70Please respect copyright.PENANAHLSlokv2h7
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAaGctHdhkvW
70Please respect copyright.PENANAe3hR0VIJB9
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAgZSAnJ9DiQ
70Please respect copyright.PENANAZascsmbb57
Last time was a crumpled can stuffed with plucked wildflowers. I could do better this time. 70Please respect copyright.PENANARTroLnQSb6
70Please respect copyright.PENANAlEOXk8o6AN
My hunt turned up an empty paper cup still with the plastic lid and straw attached. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAzZFOUYNm9D
70Please respect copyright.PENANAs1k4cMnElL
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAIrej92gtBX
70Please respect copyright.PENANAODw8baA3xY
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA2sgKw9tPe9
70Please respect copyright.PENANA6DI3uLnNMN
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAn7qE8P3gVc
70Please respect copyright.PENANAagwf4CXJV3
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAzgLPkzvBHp
70Please respect copyright.PENANAa6QdVjwuK9
Would she like it? Should I make more? 70Please respect copyright.PENANA4qxXt5oyvS
70Please respect copyright.PENANA0wUwoIPX9s
I scanned the roadside to see a bottlecap embedded into the gravel there. There was a plastic bag further to my right. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAkhnm9Xct7v
70Please respect copyright.PENANAaeJeqOMpgu
One would do then. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAzwn9VzJkrC
70Please respect copyright.PENANAHS7otJnkZZ
Bartie was already there when I made my travel with the straw gently gripped around my teeth. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAkokCnDDrHQ
He held a magazine today that was folded on the crossword page. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAhKlGl47Edg
70Please respect copyright.PENANA97mLZHjyfb
"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?" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAJrfTIjgW88
70Please respect copyright.PENANArYKzxm0XWD
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAsm7dUKUEqH
70Please respect copyright.PENANAcAroy8fTLy
She was going somewhere. She never wore that red jacket any other time. It was her best one. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAnVrsGzS0Qq
70Please respect copyright.PENANABsFkAvFLO5
I raced along the tracks towards her and watched as she wheeled out her scooter to haul up the stand. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAOEhudM0TqR
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA583YOfVdlV
70Please respect copyright.PENANAyG0PywdPri
"I've got to go" she apologised through her saddened tone "It’s not much, but I think it should be delicious."70Please respect copyright.PENANAzqf4pt4j7V
70Please respect copyright.PENANAueqK6Mqhrm
Wasn't she taking any for herself? The crate was only filled with parcels again. She didn't have room to fit food. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAbMle5LbvRM
70Please respect copyright.PENANAmjTNjtFPLi
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAgWhDFbnxWa
70Please respect copyright.PENANAS5mRoPNvxI
"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?" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAKxjrc6PuwF
70Please respect copyright.PENANAZSlUVVDxP7
No. It was only for you to enjoy. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAxgLvTzWXAn
70Please respect copyright.PENANAMKr0FJ397m
"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!" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAty9sw34Py6
70Please respect copyright.PENANAhMxEKgUUgI
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA5o50PJ0ayd
70Please respect copyright.PENANAvJit4NhlNe
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAi7Baea4ySw
70Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5Fs26EJ47
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAR5OzK9aaeY
70Please respect copyright.PENANAK6W8hL8X48
Her figure fumbled with her parcels and the flower before jumping aboard with only mere moments to spare. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAfl4j2xQ4aD
70Please respect copyright.PENANAoObmTgyeSw
The train blared its horn then peeled from the station to quickly gather speed past the house. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAmFkSvidvhp
70Please respect copyright.PENANAkxx8AwYmbF
Missy slammed open a window, waving out to me. 70Please respect copyright.PENANABT5wXC9JVd
70Please respect copyright.PENANAfbBl8UjLn7
"I'll see you tonight, Soup!" she called out "sorry!" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAu6CTkX9mgR
70Please respect copyright.PENANAFtxQvp6z1x
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAzkI2DLeler
70Please respect copyright.PENANAaN6CuHRdwR
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAPgBgrLavaE
70Please respect copyright.PENANA9ymx5XImQZ
Not her best. She must have put everything into that nice one last night. It was a compromise she was willing to take. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAfLCaRWamQS
70Please respect copyright.PENANAfaE8Ojc1Ik
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? 70Please respect copyright.PENANAyskIS2n3bB
70Please respect copyright.PENANArPLCHFO01N
I peered back to the house she had left in a hurry instead.70Please respect copyright.PENANAvg2hII8bUR
70Please respect copyright.PENANAifpdyqnA8I
She'd benefit more if I prepared something for her to come home to. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAXm6LkbH1QI
