56Please respect copyright.PENANA8QBBlhcAPd
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANADyBYVzXK5R
56Please respect copyright.PENANAAgSfOR0dKT
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAMrB1OgEYaV
56Please respect copyright.PENANAv5wpezJ5cB
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAONBVS41m6w
56Please respect copyright.PENANAu90E7GWhJJ
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA8DWPmvKBCb
56Please respect copyright.PENANA50HStKtia9
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAqaNP8px8Sp
56Please respect copyright.PENANAodxoXEyyrQ
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAkLMBwwbWm5
56Please respect copyright.PENANAEffJ1ir391
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAgySh9snb9L
56Please respect copyright.PENANAZGud1dkGQh
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAlTho6jkU2J
56Please respect copyright.PENANAkmqfgqrAA6
Would she like it? Should I make more? 56Please respect copyright.PENANAhpfNsFVgii
56Please respect copyright.PENANAkA7W81eVj5
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAi0W6eNS5mj
56Please respect copyright.PENANABNCxvFcc7E
One would do then. 56Please respect copyright.PENANARTTgJ5s3kX
56Please respect copyright.PENANAEKChhJs9EG
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAznmrHWHRPO
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA8HzuFmkQV5
56Please respect copyright.PENANAl1FOza7uvU
"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?" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAGspWOy8MYg
56Please respect copyright.PENANA3nGdbz2F2D
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAYU6857zsbo
56Please respect copyright.PENANAjUQSd8xv3J
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAmBUTt6yJ3R
56Please respect copyright.PENANAEYZu0FORhi
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAIIakOxreVc
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANANuuQLg9lXz
56Please respect copyright.PENANAQ4xARlrHN6
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."56Please respect copyright.PENANAPUq8wr4fsH
56Please respect copyright.PENANAkWNY46Dw7p
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA6ttdjVUWsV
56Please respect copyright.PENANAp8xRtPoxYH
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAkpqVbJkOs2
56Please respect copyright.PENANAAWn3YufRiT
"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?" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAAIa8uRPXhW
56Please respect copyright.PENANAgi7AkDqtg5
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAG8MtikBxYi
56Please respect copyright.PENANA8IR8ZauDLk
"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!" 56Please respect copyright.PENANA7fcH8CvAPM
56Please respect copyright.PENANAk6GnqdLdDU
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAye62KNF5Zc
56Please respect copyright.PENANALI0eds32dG
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANALIYBiiDqQs
56Please respect copyright.PENANA3k43RKg3Mp
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAG4z0eiNWrn
56Please respect copyright.PENANA9hoeeznBJd
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA4vAlFbIQhq
56Please respect copyright.PENANASDGoUf8vfM
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAUYRK1Qzr8U
56Please respect copyright.PENANAiFrCMJ62o5
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAbPGd57cRf6
56Please respect copyright.PENANAt0on0xH5US
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 56Please respect copyright.PENANA6d0KePSpcu
56Please respect copyright.PENANA5Jqa4yDiPN
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAsAFG5GPZbg
56Please respect copyright.PENANAF0BFgrVWF0
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANATPVavRmqTF
56Please respect copyright.PENANAiSQsn5htya
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAUmaauxQN6F
56Please respect copyright.PENANATvbHrlpiLb
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? 56Please respect copyright.PENANAo2G3iHAGjL
56Please respect copyright.PENANAZYVnG1BKtK
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.56Please respect copyright.PENANA9Vk65pSssJ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAkJXnmgwUpv
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAmIFuousYw6
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAaKzXJY2k7Z
56Please respect copyright.PENANAajDg9HTbex
A stretch, but a believable one. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAUezezj1NIl
56Please respect copyright.PENANA9s2ynuC1Lc
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 56Please respect copyright.PENANALUjprXzVlP
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAK7UP47xazp
56Please respect copyright.PENANA5GZby1Pe1R
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAc9dVtaNPtX
56Please respect copyright.PENANAXPWROvVdwW
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA3LLdJ6hIsM
56Please respect copyright.PENANADbp9XdOfCV
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAJB4iI2ulw1
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAJB4N3swqZi
56Please respect copyright.PENANAvUwJw4K3w5
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 56Please respect copyright.PENANADEv95jKLVa
56Please respect copyright.PENANAyYmz0Y8d2N
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAt2Hw80Yjuo
56Please respect copyright.PENANAwM9sHhaRbK
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA1Qw7AktxCL
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA2bG9ST9Y1I
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAfX9Vtxc3ZJ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAmSiToEqD26
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 56Please respect copyright.PENANARIao9RImzR
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA90AQNQrdXd
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAIKTvGD74p5
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.
