Sunflowers and Moonmonsters
Quote from Mae on July 5, 2023, 12:04 pmA gentle mountain breeze swept the old woman's hair. Her soft cotton blue eyes met Robin's immediately as she rounded the corner.
"Hello, Bluejay." Rosa said.
Charlie watched Robin very closely at every minute... Who could say how much of it he understood?
As soon as Robin left the room, Charlie quietly came to the door. Ever so quietly, he opened it. Then he stepped out. He looked at the bathroom. He could hear Mercy crying inside.
Gently, quietly still, Charlie crept up to the bathroom door. He stood silently outside it for a moment or two, then his round little knuckles made the barest tap. "Mommy?" he muttered. He stood by the door and listened.
A gentle mountain breeze swept the old woman's hair. Her soft cotton blue eyes met Robin's immediately as she rounded the corner.
"Hello, Bluejay." Rosa said.
Charlie watched Robin very closely at every minute... Who could say how much of it he understood?
As soon as Robin left the room, Charlie quietly came to the door. Ever so quietly, he opened it. Then he stepped out. He looked at the bathroom. He could hear Mercy crying inside.
Gently, quietly still, Charlie crept up to the bathroom door. He stood silently outside it for a moment or two, then his round little knuckles made the barest tap. "Mommy?" he muttered. He stood by the door and listened.
Quote from Adriana on July 5, 2023, 12:24 pmI could feel the color coming out of my face. I looked around the yard without moving my head, then inclined my head towards Rosa cautiously.
”You alone?”
I could feel the color coming out of my face. I looked around the yard without moving my head, then inclined my head towards Rosa cautiously.
”You alone?”
Quote from Mae on July 5, 2023, 1:00 pm"You have nothing to fear. I've come to help." Rosa replied. She indicated a bag that she carried and glanced at the door. "Are they inside?"
Mercy's sobs grew steadily less while Charlie stood outside listening...
Inside, Mercy tried to wipe away her tears, but her head was still a mess of clouds. When she heard his voice, her heart sank. How seldom he ever spoke, and only to her. If she could but trust herself, she would open the door and wrap her arms around him... but looking at her hands, feeling the burning in her bones and in her chest, she knew. She knew it would not be safe to even touch him. Keep the door closed, Mercy. Keep the monster inside.
"You have nothing to fear. I've come to help." Rosa replied. She indicated a bag that she carried and glanced at the door. "Are they inside?"
Mercy's sobs grew steadily less while Charlie stood outside listening...
Inside, Mercy tried to wipe away her tears, but her head was still a mess of clouds. When she heard his voice, her heart sank. How seldom he ever spoke, and only to her. If she could but trust herself, she would open the door and wrap her arms around him... but looking at her hands, feeling the burning in her bones and in her chest, she knew. She knew it would not be safe to even touch him. Keep the door closed, Mercy. Keep the monster inside.
Quote from Adriana on July 5, 2023, 1:15 pmSomehow I wasn't entirely reassured. I looked beyond Rosa, to the goats, where my giant puppies stood looking indifferently in her directions, tongues lolled out and tails swaying.
Why didn't you big fluff-for-brains bark?
My arms dropped and I took another sweeping glance at the territory. It was clear she had far more to fear than I did. I was a werewolf, she was human. She was small, she was older.
I could disarm her without even changing forms.
Then I remembered that room full of hungry eyes.
I came to the porch and pulled the key out of my pocket, walking past Rosa.
"I've got questions."
The door clicked open, and I stepped in, holding it open for the woman.
Somehow I wasn't entirely reassured. I looked beyond Rosa, to the goats, where my giant puppies stood looking indifferently in her directions, tongues lolled out and tails swaying.
Why didn't you big fluff-for-brains bark?
My arms dropped and I took another sweeping glance at the territory. It was clear she had far more to fear than I did. I was a werewolf, she was human. She was small, she was older.
I could disarm her without even changing forms.
Then I remembered that room full of hungry eyes.
I came to the porch and pulled the key out of my pocket, walking past Rosa.
"I've got questions."
The door clicked open, and I stepped in, holding it open for the woman.
Quote from Mae on July 5, 2023, 2:30 pm"I hope I have the answers..." Rosa replied. She came into the house and looked around, looking for the boy and his mother. She kept her voice to a whisper. "How is she?"
"I hope I have the answers..." Rosa replied. She came into the house and looked around, looking for the boy and his mother. She kept her voice to a whisper. "How is she?"
Quote from Adriana on July 5, 2023, 3:12 pm"Could be better.." I replied in a like tone. I was so tired, and my guard was slipping; the promise of help was too good to be true.
I gestured with one hand lazily toward the hallway, where I could see Charlie sitting by the bathroom door, then moved to the table and picked up the cup of coffee. I rested with my back against the table, facing the hall.
"Charlie, breakfast is getting cold." sipping the coffee, I looked back to Rosa.
"She made it through the infection as well as she could... it's all in her head now. That's the hard part."
Focus on Mercy. That was who it was about. Except, I had about a million questions bubbling up in my head. I decided to wait to ask them. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answers, and all of the most obvious answers were the scariest.
"Could be better.." I replied in a like tone. I was so tired, and my guard was slipping; the promise of help was too good to be true.
I gestured with one hand lazily toward the hallway, where I could see Charlie sitting by the bathroom door, then moved to the table and picked up the cup of coffee. I rested with my back against the table, facing the hall.
"Charlie, breakfast is getting cold." sipping the coffee, I looked back to Rosa.
"She made it through the infection as well as she could... it's all in her head now. That's the hard part."
Focus on Mercy. That was who it was about. Except, I had about a million questions bubbling up in my head. I decided to wait to ask them. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answers, and all of the most obvious answers were the scariest.
