225Please respect copyright.PENANACfZBSLLQe7
My cold skin was slick with morning dew when I pulled myself from it to start the hunt for a trinket to present Missy with. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAl5WMhkFSRM
225Please respect copyright.PENANAfwgxsE4uH2
I still had some time before her voice would call on the wind. I'd find something beautiful to add to the collection I had already bestowed her with. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAV3UmiomBAW
225Please respect copyright.PENANAtXsC1AgEcq
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 225Please respect copyright.PENANARHewQcmwp6
225Please respect copyright.PENANAZS6piO5dGn
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA0sengaHoE0
225Please respect copyright.PENANAG8ifFAJ1PE
My heart thudded with excitement when I pulled the straw free to place it down. I turned my attention to the plastic lid that I flipped over and sliced with my claw into segments. 225Please respect copyright.PENANARKAnyDCBfx
225Please respect copyright.PENANATmiKGegyuT
Ripping the paper cup along its length, I tore it into smaller segments, each with poked holes in the middle, so I could split it like I had done with the cup and fold in the rough edges. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAFfhJ18QqNt
225Please respect copyright.PENANAqqjmr6TMBD
I pushed and crimped the paper until all the layers came together on the plastic bottom. I forced the straw back through, squashing the top into a ball. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAgxVepIU71z
225Please respect copyright.PENANAqCUsPCxvQC
I held up my flower with pride, twirling its torn petals to see it present the flashes of colour that had been printed on the cup. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAEJKuepqZjF
225Please respect copyright.PENANAqWfUGbYKzg
Would she like it? Should I make more? 225Please respect copyright.PENANASZFoCkDLGM
225Please respect copyright.PENANAw6xxYOVZ47
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAlnzKA0BjtD
225Please respect copyright.PENANALaWxaHr996
One would do then. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA3LL1rMYVDY
225Please respect copyright.PENANA5vpgC2gUe0
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAKupmkvYeLq
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAHvwiTXwXHh
225Please respect copyright.PENANAVTAyVdByqn
"You be good to her, Soup!" he warned me with a raise of the paper while I continued past him "don't be giving her trouble, you hear?" 225Please respect copyright.PENANALRS0ipETQg
225Please respect copyright.PENANAz1hShYSORD
I caught sight of Missy's red hair stuffed beneath her blue helmet outside her house. She had on a dark red trench coat over her yellow dress that tried to peek beneath it. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAkRsTOPe8VL
225Please respect copyright.PENANAxYOed8cMyQ
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA49ZELxgraT
225Please respect copyright.PENANAdMlN4ewIYW
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA9Tv9931kKn
Everything inside me fell at the sight of her laying down a bowl of water and thin vegetable soup in the grass she stomped down. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA4poQ45QTJ0
225Please respect copyright.PENANARwZijdBsoK
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."225Please respect copyright.PENANAoZPINjzNPK
225Please respect copyright.PENANAGFmL9tWPei
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAOu2AIuCUNA
225Please respect copyright.PENANAgfkTSVGVY6
I lifted up the flower to her when she sat on her scooter to heave it forwards off the stand. The whole thing lurched but she wrestled it under control so she could start it up. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAYgWEFm9c1y
225Please respect copyright.PENANAGFteBdkjCs
"Thank you" she smiled warmly to it, her eyes softening at the gesture "I'll hang onto this, OK? Maybe the people at the big city will like it?" 225Please respect copyright.PENANALcEGVzlcK3
225Please respect copyright.PENANAhoWrGrgGFc
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAthE1DRv9oE
225Please respect copyright.PENANAjdKzv7qKOL
"Got to go!" Missy panicked and shoved the flower down the side of the parcels when she looked ahead to see the train racing along the tracks "love you! Be good!" 225Please respect copyright.PENANAJ19kz8jAup
225Please respect copyright.PENANAlM2foh6wBk
She took off as fast as her scooter would allow her. It cut a path through the grass and struggled to keep up as the train easily graced the beginning of the bridge and powered on. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAMwBy919e6b
