71Please respect copyright.PENANA3h0XCFeSrP
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAck6ibtsJIR
71Please respect copyright.PENANAscqbe3OMme
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAQu0ttj3tYn
71Please respect copyright.PENANAG6pNg60ukZ
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0t4fr7ipu
71Please respect copyright.PENANAL1hEpw8dOg
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAhQ70wtnLKO
71Please respect copyright.PENANAXL2FSCdILM
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAFONbiQoKzm
71Please respect copyright.PENANAqFNaNu1duT
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANATjpBCXNMGC
71Please respect copyright.PENANAKbpUn2RtCZ
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAHi5LaCiMDM
71Please respect copyright.PENANAmz8deYzKT0
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA4cdTl9qkEM
71Please respect copyright.PENANAHb7A1Abhlr
Would she like it? Should I make more? 71Please respect copyright.PENANAroCLyqjDi0
71Please respect copyright.PENANAtO2WRGqClZ
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAgdaHzGg8Xn
71Please respect copyright.PENANAmh9OC3Konu
One would do then. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAs0LTIMfykO
71Please respect copyright.PENANAIi7OH5SMFt
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAMfTY9NneL2
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAPa2kNhJGu2
71Please respect copyright.PENANAs3oVtkaZwW
"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?" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAlj12MGc64H
71Please respect copyright.PENANAral5RcpptC
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA92CKL8y7jv
71Please respect copyright.PENANAuyho4QcnHa
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAnr9frMRvl5
71Please respect copyright.PENANASKxZ4TmXdw
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAu9GRsYDiWp
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAIgEZQL4Kmf
71Please respect copyright.PENANAydAPksBAs5
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."71Please respect copyright.PENANAXVip4DyWWb
71Please respect copyright.PENANAARRI0oMccI
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAohfMqHFci0
71Please respect copyright.PENANAOEUBZfmBPL
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAlEi6F3LwWn
71Please respect copyright.PENANANfmyowvxPb
"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?" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAlsAzNNukvW
71Please respect copyright.PENANAVTVDsqA1a3
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA8mVFGaw8zD
71Please respect copyright.PENANAOKD8c1T9rp
"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!" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAWRJkgaeNfX
71Please respect copyright.PENANAhvfNEBZU5U
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAiGwXsHT2xj
71Please respect copyright.PENANA8onRJseuDt
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANADRCjIIgRwg
71Please respect copyright.PENANAecRNl1BCWJ
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA1Awc9Fx4RJ
71Please respect copyright.PENANA6OtjvQ0w4o
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 71Please respect copyright.PENANApoKN7l28P1
71Please respect copyright.PENANA5QPrZgole0
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAyVLvgmP1OJ
71Please respect copyright.PENANArvUBHzGcQT
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAZLcijmjGlN
71Please respect copyright.PENANAYd8Knr9Nzs
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAQf4BPsSBFB
71Please respect copyright.PENANANd4grHCeRG
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAIENaFEeVKo
71Please respect copyright.PENANATgKLWl4IH3
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANATy7J5rbsBI
71Please respect copyright.PENANAozwXRKgAtT
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAiXbRVs3tp2
71Please respect copyright.PENANAqFTKXGQGjX
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? 71Please respect copyright.PENANAiR000De82Y
71Please respect copyright.PENANAcZUwXOuj92
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.71Please respect copyright.PENANAz2GuE39TEj
71Please respect copyright.PENANAhf3JLJGLcx
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAa3hJgZMh98
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAsUAeiIcYCO
71Please respect copyright.PENANAsD6k1f7DgC
A stretch, but a believable one. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAdwuwIEUMtX
71Please respect copyright.PENANA969Q3fWRjo
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAu2BjBqEPo4
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAP8kyjOi6dZ
71Please respect copyright.PENANA06x7kmIs27
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAJehfhVlSTo
71Please respect copyright.PENANAxk8GkCzXpx
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAY8uJYvrhzO
71Please respect copyright.PENANAU9UgYgmZDS
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAI5mDZC4RIQ
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA3RV4MWolDq
71Please respect copyright.PENANAT8dF4aNN1e
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA6ATTrGimRB
71Please respect copyright.PENANAaAbLFcpNSG
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAqGyBFTsrTz
71Please respect copyright.PENANA5yxbwwjKfJ
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA9XGuBYWVH4
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAN5nRbZkAyu
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 71Please respect copyright.PENANACBp4yojLTH
71Please respect copyright.PENANAF5ShFRG4FC
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAAciRVRiTbX
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAYvi3uTYxMd
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAbvZJHPoDIu
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.
