Sunflowers and Moonmonsters
Quote from Mae on May 15, 2023, 11:47 pmSitting in a strange place - a strange but safe place - Mercy gently caved to the quiet of the room and the little boy radiating heat on her chest. She dreamt of dark water and heard a murmuring in the void where it lapped a silent shore. Then she woke, and found the room dark and quiet. Time had slipped away, but Charlie still slept soundly on her chest.
Sitting in a strange place - a strange but safe place - Mercy gently caved to the quiet of the room and the little boy radiating heat on her chest. She dreamt of dark water and heard a murmuring in the void where it lapped a silent shore. Then she woke, and found the room dark and quiet. Time had slipped away, but Charlie still slept soundly on her chest.
Quote from Adriana on May 16, 2023, 12:35 pmWhen I’d come back in, Momma and son were both sleeping. That couch was old and soft. I hope’d she wouldn’t be too sore in the morning. But I wasn’t gonna rouse her awake with no telling if she’d be able go back to sleep.
I’d put away the food, turned out the lights and went out back to feed the dogs. Afterwards, I sat down on the concrete steps of the back porch, rested my head on the wood rail with both pups at my feet, and stayed in quiet contemplation and prayer for a long time.
…
I opened my eyes to see that it was either late, or early, and brisk. I audibly groaned as I stood from the step, my knees and back already punishing me. Then went back in, the door sounding entirely too loud. I felt myself startle to see Mercy’s eyes glint in the dark of the room.
“You should lie down.” I whispered, voice groggy. “You can stay there or I can carry him to the bedroom for you.”
When I’d come back in, Momma and son were both sleeping. That couch was old and soft. I hope’d she wouldn’t be too sore in the morning. But I wasn’t gonna rouse her awake with no telling if she’d be able go back to sleep.
I’d put away the food, turned out the lights and went out back to feed the dogs. Afterwards, I sat down on the concrete steps of the back porch, rested my head on the wood rail with both pups at my feet, and stayed in quiet contemplation and prayer for a long time.
…
I opened my eyes to see that it was either late, or early, and brisk. I audibly groaned as I stood from the step, my knees and back already punishing me. Then went back in, the door sounding entirely too loud. I felt myself startle to see Mercy’s eyes glint in the dark of the room.
“You should lie down.” I whispered, voice groggy. “You can stay there or I can carry him to the bedroom for you.”
Quote from Mae on May 18, 2023, 12:42 amMercy stared at Robin for several silent moments as if her mind were not fully awake, and in her eyes was a strange light. Then the moment passed, and her humanity returned.
Mercy looked down at her sweet son. Groggily, she adjusted herself on the couch and tested to see if he would wake. He would not. So Mercy looked at Robin and nodded her head. She looked pained to give him up, but pained also by her wounds. "Thank you," she whispered.
Mercy stared at Robin for several silent moments as if her mind were not fully awake, and in her eyes was a strange light. Then the moment passed, and her humanity returned.
Mercy looked down at her sweet son. Groggily, she adjusted herself on the couch and tested to see if he would wake. He would not. So Mercy looked at Robin and nodded her head. She looked pained to give him up, but pained also by her wounds. "Thank you," she whispered.
Quote from Adriana on May 18, 2023, 1:08 am"Of course."
I picked Charlie up and was amazed Momma had let him lay on her that long. He might have been thin, but he was not light. How's Mercy's lungs weren't completely flattened was beyond me.
I took him to the room and tucked him into the yellow quilted blankets, then returned to the living room.
"You gonna be able to go back to sleep? You should try. I can help you to the room."
"Of course."
I picked Charlie up and was amazed Momma had let him lay on her that long. He might have been thin, but he was not light. How's Mercy's lungs weren't completely flattened was beyond me.
I took him to the room and tucked him into the yellow quilted blankets, then returned to the living room.
"You gonna be able to go back to sleep? You should try. I can help you to the room."
Quote from Mae on May 27, 2023, 8:51 pmMercy shook her head. She sat there several minutes in the silence and darkness with her brows knit together.