225Please respect copyright.PENANAuNnsTBBqAb
I watched her speed for it desperately. Inside, I was hoping she would be just a little bit too late so she would have to come home and enjoy her time with me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAx6HbUObT3O
225Please respect copyright.PENANA7olt8J4Ghj
I saw her skid when she turned the corner to fly across the tracks and rush to park up her scooter while the train pulled into the station with a huff of its brakes. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAU8cIjRkorl
225Please respect copyright.PENANA0zMp2dfWOr
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAuntbiec96u
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1YLErqsmLM
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAlIeJYJcmQ4
225Please respect copyright.PENANAy6zEOQX1kW
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAWa2o0XB3Ay
225Please respect copyright.PENANAo8DOXiHsPg
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 225Please respect copyright.PENANAZ13lfIKjzL
225Please respect copyright.PENANAKr91Wk0zmT
Her hand hung out the window, waving for a little while longer, until it was pulled back inside by the momentum speeding her off into the distance. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAEa3g8awbnE
225Please respect copyright.PENANAacGPag6TJi
I didn't chase her today. I just sat there with the watery soup, trying to drag out its bitter flavour that was far too diluted to even be called food. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA5O7LycqpWZ
225Please respect copyright.PENANAWpLuXnKRqd
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAQANvAnlzaL
225Please respect copyright.PENANACZUechL2ca
She'd be gone for hours. Maybe I could do something helpful and try to find a way to trickle some extra funds into her pocket? 225Please respect copyright.PENANAY70Kx73X6t
225Please respect copyright.PENANAC4kU4oP5dk
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.225Please respect copyright.PENANAO3kRXrU7qz
225Please respect copyright.PENANAAjaHLrvwSc
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAN8SSqYMJln
It'd be a nice surprise to have a warm house and hot food. She could even believe Bartie had waddled his way down here to do it for her. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAQmRI1g0uxD
225Please respect copyright.PENANAtInv09tfiW
A stretch, but a believable one. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAagIvHAeblF
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1WC3u0coVY
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAIRYV3IYTAP
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAJPgwbX03UN
225Please respect copyright.PENANA7sOMnVDhMr
I clambered over the sink piled with dirty dishes and pots beneath the window, hooking my toes in the basin on my awkward crawl through. I desperately gripped onto the stone bench so I didn't slice my feet on the knives laid across it and go tumbling to the ground. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAdgebByVTJe
225Please respect copyright.PENANAyl9ElXKFeF
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAjtv05iypMc
225Please respect copyright.PENANAEDBqrWEMiw
She really must have been in a rush. The pot from last night was here too with some water in the bottom to soak off the residue that clung to the water like a film. 225Please respect copyright.PENANApGOqeaM54r
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAQDWVCR52fH
225Please respect copyright.PENANAXWBACFwieM
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA9BAIwZPKqW
225Please respect copyright.PENANAmD5bA0O0U8
I'd be better to do this in my human form. I could even give it some care too with a hot shower and proper food from Missy's fridge. She wouldn't notice if a little of it went missing. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAEMl05zr5YH
225Please respect copyright.PENANAb1cDURJz5h
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAcnrn8wsbHJ
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAhOTAQdJYVe
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA2K0xA6KrCd
225Please respect copyright.PENANA6dngQnK1ml
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAVzeqsSDDf1
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA0MwsDBNWN6
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA6x3GU0s7m1
The back door had another to the right of it where I finally found the bathroom and the shower piled with all sorts of scrubs, lotions, and soaps.
