Under a pile of refuse and garbage, curled up in a desperate ball for warmth, a child lay abandoned. This child was a lost soul whose spirit already knew despair, and whose body already knew what it was to be broken. That child's family was something they longed for as any child does, but their family was gone. The child had lost hope, lost their way, and ended up here on the threshold of demise. Right as the poor individual was about to give up and let go, the child heard footsteps. Heavy footfalls from some form of boots drew very close, and then a rush of air blew against the child's skin as they were picked up from the pile, then softness enveloped the child's body as they were wrapped in a soft blanket. Comfort and exhaustion mixed, and the child slipped quickly into a deep sleep.
"Poor girl," the woman muttered to herself as she buckled the child into the rear seat of her speeder.
The girl slumped over in her seat and began to snore softy. Her body was frail, her skin thin, her clothes were tattered rags, and the woman tasked to recover her wondered if this child had ever seen better days. The vehicle started up, and the wind whipped the girl's red hair around, but she remained fast asleep. Her mind had since abandoned the physical world and settled itself in the realm of dreams.
Within those dreams, the girl experienced things that she could have known nothing about. First she experienced safety and comfort; she experienced being taken care of. Following that, she experienced pain and sorrow that she never thought possible, even after what she had gone through thus far. Finally, she struggled against those who brought her pain and won her own freedom - but everything that came before left scars that helped shape her. All of these dreams and the confusion they created left her mind in disarray, and when she finally woke she sat straight up and let out a frightened yelp.
She was now in a sterile room, wearing clean clothes, on a clean bed, and her body was free of the dirt, grime, and disgust. She could feel the cleanliness but, sadly, her eyes had mysteriously ceased working some time ago, at about the same time that she was abandoned. To her right she heard a steady beeping that sounded in time with her heartbeat. Beyond that, she heard faint footsteps growing louder, until the whir and hiss of an automatic door opening and shutting filled the room and the footsteps were extremely close. They passed in front of her, then a strange rolling sound preceded a soft thud and the tapping of fingers on a keyboard. Unable to think of doing anything else, the girl simply remained where she was and listened to what there was to listen to.
"Poor girl," the woman muttered to herself as she buckled the child into the rear seat of her speeder.
The girl slumped over in her seat and began to snore softy. Her body was frail, her skin thin, her clothes were tattered rags, and the woman tasked to recover her wondered if this child had ever seen better days. The vehicle started up, and the wind whipped the girl's red hair around, but she remained fast asleep. Her mind had since abandoned the physical world and settled itself in the realm of dreams.
Within those dreams, the girl experienced things that she could have known nothing about. First she experienced safety and comfort; she experienced being taken care of. Following that, she experienced pain and sorrow that she never thought possible, even after what she had gone through thus far. Finally, she struggled against those who brought her pain and won her own freedom - but everything that came before left scars that helped shape her. All of these dreams and the confusion they created left her mind in disarray, and when she finally woke she sat straight up and let out a frightened yelp.
She was now in a sterile room, wearing clean clothes, on a clean bed, and her body was free of the dirt, grime, and disgust. She could feel the cleanliness but, sadly, her eyes had mysteriously ceased working some time ago, at about the same time that she was abandoned. To her right she heard a steady beeping that sounded in time with her heartbeat. Beyond that, she heard faint footsteps growing louder, until the whir and hiss of an automatic door opening and shutting filled the room and the footsteps were extremely close. They passed in front of her, then a strange rolling sound preceded a soft thud and the tapping of fingers on a keyboard. Unable to think of doing anything else, the girl simply remained where she was and listened to what there was to listen to.
