The sight of Bartie already at the tracks when I walked along them in the bright sunlight filled me with hope that things had returned to normal.378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIYq8qD1DT
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsG8a7kRVH
He took a few steps forth when I passed him, wagging a finger. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeglHBAPq2y
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrjNQYGWYT
I knew what was coming and smiled at it. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOtONy9yfFK
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgdl6nz1koH
"She's worried sick about you, Soup!" Bartie grumbled at me "running off on her like that. Shame on you for having her in tears!" 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe3LitL8ypO
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjm5CdUi7T
I paused and turned back to him. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxRCVTvG3l
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0IzBupbbP
That wasn't his usual warning. He was supposed to tell me not to hurt her, like he always did. He never changed it. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7uGxDBdZjE
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeloFc9aSvD
What was going on here? 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G3Ow2cipc
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0z35FDPrK
Missy's face poked from the newsagency and lit up at the sight of me before she rushed out of it and for the tracks. Her pale pink dress billowed around her when she ran, kicking up around her legs to glimpse the red under-fabric. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlQuUceqHCS
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJkcs2lbRu
What was she doing here? She was supposed to be home! 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlirhuj4G80
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8E469Ta2j
"Soup! Don't be scared! I only want to find out a few things!" she blurted on her way. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNJWQwp05AT
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRoYPucZAN
No, no, no! She was meant to be happy, not chasing me! 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmw3Arb8zQF
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FTKU8JIv4
I scurried for the bridge, pausing at the beginning of it to see Missy throw her arms down in defeat. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDgJki6Anqj
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzm25tvc8Ns
She wasn't going to follow me. She knew it was too dangerous to be tempting fate on a place like this. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyckl52knv4
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYcrMEMMvhN
"No, don't go!" she whined out to me "Soup!" 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjhR4RkmwS
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6Xgm703As
She had her dreams of solitude. Why was she trying to ruin it all now? 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0c5Ygn4TPV
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjPxh6Dpq6
I rushed over the bridge and kept going until I was safely over the river. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUvY4vH3Ms
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqpSi4jHQe
She just needed more time to realise. Then, we would be back to normal again.
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwa9DP3IgHW
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiTkU7ZWkVZ
Unlike my hopes, Missy was relentless in her pursuit for answers. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbsXskz1o0A
Every afternoon I approached the tracks, she would be there, waiting. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPzCDCmPsd
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡav8z7RSkYC
She tried giving me distance at first from Bartie's shop but realised that I had too much time to dart back to safety on her sprint down toward me. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm03zuVsTmt
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37UkAnEHk5
After failing that tactic a few times and giving up on it, she tried ambushing me from the side of the track as soon as I walked out into the open. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQvry8LA2T
I was too quick for her, even with her advantage. She still refused to step onto the tracks that I darted along to escape her hunt for the truth. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIK20be3MJ
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk3y28AQaHm
I could see it was breaking her spirit at how wary I was being of someone I had cherished so highly. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybjHor3Mm4
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGsG4m8MYp
Missy started to give up whenever I spotted her across the river and refused to close the distance between us. She didn't call out to me anymore and just watched hopelessly while I backed away to continue my scavenge for food elsewhere. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyt8QSNeQM
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGz8yhWE0oE
Starvation was bringing me back to those tracks every day to only be met with disappointment once again.
