And one of the things about being human was that you needed to eat, to breathe, to sleep. Alice had been doing only one of those things with any kind of regularity, and her exhausted body was making it known that she had to have the other two or she'd collapse. She couldn't keep going like she used to.
So she slept, and when she needed to eat, she came to the building. She didn't like to stay long, though. It reminded her too much of the Hive.
But curiosity and the sound of a voice - a young voice - drew her into one of the larger rooms. She looked around, taking in the bookshelf, the jukebox, the pool table and everything else, and then she looked at the little girl.
Jesus. They were all so young...
"What're you reading, there?" she asked, making her way over slowly to her. Alice had a soft spot for kids. In fact, it was probably her only soft spot.
It had been easy to startle Pearl before, but she was on even more of an edge now. She jumped a little when she realized someone else was in the room, though when she saw it wasn't a monster or something bad like that, she looked down at her book shyly.
"This," she said, quietly, closing the book so the woman could see the cover.
"Sorry if I startled you." Alice offered a tentative smile. Her face felt stiff, not only because it was still bruised from her 'adventure' in the jungle.
"Good so far?" she asked, peering down at the book. God. When was the last time she'd read a book, not counting that dead guy's journal? She couldn't even remember.
Bob's been gradually spending more time in the Compound, slowly building a new routine and trying to feel more normal. It's slow going and not having David around to provide any kind of reassurance makes it all the harder, but he's trying.
Gamelon likes the Compound though, her tail wagging happily when people come to pet her, soaking up the attention. And, Bob's happy to see her enjoying herself. He's been keeping a careful eye on her appetite and exploring her fur at least once a day, looking for the telltale bumps on her skin.
He catches sight of Pearl as he walks through the rec room, Gamelon trotting happily at his side. Pausing in front of her, he cocks his head to read the title of the book she's reading. "Hello, Pearl," he says quietly as Gamelon makes to nose at the girl's knee.
She hears Bob before she sees him, and feels a little more at ease when she realizes it's someone she knows. She had spent the better part of the last few days alone, pretending to be okay when she really wasn't. Having company was a welcomed kind of change.
"Hello, Mister Bob," she said, smiling shyly. Her face brightened, however, when she saw the dog at her feet. She didn't hesitate to reach forward to pet the animal on the head. "Oh! Is this your dog?"
"Her name's Gamelon," Bob tells her with a nod, managing a small smile, relieved to see the way she brightens. "She's new here."
Gamelon wags her tail eagerly as Pearl leans forward to pet her, panting happily as she noses closer, soaking up the attention. Bob leans down as well, his fingers grazing over the back of Gamelon's fur, scratching her gently as he crouches down slowly.
"Hello, Gamelon," she said, and, for the first time in what felt like a long time, she giggled when her wet nose brushed up against her skin. "You're a good doggie, aren't you?"
She put her book aside carefully so she could pet the dog properly, and to let her put her head in her lap fully. She looked up at Bob. "I'm glad you're okay, Mister Bob."
She didn't like thinking about all the poor people who had gotten hurt. How many spirits left the island that day? There was a time Pearl might've been able to feel that.
There was sure a lot of terrible scary stuff that was goin' on lately, an' the grown-ups seem like they ain't wantin' to talk much about it in front o' the kids, an' I sorta wish more 'an ever that Atticus was here, 'cos he'd explain it all to me.
Now that it's safe to be goin' out an' about, I still have been spendin' a lot of time inside, where there's less likely to be monsters an' crazy people. An' there's Pearl, sittin' readin' a book. Much better 'an monsters an' crazy people! "Hey, Pearl," I say, climbin' up on the couch next to 'er. "You readin'?"
"You want some help?" I ask. "I like readin'." Teacher always got mad at me for knowin' my letters already when none of the other kids knew 'em, but readin' books an' papers with Atticus was all I ever did know, an' I wasn't gonna change that for nothin'.
"Whacha got there, kiddo?" Debbie asks. Well, more like shouts, as she's still technically in the kitchen. Towel in her hands, she's just washed them after throwing a couple of batches of lemon bars into the oven, and she's walking through the doorway that connects kitchen to rec room as she asks the question, a broad, warm, welcoming smile on her face.
