(no subject)
It was a normal night.
Snowball was asleep, Harold was asleep. Everyone else was asleep.
It was quiet.
But then all of a sudden, Harold wasn't asleep. He wasn't even in his bed. And Snowball wasn't there. It reminded him of the Dark Cold Place, except..it was warm. But definatly dark. Very dark.
And then it wasn't.
And there was Someone there. He..she..was kind of tall..but also not much taller than Harold and scary but nice and seemed to be lots of colors at the same time, while also very very white. Harold blinked several times.
The voice is very gentle. "Hello, Harold."
"Know me?"
"I've always known you."
"Oh. Where 'nowball?"
"Would you rather her be here?"
"Need her."
"I suppose you still do."
Snowball appears next to Harold and he hugs her, and then giggles when her fur tickles his nose.
"Is that better?"
He nods. "Who you?"
"I am called The Protector."
"Oh."
After a moment of comtemplation, "You are not happy, are you, Harold?"
"No."
"And why aren't you happy?"
"Eberybody leaf me."
"Everyone has not left you. Snow has not left you. Prue has not left you. Frankle has not left you. You have many friends who have not left you."
"Not mean dem."
"Then you should not say 'everyone.' Who do you mean?" But of course he knows already. It is his job to know.
"My mommy leaf me and my daddy leaf me and Wolf and 'gina leaf me and Sawa.."
"Harold, come here."
There is, somehow, a lap for Harold to sit on and he is pulled into it.
"Harold. Your parents did not leave you."
Frown. "Did! No there!"
"Do you remember before you came to Milliways?"
More frowning, "Little. Lot pictures. People..me hungwy sometime."
A nod. "That's right. You drew a lot of pictures. You know how you draw doors? When you were very small and you were still with your parents, you drew your first door. And, since you're curious, you went through it. That's how you lost your parents, Harold. They didn't leave you."
This causes major distress. "Me leaf DEM??"
A nod. "That's right."
"But but but..why no doe BACK??"
"You tried, but no matter how many doors you drew you couldn't get back."
Harold's silent.
After a long moment The Proctector speaks. "I would not tell you this if I did not think you could handle it, Harold."
"Wolf and 'gina leaf, wight?"
A half smile, "Yes, they did. But, Harold, you need to understand something. They came back."
"No wan' hurt."
"I understand you don't and in the end, it's your choice. If you don't want them they will eventually come to accept it, but they want you in their family."
"Want me?"
"Yes, of course they do. Wolf coming to get you, searching for you, saving you from the lake..he did that because he loves you."
"Luf me."
"Harold, it's okay to be scared. Fear helps us not to do stupid things, but it's not wise to let fear prevent you from moving on. You can't be scared forever. It's not good for you."
He nods slowly.
"What do you want, Harold? More than anything."
"A mommy."
"But if you couldn't have a mommy, would that be so bad? You have people who love you and you are well taken care of."
There's a thoughtful pause. "Not same as mommy."
"No, it's not. But what you want from a mommy is to be loved and cared for. And, Harold, you are."
Blink. Blinkblink.
"There is another thing. Pay close attention to this. Be very careful not to take people for granted. It's easy to do, especially when you're hurting. But you hurt people."
"Gwanted?"
"That's right. Appreciate them. These people who have taken care of you don't have to do that. They have their own lives and problems. They take you in because you're young, but you're growing and eventually you will reach the point where you can manage on your own. And if you do not appreciate people now, that will be a lonely day for you."
"Leaf?"
"Yes, but you need to understand the difference between leaving by choice and not, and being driven away by another. If you are not kind, then if they leave it is not their fault - it would be yours."
"Like me leaf my mommy 'n daddy?"
"That's exactly right."
"Oh."
"It is almost time for you to go, but before you to I want to remind you about your crayon. It is yours and no one else's. Do not lend it to anyone or let them play with it.
One day, Harold, you will realize that you have very strong powers. And when you do please remember what I said about being kind."
He nods.
"Okay, Harold. It's time for you to return to your bed." A kiss on the forehead.
"I will be watching you."
Harold wakes up in his bed, blinking. Snowball's still asleep at his feet.
It seems like he had a dream - a strange dream. But he can't quite remember..
He pets Snowball and then goes back to sleep.
Dwaw pictur for 'now 'morrow..
