Footsteps pounded the pavement, uneven and rushed, as the little boy darted down the alley with nothing to his name but the clothes on his back. Rain lashed his face, wetting his bangs and gluing the lashes together on his only functioning eye. From behind him, he could hear the frantic calls of the woman who had claimed responsibility for him, but he was unmoved.
She wasn't anything to him, after all. Just a woman, a very clean, pretty woman, who didn't want him. Could he blame her, though? He didn't even know who he was - where he was from - why he was there. There was only one thing he did know, and that was the simple truth that he didn't belong. Not here, and certainly not to her.
Ducking around a corner, he skidded into a puddle, splashing water clear up his thighs as he struggled for purchase. Failing, he flung his arms out in time to scrape his fingers against the brick wall, body twisting in a futile last-ditch effort to retain balance. Hitting the ground, he winced, water soaking the seat of his pants and his fingertips bleeding from his efforts.
In the distance, he could hear a faint, panicked voice calling to him.
He sucked in a breath, rising to wobbly legs once more. Though he didn't know where he was going, he knew that anywhere would be better than that enormous house, full of pretty, delicate things and soft smells. It was certainly somewhere he didn't belong.
Bringing tiny hands to his temples, he touched the edge of his bandaging, a frown drawing his lips down. Where..? Where did he belong?
"-deva!"
Startled, he jerked forward, the motion shrugging the heavy jacket from his shoulders. It landed on the ground in a wet heap, and he spun around, eye wide, chest heaving.
There she was.
Extending her hands toward him, the woman managed a small, choked voice. "Come here, oh, come here. I don't know what to do with you, Dasdeva."
He was torn between backing away and reaching for his jacket, and his second of hesitation allowed her the necessary time to close the distance between them. To his horror, she scooped his jacket from the ground, running her delicate, pale hands over it to shake the water loose.
A flush coloring his face, he watched as she opened it, holding the old, rumpled garment out to him. "Come on, Dasdeva. We don't have to go to the police station yet. Let's just go home."
Hesitant fingers stretched outward until the jacket was within his grasp, one eye warily watching the woman. Nan. She was as wet as him, and her bangs were clinging to her cheeks, water running down her face and over her lips. If anything, she seemed more upset than he was.
He didn't trust her, though. She wanted to get rid of him.
Snatching the jacket, he hugged it to his chest, stepping backwards rapidly as he did so. A weird look crossed Nan's face, but before he could consider it, thunder boomed behind him, and the rain intensified.
Bringing her hands up to her chin, Nan pleaded, "Come on, Dasdeva."
He didn't get the chance to answer. They both heard it at the same time; the noise of others, people, rushing through the storm to find shelter of their own. Struggling against the evil before him and the unknown, Dasdeva took a hesitant step toward Nan, dark eye still wary.
"Don' want't'go," He murmured, voice barely audible over the storm.
Reaching for him with trembling hands, Nan closed them over his shoulders, pulling the small boy toward her protectively. He allowed it, though he fought against the warm sensation of having a pair of arms crossed securely in front of him.
"Who's there?" She called, doing her best to keep the tremor out of her voice.
She wasn't anything to him, after all. Just a woman, a very clean, pretty woman, who didn't want him. Could he blame her, though? He didn't even know who he was - where he was from - why he was there. There was only one thing he did know, and that was the simple truth that he didn't belong. Not here, and certainly not to her.
Ducking around a corner, he skidded into a puddle, splashing water clear up his thighs as he struggled for purchase. Failing, he flung his arms out in time to scrape his fingers against the brick wall, body twisting in a futile last-ditch effort to retain balance. Hitting the ground, he winced, water soaking the seat of his pants and his fingertips bleeding from his efforts.
In the distance, he could hear a faint, panicked voice calling to him.
He sucked in a breath, rising to wobbly legs once more. Though he didn't know where he was going, he knew that anywhere would be better than that enormous house, full of pretty, delicate things and soft smells. It was certainly somewhere he didn't belong.
Bringing tiny hands to his temples, he touched the edge of his bandaging, a frown drawing his lips down. Where..? Where did he belong?
"-deva!"
Startled, he jerked forward, the motion shrugging the heavy jacket from his shoulders. It landed on the ground in a wet heap, and he spun around, eye wide, chest heaving.
There she was.
Extending her hands toward him, the woman managed a small, choked voice. "Come here, oh, come here. I don't know what to do with you, Dasdeva."
He was torn between backing away and reaching for his jacket, and his second of hesitation allowed her the necessary time to close the distance between them. To his horror, she scooped his jacket from the ground, running her delicate, pale hands over it to shake the water loose.
A flush coloring his face, he watched as she opened it, holding the old, rumpled garment out to him. "Come on, Dasdeva. We don't have to go to the police station yet. Let's just go home."
Hesitant fingers stretched outward until the jacket was within his grasp, one eye warily watching the woman. Nan. She was as wet as him, and her bangs were clinging to her cheeks, water running down her face and over her lips. If anything, she seemed more upset than he was.
He didn't trust her, though. She wanted to get rid of him.
Snatching the jacket, he hugged it to his chest, stepping backwards rapidly as he did so. A weird look crossed Nan's face, but before he could consider it, thunder boomed behind him, and the rain intensified.
Bringing her hands up to her chin, Nan pleaded, "Come on, Dasdeva."
He didn't get the chance to answer. They both heard it at the same time; the noise of others, people, rushing through the storm to find shelter of their own. Struggling against the evil before him and the unknown, Dasdeva took a hesitant step toward Nan, dark eye still wary.
"Don' want't'go," He murmured, voice barely audible over the storm.
Reaching for him with trembling hands, Nan closed them over his shoulders, pulling the small boy toward her protectively. He allowed it, though he fought against the warm sensation of having a pair of arms crossed securely in front of him.
"Who's there?" She called, doing her best to keep the tremor out of her voice.
