GREEN
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3037 16.43 KB 294
3037 16.43 KB 294
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>Orange street lights illuminate the empty diner parking lot.
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>Somewhere in the distance you can hear the whine of cicadas.
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>It would have been a nice night for a jog if you didn’t have to work.
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>You turn around and make your way to the back of the building.
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>As you gingerly throw some garbage into the dumpster, you let out a sigh.
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>With that done, you are just about ready to close up.
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>But… you have one last thing to do.
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>You walk over to the steps of the back entrance and sit down, placing a paper bag beside you.
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>You sit in silence, not even sure if this will work.
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>But just as you are about to get up, you see her.
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>That same cream colored mare.
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>The first time you saw her, she was sitting in the parking lot, staring up at the streetlamps.
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>She looked shaken up and more than a little lost, but when you approached her, she ran before you could get a word out.
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>She’s been skulking around at night ever since.
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>Despite at first thinking she might wind up being an annoyance, you ended up growing used to her presence.
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>For the most part, she left the diner alone when it came to food, opting instead to scavenge around in the woods.
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>You’ve seen her try just about everything out in those woods, from crabapples to pinecones… to more crabapples.
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>You think she preferred the crabapples.
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>Seeing that she's here right now, maybe she got sick of them?
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>Or maybe she ran out.
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>She hasn’t seen you yet, which was a little funny seeing that she was obviously drawn by the sound of you throwing the garbage away.
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>She slowly makes her way to the dumpster and you watch her take a sniff, only to see her face scrunch up and her shake her head.
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>Despite her clear reluctance, she takes a few more steps forward.
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>You probably should say something before she makes herself sick.
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“Hey.”
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>She shrinks down and quickly turns to face you, eyes widened.
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>You can already tell she’s going to bolt if you aren’t quick.
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“Hold on, just wait a second! I just wanted to offer you something to eat.”
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>Her ears perk up a bit, so you guess that got her attention.
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>She follows your hand as you place it on the paper bag.
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“You’re hungry, right?”
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>Her eyes dart around the area before locking onto yours again.
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>You open the bag and pull out an apple.
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>You extend it out towards her and nod.
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“Here.”
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>You bring the apple to the floor and roll it in her direction.
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>Her eyes follow the apple as it slowly makes its way to her.
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>As it finally settled at her forehooves, she brought her head down to get a closer look.
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>Seemingly pleased, she picks it up with her mouth and sits down.
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>You watch as she wipes off the apple and turns it around in her hooves, staring at it with an indecipherable expression.
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>You’re not entirely sure what she's doing, but after a while, she takes a slow bite.
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>Something seems to click in her mind, as her face lights up and her next bite is much quicker.
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>You guess the apple was a good choice.
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>As she eats, you notice how unkempt she is.
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>It was harder to tell before, but now that you get a closer look at her, it’s a lot more obvious.
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>She looks like she’s been sleeping in a bush and with all the woodland around the diner, it wasn’t farfetched.
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>The twig stuck in her tail certainly completes the look.
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>She probably knows these woods better than you, that’s for sure.
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>A survivalist through and through, this one.
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>You wonder where she goes during the day, seeing that you’ve never seen her out before midnight.
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>It was… honestly baffling to behold.
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>A markless earth pony just milling about without any supervision.
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>Considering her sheepish behavior, she might be a runaway.
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>If that’s the case… why?
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>Ponies aren’t exactly prone to going off on their own without reason, after all.
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>You’ve thought about telling someone about her, but you wanted to figure out her deal first.
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>There’s something weird going on with the back of her neck, but you can’t get a good look at it because her mane is covering it up.
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>She finishes up the apple, leaving only the stem, which is now hanging from her mouth like a cigar.
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>She looks like she’s debating whether she should eat it or not.
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“I got more if you want, I know that’s probably not enough.”
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>You rummage around your bag and pull out a pair of sandwiches.
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>It was a hodgepodge of vegetables that you hoped would appeal to a pony.
