back in the day (when rap wasn't horrible)

[wisper]

Findlay doesn't often... make house calls, as you might say, but he's had a feeling about a little girl he'd seen the other day that he hasn't been able to shake. He hasn't seen outright abuse, not yet, but there's something sad about the kid and it's been bothering him. He wants to help, even a little, though as he approaches the house, he wonders if this is such a good idea.

He hears shouting.

And around the edge of the house, a small ball of blue light dances by a half-open window.

Comments

[preteamdyson]

At least he's being honest. At least he isn't telling her he'll come back when she has a pretty good feeling that he won't.

But her eyes get all wide at the whisper. It's a secret! A really cool secret and he's breaking rules and it makes her feel special. She doesn't get that feeling a lot. So she shifts the tiniest bit closer and decides that it's okay if he doesn't come back, because he showed up in the first place! And he taught her how to let herself out of a scary place. And maybe things will be just a little bit better when he leaves.

"I won't tell. Promise!" She can be sneaky. Very sneaky! The most sneaky. "Okay, okay, read the story! I don't got all day!" And that was the tiniest eyeroll of all time.

[wisper]

Sheesh, what a cute kid, and what a relief. Findlay smiles, and the light from the wisp pulses a little brighter, as if prompting him to get going, itself. So he settles, clears his throat, and starts to read, holding the book open so Kenzi can see the pictures as he goes.

He's a good storyteller, but as he notices Kenzi starting to pass out, he quiets down, tones down the expressiveness and lets her drift off as he nears the end of the story.

[preteamdyson]

She's sleeping soundly before they ever find out who the monster at the end of the book is. Looking at the floaty, little blue guy made her extra sleepy. There's a sound of clattering glass coming from another room, but she doesn't stir. There's even a small smile on her face!

Her bed is a lot more comfortable than the closet floor. Even in her sleep, she's grateful. And she'll be grateful in the morning, too. But by the next evening, she won't be sure if she imagined it all, or it really happened. In a few years, she won't remember it at all. The only thing she will remember... is how to stick pins into a lock and jiggle it around until you hear a click. And if she ever meets another 'alien', she'd definitely want to be friends with it.