through the old wooden gate.

~

Ashley wandered through the bushland with their cat, admiring their surroundings and the crisp smell of leaves in the air. They observed their surroundings, not spotting a single sunflower in sight. Twigs and leaves rustled under their feet until they reached a moss-stained cement fence surrounding the property. They leaned up against the rusty iron gates, getting a closer look at the house. The old Victorian house stood three stories tall with slated gable roofs and a veranda surrounding the big red door at the entrance. The weatherboard had decayed with the elements and sands of time. Large stained glass windows looked out onto the garden. The garden boomed with daisies and fresh vegetables, but there were no sunflowers in sight. Ashley paused and pondered, exchanging a look with their cat. A smile spread across their face, and a glint of hope lit up in their eyes.

Ashley: “...No sunflowers. Does that mean my magic is coming back?”

They stroked their crystal necklace. Cackling emerged from within the decrepit mansion, snapping them out of their daze. Ashley froze and felt a shivering vibration between the earth and the soles of their feet, rippling from inside the walls.

Ashley: “HahahahaHAHAHAHA!”

They stumbled over a laugh and scrunched their toes against the earth.

Suddenly, something neon caught their eye, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the greenery.

Ashley: “...What the heck is THAT?!”

They chuckled and curiously wandered towards it. As they drew closer, they could see it was a man standing on the side of the highway. He looked like a piece of licorice, dressed in bright, neon pinks and greens. His face was obscured by his neon pink, wide-brimmed hat and pink sunglasses. He had tanned skin that looked like he had been bathing in orange juice for a week, and his mullet was dry and yellow, resembling a haystack on his head. He was seated on a pink leopard guitar case and a cardboard box full of his belongings.

Ashley: “Oh my stars! It’s a clown!”

They gasped with amusement and approached the neon-clad stranger.

Ashley: “Hello! Do you live here?”

They gestured to the decrepit mansion. A crooked grin spread across the man's gaunt face, and he removed his tacky star-shaped sunglasses to greet Ashley with his beady moss-green eyes.

Neon stranger: “Nice pussy baby! You’re smokin’ hot!”

He purred at them, eyeing them from head to toe. Ashley awkwardly laughed, stroking their cat.

Neon stranger: “...for a fat chick.”

He added with a laugh that resembled a hyena. Ashley shifted their eyes.

Ashley: “Uhh… thanks? I think, haha?”

They awkwardly scratched their head.

Ashley: “So uh, do you live here?”

They reiterated, gesturing to the mansion. The man scoffed.

Neon stranger: “I don’t have a house, baby! I got kicked onto da streets!”

Ashly knit their eyebrows.

Ashley: “Oh no! I’m sorry! What happened to the circus?”

They pressed him.

Neon stranger: “CIRCUS?!”

He blinked mutely at them.

Ashley: “Yeah, you’re a clown, right?!”

They tilted their head with a laugh.

Neon stanger: “Nah-ah! I’m NOT a clown! Don’t you know who I am?!”

He pouted indignantly.

Ashley: "Haha, no, of course not, we only just met! A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet! I'm Ashley Solegatti! Nice to meet you!"

They beamed and waved at him.

Maxx: "Da name's Maxxyyyyy! Maxxy Malone! I'm a VERY famous rockstar!"

He grinned. Ashley's eyes widened.

Ashley: "...WOW! You're a famous rockstar?!"

They gasped, clutching their cheeks.

Maxx: “Dats right!”

He said loftily, presenting Ashley with a glamor-shot photo of himself. He was making a pouty face with the title 'Sex Bees' above him with a crudely scribbled ‘T’ at the end. His signature was scribbled at the bottom in pink marker. Ashley snickered at the name and gasped, awestruck that he played in a band.

Ashley: “HAHAHA, Sex Bees! That’s hilarious!”

He giggled. Maxx’s nostrils flared.

Maxx: “...Sex BEEST! BEEST! T! T!”

He scolded him through clenched teeth.

Ashley: “OH! My apologies! Why does it say Sex Bees then?”

They laughed and scratched their head.

Maxx: “Cos, da printers made a mistake ‘n I didn’t wanna pay five bucks for new ones!”