71Please respect copyright.PENANAZxjEE1DaSU
71Please respect copyright.PENANA6CeXigkQNG
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAzBlBoyWUpr
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAu92CGLKn6B
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAsSg2wFaZqm
71Please respect copyright.PENANAJgsY9SvZTg
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAA2ZmBsFZ9S
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAGP99kK447O
71Please respect copyright.PENANAAVuHrLgG99
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAtt0Ba53PDJ
71Please respect copyright.PENANABxE30yvIa4
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAahtz4gpuch
71Please respect copyright.PENANAULFx1qyRUK
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAE5eNSrnAYI
71Please respect copyright.PENANAEYCG6zJ7OT
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA2lDcaNDEZt
71Please respect copyright.PENANALfBCzKdJIQ
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAOR9MUOuuYU
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAun4fE9l54J
71Please respect copyright.PENANAg9rNkC4OwU
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAKcNS64gMIZ
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAmSZAtjFgJQ
71Please respect copyright.PENANA2X4HXiJcbS
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAANP8xrh0pc
71Please respect copyright.PENANAw75mmz9Ern
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAOPlnUQEOeT
71Please respect copyright.PENANA1Ly1bR5aPW
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA7dXGmyeDov
71Please respect copyright.PENANAXDOdHke9L0
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAKalxW8C0wV
71Please respect copyright.PENANA4HDW9DpGkr
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAxcdub2NKOq
71Please respect copyright.PENANALRfMmzWJ1G
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.71Please respect copyright.PENANAHfr2fGjVGw
71Please respect copyright.PENANAt2tmp1nFTZ
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAroSS1u35X8
71Please respect copyright.PENANAksPJiWKpMS
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAZmCnbHPBIa
71Please respect copyright.PENANAUXBrPGU7NT
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA6TLa2sUIli
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAgZtio53BF3
71Please respect copyright.PENANAv26xKh4vod
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAlBlF3hUhfe
71Please respect copyright.PENANAUWYDCS5kZH
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAuVJNcDqJs9
71Please respect copyright.PENANAceJKOpBZVu
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAGizgAoGLQ3
71Please respect copyright.PENANA6gJxAJ8XA5
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAPgfuwrtqXG
71Please respect copyright.PENANACR8YHFykzR
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAEzRbv3hWuE
71Please respect copyright.PENANAv47DVKITU3
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAShUtSwJc0f
71Please respect copyright.PENANA4sluojaVhl
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA3tCzqDSQTU
71Please respect copyright.PENANA5JH3R6yTFs
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAL35I3Gs86i
71Please respect copyright.PENANAOf3C4IEt5d
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAkodLUe6SjV
71Please respect copyright.PENANAp8LuDYJ2mv
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA59rQNPmunA
71Please respect copyright.PENANA57KTsBiEDt
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAVHTnbBah3u
71Please respect copyright.PENANAvszOgkhCdl
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAv4fTjtrumT
71Please respect copyright.PENANAGWTyeVhQqw
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAbhMkISNXXI
71Please respect copyright.PENANAYDbd29Cjn4
Was it that time already?71Please respect copyright.PENANAkqz2ii0Cq1
71Please respect copyright.PENANAy9pN4MKe9y
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAVpo97xY7Mj
71Please respect copyright.PENANABhYzTfQIVR
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAQHbBaZrRUy
71Please respect copyright.PENANA6of7ZD24b7
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 71Please respect copyright.PENANACyc1BgJzgj
71Please respect copyright.PENANASdQ6FjX2VC
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAf135DfEarT
71Please respect copyright.PENANAc5rvqqMZZT
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAIvIDdLq6fc
71Please respect copyright.PENANAkJYLoOVyjB
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 71Please respect copyright.PENANAlMDl3CaVNl
71Please respect copyright.PENANAiAK2frgKaz
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAVmgoLrcrah
71Please respect copyright.PENANAZHfeg0hWhC
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAhxf1QqAZxl
71Please respect copyright.PENANAQTt64hNG0d
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 71Please respect copyright.PENANATF5axRl9Sa