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA96akEO1xfG
70Please respect copyright.PENANAJyKSPV874M
A stretch, but a believable one. 70Please respect copyright.PENANATolQJ8CxXw
70Please respect copyright.PENANAkKgQgbD0hi
I knew Missy didn't have locks on her windows. I could climb through the kitchen one and start there. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAllgVjPeRzR
She always locked her front and back doors. There was no use trying that. 70Please respect copyright.PENANACFkbexHlb7
70Please respect copyright.PENANAgRVOSFsmog
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAgUrBR2iOB0
70Please respect copyright.PENANAyHUsrA61KT
After managing to unfold myself from the kitchen bench, I stood there to grimace at the mess left behind. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAHxjemRFWmU
70Please respect copyright.PENANArSzijGmTgI
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA5Gt2IsKR19
Utensils littered the cold water I dipped my claws into, and splatters of soup were still speckled across the oven behind me. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAVotlMpzWzv
70Please respect copyright.PENANAq5DA1KPojm
She'd be so pleased she wouldn't have to tackle this when she got back in her exhausted state. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA3cPvhMKXJ4
70Please respect copyright.PENANABmyIfYXXMt
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAb0mr395fHS
70Please respect copyright.PENANA2dKdLeoV7Q
I shivered in anticipation at the thought of warm water and soothing soap sliding over my skin. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAZKVl3NqLbu
It was a luxury I hadn't had since I decided to live like this. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA41hZII671X
People weren't exactly throwing bars of soap or bathtubs on the side of the road either. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA6jV4MHWfTk
70Please respect copyright.PENANArrateM7TnG
Finding the shower was easy in her little home with barely any rooms within it. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAD89uWWkJgj
The kitchen and loungeroom beside it were one combined area by the front door. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAVcFzuOJZ1i
The door to the left was her sewing room. The one beside that was her bedroom. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAsyaJflVd9Z
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.
70Please respect copyright.PENANAtjxIuIdQUP
70Please respect copyright.PENANA3jf73XV8XW
I didn't know how dirty I was until I reformed my skin and stepped into the warmth billowing clouds of heat around me. 70Please respect copyright.PENANASut7zBlCGh
The water ran like mud from my body I scrubbed at and slathered with all sorts of food-scented products. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAg14WXIQmed
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAAdZxyxioXO
70Please respect copyright.PENANApqzvrpnO46
Missy didn't own any clothing that would fit me, and I wasn't about to go digging through her belongings to make sure. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAXIxS9WQqXn
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAjAZVaIEy0H
70Please respect copyright.PENANAZB18Dx7olU
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAIk6w60FJ9y
70Please respect copyright.PENANA5xWgyPB1Ff
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAq8yRFc5Jus
70Please respect copyright.PENANAoHXDmTrHhI
Her couch in the living room had the crushed blanket on it refolded and draped in the middle. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA123IE87MVx
70Please respect copyright.PENANAhZRBk0ZUGz
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANASCADCjUNJn
70Please respect copyright.PENANAeXV4u46qvF
The back door was thrown open to let through the fresh breeze and filter out the stale air. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAJGbpYuiiPI
It swept through the home and back out the windows I peeled up to help move the positive energy through the home. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAlKYwJ3n4ka
70Please respect copyright.PENANAeAdFFQbQb0
The garden a few steps from the back stairs was looking choked with weeds. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAchSJ0w25JA
I snatched up the basket at the backdoor and headed for the rows of vegetables drooping under the sunlight. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAbABw1R7TGs
70Please respect copyright.PENANApbFLOBRXO7
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANArVzjBb5kVc
70Please respect copyright.PENANAc7Xv67heDr
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA45YWXVnX0S
70Please respect copyright.PENANAIfLQZPGpN8
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAcesQhhZzAX
70Please respect copyright.PENANADN18OkNXsT
Looked like rabbits. I'd have to deal with them before she baited them and tainted their meat. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA7gbLyagQWv
70Please respect copyright.PENANAV8tUv0By0D
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAUVBK9LqxrL
70Please respect copyright.PENANATGWY3x2P8n
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.70Please respect copyright.PENANALiY1DP0v0r
70Please respect copyright.PENANANX3Kp8H8qc
The stove clicked and snapped to life to steadily boil the soups I poured into the pot over it. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAvShfjd9Qbj