He pouted and huffed.

Ashley: “Haha, you’re funny!”

They chuckled. Maxx gaped at them.

Maxx: “...Funny?! I’m NOT funny, I’m SEXY!”

He squawked. Ashley shifted their eyes and cleared their throat awkwardly. They couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. A silence lingered between them with chirping magpies in the distance.

Ashley: “So, how did you end up out here? What happened?”

They pressed him, breaking the awkward silence. Maxx pouted.

Maxx: “My bandmates kicked me outta da house! I got nowhere to go and I GOT NOTHIN’!”

He huffed, kicking up leaves and dirt with his obnoxiously elongated cowboy boots.

Ashley: “I’m sorry! Did you need a place to stay?”

They knit their eyebrows. Maxx’s face lit up.

Maxx: “OWWWH! Can I crash with you, baby?!”

He grinned at them. Ashley smiled and nodded.

Ashley: “Of course, I’ll help you! That’s the Sunshire way!”

They chirped and led him through the bushland towards their house.

Maxx: “Sunshire?”

He scoffed. Ashley nodded and smiled, presenting him with their Sunshire tattoo.

Ashley: “That's where I come from!”

They explained. Maxx squinted his eyes, taking a look at it.

Maxx: “Pfft, I know dat place!”

Ashley paused and blinked at him.

Ashley: “Huh?”

They tilted their head.

Ashley: “You don’t look Sunshirean?”

They examined him, disbelievingly.

Maxx: “Nah, baby, not ME! Dat fatty asshole, Brad!”

He scoffed. Ashley’s confusion only grew.

Ashley: “...Brad? I don’t know anyone named Brad?”

They racked their brain, trying to place a name and a face, but they drew blanks.

Ashley: “Are you sure?”

They pressed him.

Maxx: “Yeah, baby, Maxxy Malone ain’t no liar!”

He scoffed. Ashley paused and pondered.

~

Ashley led Maxx into the house.

Ashley: “Make yourself at home.”

They smiled, spreading their arms with a warm welcome.

Maxx: “Don’t mind if I do, baby!”

He grinned, plonking down on the couch and putting his feet up. Ashley flicked their gaze to his dirty cowboy boots on the couch.

Ashley: “Oh, do you mind taking off your shoes inside?”

They asked with a strained smile.

Maxx: “Alright, alright!”

He waved his hands, slipping off his cowboy boots. Ashley smiled a bit, but not for long, as the unpleasant odor of vinegar and cheese pervaded the room.

Ashley: “Actually… on second thought. Nevermind! Put them back on!”

They gagged and fanned their face.

Maxx: “Damn, baby, I ain’t no piece of meat!”

He pouted. Ashley rushed into their bedroom and came out, waving a burning stick of herbs around to clear the air.

Maxx: “Ohoho, let’s party! Dats da biggest joint I ever saw!”

He cackled. Ashley laughed.

Ashley: “It’s not a joint! It’s sage and lavender!”

They clarified. Maxx’s face crumpled when he caught a waft of it.

Maxx: “Nooo! I don’t like it!”

He hissed at them like a wild animal. Ashley tilted their head, surprised by his response.

Ashley: “Huh… that’s strange. It’s supposed to clear away bad vibes and make you feel good?”

They scratched their head.

Maxx: “NAH-AH!”

He pouted. Ashley extinguished the herbs and sauntered over to the kitchen.

Ashley: “Can I get you anything?”

They offered him.

Maxx: “Chickie nuggies!”

He commanded. Ashley was taken aback by his baby babbling response.

Ashley: “Sure, I think I can make those, haha? I’m more of a baker than a chef!”

They smiled and nodded, heading into the kitchen through the archway. They stood on their tip-toes reaching for a cookbook on the top shelf. On the cover, it read ‘Kitchen Magician’ by Lazaros Katsaros. A slim and swarthy man with long, blue-black hair spread his arms out, presenting a feast of delicious delicacies. He wore white gloves on his hands and was dressed in a sharp, glittering purple suit that matched his violet eyes. Ashley opened the book and leafed through the pages. Every page was filled with photos of the man presenting each dish with a proud smile. Ashley chuckled and stopped on the page with the chicken nuggets recipe.

