To Feel The Rain: Chapter Four

--- o For the Spooktober Prompt #17: Voice o ---

   Wiping the blood from her mouth with her sleeve, she rose to her feet but froze. Her ears peaked when she heard something moving behind the rubble of a nearby building. Maybe it was a stray animal, but she couldn’t sense them. Well, to be precise she can’t see things like most could, as she was not among them. But her senses were sharp enough to make out the effect they had on the surrounding atmosphere, subtle ripples that moved with them. All life had it, so it could be something crumbling, an inanimate object losing to the weight of entropy.

   It wasn’t. Now that she focused on it, she could hear the faint breaths of someone hiding out of sight. Too heavy to be a small animal, too light to be an adult hiding in anticipation to strike.

   She moved seamlessly, barely the blink of an eye passed before she stood before the broken wall the huddled figure hid behind. Truthfully, she expected it to be a small animal, perhaps injured, yet what she saw was far from it. ❛ A child? ❜

   ❝ Are ya’ lost? ❞

   She spoke softly, a hint of curiosity in her voice as she got a better look of the cowering child. She was, in fact, in disbelief at the sight of her, so much so that she forgot her common tongue. Were there other survivors amongst the rubble? She doubted it. How long had she been alone? What the hell was she supposed to do now? It was far too dangerous to take her in, and she couldn’t feed her when she barely had enough for herself.

   A brief flash of herself came before her, the girl was no older than when she lost her arm, and part of her felt a pang of guilt at the thought of leaving her to die. ❛ What would she have done? She wouldn’t think twice before taking her in. But I’m not her. I can’t— ❜ The least she could do was find somewhere that would take her in. Though that was a challenge, made starkly clear with the onset of cold.

   It didn’t help that she hadn’t interacted with a child for what, years now? She barely spoke to other people, the closest she got was when she killed them. Now that made her pause momentarily for a breath. She recoiled at the idea of getting involved, and she almost turned on heel to walk off, and she would have. Had she not heard that word. Mother. Wait— Did she?

   ❝ Don’ —be afraid, ❞

   The woman, now moving around the broken wall to stand before the child, knelt before her. Now getting a better look at her, the odd color of hair and even stranger mix of eyes raised a brow. This girl was surely not from here, but asking why or how could wait until later. The woman spoke once more, her tone and expression softened, though her words were cut off by a bout of coughing.

   ❝ I won’. Hurt you. ❞

   ❝ My name. Is Elly. ❞ She said,  noticing the girl refused to let go. ❝ What’s your name? ❞

   ❛ Myrr. My name is Myrr. ❜ If only she could speak such words aloud. How could you not know that?

   ❝ What happened— Here? ❞ Elly spoke once more, as she looked around the area, but no signs of life made itself known. When the girl didn’t answer, she raised a brow.

   ❝ Can’t talk, huh? ❞ She added, unsure whether it was out of anxiety or ability, ❝ S’ok, I don’ talk much either. ❞

   Noticing Myrr fixed her eyes on the small trinket she found, she held out for the girl to take. ❝ Yours? ❞

   And she did take it, though cautiously, holding it close to her chest once it was in her hands. Myrr remained guarded, uncertain of whether this person was an apparition. Yet that mattered little to her, and she promptly leapt into Elly’s arms, holding her tight, barely managing to force the words out.

   Taken aback by the sudden embrace, Elly once more found a look of surprise and mind confusion, unsure of what to do. She returned the embrace, albeit sheepishly. As jaded as she was, she couldn’t push away a crying child. ❝ You must have been— ❞

   ❝ Y’were ❞ It was odd, she spoke in such a strange fashion, seeming to pause between words as though they came with great effort. ❝ Y’were on your own. For a while, huh? ❞

   ❝ Where are— Yer’ parents? ❞

--- o ---