56Please respect copyright.PENANAxYdrYz5gvh
56Please respect copyright.PENANA6A4Twy2Ph8
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAv9Qf54bkfs
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAALNJW3DQhp
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAci9qltGazZ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAuXGItuqjgz
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAIbg3npsu5z
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANARZQ4l6tp4J
56Please respect copyright.PENANAF1GVZzRX0x
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAwWbUy4zvjC
56Please respect copyright.PENANAM46hsvWm9x
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANASetPjjill3
56Please respect copyright.PENANA1X1fNpTmwY
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA25H8xP0Iff
56Please respect copyright.PENANAAO9BEXWoRT
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAm6WJXWSeDV
56Please respect copyright.PENANAQIZNxHKGEl
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAY5ldbeKzwc
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAAp0qdp4zUn
56Please respect copyright.PENANAOBIOkF5G0K
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAGhC0o2hx3I
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAXgij5djP6p
56Please respect copyright.PENANALdi7yOaVNW
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAawhxHeczwu
56Please respect copyright.PENANA5c5XHNIPxE
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANASl3BcOHWVL
56Please respect copyright.PENANAaD3cD2ffg3
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAOoSGShA7Pz
56Please respect copyright.PENANAjgsJ3suwbB
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAoFZHWkKVyI
56Please respect copyright.PENANAAEzkqPuuYb
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA6xfs76ykjX
56Please respect copyright.PENANAahtFMHap6n
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.56Please respect copyright.PENANAMitJC3lrTG
56Please respect copyright.PENANAFihc0vWovr
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAxwpfd1AHbY
56Please respect copyright.PENANAwwVXpN4jD9
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAxVAk1S7pWL
56Please respect copyright.PENANAk5AUCez9NA
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAV00Icb1Mbp
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAEGWBepVB7l
56Please respect copyright.PENANAPiakZUmk67
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAeC55ZjcVFU
56Please respect copyright.PENANAtMg8p025RM
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 56Please respect copyright.PENANApeCba0TIAz
56Please respect copyright.PENANAeLLRxrppRj
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANALB0y97YsYK
56Please respect copyright.PENANAo81IzaARvl
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANArf0dJcUVGO
56Please respect copyright.PENANApzCPdCr093
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAN0PpfSmlZC
56Please respect copyright.PENANAHm3xOgQCtl
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAC1tiTUkBEl
56Please respect copyright.PENANAPDnONXdIkH
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAAA8c5UE6kK
56Please respect copyright.PENANAgkq1b7CWmH
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAFJEyYetTaX
56Please respect copyright.PENANAADFBPrD8tc
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAiPP0l6DrNH
56Please respect copyright.PENANA9X6aaSlYGa
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAL35zKrlj95
56Please respect copyright.PENANA1QAyHDycEw
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 56Please respect copyright.PENANARJeMMwyPz3
56Please respect copyright.PENANA7p8lABSa8y
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAMqlPVFpQRS
56Please respect copyright.PENANA1mqI1GtTQ6
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANATrDdDHBERN
56Please respect copyright.PENANAY1KneyMJlG
Was it that time already?56Please respect copyright.PENANA7J4VaBSovy
56Please respect copyright.PENANAwfoyd3em2Z
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAjYugvFa2Eb
56Please respect copyright.PENANAIFTZOwIeTq
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 56Please respect copyright.PENANADfsEMeYqpj
56Please respect copyright.PENANA5SnbLrJHP3
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAsKbTjADGcj
56Please respect copyright.PENANAH14YFs3rn0
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAOzKTaQlLbz
56Please respect copyright.PENANAEhbJIKewMA
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAAXCsUSAy7H
56Please respect copyright.PENANAiWPDMpcXa1
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 56Please respect copyright.PENANA6RulaaDyTA
56Please respect copyright.PENANAGViKLZ7qqr
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAtWLcj7zail
56Please respect copyright.PENANAluPDQ4Zh2N
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAdkaUwKB78T
56Please respect copyright.PENANA2daCqcFDv4