225Please respect copyright.PENANAdJnWLrfmlz
225Please respect copyright.PENANAwnhRVHTgiV
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANABbJzUCMv2Z
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAEowqCEQnwb
My black hair was saved from most of the neglect since it fell out when I took my wild form. Having it sprout back so rapidly made it burn at my scalp I tried to calm with cooling shampoos and conditioners. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA9E1T5NX94V
225Please respect copyright.PENANA2oO6obWlbZ
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAsCUByqtjCh
The dark blue towel I buffed my body with became my new skirt I tied around my waist to have some sort of decency during the housework. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA4TFI0IpGLo
225Please respect copyright.PENANAJzCYVLFTJt
I flipped on the radio she had nestled on a cupboard in the kitchen and felt the energy of the music flood through me. It motivated me to hunt through the cupboards for spray and cloth so I could start on the splatter on the walls. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA8gtWw3LgZ7
225Please respect copyright.PENANAMoFJlSifxL
I drained the old water to fill the sink and pick through the dangerous submerged mess beneath the bubbles clouding them. I bopped to the contagious tunes, tapping my feet happily while seeing things slowly come together. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAOZ2b075Wuc
225Please respect copyright.PENANAbf0j83zLXN
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAmaH9rHSEp0
225Please respect copyright.PENANAXb3kCTfCCR
The coffee table had the magazines across it restacked into the corner. The empty cup of coffee dropped into the sink, and the ceramic coasters of mosaic landscapes were replaced in their holder. 225Please respect copyright.PENANANDLPmFxtNQ
225Please respect copyright.PENANAhzEmAQ2UVp
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 225Please respect copyright.PENANACrpOtsOUG6
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAx935tACuxm
225Please respect copyright.PENANAbfPusR3Gp5
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAfNypobwqhT
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA53BrB6Jc1U
225Please respect copyright.PENANACnyGejhYrJ
Hosing them down filled me with satisfaction. Plucking out the grass and baby thistles gave her beloved vegetables a new hope in their raised beds I skimmed through for the biggest heads I could pluck. 225Please respect copyright.PENANALK3092E9qi
225Please respect copyright.PENANAO82SUIkS2g
The garden was still in early stages of replanting. I only had a few carrots and potatoes to heap into the basket looped over my arm. The pumpkins tangled in a growth of leaves were far too small to rip from the stems, and the new row of corn was barely breaking the surface of the dirt. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAFKoDJ1EJQM
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1pKAtdMRav
Missy was also trying to grow a little bush of blueberries in the corner. There were strawberries showing promise through their nibbled leaves I lifted up to inspect. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAsjUEigFKMe
225Please respect copyright.PENANAFNRmGSnVXQ
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAWISYuScvK7
225Please respect copyright.PENANAgX3cmNIgox
The new vegetables made a nice pile on the benchtop while I fished through the fridge to find the soups Missy had stored into reusable containers. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAlVnOiEJsXC
225Please respect copyright.PENANA7SQH981BNd
The watery vegetable one could be poured into the nice beef one to bulk it out and diminish the poor taste. With all the flavour in the beef one, the added vegetables would give it more heart. The fresh ones I had washed and cut could help stretch it further for her without destroying her hard work.225Please respect copyright.PENANAGaO3tM6CV1
225Please respect copyright.PENANACJWOyyItsB
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA8eKNmZbdZk
225Please respect copyright.PENANA7udptRBZtk
A few herbs from the window wouldn't hurt. I threw them in too and increased the heat before continuing my cleaning of the house. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAPuB1r9FlsY
225Please respect copyright.PENANAOrIDAYuY3E
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAi616UOUK72
The combined living area looked homely and inviting. On the coffee table I had even placed the baby thistles pulled from the garden into a little brown bottle I found sitting beside her bin. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAINMECTHuXD
225Please respect copyright.PENANA571LWrLks2
Somehow, it worked. The spikes of the thistle leaves and the peeking purple fluffed at the top of the close heads added a rugged beauty to the wooden table. It wasn't soft wildflowers, but it was something I was sure she'd appreciate nether less. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAzJ5KyxSH0b
225Please respect copyright.PENANAh8cw53XMwm