Ashley: “Ah, here it is!”

They beamed and rummaged through the pantry for the ingredients, laying them all out onto the table. They went over to the sink to get the gloves, and they noticed the sunflowers on the window.

Ashley turned on their heel to Maxx through the archway.

Ashley: “Did you have anything to do with this?”

They queried him, presenting him with the sunflowers in the vase. Maxx looked dumbfounded.

Maxx: “Pfft! Hell no! Dats chick stuff!”

He waved his hand dismissively. Ashley smiled, feeling hopeful. That can only mean one thing, they thought.

Ashley: “Do you believe in magic, Maxx?”

They pressed him as they prepared the food through the archway.

Maxx: “Do I LOOK like a magician?”

He scoffed and laughed at the photo of the man in the cookbook.

Ashley: “Haha, no.”

They laughed.

Ashley: “And not that kind. I mean like spell casting.”

They clarified. Maxx looked at them as if they had three heads.

Maxx: “Nah-ah! Dats chick stuff!”

He scoffed. Ashley laughed awkwardly.

Ashley: “It’s not just for chicks. What’s wrong with chick stuff anyway?”

They challenged him.

Maxx: “I ain’t no chick!”

He pouted. Ashley forced a strained smile. Wow, this guy is like a broken record, they thought.

~

Three hours later, Ashley served up the chicken nuggets and a pot of lemongrass tea served in a tabby cat-shaped teapot. The fresh herbs and spices permeated the room, and the chicken nuggets were fresh, crispy, and had a soft center.

Ashley: “La Cena è servita!”

They exclaimed with a warm smile, spreading their arms like the man in the cookbook. Maxx gaped at the nuggets in front of him.

Maxx: “Ohhhhhh, nah-ah! I wanted Kaptain Katpilla nuggies!”

He pouted. Ashley recoiled and their mouth hung open.

Ashley: “...Those frozen nuggets for kids?”

They tilted their head.

Maxx: “YES!”

He whined, pounding his fists on the table like a child. Ashley was too stunned to speak, but before they could open their mouth, the door swung open as Blake entered.

Ashley: “Hi, Blake! Want some tea and nuggets?”

They greeted him with a smile and a wave. Blake’s face fell when he saw the neon disaster sitting across from Ashley.

Blake: “What the fuck is THAT?”

He pointed at Maxx. Maxx pouted at him.

Maxx: “I’m Maxxy Malone of Sex Beest, thank you very much!”

He huffed. Blake gaped at him, and he furrowed his eyebrows.

Blake: “Get Out.”

He bellowed at Maxx, pointing to the door. Ashley knit their eyebrows and pulled Blake aside.

Ashley: “Blake? Why are you being mean to him?”

They pleaded with him, looking over at Maxx as he picked up the cat teacup.

Blake: “I don’t like him or trust him!”

He huffed and glowered at Maxx. Maxx dunked the tea out onto the floor and pulled out a cask wine sack, pouring it into his cup.

Ashley: “You don’t even know him!”

They sighed.

Blake: “Neither do you!”

He countered.

Blake: “What were you thinking, bringing vagrants into our house, Ash?!”

He snapped and shook with anger and concern. Ashley recoiled and swallowed hard.

Ashley: “I-I’m sorry, Blake! He needed help… he had no one else and nowhere to go.”

They pleaded with him.

Ashley: “And… that’s what mom would have done…”

They cried, clutching her necklace. Blake’s harsh features softened, and he drew a long breath.

Blake: “We’re in the real world now, Ashley. This isn’t Sunshire!”

He said firmly, folding his arms across his chest.

Blake: “This isn’t your problem! HE is the problem!”

He swung his gaze to Maxx as he drank straight from his cask wine sack. Ashley gave him a look.

Ashley: “How do you know that?”

They pressed Blake.

Blake: “I just do. I know an asshole when I see one!”

He replied. Ashley paused and looked up at him.

Ashley: “...Wait, are you an energy reader?”

They pressed him. Blake gaped at them dismissively.

Blake: “What? No? There’s no such thing! Isn’t it obvious he’s full of shit?”

He countered.