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAiHiq6mq219
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAeZ7TSUNwof
56Please respect copyright.PENANAkf5gGxcryM
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAcRt7xjPUKA
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAQc5OGCfVo8
56Please respect copyright.PENANA6GBinm7N2D
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA0HWLgDLb3G
56Please respect copyright.PENANAHaqijwqQG7
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 56Please respect copyright.PENANADhaQipE5ZU
56Please respect copyright.PENANAJWTHciokhw
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAg6ZZf8FLLt
56Please respect copyright.PENANAFVnLfvEDc0
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAYfo6eQOc1s
56Please respect copyright.PENANAHtTXC4OGbS
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAVpZTikw0Wj
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA24Djm9Qnzm
56Please respect copyright.PENANAGG5TcGnvQG
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.56Please respect copyright.PENANAPtrMRylgyp
56Please respect copyright.PENANAF8aiy31sYg
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAzDlSZopgAl
56Please respect copyright.PENANAXNba1y8QJ5
"Soup?" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAa78r8T7jZV
56Please respect copyright.PENANANh2lWPg2qW
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAdemB1HRzKq
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAtYI0k916aO
56Please respect copyright.PENANAE1feGSZAWV
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAjt47dAMvPQ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAtto2SBWoyV
I wasn't still human, was I? 56Please respect copyright.PENANADTI7NXnX6G
56Please respect copyright.PENANA5GzLwHBz80
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAc0ldFRR8Cv
56Please respect copyright.PENANApaYyHkB03A
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAp1gllcDxjk
56Please respect copyright.PENANAN8JG0GzlPT
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAqKUesT5PFd
56Please respect copyright.PENANABTZDxwaVCn
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAife9SIdy4A
56Please respect copyright.PENANA5zPtSk1htG
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAmmkeDAo1Vt
56Please respect copyright.PENANAVdWNvzUfeA
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAeObCdSimGi
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAeOiAcgBeDn
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAyghtqziAqQ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAZLkJ15TLfX
"Did you...?" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAiLR3EIy5qI
56Please respect copyright.PENANAUt6rODi0EP
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAxm1wphq6s7
56Please respect copyright.PENANAWZ8dn76x6F
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 56Please respect copyright.PENANABFZ4ux7aBS
56Please respect copyright.PENANAyKyRAPULMi
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAyhea9q8Umf
56Please respect copyright.PENANAS0HCVRXbqM
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAZpnndJlLnZ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAwAi2kFfUPU
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA7r5sVnjrUn
56Please respect copyright.PENANAV1J4Y9Rf6n
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.56Please respect copyright.PENANAaUJpP21bT3
56Please respect copyright.PENANAfIWAwhUzzr
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA0PKfjmD1ld
56Please respect copyright.PENANACJ5k9R2vvw
No. She couldn't see me here. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAGvSevXqGDo
56Please respect copyright.PENANAXChdLgGeOx
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAnqnqSw8WP6
56Please respect copyright.PENANAPiLxXcb3jc
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAmrbzbF1o1y
56Please respect copyright.PENANANwT1BNI9L3
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 56Please respect copyright.PENANAVVrfVcxIF6
56Please respect copyright.PENANAeUbz8u7NzZ
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAcZ39rpEzpZ
56Please respect copyright.PENANALb5pgZBLmw
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAMdmxkPP9NZ
56Please respect copyright.PENANAU5ORbJ9uWK
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAJEmNv0BkAo
56Please respect copyright.PENANAahtSp7QdGe
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAdt9lWKR4NV
56Please respect copyright.PENANASuoTkQySkM
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAUrCDALVBId
56Please respect copyright.PENANAl9AYkbHboW
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. 56Please respect copyright.PENANA8WpVUZ0s1S
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.56Please respect copyright.PENANA7RQB7HC6aB
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 56Please respect copyright.PENANAReCreLkkL2
It would be how it was.