"I feel like somethings wrong with me..." She whispered. "I feel weird... real weird."
Mercy shook her head. She sat there several minutes in the silence and darkness with her brows knit together.
"I feel like somethings wrong with me..." She whispered. "I feel weird... real weird."
Quote from Adriana on May 27, 2023, 9:38 pmI was never good at hiding my expressions. My brows went down and I squinted my eyes at Mercy, holding my head back and sideways just a touch. Weird was not my favorite word to hear in this context. Sick, tired, worn out-I'll take those.
"Yeah...?"
Closing the distance between us, I sat down beside her with a little space between us.
".... Kind of a foggy, fuzzy like weird?" now I hovered a hand over her forehead to see if she had a fever.
I was never good at hiding my expressions. My brows went down and I squinted my eyes at Mercy, holding my head back and sideways just a touch. Weird was not my favorite word to hear in this context. Sick, tired, worn out-I'll take those.
"Yeah...?"
Closing the distance between us, I sat down beside her with a little space between us.
".... Kind of a foggy, fuzzy like weird?" now I hovered a hand over her forehead to see if she had a fever.
Quote from Mae on June 3, 2023, 11:29 pmMercy turned her gaze down at the floor and the focus fell out of her eyes. She was looking pale and feeling hot to the touch.
"Like... I'm made of straw..." Mercy whispered, distantly. "Like there's wind... in my bones... or glass..."
Mercy was bracing herself now. She leaned forward and pressed her palms into her eyes.
Mercy turned her gaze down at the floor and the focus fell out of her eyes. She was looking pale and feeling hot to the touch.
"Like... I'm made of straw..." Mercy whispered, distantly. "Like there's wind... in my bones... or glass..."
Mercy was bracing herself now. She leaned forward and pressed her palms into her eyes.
Quote from Adriana on June 5, 2023, 12:14 am(Changing POV's for now)
Robin stood and went to the kitchen. The cupboards and drawers were opened carefully to not wake Charlie, although the cabin walls were thick and sound could scarcely penetrate them.
A plastic tub of various items were brought out to Mercy and sat on the table near her. Robin's expression betrayed neither concern nor certainty as she moved the table closer to the couch and arranged the products on its surface. A bowl of lukewarm water was set out, and rags beside it. Another large empty bowl was put out. Over the counter medicines were provided. Robin left again and returned with pillows and blankets which she arranged carefully near the arm of the couch, and without asking, put one over Mercy's shoulders.
"You gotta face this head on, and you need to brave."
Her voice was quiet and heavy, her tone warm and reassuring. Her features were soft in spite of the scar and orange eyes.
Again, Robin sat down near to Mercy, and unless Charlie cried out or the cabin was set aflame, she wouldn't leave.
(Changing POV's for now)
Robin stood and went to the kitchen. The cupboards and drawers were opened carefully to not wake Charlie, although the cabin walls were thick and sound could scarcely penetrate them.
A plastic tub of various items were brought out to Mercy and sat on the table near her. Robin's expression betrayed neither concern nor certainty as she moved the table closer to the couch and arranged the products on its surface. A bowl of lukewarm water was set out, and rags beside it. Another large empty bowl was put out. Over the counter medicines were provided. Robin left again and returned with pillows and blankets which she arranged carefully near the arm of the couch, and without asking, put one over Mercy's shoulders.
"You gotta face this head on, and you need to brave."
Her voice was quiet and heavy, her tone warm and reassuring. Her features were soft in spite of the scar and orange eyes.
Again, Robin sat down near to Mercy, and unless Charlie cried out or the cabin was set aflame, she wouldn't leave.