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>When you look up at her again, she is eyeing you inquisitively.
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>Seeing that the stem is nowhere to be found, you guess she found her answer.
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>You hold one out to her and for once, she approaches.
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>She takes it from you and backs away slightly, seemingly unsure what to do now.
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>You gesture to your left.
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“You can sit by me if you want.”
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>She’s thinking about it, and after a moment, she nods.
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>She quickly makes her way up the steps and passes by you, planting herself by the back door.
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>There was still a wide berth between the two of you, but this was certainly progress.
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>It doesn’t take her long to begin eating again.
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>From her face, you guess she’s enjoying herself.
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>You look down at the remaining sandwich and wonder to yourself if you should give it a try, seeing that she likes it.
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>But… you think you’ll let her have it.
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>She looks like she needs it.
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>You wrap the sandwich back up and set it in the bag, which you close soon after.
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>You sneeze suddenly, which makes your skittish companion freeze up.
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>You give her a reassuring smile.
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“Don’t worry, it’s just me.”
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>She settles down and finishes her sandwich, now simply sitting with her back against the wall, her forehooves close to her chest.
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“As the guy who throws out the garbage, I can safely say that there isn’t anything worthwhile in there.”
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>She fidgets with her hooves as you get up and stretch.
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“I know it’s not much, but there’s a few more things in the bag, it’s all yours. Just make sure whatever is left makes it into the trash, alright?”
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>You pull back your sleeve and check your watch.
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>It’s way past closing, so you should probably lock up and leave.
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>With a sigh, you turn to her and wave.
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“Have a nice night and uh, try not to get in trouble.”
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>You start walking, but are stopped almost immediately.
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>You turn to see the mare with a chunk of your shirt firmly in her mouth.
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“What’s all this then?”
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>She lets go and you face her again.
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>She frantically tries to convey something to you through gestures, but she gets frustrated and ends up staring at the ground, dejected.
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>Now that you thing about it, she hasn’t said anything since you’ve met her…
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“Is there… something wrong with your voice?”
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>She quickly picks up her head and nods in succession.
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>She points to the back of her neck and makes a grabbing motion. Once finished, she points to you.
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“You want my help?”
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>Another nod.
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“I… don’t know how to fix a pony. I mean, I *did* work at a shop once bu-”
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>She grabs your hand with her forehooves and pulls it a bit.
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>Her eyes are staring at you with certainty.
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“Alright, I guess… I’ll take a look.”
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>Well, this will be interesting…
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>She makes herself comfortable on the steps as you kneel down next to her.
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“You’re… still sure about this?”
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>She pouts.
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“Look, an hour or so ago, you probably would have bit me if I got this close, and now I'm within hugging distance.”
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>She tilts her head.
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“What? Ponies are huggable!”
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>Her eyes narrow.
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>Wait, is she… confused?
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“Nevermind, uh, let’s just get this over with.”
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>She blinks a few times and then nods, resting her head on the concrete step.
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>You look down at the back of her mane and place your hand on it, which elicits a flinch.
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>It was surprisingly soft for something so clearly dirty.
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“If you want me to stop, just wiggle out of my grasp or something.”
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>She nods slowly.
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>You brush her mane aside and are… stumped.
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>What even is that?
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>You certainly haven’t seen this before.
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>There was a white patch on the back of her neck which stood out starkly compared to her usual cream coat.
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>It was smooth and was riddled with small holes.
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>It almost reminds you of a cheap speaker.
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>Do you just… pull it off?
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>You feel around the edges of the patch until you feel a pair of indentations.
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>You get a good grip and with a quiet *pop* the ‘panel’ comes off.
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>As you turn the panel around in your hands, you notice that the holes are covered by some sort of mesh.
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>It would make sense for it to be for waterproofing purposes, how would she clean herself otherwise?
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>Very carefully you suppose.
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>Inside is… weirdly simple.