Ashley: “Okay, so he’s not the brightest bulb and he looks like a clown, but that doesn’t make him a bad person! He just needs help and guidance!”

They pleaded with him.

Blake: “Oh, I’ll give him some guidance.”

A smile spread across his face. Ashley’s face lit up.

Ashley: “Really?!”

They beamed.

Blake: “Guidance out of here!”

He grabbed Maxx’s vest and dragged him to the door.

Maxx: “HEY! HEY! Hands off da merchandise!”

He whined and flailed around in Blake’s grip.

Maxx: “YOOOOOOOWWWWWW!”

He yelped as Blake kicked him out the door. He pulled the door shut, slamming it behind Maxx.

Ashley: “BLAKE!”

They knit their eyebrows. Blake held his hand up and stood in front of the door.

Blake: No, Ashley, I’m doing this for your own good!”

He said firmly, locking the door.

Ashley: “I’m not a child, and you’re not my dad! I'm twenty-one!”

They cried defiantly.

Blake: “I’m protecting you! You have NO idea how the real world works!”

He fired back.

Ashley: “Maybe I would if you let me live in it!”

They fired back at him, stamping their feet in protest. Blake pursed his lips.

Ashley: “Maybe you don’t understand the world! How can you if you don’t want to connect to it? You just want to shut everyone and everything out!”

They cried. Blake laughed a hollow laugh.

Blake: “Because the world isn’t magical sunshine and rainbows, Ashley. That’s why I disengage from it and protect you. Because I DO understand the world.”

He countered. Ashley bowed their head.

Ashley: “...Do you? …Or are you afraid?”

They said softly. Blake gave them a look.

Blake: “I just don’t want you getting hurt.”

He sighed.

Ashley: “I already am...“

They confessed in a shade above a whisper.

Ashley: “How could I have a ‘secret admirer’ if I’m cooped up in here all the time? I don't know anyone because you won’t let me go anywhere or do anything on my own!”

They cried.

Ashley: “And Stella couldn’t have brought me those sunflowers either because there are none in the bushland or at the neighbours! There’s no other explanation than my sun magic! But you don’t want to believe me! Are you afraid of magic? Is that it?”

They knit their eyebrows. Blake paused for a moment and turned to them.

Blake: “...You went to the neighbors?!”

He gaped at them. Ashley sighed and nodded.

Blake: “Stay away from that house, Ashley!”

He warned them. Ashley pouted.

Blake: “And stay away from that clown!”

He added for good measure. Ashley rose to their feet.

Ashley: “I ended up at that house and felt something for a reason! And I crossed paths with Maxx for a reason, too! He needed my help, and he knows about Sunshire!”

They argued. Blake gaped at them disbelievingly.

Blake: “That’s impossible! He looks nothing like us!”

He twisted his mouth.

Ashley: “He said he knew someone named Brad.”

They pressed him. Blake scoffed and laughed.

Blake: “There was no ‘Brad’ in Sunshire! He was bullshitting you. I knew he was full of shit!”

He huffed. Ashley paused and didn’t know what to think.

Ashley: “...What if Brad changed his name like we did when we left?”

They challenged. Blake froze and held his hand up.

Blake: “Don’t ever tell anyone those names!”

He hissed. He leaned back and drew a breath.

Blake: “Look, Ash. That clown is a liar. There are no others like us out there! We are the only ones left!”

Ashley: “...Are you sure?”

They tilted their head. Blake paused and had a look in his eye that Ashley had never seen before.

Blake: “I’m sure, Ash.”

He heaved a sigh and rose to his feet.

Blake: “I’m going to the shed for a bit…”

His voice trailed off, and he headed to the door.

Ashley: “Okay…”

They flashed him a smile, knowing what that meant. They heard the rustling of power tools and sighed. They munched on their chicken nuggets and gazed at the sunflowers under the moonlight. They knit their eyebrows and rose when they saw Maxx standing alone on the highway.

Ashley: “I have to help him…”

They pursed their lips.

Ashley: “I need to take this leap of fate into the world!”

They exclaimed, grabbing the car keys off the hook.

Ashley: “An open mind opens doors!”

They took in a deep breath and opened the door, stepping out into the unknown.