68Please respect copyright.PENANAdf1HOhuc75
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAYqLy324D3m
68Please respect copyright.PENANANbGMlvuAra
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANASlm8daG9VK
68Please respect copyright.PENANAbjEDDOX3jf
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAWHhsajm0ed
68Please respect copyright.PENANAG5nWKbhmM3
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAm6L78JhQf7
68Please respect copyright.PENANAVMOERU5uVk
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvB5d994tL7
68Please respect copyright.PENANAnrT15CyauO
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAnk6kYV4Dyo
68Please respect copyright.PENANAUTbVcNZynS
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAJymt2DZpkH
68Please respect copyright.PENANAmhGoFr2rie
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAWbCnwUZuf4
68Please respect copyright.PENANAVqz9XCxO7G
Would she like it? Should I make more? 68Please respect copyright.PENANAZlffehQWiQ
68Please respect copyright.PENANAQn40QHJezu
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAnYUTgLZ8TY
68Please respect copyright.PENANAwJr68ovPhN
One would do then. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAUoZ1Phftra
68Please respect copyright.PENANADqk2jGKl8N
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAVPzRJDFhkS
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAj86c5ObRfn
68Please respect copyright.PENANAQWLhptAIME
"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?" 68Please respect copyright.PENANAuldaPdsdpy
68Please respect copyright.PENANAc35da3uoDK
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAauChId7dZ2
68Please respect copyright.PENANAvMzV7fCvsn
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA07kvUG4yws
68Please respect copyright.PENANAgIcHiweeS7
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA4TtEJxoQ1f
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA3qrGqkzTta
68Please respect copyright.PENANATBt9XmAegx
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."68Please respect copyright.PENANAm1bxr0U1tg
68Please respect copyright.PENANABzcz0guTQK
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAlCY50YXqt8
68Please respect copyright.PENANAEMFNnufJzd
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAbEtgSkjHqJ
68Please respect copyright.PENANAMQ6NhUFyAW
"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?" 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvZw2HW3aQD
68Please respect copyright.PENANA1Q9rQBNoK8
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAUMmMeHlIHM
68Please respect copyright.PENANA46IPI7BhRd
"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!" 68Please respect copyright.PENANA0GsQgpvEln
68Please respect copyright.PENANAw4WKGt19lA
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANADtEqnVKCCj
68Please respect copyright.PENANAR4Lw10XvZI
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAaUZnW5KclY
68Please respect copyright.PENANAE0gjpnv6Z9
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAAq1oUHWfVR
68Please respect copyright.PENANAaiFbVfl5D0
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAgII68lvUFg
68Please respect copyright.PENANAY1alfah3cr
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAuTqJeNpfJ8
68Please respect copyright.PENANAufQQoWsK8D
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAe05OSDzSP6
68Please respect copyright.PENANAsgFONoZbt4
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 68Please respect copyright.PENANA6VNUFTlYix
68Please respect copyright.PENANALgU5GKZb1r
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA0mBFKtHpsE
68Please respect copyright.PENANAxiipOem7Zr
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAgCUQ2uBpny
68Please respect copyright.PENANA7axMhwJn8o
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAgR7bpQUNMI
68Please respect copyright.PENANA8QwLdxXbk7
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? 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvKKeAxNx3y
68Please respect copyright.PENANABX4v01XKMs
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.68Please respect copyright.PENANAQrv9MoD7IZ
68Please respect copyright.PENANADyfKS8Xtzd
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAdlBFO5Hz2Y
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAIHvvuRyr3I
68Please respect copyright.PENANA5bJEdcLC01
A stretch, but a believable one. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAgDKgYGkO7i
68Please respect copyright.PENANAm18sHjONHL
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAPxaC25jhfV
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAE37uCjVV1x
68Please respect copyright.PENANAHYqRqzAnXS
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAJiB3HZaBI9
68Please respect copyright.PENANARnHT2TJAUL
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 68Please respect copyright.PENANATJwDa1hVTD
68Please respect copyright.PENANA98C5jzlYmL
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANApsEov7OqEi
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 68Please respect copyright.PENANATOCYzYIHsq
68Please respect copyright.PENANAH4rZfeBpcU
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA80PzE5AnIr
68Please respect copyright.PENANAnQuKUjAT5r
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAIJYUNPbZnH
68Please respect copyright.PENANAPtiWiEw3TD
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAyFt9UvJaFr
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA0spJGv4BQ3
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAdxFaz9sZkq
68Please respect copyright.PENANADwoXtSebIU
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAo78hqwPprh
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAzxfmJwT4OV
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAsU6W2yQcuX
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.