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>There’s a compartment for fuses, but besides that, everything else seems like you can take it at face value.
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>There’s even an on switch.
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>...And that switch is off.
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>A plastic tab is sticking out of a slit next to the switch.
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>Is that really…?
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>You pull the tab out and look at it.
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>Yeah… that’s the sort of thing you see stuck in toys sometimes.
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>You stuff the tab into your pocket and look once more at the switch.
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>It can’t be that easy, right?
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>Everything is fairly straightforward so… maybe it is?
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>You press it and gingerly put the panel back on.
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>Once firmly in place, you sit up and turn to check on your uh… patient?
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>Yeah, let’s just go with that.
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>Her eyes are shut tight and she almost looks like she’s bracing for something.
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“Relax, it’s done… I think.”
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>She opens her eyes in an almost surprised manner.
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>She sits up and rubs the back of her neck, looking around.
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“How about you give it a shot? Talking, I mean.”
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>She turns to you and mouths something, though she stops shortly after, her ears drooping.
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>”At least he tried…”
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“Heh, well whaddya know?”
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>She looks up and tilts her head.
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>”What is he tal-”
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>She pauses, her eyes widening.
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>”...Apple.”
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>You give her a nod.
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“Yeah mare, apple.”
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>A mixture of happiness and confusion crosses her face.
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>Her voice was coming from the… speaker.
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>The thing on her neck is a speaker.
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>Now it feels kind of obvious…
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>”This feels weird but… it works. It- It really works!”
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>With her excitement boiling over, she jumps up onto her hooves.
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>You watch her bound around happily, rambling off random things she saw the day prior.
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>”T-there was a bird- no! *two* birds! And- And they were making a really pretty nest and there was a *rabbit*!”
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>She keeps going for a little longer until she takes a deep breath.
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>”Phew! Okay, okay I’m good now.”
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>She turns to you and beams.
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>“Thanks… um…”
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>She looks down at your shirt for a moment and resumes her grin.
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>”Thanks, chief!”
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>Chief?
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>You look down at badge on your shirt.
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>Chief Custodian
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>Huh, did you really forget your ID? At least it was her and not your boss who noticed…
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“You’re welcome! I’m glad you’re feeling a little more chipper.”
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>”Uh-huh! …Oh and thank you for the food, too.”
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“I think that was kinda implied from the other thanks.”
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>You get up and stretch once more before leisurely making your way to the front of the diner, a scruffy little mare on your heels.
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>Despite being glad she’s happy, you still can’t shake the feeling that even with how cautious she was, she was still a little too trusting.
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>Once you make it to the door, you turn to her.
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“You know, I’m surprised you’re being this chummy.”
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>”Chummy?”
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“Like friendly.”
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>”Oh! Well um… you’re nice.”
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“And how do you know I wasn’t pretending?”
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>She looks bewildered.
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>”Why would you do that?”
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“Well.. some people are like that. You don’t want to be around those kinds of people.”
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>Her ears droop slightly and she looks at the ground.
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>”I… I know what you mean, but…”
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>She raises her head. “You’re not like that.”
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>You fold your arms.
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“How can you be so sure?”
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>“I… Uhm…”
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>She paws at the ground with her hoof for a moment before suddenly perking up.
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>”Miss Possum and her kids! You gave them lotsa veggies! And uhm… You like animals! …L-like uhm… p-possums!”
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>Despite being the only example she can muster, she’s not wrong.
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>All you wanted to do was give her a helping hand, but…
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>You just don’t want her to trust every stranger she sees.
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>”And- And… You didn’t… It didn’t… Hurt…”
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>Hurt?
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>You focus on her again and realize how much she’s trembling.
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>Her breathing is funny and she looks like she might fall over at any moment.
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>You can tell she's trying to say something, but she keeps mumbling.
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>Her pained expression says it all.
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“Hey now, it’s alright…”
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>You kneel down in front of her and gently set your hand on her head.
