58Please respect copyright.PENANAf6pOu8FU6P
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAS5gzPiwlDL
58Please respect copyright.PENANAOBqhTCBN6C
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANACqqXx31H7c
58Please respect copyright.PENANA4oMwpd7Cnu
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAtuwpf9AA2F
58Please respect copyright.PENANA1ddM6kLXeg
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAaLPu5jIqDW
58Please respect copyright.PENANAdjoOK2wcoR
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAV1dsXPnVXD
58Please respect copyright.PENANA0V4k2FAhOY
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAlo0XNuQMBP
58Please respect copyright.PENANAv6xsyR3X69
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANABYpgRpQdyj
58Please respect copyright.PENANAGr3uhLLXAd
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANASy0kJDY891
58Please respect copyright.PENANAQQCXCJjQXA
Would she like it? Should I make more? 58Please respect copyright.PENANA1tbgL0Qnms
58Please respect copyright.PENANA22GvVqBteK
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA3ny2Ryc3FQ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAHMMETuuKe7
One would do then. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAwNhemIaGTJ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAKdV5tCczUD
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA1swHxuUbFu
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAsqu64Yrk6M
58Please respect copyright.PENANAQpqLuYvwNK
"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?" 58Please respect copyright.PENANAWHsZDW5mjb
58Please respect copyright.PENANA1u2274A3Gk
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAaL7uOgTith
58Please respect copyright.PENANAmc5VADKeRZ
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAY7Mxv1jcpK
58Please respect copyright.PENANAutuSLrqnDv
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 58Please respect copyright.PENANATlIY6M4ZKQ
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAzI4dOCbtE1
58Please respect copyright.PENANAV7GlmzcUaU
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."58Please respect copyright.PENANAPkpHeqQSyi
58Please respect copyright.PENANAPd7jvXTNjW
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAa2010YPRK1
58Please respect copyright.PENANAl4HHXeMkCD
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANASFw4KFq9OH
58Please respect copyright.PENANAhcVgSZVdKG
"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?" 58Please respect copyright.PENANA9m1It20OG2
58Please respect copyright.PENANAaFKSujuYJ2
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAJyL8VMuhvS
58Please respect copyright.PENANAXnQ0NL8FCQ
"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!" 58Please respect copyright.PENANArvmfizk2ZR
58Please respect copyright.PENANAPWd6b8qv6d
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAi8O4KnHod9
58Please respect copyright.PENANA68J2W7oMP3
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAsJN13pjLXG
58Please respect copyright.PENANA0oPBy6lldj
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANANz60ag4T5w
58Please respect copyright.PENANATlHAgJna7f
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAWlI2cvqfax
58Please respect copyright.PENANAIuP5aAV5Xa
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA14PFhQU2rJ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAoADTrPxtZm
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAUWlqG59mno
58Please respect copyright.PENANApZwwKYgVz4
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 58Please respect copyright.PENANAgnu024LN0T
58Please respect copyright.PENANAH9zfpohVjz
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAmGkrO6b4ra
58Please respect copyright.PENANAfFskuFacyg
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAie592l7uYC
58Please respect copyright.PENANABwUBjXMSuE
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAaxwV5pMQ2C
58Please respect copyright.PENANAvDoA9CpErN
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? 58Please respect copyright.PENANApD3hOd9oxW
58Please respect copyright.PENANAoSDnzzyzVv
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.58Please respect copyright.PENANAPta2Lwp5eT
58Please respect copyright.PENANAzqL8WQQ0o6
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA2Q2Dnz8alU
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAAPZ2OVDMpC
58Please respect copyright.PENANAUwzP2rwIMn
A stretch, but a believable one. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAcDB1vPz094
58Please respect copyright.PENANACFWCsi6LWx
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAfXTphpVlzz
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA6CtABYXlQM
58Please respect copyright.PENANAyfDHUQriUj
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAyL4oufeuoB
58Please respect copyright.PENANAYqqQRLtrwh
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA6MwY2NvS84
58Please respect copyright.PENANAibXpgb9oJi
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAgso6PL0L4g
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAWTevXY5rJy
58Please respect copyright.PENANAz42d6iBMUC
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAk5dcZGMCEL
58Please respect copyright.PENANASBbyVQ6Q80
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAJe40zIl3rn
58Please respect copyright.PENANA3835Qzppt4
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAIRnvieUhqD
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAS90oZNZl1i
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAlbgbH7JKja
58Please respect copyright.PENANArCbR9Llvqd
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAh43w9glesd
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAsJB7xKW0bQ
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAidmwJqK1od
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.
