The Sheep
"You mean that thing... used to be a preacher?"
They sat on porch of the house, he and Adelle. Emma sat on the steps below, writing in her journal. He didn't know what. He didn't need to.
Adelle nodded.
"He tortured that little girl, closed her up in the wall and starved her. She tried to get help, tried to make others hear her, but no one did anything. No one helped her."
Cooper listened, not knowing what to say. He'd never been a man of words.
"When she died, her father wanted her back. He convinced his whole flock to go off the cliff... I don't know how. The old man never wanted to tell me how he did it. He convinced them all to enter that world, that 'Annwn', that dark mirror of the world of the living."
"To get her back?"
Adelle nodded.
"Exchange. You can't take something from there unless you leave something."
"All those people... for one little girl?"
She shrugged.
"And when I pulled you and Emma out of there?"
"Ebrille had to stay," she said quietly.
That didn't sit right with Cooper, really. He'd saved one little girl, and her, but not the other. And Ebrille, despite the fact that she'd hurt him, that she'd stabbed him, was still a little girl. And she'd more than likely just been twisted by the preacher's tortures.
There was a long pause before he spoke again.
"You... think she's all right there?"
Adelle nodded, but didn't speak for a moment.
"I think so," she said at last. "You walled up the preacher, her father. Her torturer."
Cooper didn't say anything. He wasn't sure, but he was only human. There was only so much he could do.
"I don't think I can ever thank you," Adelle observed quietly. He looked at her for a moment, thinking wildly that she was a beautiful woman even if she wasn't a blushing bride at 25, and that her hand was on his shoulder rather intimately.
"Don't worry about it," he said quietly, standing before giving a faint stretch. He breathed out, gave her a small smile, and nodded off towards the villages.
"Think I'll go in for a pint, if you don't mind."
She nodded.
Then he trotted down the steps, giving Emma a kiss to the cheek (which got him a small hug in return) before heading for the village pub.
He really needed a drink.
They sat on porch of the house, he and Adelle. Emma sat on the steps below, writing in her journal. He didn't know what. He didn't need to.
Adelle nodded.
"He tortured that little girl, closed her up in the wall and starved her. She tried to get help, tried to make others hear her, but no one did anything. No one helped her."
Cooper listened, not knowing what to say. He'd never been a man of words.
"When she died, her father wanted her back. He convinced his whole flock to go off the cliff... I don't know how. The old man never wanted to tell me how he did it. He convinced them all to enter that world, that 'Annwn', that dark mirror of the world of the living."
"To get her back?"
Adelle nodded.
"Exchange. You can't take something from there unless you leave something."
"All those people... for one little girl?"
She shrugged.
"And when I pulled you and Emma out of there?"
"Ebrille had to stay," she said quietly.
That didn't sit right with Cooper, really. He'd saved one little girl, and her, but not the other. And Ebrille, despite the fact that she'd hurt him, that she'd stabbed him, was still a little girl. And she'd more than likely just been twisted by the preacher's tortures.
There was a long pause before he spoke again.
"You... think she's all right there?"
Adelle nodded, but didn't speak for a moment.
"I think so," she said at last. "You walled up the preacher, her father. Her torturer."
Cooper didn't say anything. He wasn't sure, but he was only human. There was only so much he could do.
"I don't think I can ever thank you," Adelle observed quietly. He looked at her for a moment, thinking wildly that she was a beautiful woman even if she wasn't a blushing bride at 25, and that her hand was on his shoulder rather intimately.
"Don't worry about it," he said quietly, standing before giving a faint stretch. He breathed out, gave her a small smile, and nodded off towards the villages.
"Think I'll go in for a pint, if you don't mind."
She nodded.
Then he trotted down the steps, giving Emma a kiss to the cheek (which got him a small hug in return) before heading for the village pub.
He really needed a drink.