The sight of Bartie already at the tracks when I walked along them in the bright sunlight filled me with hope that things had returned to normal.339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTfnrnIwzz
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWSweJvihd
He took a few steps forth when I passed him, wagging a finger. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipLTlhjPjF
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5lQQhu8IP
I knew what was coming and smiled at it. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7NqSKBh25
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sQMzyTU24
"She's worried sick about you, Soup!" Bartie grumbled at me "running off on her like that. Shame on you for having her in tears!" 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufpVoUCXOF
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl1aHRAHiJU
I paused and turned back to him. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPZrNmhsAx
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDmDsbgzJTa
That wasn't his usual warning. He was supposed to tell me not to hurt her, like he always did. He never changed it. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWC1E2i5X92
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡncBHawk1oB
What was going on here? 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjnSXpEL0jq
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwQfQihwsA
Missy's face poked from the newsagency and lit up at the sight of me before she rushed out of it and for the tracks. Her pale pink dress billowed around her when she ran, kicking up around her legs to glimpse the red under-fabric. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiuObvw5f3
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3eKLrtPuVN
What was she doing here? She was supposed to be home! 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JGS7BDw2V
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgKuOk2Lpkb
"Soup! Don't be scared! I only want to find out a few things!" she blurted on her way. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXa8wvg5bG
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxJOYvMAfp
No, no, no! She was meant to be happy, not chasing me! 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfMQYn0nBsA
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXA9HQkFi9
I scurried for the bridge, pausing at the beginning of it to see Missy throw her arms down in defeat. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JCZD9jUab
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDrQfvbsln
She wasn't going to follow me. She knew it was too dangerous to be tempting fate on a place like this. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapsSlDfizJ
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgStGENJZh
"No, don't go!" she whined out to me "Soup!" 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡinLYhrq9Rr
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0Kk0H7TDB
She had her dreams of solitude. Why was she trying to ruin it all now? 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6cyLkkJ5H
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9K4pCTHLtH
I rushed over the bridge and kept going until I was safely over the river. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKqDiBUZBL
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYvjNOvvbAR
She just needed more time to realise. Then, we would be back to normal again.
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatwFZ9LTbQ
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy7w7sVHU4
Unlike my hopes, Missy was relentless in her pursuit for answers. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgIpyRf2rDw
Every afternoon I approached the tracks, she would be there, waiting. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYZBlOK4E7E
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWEHq4fxTo
She tried giving me distance at first from Bartie's shop but realised that I had too much time to dart back to safety on her sprint down toward me. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ4G41qJY8
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpx38XcgJvm
After failing that tactic a few times and giving up on it, she tried ambushing me from the side of the track as soon as I walked out into the open. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKolYd15H0y
I was too quick for her, even with her advantage. She still refused to step onto the tracks that I darted along to escape her hunt for the truth. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3YJPqGK01
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQmVz8TTlx
I could see it was breaking her spirit at how wary I was being of someone I had cherished so highly. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJByZOy92mg
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Jfo9y2TrK
Missy started to give up whenever I spotted her across the river and refused to close the distance between us. She didn't call out to me anymore and just watched hopelessly while I backed away to continue my scavenge for food elsewhere. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPsZQI2INF
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL42n5L6to
Starvation was bringing me back to those tracks every day to only be met with disappointment once again.
