Cayenne 6, Mocha 27, & CCM 23
Author: Casey
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, pre-NIEE
Challenge: Cayenne 6 (first blood), Mocha 27 (over my dead body), and CCM 23 (imposing)
Toppings & Extras: Sprinkles, Whipped Cream (Ry is eight)
Word Count: 826
Rating: PG
Summary: Rylia has to protect her little brother, because there’s no one else. But who protects her?
Notes: Just a little insight into Rylia’s character. Yes, Bean is named after the Ender’s Game character.
Rylia woke suddenly and, at first, she couldn’t figure out why. True, the nights were getting chiller and she’d soon have to find a warehouse or other place with a roof and walls for her and Bean to spend the winter, but she didn’t feel too cold at that moment. She glanced at her brother, who was curled up against her side under their single threadbare blanket. He seemed asleep so she closed her eyes again, before hearing the noise that had woken her again.
It was the crunch of boots on the ground and Rylia tensed, slipping her hand to her bag and the old knife hidden within it. Over a year on the streets had taught her to be wary of anyone, but especially people out in the middle of the night.
The footsteps still sounded fairly distant in the still night so she nudged Bean. He woke instantly - time on the street hadn’t made him quite as savvy as Rylia, but he was almost three years younger and had her to protect him - yet he had still picked up a few things.
“Time to go,” Rylia whispered and Bean nodded sleepily, getting to his feet and picking up his bag, hugging it to his chest.
Rylia scooped up the blanket, jamming it into her bag, pulling out the knife at the same time - one of the few heirlooms from their parents. C’mon, Bean,” she started, holding out her free hand before freezing, abruptly realizing the footsteps were a lot closer than she had thought as she looked up at the man standing just beyond arm’s reach.
It took only a second to realize he was not the police and that he was almost certainly drunk, since the smell seemed to pore off him. That made him even more dangerous. Bean pressed himself up against her. “Rylia?” he whispered.
“If he comes any closer, you run and we’ll meet where we slept last night, got it?”
Bean nodded, backing up a step.
“Well, aren’t you a cute little girl?” the man said with a smile that made Rylia nervous. “You are a girl, aren’t you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I could give the two of you a nice home,” he said, chuckling as he stepped towards them.
Bean edged further away but didn’t run to Rylia’s annoyance and fear. She kept the knife lowered for now, eyes fastened on the man, who lurched yet closer. She was probably within reach now and she only barely held her ground, aware of how much bigger than her this man was.
“Here, boy,” he said, holding out a hand like they were dogs. “Let me look at you too.”
“You leave Bean alone!” Rylia snapped, voice shrill but she kept her fear in check. This wasn’t the first time they had encountered drunks at night. That didn’t change the fact that Bean was hers to protect, though. She had promised.
“Bean?” the man echoed. “That’s no proper name for a child.”
“I like my name!” Bean protested, his voice full of fear, still clutching his bag to his chest.
At that, without warning, the man snatched at Rylia’s arm, grabbing it in a bruising grip. For a minute, she was reminded that she was only eight and what was she doing? Then, she heard Bean whimper and she knew. Luckily, he had latched onto her empty hand. Tightening her grip on the knife, she brought it up and jammed it hard into his forearm. The man screamed, letting go as Rylia tore the knife from his arm and grabbed Bean.
“Run!” she yelld and she and Bean took off down the alley.
When she finally felt safe to stop, halfway across the city, both of them were winded and Rylia felt tears dribbling down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away before Bean could see. She had never had to resort to the knife before and she shuddered at recalling how much blood there had been gushing from the man’s arm.
“Rylia?” Bean said, having sat down at her feet. “I’m tired.”
Rylia now looked to see where they were and figured it was safe enough, so she pulled the blanket from her bag, her knuckles still white around the knife. “Here. Go to sleep.”
Bean took it and lay down before looking up. “Ry-Ry?” he asked in a small voice - the nickname one he rarely used any more.
“Yeah?”
“You sleeping too?”
She sat down next to him, putting her free hand on his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, Bean. Go to sleep.”
He pressed his back against her leg and, within moments, was fast asleep. Rylia watched him enviously, wishing she could stop shaking and go back to sleep so easily. She’d be tired come morning but it wouldn’t be the first or last time. Not when she had to be the grown-up. She would never let anything happened to her brother. Never.
