72Please respect copyright.PENANAD7KqaO9nKJ
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAkExeVFAl1B
72Please respect copyright.PENANAbgHiFIkM8i
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAx5WoxGgR2W
72Please respect copyright.PENANALrk2PiBHhB
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAy9dHUBOBGx
72Please respect copyright.PENANAvkNiChDuh4
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 72Please respect copyright.PENANASKXYFjZSbT
72Please respect copyright.PENANALWzQzQLuVT
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAHZ4P0DViCl
72Please respect copyright.PENANAhcxMfhnsmv
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAcegOrlEQgv
72Please respect copyright.PENANANwaEOGb77D
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAhQVDQMEjsM
72Please respect copyright.PENANARFnPI5aut3
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAYgoJO7eSlv
72Please respect copyright.PENANA9v15h3IXWS
Would she like it? Should I make more? 72Please respect copyright.PENANAJIAm7ml74d
72Please respect copyright.PENANAvSgmyWjnmN
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAsC2hU7wBMJ
72Please respect copyright.PENANAR6m1tWm923
One would do then. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAOoQg9D5qY4
72Please respect copyright.PENANAE5TbvqLCqn
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA6OOyGQTQlI
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAb9xkK3SFXd
72Please respect copyright.PENANA12ZrYJ7qQd
"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?" 72Please respect copyright.PENANAXqmsUEQYpS
72Please respect copyright.PENANA5F58NYXdTt
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAj8qAl2f8IX
72Please respect copyright.PENANAii4cNaldrr
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAYiegn2NKqO
72Please respect copyright.PENANAcRDm3vly8l
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAXWkmjMwvz9
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAu9oF2KU1oy
72Please respect copyright.PENANAAJMWkBWixH
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."72Please respect copyright.PENANAi57VIx9g10
72Please respect copyright.PENANAia2BUTKiB0
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAL2tlC5Ewh2
72Please respect copyright.PENANAHtdqLfxmMx
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAUXM9R9aj7v
72Please respect copyright.PENANALPFKVWUVWv
"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?" 72Please respect copyright.PENANA0QS9IKHM9d
72Please respect copyright.PENANApVByvTsCtD
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAYMX3YN8S2Y
72Please respect copyright.PENANAGqO2iePfcl
"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!" 72Please respect copyright.PENANAxelBMEYnia
72Please respect copyright.PENANAEDaA3mmwLo
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANATk9qe5aO22
72Please respect copyright.PENANAygRiFvKqPV
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAAAastfJwKJ
72Please respect copyright.PENANA8P8nfklAdW
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAECXG8W5BJU
72Please respect copyright.PENANAAhyhlAZwXa
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAie3dawLzwd
72Please respect copyright.PENANAPyhndlBBbD
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAwlMXvl264x
72Please respect copyright.PENANAeiM2WXR71k
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAmEkEfFnVdv
72Please respect copyright.PENANAtLEzpII9kV
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 72Please respect copyright.PENANAGhmSvFFeJm
72Please respect copyright.PENANAbRZIuwlsjA
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAkBPIXH5nLA
72Please respect copyright.PENANArwmJ8GBnuK
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAVmh28IuIGY
72Please respect copyright.PENANAGblI4JnviU
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 72Please respect copyright.PENANArvVMUcJ2no
72Please respect copyright.PENANAJspFsDO2MI
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? 72Please respect copyright.PENANAohjGRbP7lX
72Please respect copyright.PENANAthFD4zYAT5
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.72Please respect copyright.PENANA2223MqnQQP
72Please respect copyright.PENANAsKjPTedwLJ
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAzyGT1vlWjR
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAbc5t57B28K
72Please respect copyright.PENANAMMGanAW1of
A stretch, but a believable one. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAEfikZ5PTMN
72Please respect copyright.PENANA7ff61VCHm0
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 72Please respect copyright.PENANApkhhkfMlku
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 72Please respect copyright.PENANANHjz7OXpQm
72Please respect copyright.PENANA54ylnY52Xi
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAH1AaKoItns
72Please respect copyright.PENANAgf7Ez9PnxK
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAE2UZYPWNR4
72Please respect copyright.PENANAsr7ePVPFlU
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAvTxly4wco3
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAB3KPSRmcTs
72Please respect copyright.PENANAdfQ6o4okxy
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAeq8ZwRCDN1
72Please respect copyright.PENANAQMxizQvvgE
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAUmS3AuJngm
72Please respect copyright.PENANA5oMDTFadCC
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAwG8Mj70rGS
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAC2YX9MPTS8
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 72Please respect copyright.PENANApx6LSqrvfT
72Please respect copyright.PENANAFjuGX8WaMZ
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAaigiunO7HV
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAcm0dWISws4
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAk3ON1KnwBM
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.