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwekJA9xfbt
Two weeks of the same occurrence refused to deter Missy from hoping for some miracle that I would approach her. Every day she would wait at the tracks for me in silence, and every day I would turn from them when I saw her face pull up into a hopeful smile. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3vm1j4zeJ
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKmqgYzwl6V
But today, something changed. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoDA4XvteyZ
Missy stepped onto the tracks. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXYHO2SnNpF
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQXhqnzTlO
She came marching towards me with worried glanced over her shoulder to any danger that might be barrelling past her home from the West. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDvAhRZa5nx
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4WP6DPf6AB
I didn't dare leave my side knowing that she had nowhere to escape. Her trembling body was already over the river, trying to hurry towards me as quickly as she could over the rolling gravel sprayed over the boards she stretched her body over. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YMvZ17cI6
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa3W45l8sZ6
I paced nervously in my own fear of being caught over the water with her. She was still so far away from land, even with her frantic pace. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPS99lpMgag
I wouldn't be able to do anything but watch hopelessly if the train decided to run early. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vdSpQC9rI
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhQXqBBgYS
Listening to her now wouldn't change her mind and get her to return to the safety of the roadside. She wasn't going to let me ignore her any longer. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEhOf5mNmH
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcVVw08yODr
Determination fuelled her fight. I was going to give her whatever she wanted if it meant she wasn't going to be so reckless anymore. If she wanted to destroy her life by hunting down impossibilities, then I couldn't stop her. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCfXeSSRnwM
Time had done nothing to deter her. If anything, it had fuelled her curiosity into what happened that night. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3armipJqf
I couldn't chase her away with ignorance or distance. Missy was going to find a way around it, even if it tried to kill her. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡClY1VXFEna
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUSzD0wzEv
My whole body trembled at the thoughts blaring through my mind. They smashed through my nerves like the train dragging Missy's body along the tracks in every possibility I saw. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX13uU1aq1H
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbwQ0zmzlvs
"Come on!" I cried out to her still powering along "hurry! Please!" 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mUbxI7R89
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDsE5ryzSY
I didn’t want to be here anymore. I knew the train had to be approaching this point at any moment now.339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVMTpkP0kK3
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYGSBVVFPO
Sure enough, I saw it in the distance behind Missy. It powered effortlessly on its approach to her house it easily passed in moments. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GOEWznJIg
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHST7R482Ge
The horn of the train screamed out to make Missy turn her head and frantically race towards me. I knew that the gravel had to be spearing the bottoms of her thin flats, but she didn't have time to stick to the safety of the boards anymore. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlF1gjk0Yze
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3B8lr43Wtk
"Missy!"339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQb1cr252vf
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNqftzcbko
"Soup!" she whined back.339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWbRlhGui4F
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡunnSrtJNzv
The train ploughed past the station, screaming out frantically now. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5QHoFnQYwC
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuxHw43dge
Missy was approaching the safety of the land, but still couldn't outrun the train quickly closing in on her. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjTPn93fej7
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4gm7dJ0al
I leapt for the grass that knocked the air from my lungs and felt Missy's body hit the grass beside me as the train barrelled by. Its brakes screeched down my ears and froze my blood that shivered down my spine. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvAycUUdXJ
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡldeN7b3iF4
Missy gasped and trembled beside me before clinging to my arms in fear while sobbing. I cradled Missy in the grass while trying to shake my own grateful tears she was safe. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsANpLi7cgy
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhp1okmLJh
She was so delicate huddled into me. Her head rested on my chest that warmed with her rigid breaths. The rest of her skin was frozen from the fear still coursing through her. Her arms tucked against me to try and warm up on my body. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzV4yEFnfwx
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbOizwsFZm
"Never do anything that stupid again" I gasped out and squeezed her close. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6naiCbKm6
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhCqWptLuRn
Missy leant into it and didn't try to pull from me. Her trembling breath was steadying, and her sobs had subsided to little sniffles she tried to control. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nMSCMy4kL
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyBE2Izu9PG
Her glistening brown eyes looked up to mine, searching again. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB27FIX3dKk
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzGXs1ACh2r
My body stiffened, dreading that the same fear and confusion would wash over them like that night I had run from them. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLwtH1AFwz
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡecSEcrYGUa
I didn’t want to see that or know I was the cause of it. I moved my head away, looking at the clear sky and the drifting clouds above us finally threatening rain. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRt553ubnT
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0M630Uz4q4
Glancing down, I saw that Missy's eyes softened in the same way they did when she greeted me each day. They fluttered closed just as her shaking lips gently brushed on my cheek, leaving a tear to glide effortlessly down it. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqzlX3bWLQ
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwbHlkePZo
"Can I still call you Soup?" her voice breathed as her eyes found mine again, curious. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPcbpJEiLA
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2BcUmYECu
Did she want to shatter it all for me? Or did she want to keep it the way it was, blissfully ignorant? 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJUOZ04zeTr
She wouldn't be able to understand my answer anyway. I was just a creature trying to escape the drag of life, just like her. Everything else was drowned in the water tower and floating in the river, like it could remain to be. 339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsjyyLqBF8
339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkfdLaI1JIp
I only had the name she gave me. Whatever she wanted that to mean would be up to her.
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