68Please respect copyright.PENANAOH03Qt7Iik
68Please respect copyright.PENANAlWWCSFyDs7
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAJDxMBQsEKS
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAx4W0QEusN1
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAq17RkGTbEL
68Please respect copyright.PENANAMPvxipJ9Gp
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAO5AGNkGitq
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAszptNraTGy
68Please respect copyright.PENANAofQRQrj8tu
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAECj9TcQ4QA
68Please respect copyright.PENANA6VZxwnWpFq
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAkPWKyxELBS
68Please respect copyright.PENANA2kWFAhoUF0
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAcrT41DYrSu
68Please respect copyright.PENANAw47RubEygs
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAlzgAdvGCva
68Please respect copyright.PENANAsnay1aL7OC
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 68Please respect copyright.PENANACwRGMUmWhZ
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 68Please respect copyright.PENANArs33M5jDaV
68Please respect copyright.PENANACwIY7JRnEI
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAHZ9qQAfrge
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 68Please respect copyright.PENANALfBvbztvn5
68Please respect copyright.PENANAaUOdp3OyNF
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAYXqH5o9mjf
68Please respect copyright.PENANA8dh1XgrXC7
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAnIKBGJO1yo
68Please respect copyright.PENANA64bdkFe16g
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANABMc9Dl2heN
68Please respect copyright.PENANADH6gvvXJSs
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvxdVEJyVjI
68Please respect copyright.PENANAGPnZ6AbSzU
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA7SBQBY3mPG
68Please respect copyright.PENANAWcpiITcLyP
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.68Please respect copyright.PENANAcLfMNscrP0
68Please respect copyright.PENANAQZXrrnCbCx
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAgjnoNNp1Lc
68Please respect copyright.PENANA0gPnURLOof
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAVDFFimn1H7
68Please respect copyright.PENANAb3Yfh1PT7H
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAum1VSN1PWz
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANANSUHTkhb0q
68Please respect copyright.PENANAIjwrTG2FSq
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAxIlLnY6yh6
68Please respect copyright.PENANAjdnNPqNQhA
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 68Please respect copyright.PENANASr3538xDGe
68Please respect copyright.PENANAhkkHGV7aNl
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAicdxuThDSW
68Please respect copyright.PENANABHRUQhAPSJ
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAghgTGbq2Vl
68Please respect copyright.PENANAZbyFradOUV
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAFmnw74T3UQ
68Please respect copyright.PENANAjZ9dtTXaU2
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAgfbBsZ24Mg
68Please respect copyright.PENANAjWiv5XDX9C
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANApksmjtcVti
68Please respect copyright.PENANAG6QsSpMd2o
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAUW5aNYKZIo
68Please respect copyright.PENANAmKfzhkTl8n
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANARusb879cnQ
68Please respect copyright.PENANA11d9e7vPvH
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvXE1zuAlM9
68Please respect copyright.PENANAYxEVCDSbek
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAnZdX4PDlTS
68Please respect copyright.PENANA0nTcbIxGdq
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAxdnlA5MjDe
68Please respect copyright.PENANAiYKLnYPXiO
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAc0HKifF2le
68Please respect copyright.PENANAxbmcodPr3x
Was it that time already?68Please respect copyright.PENANAZYOKIXiBTR
68Please respect copyright.PENANAMpuXHW1MyG
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAVeBEeouIhK
68Please respect copyright.PENANAYlomRj6DEv
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAfLpXCl2hvQ
68Please respect copyright.PENANAoO7zEwLtlu
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA7aHnHB8Vnq
68Please respect copyright.PENANAmjnz7S5Ofg
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAznemFdXgTB
68Please respect copyright.PENANAK2grqsAJiv
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAsMBlMbvKv2
68Please respect copyright.PENANAp2j4qJURtb
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvhVX8tTsYA
68Please respect copyright.PENANASNXzPtN67w
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 68Please respect copyright.PENANACFXTnfjMFA
68Please respect copyright.PENANADGoJsJsKjT
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAzlcmPl26cv
68Please respect copyright.PENANAdRxKKTc85J
