Pieces

WAFF below, for your relief. I still own nothing here, damn it!
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I was out in the yard one day when I met another kid. She was a cute little girl. I would later find out, like myself, that she had no name. So I called her Baby because she always looked like a baby doll. She ran up to me on our first day. I was terribly shy of other kids. I had hardly met one. I was playing with a broken branch. “Hi! What’s your name?” She startled me as I looked up at her.

“Uh, I don’t really have one.” What else could I say?

“Yeah, me neither.” Wow, someone like me. I wondered if her parents were the same way mine was.

“Do you want to play?” She beamed at me.

“Sure.” No one had ever invited me to play before.

“Why are your eyes red?” She was still smiling.

“Because I’m a freak.” It hurt but it was fact.

“What’s that mean?” She had a puzzled look on her face.

“It means I’m not supposed to be.”

She giggled. “Well yes you were because you are. And because you are, you can be my friend! I think your eyes are pretty.” It was the first time I could remember that someone had wanted me and she thought I was pretty…I was dumbfounded. No one had ever said that before. “Why is your face all hurt?”

I looked up cautiously. “I fell.” I felt bad for the lie but the less she knew perhaps the safer she would be.

“Sorry you fell. Let’s go play!” I smiled despite my still sore lip and started to walk away from the yard. I cast a glance over my shoulder and saw my father watching us. He was rubbing a hand over his fly. Maybe he had an itch. But the sight made me want to leave immediately with Baby. For some reason deep down I feared for her.

We would play a lot together. She would always come to me while I was outside and we would go and play off in the fields. She made me so happy I can never describe it. I felt…loved…for once in my life. We would run after each other and find adventure around every corner. She found my white hair to be of constant amazement and would always want to brush it. I had long hair, even longer than hers, and her constant brushing took the ever-persistent mats out of it. I had never really paid much attention to my appearance before but her constant compliments made me begin to feel good about myself in a way I never thought possible. One day somewhere off in the sky I began to see the blackish green clouds of a twister. All sunny days come to an end.

I awoke in a bed. A tiny hand reached out and took my own. “Baby?” My voice sounded horrible and the effort sent me into a coughing fit despite it was only a whisper.

“Are you okay?” A young childlike voice asked me in the dark. I squeezed her hand in response. Maybe it was Baby, but I knew better. Maybe I was dead and she came to take me to the Land of the Dead too. “Are you thirsty?” I moved my tongue around in my mouth. It felt as if I had a mouthful of cotton, I was so very thirsty. I squeezed again. She let go of my hand and moved away. I didn’t want her to leave me. I moaned softly. I heard her sit on the bed itself and put a glass on my lips. I tried to weakly drink the water. It took her a few tries to realize that I couldn’t lift my head and she had to do it for me. Water had never tasted so good as I tried my best to lunge at the glass. She took it away before I was sated. “Sorry, Grandpa said you can’t have too much at one time. I’ll give you some more later though.” She gently began to stroke my hair. “Are you feeling better?” I squeezed again. I gathered up my strength and tried to open my eyes. An oil lamp burning in the room seemed brighter than the sun. I looked at the little girl. She looked like an angel. Long blonde curls and dressed in a gingham dress. I looked at my body the best I could. I could see an IV sticking out of my hand and a bandage on the same arm. Fuck, naturally it’s my left arm that’s wounded. Her beautiful blue eyes scanned me as she gently stroked my face. “Hey I brought you my bear to sleep with until you feel better.” She tucked a ragged patched bear next to me. I gathered my strength again and moved my fingers to take more of her tiny hand in mine. I squeezed again to let her know that I appreciated what she did. “Are you gonna be okay?” I didn’t really know. “Will you be my brother? I have two already but you look prettier…like an angel.” I felt tears sting my eyes for a minute before I knew I had to close them. I was still too weak to stay awake for long. In my last moments of lucidity I squeezed her hand again. “I’ll be your sister, too.” I felt her petting me until I fell fast asleep.

I loved Baby. We went everywhere together until one day that storm arrived. “You need to bring your little friend over.” My father was most dangerous when he was friendly and I knew it. “She can come inside to get you today.” My breath caught in my throat. I had no way of warning her away. On schedule Baby came skipping up the road. Please run away, please! I begged for anything to keep her from coming into the house. When she didn’t find me, she approached the door. My father opened it. “Well come on in! My son, er…” He looked at me for a minute. “…Quincy would like you to have some lemonade.” I was terrified. “Why don’t you go to your room Quincy and get your toys to bring along with your friend today.” He smiled at me and I wanted to scream in fear. Even his smile was like a scream of terror inverted. I didn’t dare disobey him. I quickly grabbed my book and headed back down the stairs. It was then that I heard her crying.

“Please let me go!” She was squirming in his grip. Out of something deep inside of me I lunged at him and bit him hard. He hit me so quickly my mouth was pouring blood before I knew what had happened. My father kicked a chair over to where I sat, stunned. He picked me up by my shirt with his free hand and threw me into the chair. He held Baby in one arm and secured me to the kitchen chair with twine.

While he was tying my knots she set Baby down and looked her in the eyes. “You move, little darlin’, and I will break one of your boyfriend’s bones for every foot you take, got me?” I looked at her. Please run, I don’t care what happens to me. She looked into my eyes and saw what I was thinking. I almost cried out in relief when she bolted towards the door.
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Still more to come tonight kids!