First of all, it has been two months since I've updated this story, and I am so sorry. I was overwhelmed and busy, and I should have put up a notice, for that, I apologize. I'm at 1,000 reads though! So thanks to anyone who came back to read this chapter. With that, on with the story.

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Laurence sat in silence for a while. It was the silence that he hated, yet desperately needed. It helped clear his brain and think.

Why?

Why is Garte doing this? Not only to random children, but also to his own son? Why?

He was starting to doubt things that he thought were true in his past. Did his mother really willingly give him up for this experiment? His mind flashed to her screams as he was dragged down the hallway. He quickly put his palm to cover his ears, a fruitless effort to block out the sound that wasn't even there.

Suddenly, a voice broke the deafening silence. "What color were your eyes again?" Garroth asked. He wasn't sitting by the mirror anymore, Laurence could tell. His voice had moved across the room and sounded more distant.

"A pale blue." Laurence replied.

"No. Describe it how you did last time. What imagery did you use?"

"Two frozen lakes." Laurence was a bit confused. "Why do you ask?" Garroth really did recover from these emotional bursts rather quickly. Maybe, from what Laurence had picked up, it was because he was so used to being controlled by his father, that he learned to hide his emotions well.

"It wasn't just two frozen lakes." Garroth answered. "You said 'two frozen lakes that light up the dreary world around them', I believe." Laurence then herd brush strokes across the wall. "And what we need is something to light up this dreary world we are living in."

More brush strokes.

"So I painted you."

Laurence felt his face heat up. He wasn't painting something from the outside world? Why would Garroth paint him? He didn't exactly know how to respond, so Garroth continued.

"Those two eyes. Light tan skin although you haven't seen the sun in 12 years. Freckles dotted across your skin like stars. Silky light brown hair, shaggy, but wonderful." Garroth took a step back to admire his work.

"When you only get one option, you get pretty good at what you are given. Good thing I was given paints." Laurence felt as if Garroth was smiling. "You look amazing."

Laurence knew a blush was building on his cheeks. "Thank you." He mumbled. "Now I wish I had something to base you on. All I have is that you have tan skin, blond hair, and blue eyes. I don't have any paints, so my view of you is constantly changing." Laurence spoke a little more clearly. Each time he imagined Garroth, it was something different than before. The only things that stayed persistent was his golden hair, piercingly dark blue eyes, sun kissed skin, and increasing attractiveness. Laurence pushed the thought out of his mind. Attractive? Garroth? The boy that he has only herd the voice of and who has daddy issues? Why?

Garroth spoke up once again. "I wonder if your painting will stay on the wall. I feel like us staying connected is important to this experiment, so me having something to look at and think of you with may make that a little easier."

There was a brief pause.

"I don't know if this is complementing your looks, my painting abilities, or both, but your eyes are the most beautiful things I have ever seen."

Laurence really wanted to blurt out, Even better than your girlfriend's eyes? But he refrained. Why did he have such negative feelings towards Garroth's girlfriend? "I think you are complementing your painting abilities, because my eyes aren't anything special."

"If I even see them in real life, I bet I will say they are the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen."

Laurence felt all warm and fuzzy inside, and without thinking, he blurted, "I hope you will."