70Please respect copyright.PENANAIjrGDGMcMr
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAeFVKsD7t4Y
70Please respect copyright.PENANAtOtIohxFGA
Music thumped through the silence when I stepped back to admire my work. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAjwTf0m8TOB
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAI1swMlLUoz
70Please respect copyright.PENANAvSDUDziJex
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAsc4EgiJOUy
70Please respect copyright.PENANAjOqedITCim
Saving the soup from the heat, I poured myself a steaming bowl and nestled into her couch to enjoy a job well done. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA9yqhSPPECr
70Please respect copyright.PENANAxMvs2oH7Ab
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAJCQVzc6TAa
70Please respect copyright.PENANARBjQo1e2hs
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAV1fCXg8b5p
70Please respect copyright.PENANAV7l8RV7GZq
I smiled around my spoon, savouring every bit of warmth slipping over my tongue. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA45pFhmlnQu
70Please respect copyright.PENANA9dQg6aZ7qG
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAOoU8KjKEPU
70Please respect copyright.PENANAdJGWtbH9YI
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAoW8ZYaPYdj
70Please respect copyright.PENANA3Pozp6fMnN
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANArkOIOwDSjm
70Please respect copyright.PENANAcb24Nzx3U0
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAGAA8xecpDp
70Please respect copyright.PENANAur3pZBintn
Missy usually never sold her dresses. I was expecting disappointment that I couldn't chase away. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAnAkEWvkbfM
70Please respect copyright.PENANAzPCDq90cHo
"One day, Soup" I muttered to myself between another spoonful I gazed down at. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA2uzUQWDi6T
70Please respect copyright.PENANAg9Ixml1taB
A droning outside caught my attention and lifted my head from the bowl I cupped. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAsROAMAAIII
70Please respect copyright.PENANAYvU6o5rpNG
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAhoPTA1QG7i
70Please respect copyright.PENANAVYM1tMrcdo
Was it that time already?70Please respect copyright.PENANALiAuMIv0eO
70Please respect copyright.PENANAm7lKnv0rmy
I wasn't expecting her home yet. The night sky was darkened outside and already starting to poke its stars through the rippling sky. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAd6Za9PlcFn
70Please respect copyright.PENANATcrxPKY76C
Missy was in her way. I could hear her scooter whining for rest. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAKZr5TzMY4R
70Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0vIC2eMgJ
Slamming the windows shut, I glanced around for anything else I had left out of place. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAuUpsPN4Jrx
70Please respect copyright.PENANAZwjppxbZlS
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAb7c7lkQB0T
70Please respect copyright.PENANAyxL7ROGhMN
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAYPKbfTBIqk
70Please respect copyright.PENANAVe3uEtxirg
Did I have time to clean the pot? What about my bowl? 70Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9NoenZPru
70Please respect copyright.PENANAo0hhHBk8bd
The scooter was getting closer and making my heart hammer in panic. 70Please respect copyright.PENANANX6sRhSlF2
70Please respect copyright.PENANA0KV28jqpFY
I couldn't be seen here. Not like this. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAJIPlT4mt4k
70Please respect copyright.PENANAq6gLJUxTjA
Scrubbing frantically at the bowl, I managed to rub it clean and toss it into the cupboard with the rest. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAgocY8eUsdL
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAqzqoYAEqHj
70Please respect copyright.PENANACve4kmjIuj
Dropping the pot clumsily, I bolted for the back door. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAHiRSZy08SI
I only stopped when I realised that the radio was still singing out as Missy leaned her scooter up in the front yard. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA3cOBP0rscg
70Please respect copyright.PENANAHFNWKCQQ1P
Dashing back, I snapped the radio off and was scurrying for the back door while frantic feet hurried for the front. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA1W8yrB1Bx2
70Please respect copyright.PENANATujEfWQuoz
I hid behind the door I closed behind me, trying to catch my breath that had escaped me in my desperate state. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAU4vWWVIwwT
70Please respect copyright.PENANAdMJkRGZnU0
"Hello?" Missy called out when she stepped inside "is someone there?" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAs7pJGWLgb3
70Please respect copyright.PENANAGiNF4c0DRx
She had heard the radio. Maybe she had heard me too? I hadn't exactly been silent in my rampage to remain unseen. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAPp9To5PDlN
70Please respect copyright.PENANAIYdOHtxXeM
Her rushing feet barrelling for the back door told me she had. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAVQhzu3Z4iy
I jolted from it, squatting in the dirt as I tore at my skin that dropped the towel at my trembling feet. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAWGuDug7Hk1
70Please respect copyright.PENANA0rIJPSVaz0
