Arms wrapped around my chest and hips to keep me pressed to the crisp clothing as my throbbing feet hung below me.
Sage was supported underneath as she laid up across Patrice's chest and rested her head into her soft neck while taking in the sights behind us.
Henry blew out his breath when he carried me. He grimaced through a smile when Patrice looked across, puffing himself up to appear more capable than he was.
I rolled my eyes, focusing instead on the town peeling into view from the other side of the station.
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A long road curved its way up the steep ascent, lined on both sides with walkways more people wandered along.
Green metal poles bent towards the road every few meters to unfurl colourful flapping flags and swinging woven baskets of flowers.
In the gentle breeze, Patrice's hair danced beside her beaming face. Sage's bandana tapped her shoulders to make her head turn and take in the surrounds too with a gasp of awe.
The ocean wasn't far from the station at all. I glimpsed the sparkling surface in the distance where the road peaked towards the top. The bristling tops of lush trees kept the beauty hidden.
The sea salt laced the air and filtered into my lungs when I breathed deeply.
A neverending stretch of homes lined the right side of the road. Facing the natural surrounds, windows and balcony doors were thrown open to catch the salty breeze and fresh air.
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Henry carried me down the ramp towards the carpark lowered beneath the station. The white brick wall making up the side of the sloping sidewalk above was painted with a cracked but beautiful mural of seabirds, sun, and rolling waves of ocean water.
"I want to see that" Sage perked up at the sight rolling past her "can we?"
"When I can walk again, I'll take you to the ocean" I agreed.
She grinned, snuggling back into Patrice's neck happily.
The red car Henry had mentioned was closest to us. Out of all the white, blue, silver, and green, Henry was the only one with such a colourful vehicle.
It was small too. I saw he had a patchwork cover laid out across the bottom of his back seat that had more swatches sewn across it.
It reminded me of Maisie and the way she hung her embroidery across the upper portion. I felt my heart flutter at the comforting sight.
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I was taken around to the other side of the car and lowered into the backseat first. Sage was carefully placed down, leaving a gap between us.
Henry lingered at the open door he rested an arm on, frowning.
"Should we....?" he lifted his head across to Patrice on the driver's side "...do they need seatbelts?"
Patrice bent down to study our heads turned to her, giggling.
"They're animals. They should be fine."
Henry wasn't convinced. Pressing the button in the side of the door, the window whirred as it wound down for us.
"See, I don't think these are normal animals" he climbed into the front passenger side to give himself air as well, while Patrice wrestled with her dress so she could sink into the driver's seat around all the ruffles swamping her and spilling over towards Henry who poked the puffed fabric "are you okay?"
She snorted, laughing. Grabbing the wheel around the sea of yellow and white, she nodded, rumbling the car to life and carefully peeling us out of the carpark.
"They're somewhat different" Patrice admitted with a tilt of her head as she looked to the both of us in the back seat "but we like different, don't we?"
"They aren't exactly cats" Henry lowered his voice as his eye found my unamused one, turning promptly back to the front and lowering his voice "the big one just stares into my soul. It's kind of creepy."
Smirking, I stared out the window instead. Sage hauled herself across so she could lean on me and take in the sights of the passing trees and people curiously watching us zoom by.
A boardwalk stretched from the pathway to weave between trees. Eventually the trees disappeared as water spilled across the area, speckled with giant lilly pads blooming pale pink flowers. The boardwalk weaved across the water, giving the people an opportunity to get close to the picturesque speckled landscape and beam at the dragonflies darting around the surface.
"I think I want to go there instead" Sage whispered, her eyes locked onto the walkway speckled with people.
"You want to go everywhere" I shook my head with a smile.
"But you'll take me, right?" she tried to keep her hands steady on my shoulders as she slipped.
"Aren't I supposed to be showing you how to live out here?" I tilted my head upwards "like you wanted as well? Taking strolls across the water has nothing to do with survival."
She hummed as she thought, her ears perking up.
"You'll be teaching me how to navigate the land" she smirked as she leant on my head, pushing my brow down "I need to know how to do that, Soup."
"Uh huh."