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>You brush your hand through her mane slowly and she lifts her head up, staring at you through misty eyes.
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>You smile warmly.
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“Remember that thing about hugging distance?”
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>You wrap your arms around her and guide her into a hug.
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>She’s tense and shaky, but the more you hold her, the more she melts.
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>Soon enough, she’s limp.
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“Deep breaths, okay? You’re right here, right now, under all those pretty stars…”
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>After the longest time, you feel her slowly hug you back.
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>It takes quite a while, but she does eventually let go, which you follow suit.
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>Her face is tearstained, but she has more or less calmed down.
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“Feel a little better?”
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>”Mmhm…”
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“I… I won’t pretend to know what you went through, and you don’t have to tell me.”
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>You give her a pat on the head.
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“But if you need to chat, I’ll lend an ear, it doesn’t even need to be anything important.”
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>She rubs her eyes a moment and sniffles. “R-really?”
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“Really.”
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>”...Thank you.”
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“Do you… have anyone you really trust that you can go home to? I know you’ve been here awhile now but maybe I can…”
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>You trail off as she shakes her head.
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>You let out another sigh and scratch your head.
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“Figures.”
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>You get up and look over to the door of the diner.
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“Let me finish things up and I’ll be back.”
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>”Okay! Uhm I’ll- I’ll be here, chief.”
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>Heh, there it is again.
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>You let yourself inside the diner and take one last look around.
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>You left the garbage for last, so everything else is in tiptop shape.
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>But…
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>Aha!
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>You pick up a stray napkin and throw it in a bin.
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>A second glance is always a good thing, you’d say.
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>With one last sweep through the place, you lock up and meet your companion outside once more.
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>You weren't gone long, but in that span of time, she somehow brought the bag from the back and was sitting quietly, staring up at the streetlights.
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>Although, now that you don’t scare her off with your presence, you realize she’s looking up at the stars instead of the lights.
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>You stand next to her and look up.
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“They’re nice, huh?”
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>She nods and turns to you.
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>”You’re… going home?”
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“Well, as close as I can get.”
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>She lowers her eyes.
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>”Can…”
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>She fidgets in place for a moment.
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>”Can I come with you?”
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“In all honesty…”
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>You gesture towards your beat up old car.
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“That is home, at least for now.”
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>You strife a yawn.
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“Pretty soon I'll try to get an apartment in the city or… something. But until then, I'll just make due with that clunker.”
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>”Do you like it?”
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“I mean… It’s better than sleeping outside.”
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>”It is?”
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>She seems genuinely curious.
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“I mean, it’s nice to go camping sometimes, but I wouldn’t want to do that all the time.”
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>”I’m… camping?”
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>You turn to her.
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“You know what? You can sleep in the backseat if you want. I got blankets and I can at least guarantee that you won’t get rained on.”
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>”Really? I- I’d uhm… like that.”
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“Alright then… Keep up!”
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>The walk to the car was short and with a huff, you sit down in the driver seat.
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>You look back at her and see her fiddling with her seat belt.
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“So… how familiar are you with cars?”
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>Sufficiently buckled, she wiggles a little in place.
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>”A bit, where are we going?”
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“Not far, just over to a rest stop a little up the way. Do you think you’ll be okay?”
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>”Don’t worry, I’ll be fine, chief!”
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“That uh, isn’t my name.”
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>She blinks.
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>“It- It isn’t?”
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“Nope, it’s just a title, a bit of a tongue and cheek title, but a title nevertheless. You can call me Anon.”
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>”Well maybe… maybe I think you deserve a title, Anon!”
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>You chuckle.
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“If you say so, I won’t stop you, that’s for sure.”
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>You look back at her and smile.
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“How about some tunes?”
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>”Tunes?”
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“Music, I got some CDs.”
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>”...Sure!”
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>She doesn’t sound like she knows what you’re talking about, but she’s certainly enthusiastic.
by Castafae
by Castafae
by Castafae
by Castafae
by Castafae