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.70Please respect copyright.PENANA14XIgIxRAY
70Please respect copyright.PENANAEiy3IYVp4J
I had forgot to turn them off. My heart dropped at my overlooked mistake that was so blatantly obvious. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAVLmo1Hfp9I
70Please respect copyright.PENANAAF2yxfj0eg
"Soup?" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAnP7hwpKgmf
70Please respect copyright.PENANAJS9LRmgqxf
I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to catch my breath without making it obvious I was struggling. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAlBbbR5pFGu
I was surprised she couldn't hear my heart hammering in my throat as I tried to swallow it back down. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAaId9osHrGR
70Please respect copyright.PENANAFhU58Xl0Hw
Her brown eyes didn't leave mine. They were flooded with worry and doubt. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA00A54PIrAI
70Please respect copyright.PENANAkBSyZrI6pD
I wasn't still human, was I? 70Please respect copyright.PENANA5EqTzKhBGL
70Please respect copyright.PENANArXntD5E4NY
Quickly, I scanned my hands to see claws in the place of nails. They pricked at my teeth that were shattered into points. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAFQuaXN2JuN
70Please respect copyright.PENANABcOpj9UG9O
Missy looked back into the house with a frown, holding a thumb to it. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAAG3jcimnFF
70Please respect copyright.PENANAdyQbcpSiQX
"Was that..." she hesitated, checking again "...you?" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAYE9168UiQw
70Please respect copyright.PENANA4cq6QRam6S
She wasn't sure. All she could do was check the cleaned house then cock her head back at me. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAnsa4d5LODK
70Please respect copyright.PENANA5BCmTf271w
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAErjTkeVCxS
70Please respect copyright.PENANAka1f4WHAsO
She was milling over her own silent conclusions, and I didn't like it. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA5NqOdDGeF5
She looked at me different. Her eyes probed for answers she didn't want. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAqgIBywptLc
She swallowed and tried to steady her voice that wavered when it came out at barely a whisper. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAiPyEk6H3vf
70Please respect copyright.PENANATYaXqv2Opj
"Did you...?" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAyeWNfWoTxe
70Please respect copyright.PENANAhLka36ZtNw
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAPuxrf1N9Az
70Please respect copyright.PENANACoy1NxFgPw
I had made it so obvious in my hope not to see the repercussions. It was meant to fall on someone else, not me. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAmMtIW5EKCG
70Please respect copyright.PENANAybizSSgYC2
I wasn't meant to be here. I couldn't be here. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAsZ4HIW0bwo
70Please respect copyright.PENANALRJIn29fQH
I had to get out. I didn't want to see her fear flitting at me or listen to the way her breathing trembled. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAW0DUqedQ9j
70Please respect copyright.PENANAcIAMt7oj0v
The front door was still open in Missy's pursuit for her intruder. I'd go for that. 70Please respect copyright.PENANA4KAA6nAQjc
70Please respect copyright.PENANAnrUF7IlqUe
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.70Please respect copyright.PENANAj8U3XOkon1
70Please respect copyright.PENANADHBQbaZ1ei
"Soup!" she called out, arm outstretched. 70Please respect copyright.PENANANN2ueL9Jbt
70Please respect copyright.PENANAX3C1WNwlOc
No. She couldn't see me here. 70Please respect copyright.PENANArWL8LqQLH3
70Please respect copyright.PENANAPSULR3ktgv
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANACZF0cxrqmE
70Please respect copyright.PENANAi4sk90fhSD
Missy gripped the fence, scanning blindly with tears in her eyes. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAHyAIYQdz5E
70Please respect copyright.PENANAJyjLbq7u11
"Soup!" her voice called, shaking "wait! You don't have to go!" 70Please respect copyright.PENANAYVqI9R5Gdj
70Please respect copyright.PENANAB8LSiRLjIl
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to try and stifle the sob that slipped through. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAqYY6tE4D9c
70Please respect copyright.PENANAJEctf9ZqXc
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANATEHnaexcas
70Please respect copyright.PENANAAwSW8VIJjj
I moved, turning for the safety of the East. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAL0t35eN7Gw
70Please respect copyright.PENANAq1ypywfho6
"Soup?" Missy sniffled at the rustling of the grass, her head lifting in my direction. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAhgNXuqCkTI
70Please respect copyright.PENANANCk4hoABNG
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAvfRMCNts5I
70Please respect copyright.PENANAeS30LxWDDX
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. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAueSTCE2vxw
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.70Please respect copyright.PENANACs0XPgqoEX
I'd love her silently and she would dream of bright futures where everyone wore her dresses. 70Please respect copyright.PENANAuP2whaihP0
It would be how it was.