Quote from Mae on July 5, 2023, 8:44 pm"Yes, it usually is." Rosa whispered thoughtfully. She was a discerning woman, seeing within a glance all she needed to see, and in a few light steps she came to the bathroom door.
"Hello, Charlie." She said. The old European accent peeked out on the name with a warmth and elegance rarely heard. "It's going to be alright." She comforted him.
Then Rosa knocked on the door, a knock ever so quiet and lightly cushioned by gloves.
"Mercy?" She said, leaning her ear in and her face to the crack. "Mercy, my name is Rosa Oldcloth. I've come to help look after Charlie tonight. You'll be alright, Mercy. Everything is going to be alright. You're not alone."
Rosa listened very carefully to each breath she heard behind the door. There weren't words in it, but she could hear Mercy's emotions in every one. One breath Mercy breathed in pain. Another breath she breathed in anger. Another breath, self pity.
Rosa ventured in. She turned the knob and looked inside to see the afflicted woman, the afflicted girl.
Mercy made no attempt to bar her entry. Rosa whispered ever more softly as she looked in.
"I brought you these." Rosa said.
"What is it?"
"Clothes. You'll be much more comfortable tonight. Put them on and come out. Charlie is very worried about you."
"I can't! I can't see him."
"Yes, you can. There's no danger til the moon rises, and you'll be out of the house by then. Get dressed and come out to join us."
Rosa gently closed the door and turned away from it.
"Come on, Charlie. She'll be out in just a minute."
"Yes, it usually is." Rosa whispered thoughtfully. She was a discerning woman, seeing within a glance all she needed to see, and in a few light steps she came to the bathroom door.
"Hello, Charlie." She said. The old European accent peeked out on the name with a warmth and elegance rarely heard. "It's going to be alright." She comforted him.
Then Rosa knocked on the door, a knock ever so quiet and lightly cushioned by gloves.
"Mercy?" She said, leaning her ear in and her face to the crack. "Mercy, my name is Rosa Oldcloth. I've come to help look after Charlie tonight. You'll be alright, Mercy. Everything is going to be alright. You're not alone."
Rosa listened very carefully to each breath she heard behind the door. There weren't words in it, but she could hear Mercy's emotions in every one. One breath Mercy breathed in pain. Another breath she breathed in anger. Another breath, self pity.
Rosa ventured in. She turned the knob and looked inside to see the afflicted woman, the afflicted girl.
Mercy made no attempt to bar her entry. Rosa whispered ever more softly as she looked in.
"I brought you these." Rosa said.
"What is it?"
"Clothes. You'll be much more comfortable tonight. Put them on and come out. Charlie is very worried about you."
"I can't! I can't see him."
"Yes, you can. There's no danger til the moon rises, and you'll be out of the house by then. Get dressed and come out to join us."
Rosa gently closed the door and turned away from it.
"Come on, Charlie. She'll be out in just a minute."
Quote from Adriana on July 5, 2023, 9:02 pmI watched Rosa speak to Mercy and Charlie. Mercy needed to trust this woman, even just for a night. So did I. So I checked my face and let my shoulders relax. She wouldn't leave without humoring me - least I hoped.
Under any other circumstances, this older woman would look like an angel. Calm confidence and wisdom graced her voice. She was someones mother, maybe a grandmother.
I remembered her husband, when he asked her to pray, and with her dignity and grace, she humbled that red headed buffoon right in front of his guest of honor. The memory made me smile just a touch.
"Lemme fix you a plate, Mrs. Oldcloth."
I watched Rosa speak to Mercy and Charlie. Mercy needed to trust this woman, even just for a night. So did I. So I checked my face and let my shoulders relax. She wouldn't leave without humoring me - least I hoped.
Under any other circumstances, this older woman would look like an angel. Calm confidence and wisdom graced her voice. She was someones mother, maybe a grandmother.
I remembered her husband, when he asked her to pray, and with her dignity and grace, she humbled that red headed buffoon right in front of his guest of honor. The memory made me smile just a touch.
"Lemme fix you a plate, Mrs. Oldcloth."
Quote from Mae on July 7, 2023, 1:09 am"Don't get up, dear." Rosa said softly, "I'll do it."
She returned to the front door and took off her scarf, then her gloves, and her coat last of all. She hung them all by the window and set her bag down on the sofa.
"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Rosa asked, digging through her bag presently. "Any rituals or ceremonies?"
"Don't get up, dear." Rosa said softly, "I'll do it."
She returned to the front door and took off her scarf, then her gloves, and her coat last of all. She hung them all by the window and set her bag down on the sofa.
"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Rosa asked, digging through her bag presently. "Any rituals or ceremonies?"
Quote from Adriana on July 7, 2023, 1:44 amI went to the kitchen anyway and gathered up a plate of pancakes, bacon strips, and potato-egg hash. It was all ready, so it didn’t put me out.
“No. I’m not a uh, pack type… just kind of touch and go. But I can handle myself. I’ve had experience. Dunno about no rituals, sounds a little vudu magic, superstitious..”
I sat the plate down on the table and went back to the hall, crouching near Charlie and putting my arms out. “I made you a smiley pancake. C’mon Bubs.”
I went to the kitchen anyway and gathered up a plate of pancakes, bacon strips, and potato-egg hash. It was all ready, so it didn’t put me out.
“No. I’m not a uh, pack type… just kind of touch and go. But I can handle myself. I’ve had experience. Dunno about no rituals, sounds a little vudu magic, superstitious..”
I sat the plate down on the table and went back to the hall, crouching near Charlie and putting my arms out. “I made you a smiley pancake. C’mon Bubs.”
