|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:08 pm
Chailyn was frolicking in the snow. She was dressed warmly, all bundled up in a purple jacket and a pair of warm tights under her skirt. She was kicking at the snow giggling as Dulcea walked behind her. She was too young to walk by herself but the dog tahnee was giving her enough room to make her think she was being independent.
She stopped for a moment blowing on her gloved hands. She hadn't seen anyone else outside and noticed a figure coming towards her. She was hopeful it was a friend, someone she could run around and play with in the snow. She didn't know the tale she was about to meet wasn't up for playing.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:18 pm
Andi had waited until his new guardian, Mekt, was asleep to sneak out. He wasn't wearing much - his usual white shirt and jeans. He didn't carry his torchlight this time, and he had left Natty inside, where it was warmer. He had his hands shoved into his pocket, and his head lowered, eyes watching his feet, but mostly closed. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. Anywhere away from here. He shivered. Cold. Good. Maybe he'd freeze to death. That would be a good thing at this point and time. He doesn't notice another - doesn't even look up - keeps walking at a slow, but steady, pace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:26 pm
Chailyn stopped, waiting for the person to get closer. She watched as the person came into view and she could see him better. Her head tilted to the side as it always did when she was curious, wondering who it was. They didn't seem very happy nor did they seem to be paying attention.
In her eyes, it seemed that maybe he just needed a friend. "Hi! I'm Chailyn, what's your name?" she asked sounding rather perky. Apparently she was more of a night owl than an early bird. She gave a smile waiting for him to look up at her and give a smile of his own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:29 pm
He stopped, but didn't look up. He bent down to grab a stick that was poking out of the snow, and started to "write" in a nearby snowbank.
A - N - D - R - A - E - L
After he was finished writing it, he simply dropped the stick, and stood there, waiting for her to say something or do something - Listeless. His eyes didn't raise to meet hers - and if they had, they would have been near-lifeless.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:35 pm
Chailyn had to move to stand beside him to read it. She looked up at him, though she couldn't really see his face let alone his eyes. "Hi Andrael! You look kind of sad. Maybe playing will cheer you up?" she asked curiously. She knew it would be rude to question what was wrong, or blurt out some silly greeting card phrase like smile for awhile.
"Did something bad happen?" she wondered outloud. She covered her mouth. "I...erm, umm do you have a nickname?" she tried covering up her former question. She didn't want to make him mad or butt in, not that she really understood what that meant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:41 pm
He kicked snow over the RAEL, and put in an I. He didn't look up - didn't make any motion to join her, simply stood there with his hands shoved into his pockets, eyes on the ground. He doesn't make any move to shuffle away, though - either. Depressed? Most definately. And he won't talk.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:46 pm
Chailyn peered at the snow again. She was definately curious. Was he mute or just not talking? It didn't appear that he was stubborn, at least not refusing to even respond. Instead he seemed relunctant to interact unless it was writing his name in the snow. She wasn't the type to give up though, at least not now.
"Andi. They call me Chai," she gave a giggle finding it amusing. "We both have A's and I's in our names! People could call us Chandi!" she added. The amusement she found in it managed a chuckled out of Dulcea and she was sure it had to get something out of Andi.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 10:51 pm
He looked up at her with a deadpan expression. His eyes were devoid of any semblance of life or light. His expression was blank - of nothing. As if he didn't feel. Laughter? No way in hell. He shook his head, and lowered it again, slumping to sit in the snow, not caring that he was getting cold.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:01 pm
She was dumb struck. She'd thought it was funny. She pondered for a moment before he looked up at her. She unconsciously took a step back, the blank look in his eyes enough to scare her a bit. She'd never seen such a look on anyone and it made her both uneasy and sad.
Biting down on the inside of her lower lip, she kneeled down in front of him. "It can't be that bad." She had no idea that it was beyond that bad. Being a kid the worse thing she could imagine happening was perhaps that he got grounded. Nor did she know how horrible that question could be.
"Did you parents yell at you? Did you get in trouble?" she asked. She shifted, sitting indian style and looking at him. "I can be stubborn too!" she pouted thinking now he was just being difficult.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:04 pm
He growled under his breath, and started to write with his finger in the snow - BOLD, CAPITAL letters, so she would get it through her thick child's skull.
M..Y....D..A..D....I..S....D..E..A..D.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:18 pm
Chailyn pushed herself back, her senses prickling when he growled. She gulped her eyes showing fear. She hadn't meant to be mean, she hadn't know it was something so serious. She sniffled, her first thought to yell at him stating there was no way she couldn't known but she didn't want to yell. She choked back tears, even if she didn't know him or his father.
"I'm sorry...I didn't know..." she whispered softly. She tentatively reached her hand out, her arm shaking. She touched his shoulder lightly swallowing hard. If she hoped he wasn't going to lash out at her. "Do you have a mom?" she asked softly, practically whispering.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:22 pm
He didn't lash out - didn't react at all. And that lack OF reaction ought to set off warning bells - even in a little girl's head. It might be time to bring momma into this. He shook his head when asked about a mother, and resumed staring down into the snow, tears starting to trickle down his face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:28 pm
Chailyn gulped. She glanced back at Dulcea who wasn't sure what to do either. "Do...you could come home with me? You could talk to my mother, or my daddy. Maybe they can help you feel better?" she asked gently. She had no idea what to do. She'd never ever dealt with something like this. No one she knew had ever died.
"Andi?" she whispered. She inched forward the idea of hugging him coming to mind but afraid to touch him or do anything.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:41 pm
Andi slumped even further, and curled up in the snow, shaking with sobs now, arms wrapped tightly around him. He seemed so much younger than he physically was. He was trembling all over. He'd probably literally "catch his death" if left out here like this too long.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 11:49 pm
Chailyn sniffled, her throat beginning to hurt as tears began to well up in her eyes. She frowned standing up just long enough to run to Dulcea. Grabbing onto her older sister's hand, she dragged the older girl towards Andi. The two kneeled beside him before Dulcea decided she needed help with this.
"Chai, stay with him. I'm going to get Mom and some blankets. Don't move." She slipped her coat off wrapping it around the two tales before rushing off.
"It'll be ok, Andi." Chailyn whispered to him trying to give him hope to cling to. She was doing her best to help though she didn't seem to be doing much of anything.
What seemed like an hour of waiting was only ten minutes or so. It didn't take long for Dulcea to rush back with Anemone. Dulcea wrapped a blanket around Chailyn lifting her into her arms, letting their mother wrap Andi in a blanket and putting him into a sitting position.
"Andi?" Anemone asked trying to coax a response out of him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