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAnGHidnUw3S
225Please respect copyright.PENANAX02srlpu1U
The flavour was as hearty as the original batch with the added rosemary clinging to the beef and the basil wrapped into the multitude of vegetables buried beneath the brown broth. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAcLABUDnJyT
225Please respect copyright.PENANAq1iAmMchSL
Missy will love this. There wasn't a hint of the sadness that was the soup she had thrown together today. She'd come home to something that would warm her soul as much as mine. 225Please respect copyright.PENANANetYZKoBXs
225Please respect copyright.PENANApEoVmrgW5t
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAxje15LRuQH
225Please respect copyright.PENANAkFjGudwhve
It'd be better if she came through those doors, expecting me to be here. She'd smile at the sight of me, and I'd go over to kiss her cheek before asking her how her day was. 225Please respect copyright.PENANASRqGVjCDHV
225Please respect copyright.PENANA5SjlSJVqtA
Maybe she'd have stories of the big city to tell? She did like this one man who pretended to be a statue in the square. It fascinated her how resolved he was amongst all the faces refusing to look at him. Missy liked to throw change into his hat just to see him smile. She understood his struggle a little too well. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAYrUtHgl8st
225Please respect copyright.PENANA6gZIDlrrFq
She could come speeding home, screaming out my name and jumping around the house that she sold every one of her dresses today. We'd hold each other and celebrate with a lavish cake from the bakery. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAKzJT0gnGnZ
225Please respect copyright.PENANAMW4AKxRLaS
But I had to be gone before she saw me here. I wouldn't get to see her reaction or comfort her if it all went wrong. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAn5hZwsuPhP
225Please respect copyright.PENANAb9E4kL6oQ4
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAQgIlgLFgwB
225Please respect copyright.PENANAbUuzWBzRBn
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAh5LEPoAWm0
225Please respect copyright.PENANAo5allBGFpf
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAFf5c24LuRG
225Please respect copyright.PENANAFG9j63bAjt
I got to my feet and was on my way to the window when I saw the train barrel past with its lights illuminating my frozen stance. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAommoeFhESV
225Please respect copyright.PENANAk71YSHC86X
Was it that time already?225Please respect copyright.PENANAsKHjTDD6f3
225Please respect copyright.PENANAXFqq7LrnV3
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAfcf1Iml4V4
225Please respect copyright.PENANAY8b1PEhpDU
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAxU7138uADw
225Please respect copyright.PENANAXCiJJd08nq
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA4kr6ELlsfh
225Please respect copyright.PENANAMHnElXPkct
The front door slammed before I skidded to the oven to rip out a container from the cupboard below to tip the soup into, slopping some on the bench. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAxtOopRT4I1
225Please respect copyright.PENANAPghYeK77gQ
The plastic wrap I slapped over it wasn’t going to seal the steam trying to pry it up on its way into the fridge. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAJfNM7jpKV7
225Please respect copyright.PENANAdTkin2Fphc
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 225Please respect copyright.PENANAnBKN53diH0
225Please respect copyright.PENANABlQrhKLc9i
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAzYZI0yoWQ9
225Please respect copyright.PENANARxuitY90HW
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAdhk93mgxpX
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1K8flGhnkO
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAN36jQrwFkX
I still clutched the pot that I filled with water when I saw light flood the grass and Missy's scooter chop a new path through it towards the fence. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAIjUarx0837
225Please respect copyright.PENANAScKlb4Zp0y
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAmC27G60bLP
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAZAD5WlvyQv
225Please respect copyright.PENANACfI3G0tyRx
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAKHJM5qjZ39
225Please respect copyright.PENANA49j7heIthp
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAg8a9wXRMvL
225Please respect copyright.PENANAVbwxmBKwEF
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 225Please respect copyright.PENANAQbI1GZy7wf
225Please respect copyright.PENANAbqnbAAKboY
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAi1VtweHuac
225Please respect copyright.PENANA7hKjvgoX3U
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 225Please respect copyright.PENANACQXxUvGMhj
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAe1j3O5dzcg
225Please respect copyright.PENANAHoQawNO3ZH