72Please respect copyright.PENANAp6eNuo1bYQ
72Please respect copyright.PENANALmVXVb8LkT
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAaH6VWCMO5M
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAcYVxHu5urp
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA4mgaExe1jm
72Please respect copyright.PENANAwuSSC5WT51
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 72Please respect copyright.PENANASyQnF4Ak4o
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA1YEhRBqOSl
72Please respect copyright.PENANAQqo57ESXGo
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAKTfCeRglny
72Please respect copyright.PENANAB7JTg2hbn8
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAkYFadtMpIJ
72Please respect copyright.PENANATUneL1DVVY
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 72Please respect copyright.PENANATgtr3Y9WfF
72Please respect copyright.PENANA5rRIHe5j3L
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAjrXKr7k43h
72Please respect copyright.PENANAn0D5N4nq3q
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAaR6X30IUBh
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 72Please respect copyright.PENANACgrANzCQlF
72Please respect copyright.PENANA1zYo5nzu9o
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA2h3lkW7WQ8
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAOZ10pTIcOd
72Please respect copyright.PENANAMdr0cVTuYc
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAxb2eozMTFr
72Please respect copyright.PENANARAZlBcjDa7
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAuw6EEcjfdu
72Please respect copyright.PENANADDQdM5hPUF
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAR6sI59F9V2
72Please respect copyright.PENANAokpyYHkyQ3
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAazE6dsUprX
72Please respect copyright.PENANAwWL1KHn0Q3
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAL3MuYkgZd1
72Please respect copyright.PENANAhrZ1FnMYtr
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.72Please respect copyright.PENANATazaahYBD9
72Please respect copyright.PENANABkoCMlVDpH
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 72Please respect copyright.PENANARxEjdImzfi
72Please respect copyright.PENANA63H6b0AH7H
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAh8nXCtfTKB
72Please respect copyright.PENANA4ByirwZxtL
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 72Please respect copyright.PENANApJth7AhiDd
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAFHJLK0aLsk
72Please respect copyright.PENANAATo5Lb0j0G
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA59xYLuriJQ
72Please respect copyright.PENANAgzGIPuDOpK
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAiKCkhAHQar
72Please respect copyright.PENANAyobbgDwGrd
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAW4WNP9VSVg
72Please respect copyright.PENANAYqyfbMMHFq
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAibxcBl5NHz
72Please respect copyright.PENANAUeYbf8LL4E
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA8PkchEYIdj
72Please respect copyright.PENANAcCk45TTYZu
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAQCGUvmRfwm
72Please respect copyright.PENANAbyi6t8ak8S
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA8467oqA1ZP
72Please respect copyright.PENANAHim46jpG0n
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA1DoVC0lwWJ
72Please respect copyright.PENANAtKlGDQJsUX
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAT3QXlQU4H8
72Please respect copyright.PENANAIoJ2x0e0QW
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAutrBzIZkid
72Please respect copyright.PENANAwpzS49I1FR
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAMiPRg0rw2n
72Please respect copyright.PENANAyWLQQMuqOP
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAWOiCc0lICZ
72Please respect copyright.PENANAc5EKKqJFtz
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAlEtTqjwetx
72Please respect copyright.PENANAk16nNxOulP
Was it that time already?72Please respect copyright.PENANAYpLCsvuxus
72Please respect copyright.PENANASjnJj4fj3g
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAngCuBiNdWj
72Please respect copyright.PENANAID6Gl30aGi
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAyhJRTraHlC
72Please respect copyright.PENANAgdYOwK9pFs
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA4O6WcElY7g
72Please respect copyright.PENANA9q9wzhy0iH
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAo4NM5ynmao
72Please respect copyright.PENANAKIocit10Ci
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAXQGZhyvx7Q
72Please respect copyright.PENANAKP3UqAfJ6K
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 72Please respect copyright.PENANA3hvrnq1HXX
72Please respect copyright.PENANAM2RUbqpv2T
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA34wpHQcV5w
72Please respect copyright.PENANAZdMDGgR92X
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAW696Qga4iB
72Please respect copyright.PENANA48b0Djzarj
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAumTp7bSR6Z