58Please respect copyright.PENANAfhsDlfCvXC
58Please respect copyright.PENANAFrSqE7udAW
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAckMKu9RuAD
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 58Please respect copyright.PENANACHnFF3bhR9
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAE7yg5tjo2O
58Please respect copyright.PENANA2g9hLbSThI
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAjAEZZRJdkJ
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAFbivnAyYSF
58Please respect copyright.PENANAuIjK8pvw61
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANARZhBRR8LIT
58Please respect copyright.PENANAhw9rpR2oLW
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANArKLRAJVb4g
58Please respect copyright.PENANAvWS1AhJSza
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAulU1SRuaZt
58Please respect copyright.PENANAdoEGs1PGIG
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANABZpQ8RGujB
58Please respect copyright.PENANAxzoaqA6hd6
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAX1QJihBiCd
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAlbXvvtcAA6
58Please respect copyright.PENANAH2JKUvuciW
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAUH5JeqE7ON
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAgjXfuctuyU
58Please respect copyright.PENANA0NSqjmh22O
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANARfQoFG8rei
58Please respect copyright.PENANA2TBtnZDmSF
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAFcTdrYAtWA
58Please respect copyright.PENANAG0gGYQNMbv
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAzHkWPFTZdO
58Please respect copyright.PENANAtxS5Qrg2pM
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAtKhe993vMO
58Please respect copyright.PENANAzcQwz9PKLH
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAEenJl9Re6R
58Please respect copyright.PENANARmO04g6rQm
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.58Please respect copyright.PENANAoqWKf0pIvg
58Please respect copyright.PENANAKGeTWlQJMr
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAzqha6bflyA
58Please respect copyright.PENANAB4YZh8ijSW
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAWbLVAuJawk
58Please respect copyright.PENANAb4XE8lUsvD
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAzqzJhRLF0f
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAk5e7fLJE9w
58Please respect copyright.PENANAaRGUwhfRGE
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAKe0hlcIX6O
58Please respect copyright.PENANAIT30kRh4Ki
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAFxL6McAp5Y
58Please respect copyright.PENANAEFBCHqFlRk
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANATcJfKuW3Og
58Please respect copyright.PENANADngEEBKJNb
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAmh7YdvaelO
58Please respect copyright.PENANAYgVgl5CZO3
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAlsxISPSFaV
58Please respect copyright.PENANA5SqF4RYUi9
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAZGVqwSRWTJ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAg9TvP2toL9
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAiD19ZOW52m
58Please respect copyright.PENANAD9JB4aPo52
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAhS5arufkca
58Please respect copyright.PENANAiwI8AcDVwf
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAKkBgWYQw6k
58Please respect copyright.PENANAR8zNYsv8GJ
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAJmN34ZvCE0
58Please respect copyright.PENANA8zKzQstKhm
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA0r62htl5om
58Please respect copyright.PENANAmZjFJekiB1
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAVTRIRmxJQE
58Please respect copyright.PENANAz3fc5jBD0V
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANALstuNKzZKk
58Please respect copyright.PENANACLUmQWjrCU
Was it that time already?58Please respect copyright.PENANAzKXZnbyle5
58Please respect copyright.PENANAQSMwQhTQVP
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAM19fRzgnj5
58Please respect copyright.PENANAMOaWc2LMc1
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAoP1IF5jW14
58Please respect copyright.PENANA8Tf9SE6CDK
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA0l8wgm0eId
58Please respect copyright.PENANAObm36uJJGV
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAWw1dJjBmtw
58Please respect copyright.PENANAtnkSFFN24e
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANASai0HJ485X
58Please respect copyright.PENANAeYDuS0FSXo
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 58Please respect copyright.PENANAuHhamw2cbF
58Please respect copyright.PENANAK0vPoEPOFo
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 58Please respect copyright.PENANALVLZi20HeD
58Please respect copyright.PENANAKxCM1bZLPQ
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 58Please respect copyright.PENANArtS76X091f
58Please respect copyright.PENANAJJA8a7kpsi
