"Oh hey Eldwyn, you're back. I tried to feed Mommy but she didn't even open her mouth."
Eldwyn stood there—puzzled.
"Everytime I try to feed her she does the same thing."
"Maybe it's because she's—"
"Oh well, I guess it isn't a problem" Delza interjected. "As long as she's by my side then I'm okay."
She gently laid her mother back down to grab the crusty old rag which was beside her. Afterwards she picked up a weathered comb and began brushing the dim yellow hair of the lifeless corpse.
"So what did you go out to do?"
Eldwyn's jaw tightened as his fingers dug into his palm. From the moment he laid eyes on Delza, it reminded him of his sister Lyra.
"You know she's dead right?" Eldwyn insisted, his tone a mix of fury and sympathy.
"Oh no, mommy isn't dead; she's just asleep because she's weak," she chimed. "She'll wake up soon. You wait. Don't be mean to mommy. Hmph!"
"You need to stop this, Delza. She's dead—you need to accept it." Drops of blood fell to the dusty floor as Eldwyn slowly loosened his fists and took a step closer to her. "No matter what you do she's never coming back," he stated curtly.
No sooner had he made that statement than he saw a needle beside Delza. He picked it up and asked her "Do you know what this is?"
Delza scowled as she replied, "Yes...?"
"Look at this." Eldwyn took Delza's arm and pricked her with the needle.
"Ouch!!" she yelled "Why'd you do that?...ahh"
"You were mean to mommy—now you want to be mean to me too," she cried.
"I'm sorry Delza but it's for your own good. I won't be able to live with myself if I were to leave you like this. You remind me of my little sister. So, to me, helping you is no different from helping her."
He then poked the lifeless body thrice as well and asked her, "Did she make the same reaction as you?"
Delza dodged the question but rather knocked the needle from Eldwyn's palm to the floor. "Don't do anything to mommy," she cried out. "Haven't you done enough already?"
Her words escaped between sniffs and sobs.
Eldwyn lifted his head as he told her about how similar they were—he tragically lost his mother—and now his sister is in a dire situation, caught between life and death.
"I don't need you to tell me she's dead...sniff... because she's not," Delza wailed.
She wiped her face with the dirty rug which was beside her, stood up and walked close to the window. "...I didn't want to believe it, I didn't want to wake up to a world where I was all alone without mother."
***
When I was little even though my papa was around, I didn't know much about him. He was always working and stuff. I did alot of things with mommy.
Playing, doing the laundry... all soughts of fun things. I didn't make friends back then so she was all I had, she was my world.
The reason I didn't make friends was because... because they made fun of my mother. Since we were poor she had to work for other people. Their kids ended up mocking her because of that... Why would I want to be around such detestable people!?
***
Delza's pain resonated in Eldwyn because he could actually relate with her. The only difference, he realized there was someone he still had to protect—his sister—he had to man up in order to do that.
"Do you know something?" Delza exclaimed as she tilted to face Eldwyn. "The last thing she said to me before she stopped talking was I'll keep you safe, no matter where you go I'll always be with you."
Eldwyn smiled a bit.
"I don't know if it was a dream but yesterday it felt like she spoke to me while I was dressing her up."
Delza walked towards Eldwyn and fell into his bosom, as she clung to his shirt, she wailed until she finally fell asleep, due the mental drain of the world she had created. He patted her on the head gently as he whispered, "I'll keep you safe."
After Delza cried herself to sleep, Eldwyn carried her into the forest behind the town. The survivors' encampment was hidden there. As he drew nearer, the wind carried the sound of laughter and cheers, and a slow smile crept onto his face.
The moment he arrived, the atmosphere changed, most of them paused, then got closer to welcome him.
***
Earlier Sulivan had already informed them about Eldwyn's presence in the town and what he was doing so they already knew he would come to them.
***
"Hey, Eldwyn, you did it!" Sulivan cheered. "You got her to leave that place."
"It wasn't easy either, but it's better this way."
"I guess so. Follow me let's, get you two settled in."
Eldwyn accepted Sulivan's request since night had already fallen. He got into one of the tents they had prepared for him and went to sleep.
The next day, Eldwyn was awoken by a commotion happening outside. When he stepped out, rubbing his eyes, he noticed two distinctly dressed individuals in the middle of the encampment.
As curious as he was, he inquired about them from one of the members nearby.
"Hey what's going on?" he yawned.
"You're awake," the member responded. "Sorry about the disturbace. Those two strangers claim to be lost and ended up here. They're seeking refuge. Some want to accept them, while others don't."
After being brought up to speed on the situation, he decided to take a stroll.
But they accepted me... I must have heavenly luck.
While walking, he noticed five of the members running towards the shelter, with expressions of fear all over their faces.
What now? He wondered.