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLoNFyyp1UK
Two weeks of the same occurrence refused to deter Missy from hoping for some miracle that I would approach her. Every day she would wait at the tracks for me in silence, and every day I would turn from them when I saw her face pull up into a hopeful smile. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8yGKi9Ldq
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVSWcuqO1Rs
But today, something changed. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOCOi2HYvY
Missy stepped onto the tracks. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ayu7RdGpY
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTUX38eVwf
She came marching towards me with worried glanced over her shoulder to any danger that might be barrelling past her home from the West. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv7j1CZ8FRu
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7jlOXaTg6J
I didn't dare leave my side knowing that she had nowhere to escape. Her trembling body was already over the river, trying to hurry towards me as quickly as she could over the rolling gravel sprayed over the boards she stretched her body over. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqrbmVgsUH
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZY65fR6lvO
I paced nervously in my own fear of being caught over the water with her. She was still so far away from land, even with her frantic pace. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFpTuyvUhq
I wouldn't be able to do anything but watch hopelessly if the train decided to run early. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdS3ED3APA3
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxIEjW0Ssw
Listening to her now wouldn't change her mind and get her to return to the safety of the roadside. She wasn't going to let me ignore her any longer. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYUZWQF5ET
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkr5x4daW86
Determination fuelled her fight. I was going to give her whatever she wanted if it meant she wasn't going to be so reckless anymore. If she wanted to destroy her life by hunting down impossibilities, then I couldn't stop her. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQze2IryDw
Time had done nothing to deter her. If anything, it had fuelled her curiosity into what happened that night. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuATL7MsHx
I couldn't chase her away with ignorance or distance. Missy was going to find a way around it, even if it tried to kill her. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTXEV8kNnkx
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxWmzLwEMlD
My whole body trembled at the thoughts blaring through my mind. They smashed through my nerves like the train dragging Missy's body along the tracks in every possibility I saw. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNnZ9nZTUv
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSH3eaB0aey
"Come on!" I cried out to her still powering along "hurry! Please!" 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hHb3R4CQj
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIezb4XUZKm
I didn’t want to be here anymore. I knew the train had to be approaching this point at any moment now.378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJNlc07yvd
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvY5ZZEnlw
Sure enough, I saw it in the distance behind Missy. It powered effortlessly on its approach to her house it easily passed in moments. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatSXg0nXHC
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2qhtknqFFL
The horn of the train screamed out to make Missy turn her head and frantically race towards me. I knew that the gravel had to be spearing the bottoms of her thin flats, but she didn't have time to stick to the safety of the boards anymore. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4Xqd9LTlz
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoUhjZfagRe
"Missy!"378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7E1jGscANg
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqewBeAlN9
"Soup!" she whined back.378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXkxi8cYBV
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡferOApaFrQ
The train ploughed past the station, screaming out frantically now. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCKPpj8fxB
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoXNYM8cb4A
Missy was approaching the safety of the land, but still couldn't outrun the train quickly closing in on her. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1cnIX3Rrwt
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipqTxQ7D2I
I leapt for the grass that knocked the air from my lungs and felt Missy's body hit the grass beside me as the train barrelled by. Its brakes screeched down my ears and froze my blood that shivered down my spine. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNqlESLBEe
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymmQObUqzX
Missy gasped and trembled beside me before clinging to my arms in fear while sobbing. I cradled Missy in the grass while trying to shake my own grateful tears she was safe. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR57k2iMnD
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp0CK2mvnsB
She was so delicate huddled into me. Her head rested on my chest that warmed with her rigid breaths. The rest of her skin was frozen from the fear still coursing through her. Her arms tucked against me to try and warm up on my body. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHilP32ZhaY
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FbmZzZH7Y
"Never do anything that stupid again" I gasped out and squeezed her close. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0Ugc4uASc
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRoxEyYiVF
Missy leant into it and didn't try to pull from me. Her trembling breath was steadying, and her sobs had subsided to little sniffles she tried to control. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6PBB8zu5g
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FK9XAEu5a
Her glistening brown eyes looked up to mine, searching again. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseImt7NQT3
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIdqitHVq7j
My body stiffened, dreading that the same fear and confusion would wash over them like that night I had run from them. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEq24PxCNM
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBfZHSUp8Wz
I didn’t want to see that or know I was the cause of it. I moved my head away, looking at the clear sky and the drifting clouds above us finally threatening rain. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBP10kbZx7H
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ie0HfBRqW
Glancing down, I saw that Missy's eyes softened in the same way they did when she greeted me each day. They fluttered closed just as her shaking lips gently brushed on my cheek, leaving a tear to glide effortlessly down it. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7vAlQzx8O
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZKILJC96DF
"Can I still call you Soup?" her voice breathed as her eyes found mine again, curious. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMNKZenbM2
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcOSrk7uR4
Did she want to shatter it all for me? Or did she want to keep it the way it was, blissfully ignorant? 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjnmZqkpvs
She wouldn't be able to understand my answer anyway. I was just a creature trying to escape the drag of life, just like her. Everything else was drowned in the water tower and floating in the river, like it could remain to be. 378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgkAi4hnsj
378Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPWiOwXbCK
I only had the name she gave me. Whatever she wanted that to mean would be up to her.