"And how am I meant to know where to walk if you don't show me?" Sage played innocent "can I walk on the lillypads? The water? That big wooden thing with all the...." she swirled a finger at the people as she pretended to think, trying not to laugh "....what are they called again? Who knows? You never showed me what to do...."
"Oh, really?" I chuckled and shook her from my head, feeling claws grip when they slipped down my side "you forgot what people are called?"
"Is that what they are?" she peeked around from behind me, slowly disappearing again "interesting...."
"Did I pick up the right child?" I turned to her grinning up beside me cheekily "I didn't bring your mother with me? I could have sworn I had a Sage and not a Stew."
"I'm way more fun" Sage scoffed "Mum never gets her hands dirty or explores past the trees. She's boring."
It was true Lacie was not the rambunctious Stew I once had to grow to love, but as an adult now with young children to think of, I understood her need to steer from that wild nature she once let roam free.
"Sometimes boring is safest" I just replied.
"Boring is...." Sage searched for a word, grumbling "boring. Don't you ever want to see what's past what we can see? What's past the water? The boardwalk? The people?"
Sage lifted onto my shoulder again, peering over me at the wetlands longingly.
"It's just more water" I told her as my eyes followed hers once more, tracking the floating lilly pads "and past that, unknown things; bad things that could hurt us."
"How are we supposed to learn if it's bad if we don't let it hurt a bit?" Sage spoke out to the winding boardwalk disappearing to the other side of more land that was teaming with a forestry of trees "it'll be painful, but that's how we know. That's how I learned that touching the kettle was a bad idea. It hurt."
I chuckled at her oversight.
"A burnt hand is not like the things out there."
"Have you seen them?" Sage dipped her head down and sat again, waiting.
"Well.... it's not exactly something you see" I tried to find a way to describe it to her, looking outside again to see bobbing seagulls rising and falling with the breeze lapping the ocean that was now sparkling across the distance. For something she wanted to see, Sage was focused wholly on me instead.
"It's kind of like something, in here."
I planted a hand on my chest. Sage raised her brow at it.
"It's chest pain?"
"It's more emotional" I tried to correct her "things you say and do can affect you and others as badly as physically hurting them."
Sage scoffed. She laughed it off.
"Have you ever had something said to you that hurt so much that you felt it deep within?"
The laughter fell with her ears. She thought, slowly nodding.
"And it hurt, didn't it?"
She nodded again, eyes brimming.
"It doesn't have to be physical to still leave a mark" I told Sage "i was hurt too. I think I let mine stay there a little too long."
The pain of pouring my heart into Missy and her life for so long, only to scare and distance herself from me, cut very deep. I couldn't bring myself to visit the city and find the woman who made my life happier through her warming meals and bright attitude. It still brimmed tears in my eyes when I thought about Stew leaving me as well to find her own way when I thought all we had was each other. She had grown and raised a family with a wonderful partner, while I lingered at the park for any sight of that girl who left me; ignoring the years that passed.
For so long, I was lost on what I wanted to do. I thought I had it figured out when I laid at the fire in the old house surrounded by wildflowers. Now, I was trying to guide a child into not making the same mistakes I did.
I didn't want Sage to experience that heartbreak. By keeping people at a distance, I couldn't have my trust shattered again. I was better suited as a wild animal; like I was before Missy. Sage had to learn everything if she wanted to live out here.
"But it gets better" her head gently pressed against my side "I think it already is."
Blinking down at her, Sage breathed in the salty air and let it out with a smile as she nestled her head into my arm. She still focused on me than the last portion of glittering ocean water rolling past behind the trees.
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The car eventually halted on the side of the road that slanted steeply. Another passed with a honk of the horn and a waving hand to Patrice who returned the gesture as he dress blew out around her, forcing her to push it down quickly.
She came to scoop up Sage who had fallen asleep and slipped down beside me. Her eyes fluttered when she was lifted up and had her head repositioned on the comforting shoulder.
Henry watched Patrice hook her parasol on her arm and cross the road with Sage. His eyes lowered to me still sitting in the back seat and his lips pursed at how he was going to manage to carry me again.
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Wobbling over to the windswept front door that had a single step up from the slanted pathway, I saw the white paint was flaking off the natural wood exposed underneath. The entrances to the other homes were also sanded by the ocean breeze lingering in the air, but flapping fragments of different colours.