Quote from Mae on June 14, 2023, 12:32 amMercy said nothing more as her mind was eclipsed by interoception. "You need to be brave," she heard a voice say, and that was all. For she fell into herself, as it were, to source the pain. Within, she found a violent sort of destruction. The days that followed brought agony in every waking moment. Searing, powerful waves of pain pulsed through every cell of her body and streamed through every fiber of her being. Every bone ached. Every muscle felt hamstrung. Her stomach and head seemed knotted, heavy, and hard. Her heart pounded as if it might burst. Her cries in the night were a plea for release. She slept in her sweat and could eat nothing. On the third night, she wearied greatly from her pain and began to slip away. But the faith of her caretaker called her back, and on the morning of the third day her fever broke. Through the fourth and fifth day, she slept soundlessly and moved not at all. Then, on the sixth day, she woke.
Mercy would always remember that first day when she opened her eyes again and saw light that did not blister or overwhelm. Some colors she saw were duller than they would ever again be, while other colors were much more vibrant. In her eyes, the world was a new place... it was not the world she left behind.
Mercy said nothing more as her mind was eclipsed by interoception. "You need to be brave," she heard a voice say, and that was all. For she fell into herself, as it were, to source the pain. Within, she found a violent sort of destruction. The days that followed brought agony in every waking moment. Searing, powerful waves of pain pulsed through every cell of her body and streamed through every fiber of her being. Every bone ached. Every muscle felt hamstrung. Her stomach and head seemed knotted, heavy, and hard. Her heart pounded as if it might burst. Her cries in the night were a plea for release. She slept in her sweat and could eat nothing. On the third night, she wearied greatly from her pain and began to slip away. But the faith of her caretaker called her back, and on the morning of the third day her fever broke. Through the fourth and fifth day, she slept soundlessly and moved not at all. Then, on the sixth day, she woke.
Mercy would always remember that first day when she opened her eyes again and saw light that did not blister or overwhelm. Some colors she saw were duller than they would ever again be, while other colors were much more vibrant. In her eyes, the world was a new place... it was not the world she left behind.
Quote from Adriana on June 14, 2023, 10:46 amThe early winters coolness was a blessing. Most days I opened Mercy's window and let the breeze in to try and bring her some relief. Nothing would help.
When I went through the same thing, Darius had me doped up pretty bad with the good Lord knows what, likely so nobody would hear me-but hey, I couldn't remember much of it, so maybe it was the one half decent thing he ever did.
Then Val, that boy was a miracle. By the time the same man and his lot were done with him, he should have been gone long before he got to the hospital. He was fighting sepsis alongside the infection, so it was hard to pick the symptoms apart or when it came and went.
I had no idea how bad it was just all on it's own.
Every breath I breathed was a prayer, and His good grace was keeping my body upright, because I didn't sleep anymore than Mercy for the first three days.
It was the sixth day when she finally awoke.
I stood over the counter, making Charlie a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Poor boy had lived off of these the last few days. I could feel her, even in the kitchen-every sense I had was set keenly on her well being, and when she awoke, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Relief, and fear. The calendar on the wall indicated the full moon would be in four days time.
"Charlie," I called out, slicing the sandwich into two, "Your Momma's awake."
I looked out at him in the living room. It was late afternoon.
The early winters coolness was a blessing. Most days I opened Mercy's window and let the breeze in to try and bring her some relief. Nothing would help.
When I went through the same thing, Darius had me doped up pretty bad with the good Lord knows what, likely so nobody would hear me-but hey, I couldn't remember much of it, so maybe it was the one half decent thing he ever did.
Then Val, that boy was a miracle. By the time the same man and his lot were done with him, he should have been gone long before he got to the hospital. He was fighting sepsis alongside the infection, so it was hard to pick the symptoms apart or when it came and went.
I had no idea how bad it was just all on it's own.
Every breath I breathed was a prayer, and His good grace was keeping my body upright, because I didn't sleep anymore than Mercy for the first three days.
It was the sixth day when she finally awoke.
I stood over the counter, making Charlie a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Poor boy had lived off of these the last few days. I could feel her, even in the kitchen-every sense I had was set keenly on her well being, and when she awoke, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Relief, and fear. The calendar on the wall indicated the full moon would be in four days time.
"Charlie," I called out, slicing the sandwich into two, "Your Momma's awake."
I looked out at him in the living room. It was late afternoon.
