Chapter Text
Prologue
· Tampa, Florida. 1971·
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She was doing it again. Looking at the television while holding her just born child few days ago, her eyes glued to it like a taxidermy animal. Television was having it’s white noise, like it was performing only for the young mother Nancy and her daughter Maya. When little Maya cooed to her mother flailing her little hands in the air, Nancy looked back at her child, like this little creature in her arms broke her out of the trance, Nancy cooed back to her baby while sitting in a comfort of a lounge chair, eyes glazed back to the sight of a television.
“Nancy. Nancy honey. You are doing it again.” a young man’s voice called to Nancy, who was standing in front of the doorway to the living room, which was connected to the kitchen. Nancy didn’t hear it at first, cooing to her child and then making faces while talking to Maya about what’s happening in the tv. Then the man just sighed, walked towards her wife and let his hand touch Nancy’s left shoulder.
“Nancy. Can you look at me for a second, please?” Man asked once more and then, her wife acknowledged her husbands presence. “Oh Patrick. I’m.. I’m sorry. But the Candle Cove was on the tv and you know how much Maya loves that show. She really likes the puppets, you know ~” Nancy said to his husband, - now named as Patrick -, who glanced towards the static television and then her wife.
“Nancy. You have been watching the static for an hour now. There is no Candle Cove; the show have never existed. We have talked about this before.” Patrick said to Nancy, whose smile faded quickly. She looked at television, now seeing the static and hearing the white noise. Now it was her turn to sigh loudly, that made even her newborn to be silent. “Oh dear god. Ugh, I hate that keeps happening. Was.. Was I really out for an hour? I’m really sorry, I was supposed to help you with dinner..” Nancy asked Patrick and he nodded as an answer. “I called the station about the situation; we are not the first ones to inform them about this Candle Cove. Someone even said today in the market that is some kind of mass hysteria. We need to be cautious, especially with Maya. We don’t want her to be hooked on the television when she grows up while watching static. It might do funny things to her growing brain.” Patrick said to Nancy, who was on the same page with her husband on the topic.
Getting up from her lounge chair, Nancy improved holding Maya in her arms, she followed Patrick to the kitchen. “I think this is the third time this week that this has happened. Man, I feel so stupid now.. It was even my turn to make dinner.” Nancy said when placing Maya to her highchair while combing her daughters blonde hair with her hand, Patrick came up to her wife and kissed Nancy’s cheek. “It’s okay. I had fun of my own in the kitchen. This just might be your really vivid imagination or really, just a mass hysteria around our area where we live. We will never know.” Patrick really knew how to cheer her up. Even though Nancy had her doubts about the mass hysteria, but.. It just felt real. Her seeing Candle Cove’s intro, holding Maya in her arms while cradling her little baby. Then why it felt so real? Nancy could only hope that this truly wouldn’t affect Maya when she grows up into a fine young lady. Like getting her mother’s vivid ‘imagination’.
Nancy really had her doubts about all this, that Patrick could see his wife face, which was full of confusion. Patrick once again came forward and let his hand touch Nancy’s face, stroking gently her cheek, finally letting his smile come forward. “It’s okay, Nancy. Our minds always tricks us in odd ways. Let’s just have our dinner, in peace and with no television. No distractions, just us. You, me and our little starlight Maya.” Patrick told Nancy, who took a step away from her wife just to go near little Maya with glimmering eyes, seeing her world in a child’s perspective. Nothing was going behind Maya’s eyes, only childlike wonder. If Nancy could knew what the future holds for the little Maya.