The entrance was covered in light green and dark blue tiles in diamond formations. They ran down the left side of the area that wasn't dominated with a wooden staircase adorable with ornate carvings along the thin railing. There was even a window and potted plant set up in the closest corner to us, near the first door.
Patrice was already talking to someone who stood outside the first room. The young man had almost white hair that bundled into curls around the nape of his neck. His light blue shirt hung snugly from his skinny frame. Caramel skin hugged around the front where he cradled a black cat and scratched its upturned chin to its delighted purs. I noticed the cat was missing a front leg.
The black longs were covered in grey hair. His feet were bare, revealing badly painted toenails in a medley of pink and yellow.
"Oh" he saw us staring down, instantly becoming embarrassed "Elsie got me."
He flared out his fingers holding the cat to show equally messed fingernails. Henry and Patrice withheld giggles.
I saw a long haired grey cat push forth to rub around the man's legs and smear more hair on his pants. It meowed for his attention.
Henry's arms trembled from holding me. He lowered me to the ground and rubbed them gratefully.
The cat looked across and picked its way towards me. Unable to move, I grimaced and held my head up away from it as it weaved around me lovingly.
It felt so gross with all the fur. Feeling the discomfort shudder through me when it started licking my arm I lifted away from it, I turned my pleading eyes to Henry who promptly scooped the cat up, nuzzling into his chin instead.
"A swap perhaps?" the other suggested with a giggle.
They came forth to exchange cats. As they were doing so, the door down in the corner opened and another hunched out of it, rising a hand to yawn behind it.
They were far too tall compared to everyone here. Stretching and shuddering as they did so, I saw the actual height was something that touched the top of the door frame. The long brown hair fell forth around the face, a little knotted.
The sage green jumper they wore was dusted in some sort of blue powder that glittered from the shoulders. From the elbow the jumper was a dusty blue. The extra length pushed over the hands.
The pants were striped navy and white. They stopped around his knees. White slippers scuffed the ground when they crossed the floor to a set of dark green mail slots on the opposite wall. They passed another door right beside them.
"Evren!" Patrice called cheerfully before they could disappear from sight "good afternoon!"
Their pale head peeked back into view and I saw a light blue mask covering their nose and mouth. It had a smile printed onto it.
How strange. Checking on Sage, I saw she was awake but staying completely still in Patrice's arms.
So she noticed too. There was something off about this person.
"Oh, hello" the light male voice replied with another yawn "was your e...."
He stopped speaking when he saw me. Looking across at Patrice, his eyes settled on Sage.
I saw his stained hands he didn't bother to hide, and the way the fingers curled in naturally. Now head-on, the eyes were bright red.
My ears lifted immediately.
Another one.
Evren burst out laughing, passing a finger between us.
"And what is this?"
Patrice and Henry looked at each other. Even the other man didn't know what to say.
"Cadotgs" they both jumbled as they spoke together.
"Cats" Patrice giggled.
"Dogs" Henry smiled.
"Honestly, I'm as stumped as you" the other shrugged to Evren.
"Cats?" he bent down to smirk at me with his eyes "dogs?" he approached Sage who hid her face "must be some rare breed."
He rubbed the black cat's head, transferring his love to the grey one before picking his way past me with smiling eyes. I scowled back.
"Where did you pick up such creatures?"
"Near the tunnel of trees on our tour" Patrice replied cheerfully "running on the tracks past the little house there."
"Oh" his eyes creased again "so, there's more?"
His interest peaked. There was something devious about the way he hid his smile behind a mask.
"Don't get any ideas" I growled now.
Evren's eyes slipped to my injured hands, reminding me I wasn't in any position to keep true to my threat.
"You really should join us next time, Evren" Patrice bubbled "you'd look adorable in a vest."
He peered at Henry in his dated attire, then to the other in more casual clothing.
"I think I'll take a leaf out of Remy's book and remain comfortably at home" he tilted his head to him.
Remy forced a smile and quickly made an excuse to leave us. We watched the door close and I saw Henry move to the stairs to place the black cat down.
It bounded upwards, as if it wasn't missing a limb.