The back door opened to a flood of light over my hunched frame. It had me squinting up to try and see Missy's body failing to block most of it.225Please respect copyright.PENANAFeQ1aVXVrI
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1oANr0bSze
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAn7Kt7sRjCy
225Please respect copyright.PENANAfEkVHLh8xI
"Soup?" 225Please respect copyright.PENANAONNWmfghF7
225Please respect copyright.PENANALRHoHowleT
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 225Please respect copyright.PENANATSwxAxJkIL
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAg2jL4dEzr1
225Please respect copyright.PENANA3iJO4ngI1y
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA6MY98eQVmo
225Please respect copyright.PENANAg01bveAazd
I wasn't still human, was I? 225Please respect copyright.PENANA2UyNy4RsXQ
225Please respect copyright.PENANATtAYldOxd7
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAGT66j7Fg8b
225Please respect copyright.PENANAbDP8fFThvn
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAH2PacFL3JF
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1YcELoOmSu
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 225Please respect copyright.PENANAr7sfqz3RZ7
225Please respect copyright.PENANAWJvTdhwzp0
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAytgJn30Y98
225Please respect copyright.PENANAInMu47VrC0
Missy crouched down and I could see the hem of her dress shaking under her red coat. Her eyes searched, trying to piece it all together. 225Please respect copyright.PENANADBfsJTM6wg
225Please respect copyright.PENANAFlodyawHnv
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAxDlKk0La2r
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 225Please respect copyright.PENANATvdliIhOUB
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA1RTkgN9EdA
225Please respect copyright.PENANA5fd7rFWJH8
"Did you...?" 225Please respect copyright.PENANA2hoCjMbJYa
225Please respect copyright.PENANAOVTU2Bv9jb
She shuffled forth and I backed up, searching for an exit that wasn't blocked in by her fence ringing the tiny yard dedicated to her garden I had ploughed through. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAhyyyCOoUj5
225Please respect copyright.PENANAevTyIbVmfs
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAdybPDiKG4r
225Please respect copyright.PENANAHSdZdqrb8b
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 225Please respect copyright.PENANADUAbmmjw4g
225Please respect copyright.PENANAuAza1kSMtB
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 225Please respect copyright.PENANApOeyQD1loD
225Please respect copyright.PENANAtLJPnS1ocH
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAX6iOSGd3fy
225Please respect copyright.PENANAyxTyDT4EuI
Missy backed up immediately when I darted around her and raced for the door. I hesitated on the front porch but saw her running after me.225Please respect copyright.PENANAtvZPDIJs5O
225Please respect copyright.PENANAknTUm73NMs
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAC311gIbJYl
225Please respect copyright.PENANABcadASWXnD
No. She couldn't see me here. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAaZAbJm7fBa
225Please respect copyright.PENANA1LWNO3ZOM3
I scrambled down the stairs as her feet pounded on the wood behind me and slithered through the tall grass to find refuge only a few paces away. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAUWWR4TRGgm
225Please respect copyright.PENANABC2cdr4GjC
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 225Please respect copyright.PENANA6PxpT7o6Oe
225Please respect copyright.PENANAMLHos9Abif
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 225Please respect copyright.PENANAnuvOyKmb9y
225Please respect copyright.PENANANdPDfGB3gD
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAKuCeB3E8oK
225Please respect copyright.PENANA88jGQEevhA
I wanted to comfort her but knew I couldn't. She was already suspicious of my presence and would confirm her own theories if I returned. I'd ruin it for the both of us. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAtTxDxz4Lqr
225Please respect copyright.PENANAZCEJNtgKgW
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAvneMkljFzo
225Please respect copyright.PENANA2toRIC2kDi
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAelpYfD7PHd
225Please respect copyright.PENANAfbgrxR6I58
I bolted for the tracks before she could try and call me back, keeping my eyes firmly on the safety of the bridge shrouded in darkness where I knew she wouldn't be able to reach me. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAh7wKXcmVpJ
225Please respect copyright.PENANAO4ak3g9KZa
She would have a clear head tomorrow. She'd sleep on her silly stories and realise that I couldn't possibly have done all that; her simple pet. 225Please respect copyright.PENANAxUEQotTnOf
She'd be happy, knowing that she would still have no burdens in her life, and things would go back to pleasant chit-chat over food together.225Please respect copyright.PENANAc4obSm9tun
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 225Please respect copyright.PENANALcOHDVhyHs
It would be how it was.