It's not that the kid's reading loud, or all that noticeable. But that's why Debbie notices, because she has a soft spot for tough cases, and there's nothing tougher on the heart strings than a little girl sitting all alone on a great big couch.
Pearl actually jumped a little at the sudden loud voice. She looked up at the woman, a little startled still, but the woman's smile at least put her a little at ease.
"J-Just a book, ma'am," she said, quietly. She hoped she hadn't done something wrong by taking it from the bookshelf.
"Oh yeah?" Debbie says, her smile not faltering. The lemon bars still have about ten or so minutes to sit in the oven, so she keeps walking towards the girl. "What's it about, huh?"
"A school," she said, closing the book so the woman could see the picture on the cover of a towering building. "I've never been to one before. A-are they all this big?"
She had been homeschooled since she was of age to go. As it turned out, her mother really did not approve of her leaving to learn elsewhere when she could do it herself. Schools didn't teach her the Kurain technique either, which she practiced every day under her mother's watchful eye.
Comments 56
And one of the things about being human was that you needed to eat, to breathe, to sleep. Alice had been doing only one of those things with any kind of regularity, and her exhausted body was making it known that she had to have the other two or she'd collapse. She couldn't keep going like she used to.
So she slept, and when she needed to eat, she came to the building. She didn't like to stay long, though. It reminded her too much of the Hive.
But curiosity and the sound of a voice - a young voice - drew her into one of the larger rooms. She looked around, taking in the bookshelf, the jukebox, the pool table and everything else, and then she looked at the little girl.
Jesus. They were all so young...
"What're you reading, there?" she asked, making her way over slowly to her. Alice had a soft spot for kids. In fact, it was probably her only soft spot.
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"This," she said, quietly, closing the book so the woman could see the cover.
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"Good so far?" she asked, peering down at the book. God. When was the last time she'd read a book, not counting that dead guy's journal? She couldn't even remember.
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Even if she hadn't gotten past the first paragraph, yet. Mystic Maya used to help her, and it was so much harder to do it alone.
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Gamelon likes the Compound though, her tail wagging happily when people come to pet her, soaking up the attention. And, Bob's happy to see her enjoying herself. He's been keeping a careful eye on her appetite and exploring her fur at least once a day, looking for the telltale bumps on her skin.
He catches sight of Pearl as he walks through the rec room, Gamelon trotting happily at his side. Pausing in front of her, he cocks his head to read the title of the book she's reading. "Hello, Pearl," he says quietly as Gamelon makes to nose at the girl's knee.
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"Hello, Mister Bob," she said, smiling shyly. Her face brightened, however, when she saw the dog at her feet. She didn't hesitate to reach forward to pet the animal on the head. "Oh! Is this your dog?"
Reply
Gamelon wags her tail eagerly as Pearl leans forward to pet her, panting happily as she noses closer, soaking up the attention. Bob leans down as well, his fingers grazing over the back of Gamelon's fur, scratching her gently as he crouches down slowly.
Reply
She put her book aside carefully so she could pet the dog properly, and to let her put her head in her lap fully. She looked up at Bob. "I'm glad you're okay, Mister Bob."
She didn't like thinking about all the poor people who had gotten hurt. How many spirits left the island that day? There was a time Pearl might've been able to feel that.
Reply
Now that it's safe to be goin' out an' about, I still have been spendin' a lot of time inside, where there's less likely to be monsters an' crazy people. An' there's Pearl, sittin' readin' a book. Much better 'an monsters an' crazy people! "Hey, Pearl," I say, climbin' up on the couch next to 'er. "You readin'?"
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"Trying to," Pearl added. "I'm...I'm not very good at it."
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Pearl had only been home-schooled, but she had heard some stories from Mister Nick about it. It sounded so much fun.
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It's not that the kid's reading loud, or all that noticeable. But that's why Debbie notices, because she has a soft spot for tough cases, and there's nothing tougher on the heart strings than a little girl sitting all alone on a great big couch.
Reply
"J-Just a book, ma'am," she said, quietly. She hoped she hadn't done something wrong by taking it from the bookshelf.
Reply
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She had been homeschooled since she was of age to go. As it turned out, her mother really did not approve of her leaving to learn elsewhere when she could do it herself. Schools didn't teach her the Kurain technique either, which she practiced every day under her mother's watchful eye.
Reply
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