At daybreak, the sky began to brighten. Sounds drifted in from outside, marketers calling out, arranging their wares, preparing for the day ahead.
Damon, who had been awake for a while, glanced outside and saw people already filtering into the market. He turned and went to wake Sally.
The moment she noticed the light creeping in, sleep abandoned her completely. She stood up at once. That was when Damon realized she wasn't wearing any footwear, and saw the bruises on her small feet.
He sighed.
Quietly, he slipped off his own shoes and knelt in front of her, easing them onto her feet.The soles were thinning, the left heel already splitting, and they weren't quite his size anymore, he'd outgrown them months ago but kept them anyway.
Sally only stared at him, silently enjoying being cared for. For the first time, she truly noticed him, his black hair, though rough and unkempt; his dirty skin, yet still pale in a beautiful way; long lashes, and a nose that fit his features perfectly.
The shoes fit her well.
He stood, took her hand, and together they left the wooden shop.
People along the street glanced at the two children, one looking well cared for, the other worn. Yet somehow, they seemed to complement each other.
Some stared longer than others, but no one stopped them.
They didn't go all the way up to the police station. They stopped a short distance away, where the early morning quiet still lingered.
Damon halted. Sally stopped too and looked up at him.
Slowly, he released her hand.
"Alright. Go in," he said.
She stared at him for a moment before finally asking,
"You're not coming?"
"Hm."
"But the bad guys are still there. You can come to my home and live with me and my mommy."
"No," he said softly.
"I have somewhere else to go. Go inside. Your auntie will come pick you up here."
Sally's expression fell. She glanced at the station, then back at him.
"Will I see you again?" she asked suddenly.
Damon blinked, caught off guard. Looking at her teary eyes, he found he couldn't say no.
"We'll meet again," he said. Maybe.
Sally nodded and reached for the shoes, trying to take them off, but he stopped her.
"Keep them on. The floor is cold."
She looked down at his own bare feet, then back at his face.
"But I don't have anything to give you," she said quietly.
Then she remembered the necklace she wore, the one she'd had since Ray's death. She hesitated.
Damon, unaware of her thoughts, said,
"There's no need to give me anything. The shoes aren't worth much."
Suddenly, Sally removed the necklace and stepped closer. Damon instinctively stepped back, but she grabbed him.
"Don't move," she said.
Standing on her toes, she lifted the necklace over his head. Damon bent down slightly, bringing them closer. As she fastened it around his neck, he caught the faint, milky scent of her.
"There,"
she said, stepping back.
He examined the necklace. It was black, strung on worn leather cords, with a sapphire-colored crystal pendant, deep and luminous, shaped like a ruby.
"You're giving this to me?" he asked quietly. "Isn't it very precious?"
She nodded. "It's my daddy's. I'm not giving it to you, I'm lending it. You'll give it back when we meet again."
Knowing how unlikely that was, he reached to remove it, but she quickly grabbed his hand.
"You can't take it off. You have to keep it on."
"I can't take this," he said.
Her eyes filled again.
"Is it because we won't see each other again?"
Is she trying to make sure we meet again? He sighed.
"…Alright."
Sally walked toward the station alone. The doors stood open, quiet at that hour. After a few steps, she turned back to look at him. Damon waited until she disappeared inside, then turned away.
I need to find a train and leave this town, before that man catches up with me.
…
The phone rang.
Elena rushed to answer it, as if she'd been waiting for the sound. When the police told her they had found Sally, relief flooded through her.
She promised she'd come immediately.
Earlier that morning, Elena had gone to check on Sally first, only to find the room empty, the window wide open. Panic had seized her at once. She informed Dominic, and together they went to the police to report Sally missing.
At first, they suspected a break-in. But the pillows and blankets beneath the window told a different story, Sally had left on her own.
After returning home, Elena couldn't calm down. It took time, and Dominic's reassurance, before her breathing finally steadied.
At the station
Elena rushed inside and immediately spotted Sally, she was seated on a bench near the front desk, her legs swinging back and forth.
"Sally!" Elena cried, hurrying over and checking her for injuries. She sighed in relief when she found none.
"Aunt Elena!" Sally called quietly.
"Why did you leave?" Elena asked, her voice trembling. "Do you know how worried your uncle and I were?"
Sally glanced quietly at Dominic, who was watching her closely, and said nothing.
An officer approached them.
"Are you her parents?" he asked.
"We're her relatives," Elena replied.
"How was she found?" Dominic asked.
"She came in by herself," the officer said.
"I'm looking for my mommy!" Sally added quickly.
The officer glanced between Dominic and Elena.
"My sister-in-law is ill," Dominic explained.
"I told you we'd go see her today," Elena added smoothly. "Why were you in such a hurry?"
"Where is she staying currently?" the officer pressed.
Dominic stepped slightly forward, lowering his voice. With a small gesture, he indicated they move aside. The officer followed, and the two spoke quietly a short distance away, their words indistinct to Sally and Elena.
Elena remained where she was, one hand resting on Sally's shoulder. Sally swung her legs slowly, watching Dominic's back, then looked away when he turned slightly.
After a moment, the officer nodded once.
He returned to his desk, scribbled a few notes, and pushed the paperwork forward.
"Alright," he said. "She'll be released into your care. We'll follow up if necessary."
Elena thanked him softly.
After the necessary paperwork was completed, the three of them left the station together.