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 68Please respect copyright.PENANATFOE5uutGt
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAxRLmA8XPSZ
68Please respect copyright.PENANApuUtNL45da
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAbZ5bPDagDj
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAtaEGHLfWvo
68Please respect copyright.PENANAsS5MoJ1zss
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 68Please respect copyright.PENANANyuERaEgos
68Please respect copyright.PENANA6zeJ4bSnV4
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAmdQoRnkWF4
68Please respect copyright.PENANA6FysdHHU27
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 68Please respect copyright.PENANAe49HjizbvA
68Please respect copyright.PENANAqlmi3dHBhy
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAWKN0CLV9Bg
68Please respect copyright.PENANA9eeMHrBhVw
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAnNQJCKd0Zi
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAMba69x0Bix
68Please respect copyright.PENANAB7Y8CqjKhS
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.68Please respect copyright.PENANAvjXHuQ2Rqh
68Please respect copyright.PENANAJJkoB8wMcB
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAYEfQHSrvga
68Please respect copyright.PENANA7xudU5lvrX
"Soup?" 68Please respect copyright.PENANAQ2Jc6N1Cmg
68Please respect copyright.PENANAp5urcYzBz3
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 68Please respect copyright.PENANANmtjcSJmMF
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAXVda8Q6ZR8
68Please respect copyright.PENANAfwo6uQK8fS
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAVET45dUgN5
68Please respect copyright.PENANA3OfZayAyCw
I wasn't still human, was I? 68Please respect copyright.PENANA1nJoGdQaxD
68Please respect copyright.PENANACYXHLkVc1c
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAeiGu1ir3ax
68Please respect copyright.PENANAHLUmwBGATb
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA3ODjJhlPLl
68Please respect copyright.PENANA3WEUs66Q4S
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 68Please respect copyright.PENANA2hdbeJEEuo
68Please respect copyright.PENANAkJSWiygMmf
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAZPzlCQCtUT
68Please respect copyright.PENANA9UyG6mu2O1
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANABHLluL1so3
68Please respect copyright.PENANAgOfa7gNcRd
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAd05vUiJX1p
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAXkRDBIzoCA
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAEXhJWVgSmJ
68Please respect copyright.PENANAq4ghcvqZkl
"Did you...?" 68Please respect copyright.PENANAdeIqlzI2Am
68Please respect copyright.PENANAHaa0Nrxnza
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA5JoJOaTWUE
68Please respect copyright.PENANAEvFMDbs1FG
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAZORERqMOtb
68Please respect copyright.PENANAMlV4rCpwPP
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAmLCbJM66Z7
68Please respect copyright.PENANAs16ofogPB8
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 68Please respect copyright.PENANASvoaLrtrSc
68Please respect copyright.PENANApGkjL4aFhr
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 68Please respect copyright.PENANATNwmsUr0Hg
68Please respect copyright.PENANAVZV53iipM1
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.68Please respect copyright.PENANAYB0YYZDqmg
68Please respect copyright.PENANAaVstJftA6X
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAw2zGSfINvo
68Please respect copyright.PENANAx77QGz3LqB
No. She couldn't see me here. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAVeyCUO8tWx
68Please respect copyright.PENANANsoSkSSdD4
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvulgNd9AXp
68Please respect copyright.PENANA1BMxasrQue
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 68Please respect copyright.PENANANVmAHWDj1n
68Please respect copyright.PENANA1i0noRFHG4
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 68Please respect copyright.PENANAvjv15o7jeJ
68Please respect copyright.PENANAdjfCJwx5uk
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAcpqcjxreK8
68Please respect copyright.PENANAq30tt97QbK
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAULpkbASVQ2
68Please respect copyright.PENANAX7pzBs2gXw
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA8oHTKsRs3X
68Please respect copyright.PENANAz2UOGWtaav
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAUcUljyDixK
68Please respect copyright.PENANAufNgE4gMDi
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANAOyVQxucWb8
68Please respect copyright.PENANALyqWbK0puV
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. 68Please respect copyright.PENANABk7jp6LIVn
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.68Please respect copyright.PENANAXOhxgycnky
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 68Please respect copyright.PENANA0mjHb8RZvl
It would be how it was.