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAydpIvlygbY
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAWRjjq2lPcb
58Please respect copyright.PENANAtERM5wXrgR
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAthzo8dKz7a
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAPRHoO1gFiu
58Please respect copyright.PENANAa9ycdPKMK4
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAvkltFlXBqp
58Please respect copyright.PENANAVrMXZoZuo3
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAa8OzFvMwOX
58Please respect copyright.PENANAF8RQGkZUZq
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 58Please respect copyright.PENANAT2cZuuZDPR
58Please respect copyright.PENANAOHPGvN4e3J
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA73KN36QX3v
58Please respect copyright.PENANAjC1uKXxyap
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAh661bpC41C
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAsz5OhJxXMY
58Please respect copyright.PENANAdw6fWMQN2z
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.58Please respect copyright.PENANADtGe8Jo5jX
58Please respect copyright.PENANAtbbSEzZrTu
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAEmDbdf5PAk
58Please respect copyright.PENANAj5u4Dv7wTb
"Soup?" 58Please respect copyright.PENANAkrZPD4gNe9
58Please respect copyright.PENANAkiBn5P67qV
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAVtYEDtHT5E
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA5HuqCbwjR2
58Please respect copyright.PENANAfKP1Y5nr6F
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 58Please respect copyright.PENANADG1XO8QHgr
58Please respect copyright.PENANAK3kQoCZwme
I wasn't still human, was I? 58Please respect copyright.PENANAdH1nTP5IVl
58Please respect copyright.PENANALuYvMmCTeA
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAxqYUfRiC0c
58Please respect copyright.PENANAJbZskKF1F7
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA0hJg4cc2ns
58Please respect copyright.PENANA4T2jqGehYX
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 58Please respect copyright.PENANAjUOjep67r0
58Please respect copyright.PENANA1nQ69qSMgQ
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 58Please respect copyright.PENANADU5CToqVqT
58Please respect copyright.PENANAlVBe4dvLc7
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANARbp1lHMPy0
58Please respect copyright.PENANApUGD2UdmBV
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA4d3p97wP0v
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAmZGFZoyRSk
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAGCItOXHgDe
58Please respect copyright.PENANA1a5hvgy3ur
"Did you...?" 58Please respect copyright.PENANAn8bpc8Usk6
58Please respect copyright.PENANA3iu0KLfEg8
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAJDjM3kHR2I
58Please respect copyright.PENANAClQWtXcxWR
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAGXBDArB3Dd
58Please respect copyright.PENANAsNVtD6Fc6Q
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAhUgsrqPUdx
58Please respect copyright.PENANAjHuUEJdItI
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAfv8YDBQAq5
58Please respect copyright.PENANAYO2DtSKYly
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAdd8FTJNONx
58Please respect copyright.PENANAcRQjxIkAh5
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.58Please respect copyright.PENANAqtfaaG75qJ
58Please respect copyright.PENANACr1a0tVhtS
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAD3FJ40UuuJ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAMITRDpecHh
No. She couldn't see me here. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAkwCuCbpWTJ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAvwrxQ7gEo9
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAAWJJ2CmUr5
58Please respect copyright.PENANAi7oSKwumXa
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAtqWVD1idxP
58Please respect copyright.PENANAI34az0K4DV
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 58Please respect copyright.PENANABwvjaNQ4C3
58Please respect copyright.PENANAcgabvvPKVB
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA604rydOkYv
58Please respect copyright.PENANAPxnRN4gN6K
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAi3dntTcoQX
58Please respect copyright.PENANAXfRMf0aVug
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAmZdadnOxqh
58Please respect copyright.PENANA2YRaYtzgFs
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAh7pZdzDdOl
58Please respect copyright.PENANA6YLRNT9xbX
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA1rVn1VRNHZ
58Please respect copyright.PENANAZMT30x9DVw
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. 58Please respect copyright.PENANAGgQn87Hb6L
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.58Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8KkeFHyyF
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 58Please respect copyright.PENANA3a5pt9l17D
It would be how it was.