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAO2o3txP88E
71Please respect copyright.PENANA51RxByW9Mg
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAAZaTyosfzB
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAHkiVXevfAb
71Please respect copyright.PENANAgx5eHTIYBS
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAEuMEtr1jrd
71Please respect copyright.PENANAktoNhrDWdW
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 71Please respect copyright.PENANASwNsiB74iq
71Please respect copyright.PENANAjEyFCjF8S9
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 71Please respect copyright.PENANABTdasdIMUw
71Please respect copyright.PENANAJYRSiWOqWx
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA6nNUKlMRsu
71Please respect copyright.PENANAFPVQd8CEam
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAAA24oIVs3T
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAGXQmzATISh
71Please respect copyright.PENANA3pzUnoYlPh
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.71Please respect copyright.PENANAVz0GOvU5EY
71Please respect copyright.PENANApnZ0cvRKGc
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAKG2nRiaJBQ
71Please respect copyright.PENANAetJqp6Lwik
"Soup?" 71Please respect copyright.PENANACmyN5iF6sm
71Please respect copyright.PENANA7y7p7ZNF6h
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAfzJqy453kp
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAmFo7WhPNjP
71Please respect copyright.PENANA0gD924odwG
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAKzIeOJ5V4i
71Please respect copyright.PENANAEs2C6L3FJo
I wasn't still human, was I? 71Please respect copyright.PENANAZyFGBMD4EN
71Please respect copyright.PENANAAog0MiHGw3
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAdZy7nzrITB
71Please respect copyright.PENANAcN0QVk8VHi
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA2PL9pHdb3X
71Please respect copyright.PENANA1TModWZXnb
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAnw6L6Gv9Du
71Please respect copyright.PENANAwejx2kEHU3
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA82FW5683oL
71Please respect copyright.PENANA91MmnyQYOD
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAvU849tN7NV
71Please respect copyright.PENANA1LgiNrEaOM
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAPl5UmRSweZ
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAoRRzvSLlH7
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAlsDFtEwE2V
71Please respect copyright.PENANA6Gio3LyZJK
"Did you...?" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAPVentLusrt
71Please respect copyright.PENANAOPRv6BMg2m
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAeql4hheDjf
71Please respect copyright.PENANAuOC5cV2mY1
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA5xoDOKFvdj
71Please respect copyright.PENANABcKXabYdJI
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAb5WqLmdCkk
71Please respect copyright.PENANAFBXmCJrhiN
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAPy5HCHdMQG
71Please respect copyright.PENANAeVHis9LXeq
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA6T9B6XBY2j
71Please respect copyright.PENANAqVHYyAi6DM
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.71Please respect copyright.PENANALy73ieV4ey
71Please respect copyright.PENANAV0zu91x3sH
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 71Please respect copyright.PENANA7OAjbxUPF1
71Please respect copyright.PENANAbZrWvGbO2f
No. She couldn't see me here. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAXeS5HfiLph
71Please respect copyright.PENANAERAZwnUHPx
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAq1gocg7LrF
71Please respect copyright.PENANAMBmZebMVHI
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAUWN4Nq63Df
71Please respect copyright.PENANADeYTGyewC7
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 71Please respect copyright.PENANAihQuJWjsnU
71Please respect copyright.PENANABMof3srChc
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 71Please respect copyright.PENANASspfQoDGL8
71Please respect copyright.PENANAtNXMpCF43q
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANASD4uqdYFR4
71Please respect copyright.PENANA6SLHIuoyZq
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAQi1tql9FK2
71Please respect copyright.PENANAzhHPnJZ5gA
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAu1b4H9k4N4
71Please respect copyright.PENANAaeEXHVAirP
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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAhDoRUzHkRI
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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. 71Please respect copyright.PENANADK16hznma7
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.71Please respect copyright.PENANAxjsCtQJlHl
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 71Please respect copyright.PENANAFzeV0fcgJ5
It would be how it was.