05-11-2020, 07:22 PM
She held his little trembly body and waited for the fear to subside. It rippled out in waves, and she slowly stroked the back of his head as she felt the wetness of tears. A soft tune hovered somewhere on her lips, something old and spindly as the trees in her favoured grove, but he pulled free before the memory could take full form. As it sank once more into oblivion the brash and noisy world of his dream rushed back in.
Big eyes stared up. He turned to search for his tormentor, and Nim's gaze followed. Meanwhile his hand clamped upon hers, and the force of him pulled her like a current. When the door closed behind them the light flickered, choking. It was silent in here.
"You can call me Nim," she told him, as it finally burst to light around them long enough to see glints like thousands of eyes. A woman in a white dress peered back, a child holding her hand, repeated in triplicate. Then darkness. "What can I call you?"
She squeezed his hand, then reached out into the shadows with the other, apparently unperturbed by the pitch black. Laughter and shuffling zipped away to her left, echoing eerie into the distance, but she barely noticed. Mara's pets would find her a poor meal, at least as long as the child trusted to the cocooning safety of her presence. She stumbled a step forward, finding smooth glass against her scarred palm.
"Not that way then," she said. A hum of laughter left her lips, like maybe it was a game. Another flicker. "You're not afraid of the dark are you? No, I'm sure you're not. Sure would be easier to be able to see though."
Especially if he believed it so.
"Is it a grown-up? Might I speak to him for you? I would not let him hurt you." Her hand continued to trail against the mirror wall, feeling them a path through.
Big eyes stared up. He turned to search for his tormentor, and Nim's gaze followed. Meanwhile his hand clamped upon hers, and the force of him pulled her like a current. When the door closed behind them the light flickered, choking. It was silent in here.
"You can call me Nim," she told him, as it finally burst to light around them long enough to see glints like thousands of eyes. A woman in a white dress peered back, a child holding her hand, repeated in triplicate. Then darkness. "What can I call you?"
She squeezed his hand, then reached out into the shadows with the other, apparently unperturbed by the pitch black. Laughter and shuffling zipped away to her left, echoing eerie into the distance, but she barely noticed. Mara's pets would find her a poor meal, at least as long as the child trusted to the cocooning safety of her presence. She stumbled a step forward, finding smooth glass against her scarred palm.
"Not that way then," she said. A hum of laughter left her lips, like maybe it was a game. Another flicker. "You're not afraid of the dark are you? No, I'm sure you're not. Sure would be easier to be able to see though."
Especially if he believed it so.
"Is it a grown-up? Might I speak to him for you? I would not let him hurt you." Her hand continued to trail against the mirror wall, feeling them a path through.