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANALM0jJ1GEbp
72Please respect copyright.PENANAlZFkZULAst
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAj4PkH9EIOP
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAHpmnvcoZYI
72Please respect copyright.PENANAoaA7QsJvME
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 72Please respect copyright.PENANASPqVY1DzLS
72Please respect copyright.PENANAL4WXyXMB0U
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAG3tFyul39L
72Please respect copyright.PENANACtVHy0QgH0
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 72Please respect copyright.PENANAZ1pqwM21HS
72Please respect copyright.PENANA3e9eSXFGsf
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAAWselCCA4c
72Please respect copyright.PENANAm7iOatjmWS
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAqQqymC5Y28
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAUS00xbNSaa
72Please respect copyright.PENANAPHvBy5QlPd
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.72Please respect copyright.PENANARwb4RjA4Jk
72Please respect copyright.PENANAVzU07v2Ics
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAwKKYw8ePgg
72Please respect copyright.PENANACkSXRifUSP
"Soup?" 72Please respect copyright.PENANApAJnCZgzHE
72Please respect copyright.PENANATg7YwtvTz9
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAXBKRa9nAy3
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAeOXbyBlygi
72Please respect copyright.PENANA7KguUv8u4t
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAPz1vEbvo8K
72Please respect copyright.PENANACK6EuB0NFC
I wasn't still human, was I? 72Please respect copyright.PENANA0dt4yTU6Es
72Please respect copyright.PENANATYPQNi25DJ
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAi9YTICWsYR
72Please respect copyright.PENANAOmCPHZ56co
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAjuDSwFmD7o
72Please respect copyright.PENANA4czkopUUXN
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 72Please respect copyright.PENANAcezCjF3NdZ
72Please respect copyright.PENANA88D9YS2nAC
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAa6fnGDkV6I
72Please respect copyright.PENANAHsinJu1UKB
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAoDP7m5ii28
72Please respect copyright.PENANASGqjNc3KOS
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAuIVGiKFYKV
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAuWtDI3riek
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA9hMu5jYrFV
72Please respect copyright.PENANAMxVsDj74TT
"Did you...?" 72Please respect copyright.PENANA3yAI3I7NKz
72Please respect copyright.PENANA4oZjSbrI0P
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA2sVTDVRagn
72Please respect copyright.PENANAhaFrrpNNPt
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 72Please respect copyright.PENANACK0NQmAspG
72Please respect copyright.PENANAHmJJDlUJJf
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 72Please respect copyright.PENANANi3ZSKYFKL
72Please respect copyright.PENANARvrPjwutK1
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAmviaacS16E
72Please respect copyright.PENANAcDqCPrRhVM
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA0LRYvyQW3M
72Please respect copyright.PENANAlZz6ubw4SZ
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.72Please respect copyright.PENANAe6FsJv33gT
72Please respect copyright.PENANAvpvbgcrC4N
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAYlgYcQM5nK
72Please respect copyright.PENANAFRquP3dbG4
No. She couldn't see me here. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA9D3LVux02N
72Please respect copyright.PENANAkOvweDtOXq
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA0GBwLLxgUP
72Please respect copyright.PENANAf0cL6J7yMn
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAX2O83FFsbY
72Please respect copyright.PENANAj6Dm0luSgU
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 72Please respect copyright.PENANANJkHXUMcNg
72Please respect copyright.PENANA3AkYC7UFnU
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 72Please respect copyright.PENANA06cxn2smZL
72Please respect copyright.PENANAbmrG7X7DE9
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAe2YfVVyakM
72Please respect copyright.PENANAaeBtjkdWpI
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAC8DqxhHKc4
72Please respect copyright.PENANAVRlR0OdMqa
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAPyIxs7aKpE
72Please respect copyright.PENANAo1JyYxOBQ1
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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAP7YP8Q5rk4
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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. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAG2K9TqGQHU
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.72Please respect copyright.PENANAmuDUUVyHzZ
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 72Please respect copyright.PENANAI10Dm6iXv0
It would be how it was.