I only lifted my head when Henry approached in preparation to pick me up again.
Evren's eyes fell to me. I couldn't tell if the smile was sincere.
"We should be off" Patrice beamed and stopped on the stairs "you are welcome to come by for tea if you'd like?"
"Oh, I couldn't" Evren suddenly became meek again, waving her words aside "but thank you for the offer."
She smiled, taking a few more stairs. I felt Henry's arms around my middle before I lifted myself up and growled at him.
Hobbling for the stairs, Evren watched how pitiful I was. Patrice waited patiently for me and beamed again to her friend while I glared through the railings.
"Have a good day."
"And you too" he bubbled up, turning it to Henry "good luck with the cats."
Clapping him on the shoulder to give it a little squeeze, Evren chuckled to himself as he shuffled back down for the mail slots so he could hunch through his door with a brown box cradled in his large hands.
"Good luck" Henry dawdled after us, blowing out a breath "yeah."
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The black cat circled the door that was unlocked by Patrice as she dug into a hidden pocket for a set of colourful keys bursting with cute charms.
It meowed as it led the way inside, running to the right where the kitchen must have been.
The keys were dropped into a small shell dish on a thin wooden stand beside the door. Shoes were placed in the rack below. The parasol was leant against the wall.
The floor was all darkened wooden floorboards. A coiled round jute rug laid below a small weathered wood table and two chairs. The top of the table was decorated in a white doily that became the buffer for a spray of green leaves and pink flowers in a glass bottle.
To the left of the table was a window with a bay, occupied by a folded blanket indented with an imprint of where the cat must have laid. Twirling above was a rainbow glass sun catcher in the shape of diamonds that cast all sorts of colours across the walls.
Down on the floor almost under the bay was a bowl of water and cat food. Both were adorned with flying birds.
On either side of the open window were tied sheer white curtains swaying against their jute and shell restraints. They brushed against a thin bookcase to the right that had a radio sat in the middle shelf, alongside a large jar partially filled with seashells.
Against the wall directly across from the bookcase and facing the table was a small fabric lounge. Scratched up on one side with claws, the striped fabric was well-loved and adorned with ruffled cushions that sagged.
Looking to the right, a small kitchen was nestled in the corner. The benches were light blue, complimenting the sandy surfaces underneath. A large dark blue kettle and beverage set took residency in a corner that Patrice was moving towards.
All around it was colourful storage for all sorts of powders, leaves, flowers, and bulbs. The walls were adorned with shelving to hold the multitude of flora spilling outwards. A mortar and pestle was set beside the kettle. Near the sink was an old book stacked with papers and tags that sat in a metal holder.
The fridge was also light blue, but adorned with all sorts of photos, notes, and magnets. Opposite it was a gas stove with metal rings nestled on the arms.
Not much different to the one Missy cooked from. Although newer, the home had the same cosy charm.
A room became the wall for the fridge to press against. From the closed door, it was a bedroom. The bathroom was wedged in beside it, revealing a glorious opalescent shell on the white door, before looping back to the entrance.
"Thank you for helping me" Patrice beamed at Henry while I hobbled for the comfort of the lounge "I'd imagine your arms are quite sore."
"Oh, it was nothing" he stopped rubbing them to try and appear tough again "any time."
"Tea?"
"Yes, please."
Henry gladly retreated to the table and sank into a chair. He laid back, unbuttoning the vest and messing up his hair with a grateful sigh.
Sage followed the cat to the window. Seeing no other animals around here, this must have been the popular Fig.
It didn't seem so bad. It was very capable, jumping up to peer out the window with Sage who sat up beside it.
"Already at home" Henry tilted his head to her as Patrice waited for the kettle.
She leant out to giggle at Sage who turned towards the noise, returning to watch something pass below.
She did look comfortable. It made me relax, seeing she was happy and safe.
We could take some time to recover before heading off again. She would appreciate the rest too.
"Now, you've got to learn to accept help" Patrice's voice startled me when I turned my head to see her wrapping wet cloths around my hands "and realise when you need it."
She pulled across my feet to wrap them too. I sat there, stunned as I looked over the hand towels in confusion.
She really wasn't expecting me to go anywhere, was she?