Snowball was asleep, Harold was asleep. Everyone else was asleep.
It was quiet.
But then all of a sudden, Harold wasn't asleep. He wasn't even in his bed. And Snowball wasn't there. It reminded him of the Dark Cold Place, except..it was warm. But definatly dark. Very dark.
And then it wasn't.
And there was Someone there. He..she..was kind of tall..but also not much taller than Harold and scary but nice and seemed to be lots of colors at the same time, while also very very white. Harold blinked several times.
The voice is very gentle. "Hello, Harold."
"Know me?"
"I've always known you."
"Oh. Where 'nowball?"
"Would you rather her be here?"
"Need her."
"I suppose you still do."
Snowball appears next to Harold and he hugs her, and then giggles when her fur tickles his nose.
"Is that better?"
He nods. "Who you?"
"I am called The Protector."
"Oh."
After a moment of comtemplation, "You are not happy, are you, Harold?"
"No."
"And why aren't you happy?"
"Eberybody leaf me."
"Everyone has not left you. Snow has not left you. Prue has not left you. Frankle has not left you. You have many friends who have not left you."
"Not mean dem."
"Then you should not say 'everyone.' Who do you mean?" But of course he knows already. It is his job to know.
"My mommy leaf me and my daddy leaf me and Wolf and 'gina leaf me and Sawa.."
"Harold, come here."
There is, somehow, a lap for Harold to sit on and he is pulled into it.
"Harold. Your parents did not leave you."
Frown. "Did! No there!"
"Do you remember before you came to Milliways?"
More frowning, "Little. Lot pictures. People..me hungwy sometime."
A nod. "That's right. You drew a lot of pictures. You know how you draw doors? When you were very small and you were still with your parents, you drew your first door. And, since you're curious, you went through it. That's how you lost your parents, Harold. They didn't leave you."
This causes major distress. "Me leaf DEM??"
A nod. "That's right."
"But but but..why no doe BACK??"
"You tried, but no matter how many doors you drew you couldn't get back."
Harold's silent.
After a long moment The Proctector speaks. "I would not tell you this if I did not think you could handle it, Harold."
"Wolf and 'gina leaf, wight?"
A half smile, "Yes, they did. But, Harold, you need to understand something. They came back."
"No wan' hurt."
"I understand you don't and in the end, it's your choice. If you don't want them they will eventually come to accept it, but they want you in their family."
"Want me?"
"Yes, of course they do. Wolf coming to get you, searching for you, saving you from the lake..he did that because he loves you."
"Luf me."
"Harold, it's okay to be scared. Fear helps us not to do stupid things, but it's not wise to let fear prevent you from moving on. You can't be scared forever. It's not good for you."
He nods slowly.
"What do you want, Harold? More than anything."
"A mommy."
"But if you couldn't have a mommy, would that be so bad? You have people who love you and you are well taken care of."
There's a thoughtful pause. "Not same as mommy."
"No, it's not. But what you want from a mommy is to be loved and cared for. And, Harold, you are."
Blink. Blinkblink.
"There is another thing. Pay close attention to this. Be very careful not to take people for granted. It's easy to do, especially when you're hurting. But you hurt people."
"Gwanted?"
"That's right. Appreciate them. These people who have taken care of you don't have to do that. They have their own lives and problems. They take you in because you're young, but you're growing and eventually you will reach the point where you can manage on your own. And if you do not appreciate people now, that will be a lonely day for you."
"Leaf?"
"Yes, but you need to understand the difference between leaving by choice and not, and being driven away by another. If you are not kind, then if they leave it is not their fault - it would be yours."
"Like me leaf my mommy 'n daddy?"
"That's exactly right."
"Oh."
"It is almost time for you to go, but before you to I want to remind you about your crayon. It is yours and no one else's. Do not lend it to anyone or let them play with it.
One day, Harold, you will realize that you have very strong powers. And when you do please remember what I said about being kind."
He nods.
"Okay, Harold. It's time for you to return to your bed." A kiss on the forehead.
"I will be watching you."
Harold wakes up in his bed, blinking. Snowball's still asleep at his feet.
It seems like he had a dream - a strange dream. But he can't quite remember..
He pets Snowball and then goes back to sleep.
Dwaw pictur for 'now 'morrow..