Story: Nothing is Ever Easy (NIEE) universe, pre-NIEE
Challenge: Cayenne 6 (first blood), Mocha 27 (over my dead body), and CCM 23 (imposing)
Toppings & Extras: Sprinkles, Whipped Cream (Ry is eight)
Word Count: 826
Rating: PG
Summary: Rylia has to protect her little brother, because there’s no one else. But who protects her?
Notes: Just a little insight into Rylia’s character. Yes, Bean is named after the Ender’s Game character.
Rylia woke suddenly and, at first, she couldn’t figure out why. True, the nights were getting chiller and she’d soon have to find a warehouse or other place with a roof and walls for her and Bean to spend the winter, but she didn’t feel too cold at that moment. She glanced at her brother, who was curled up against her side under their single threadbare blanket. He seemed asleep so she closed her eyes again, before hearing the noise that had woken her again.
It was the crunch of boots on the ground and Rylia tensed, slipping her hand to her bag and the old knife hidden within it. Over a year on the streets had taught her to be wary of anyone, but especially people out in the middle of the night.
The footsteps still sounded fairly distant in the still night so she nudged Bean. He woke instantly - time on the street hadn’t made him quite as savvy as Rylia, but he was almost three years younger and had her to protect him - yet he had still picked up a few things.
“Time to go,” Rylia whispered and Bean nodded sleepily, getting to his feet and picking up his bag, hugging it to his chest.
Rylia scooped up the blanket, jamming it into her bag, pulling out the knife at the same time - one of the few heirlooms from their parents. C’mon, Bean,” she started, holding out her free hand before freezing, abruptly realizing the footsteps were a lot closer than she had thought as she looked up at the man standing just beyond arm’s reach.
It took only a second to realize he was not the police and that he was almost certainly drunk, since the smell seemed to pore off him. That made him even more dangerous. Bean pressed himself up against her. “Rylia?” he whispered.
“If he comes any closer, you run and we’ll meet where we slept last night, got it?”
Bean nodded, backing up a step.
“Well, aren’t you a cute little girl?” the man said with a smile that made Rylia nervous. “You are a girl, aren’t you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I could give the two of you a nice home,” he said, chuckling as he stepped towards them.
Bean edged further away but didn’t run to Rylia’s annoyance and fear. She kept the knife lowered for now, eyes fastened on the man, who lurched yet closer. She was probably within reach now and she only barely held her ground, aware of how much bigger than her this man was.
“Here, boy,” he said, holding out a hand like they were dogs. “Let me look at you too.”
“You leave Bean alone!” Rylia snapped, voice shrill but she kept her fear in check. This wasn’t the first time they had encountered drunks at night. That didn’t change the fact that Bean was hers to protect, though. She had promised.
“Bean?” the man echoed. “That’s no proper name for a child.”
“I like my name!” Bean protested, his voice full of fear, still clutching his bag to his chest.
At that, without warning, the man snatched at Rylia’s arm, grabbing it in a bruising grip. For a minute, she was reminded that she was only eight and what was she doing? Then, she heard Bean whimper and she knew. Luckily, he had latched onto her empty hand. Tightening her grip on the knife, she brought it up and jammed it hard into his forearm. The man screamed, letting go as Rylia tore the knife from his arm and grabbed Bean.
“Run!” she yelld and she and Bean took off down the alley.
When she finally felt safe to stop, halfway across the city, both of them were winded and Rylia felt tears dribbling down her cheeks, which she quickly wiped away before Bean could see. She had never had to resort to the knife before and she shuddered at recalling how much blood there had been gushing from the man’s arm.
“Rylia?” Bean said, having sat down at her feet. “I’m tired.”
Rylia now looked to see where they were and figured it was safe enough, so she pulled the blanket from her bag, her knuckles still white around the knife. “Here. Go to sleep.”
Bean took it and lay down before looking up. “Ry-Ry?” he asked in a small voice - the nickname one he rarely used any more.
“Yeah?”
“You sleeping too?”
She sat down next to him, putting her free hand on his shoulder. “I’m not going anywhere, Bean. Go to sleep.”
He pressed his back against her leg and, within moments, was fast asleep. Rylia watched him enviously, wishing she could stop shaking and go back to sleep so easily. She’d be tired come morning but it wouldn’t be the first or last time. Not when she had to be the grown-up. She would never let anything happened to her brother. Never.