"We can get some of the healing roots tommorow" Henry turned in his chair to face us "the ones that grow out on the other side of the wetlands. We can take the wagon."
Patrice grinned at the idea, invigorated by the suggestion.
I heard the kettle bubbling as it boiled away. Patrice ignored it for now.
"We could make a day of it!" she gasped "we could all go and see the sights! Gather flowers for tea! Maybe we could create our own healing tea? Oh, Henry! You're a genius!"
She rushed forth to squeeze his face in her hands. He grew bashful when her head turned at the sound of the kettle popping, rushing for it instead.
So she was a budding connoisseur for the art of steeping brews. That explained the overflowing multitude of nature she was sprinkling and scooping into the cups.
What was Henry interested in? Something similar?
"Imagine if we could create a tea that could heal wounds" Patrice gushed as she poured some of her concoction into a small thermos, before filling two cups and setting them onto a tray, opening the fridge "or one that warmed you up from inside on lonely days."
"You could be onto something" Henry nodded when she grinned from around the door "a tea that could make you happy."
"Or sad" she pointed a tub of butter in his direction "I find that letting out the tears can make anything better."
Henry thought, humming.
"I guess it does."
She returned for scones that were decorated with small flowers and placed on a plate that was nestled beside the tea. Folded napkins and a checkered red and white cloth were settled in the available space.
"Maybe we could make one that glows like Evren when he returns from his walks?" Patrice mused when she settled the tray on the table and lifted a cup to place before Henry, laying a napkin to give him two scones "I'll have to ask him what he uses."
"Do you really want to disturb him?" Henry worried as Patrice unfurled the cloth to settle in another two scones with a few napkins "he doesn't seem to be much of a talker, or a people person."
"Oh, he's just shy" Patrice dismissed him when she cradled the thermos and scones, marching around the chair to stop at the bay and bend to knock the floor twice "Evren is an adventurous soul, like us. He might like the company."
"There's a reason why he leaves at night" Henry mumbled over his tea "when everyone is asleep."
Patrice smirked and placed the items on the bay window so she could lift herself onto the surface and lean over Sage to grab a rope from outside. Seeing it thread through an old metal arm hanging from above, Patrice pulled up a basket she nestled the items into before starting to hoist them down.
Remy was the one directly below us. I heard a window open before seeing Patrice lean out to check, smiling widely above Sage and Fig's curious faces also peering down.
"A little kindness goes a long way" she simply said as she waved and dropped back down from the bay "no harm in being nice."
"I guess so" Henry spoke over his tea, sipping again only when Patrice settled opposite him to fill her own napkin with scones, offering to butter Henry's.
He passed them across for her to cut and slather before doing her own.
They enjoyed their food and drink happily while I laid down to try and get some sleep. Sage left Fig to curl up beside me and rest her head on the opposite lounge arm, stretching a leg onto my hip.
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The sound of footsteps woke me when it was well into the night.
Seeing Sage now sleeping on her back with her arms and legs tucked, I carefully slipped from the lounge and approached the window Fig slept at.
Peering down, I saw Evren holding the front door open with a foot while trying to feed a bicycle out of it unsuccessfully.
Checking on Sage, then the closed bedroom door, I limped for the front door and slowly opened it.
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The cold tiles stung my hands and feet when I saw the back of the bicycle finally pull through the stubborn door. It swung shut when I hobbled down the stairs and shoved my way outside as well, scanning the ascend to the right.
"Well, are you following me now?" he spoke to my left, just past the door. His hands clutched a helmet while the front of the bike held a wire basket with a bag pushed inside. Despite it being an empty street, the mask was still in his face.
I didn't expect him to actually be waiting for me. Not knowing what to do, I searched for any witnesses to this strange encounter.
It wouldn't take long for people to match our similarities and come to the conclusion I was just like the odd downstairs neighbour.
"Relax" Evren swung a leg over the bike to slide onto the seat "no-one is awake. It's just us."
He waited, expecting me to follow. Instead, his eyes fell at the state of my hands.
Giving a wave over his shoulder as he rode off, I just stared after him and the glittering dust wafting from his clothing behind him.
Taking a deep breath of the cold night air, I watched Evren until I was the only one sitting alone on the sidewalk.
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