“This is your surprise?” Luna grumbled halfheartedly while scanning the storefronts around her. “It's just a mall, isn't it?”

“Don't jump to conclusions.” Ryan stated. “Where we're going is a bit of a jaunt so I figured we'd pick up some drinks for the journey. There's a smoothie shop in here that makes the best in town.”

She sighed and shook her head. “You really need to start telling me these things beforehand so that I can bring money with me. I only ever have enough for a trip to the Butcher after school if I'm not planning on going anywhere else.”

He smiled confidently at her with his eyes closed, suppressing a chuckle. “Telling you would only ruin my plans. If you don't have more money on you, you can't pay for yourself. If you can't pay for yourself, you can't stop me from being a gentleman.”

Luna crossed her arms. “I don't like manipulative men.”

“But you do lo-”

“If you say the 'L' word now, I'm going to throw you through the nearest window.”

He recoiled and held his hands up in front of him. “It was only going to be a joke.”

Luna relaxed her stance and put her right hand into her pocket. “Well, whatever. Que sera, sera. Let's just get this over with so I can see that so-called surprise.”

She brushed past Ryan and he blinked twice. Was it just me, or did her lips curl slightly? He grinned and stepped out in order to catch up with her. His eyes danced from her hair to her shoulders and down to her hand. He crossed his fingers behind his back and reached towards it. A moment before making contact, his gaze wandered up toward Luna's face to see if she had noticed his intentions yet and he jumped back with a mute yelp. Luna's hair was stained crimson and drops of scarlet were splattered on her face. She had teeth so sharp that merely grazing one threatened the need for stitches. Her eyes were an abyss that he felt he'd never escape from and her skin appeared almost scaly. She stepped towards him slowly and every time her foot hit the floor, flames scattered across the surface.

Ryan attempted to back away but was frozen in place. His clothes stuck to his body, growing wetter by the second from the sweat that rapidly built upon his skin. He felt his heart sink and vomit get stuck in his throat as Luna inched closer. She extended a hand out towards his face with a low growl as each nail sharpened into claws as black as midnight. Ryan shut his eyes and then-

“What's wrong?”

Ryan's eyes snapped open to see a completely normal Luna standing just in front of him, cupping his cheek softly. She tilted her head slightly allowing a small amount of light to reflect off of her iris. Ryan breathed in sharply and quickly took her hand in his own. “It's nothing really, just had a small panic attack. They happen from time to time.” His heart felt like it could burst out of his chest at any moment as it roared in his ears and he silently prayed that she couldn't hear it.

She stayed quiet without breaking eye contact for several seconds. With a blank expression and her hand still on his cheek, she looked past him and whispered, “I see.”

He smiled and stroked her fingers with his thumb. “Come now, it's not serious.” His forehead wrinkled as he felt a combination of soft fabric and skin. He held her hand away from him a touch, just in front of his face, demanding her attention once more. She raised one eyebrow in response but didn't pull away. His gaze fell on her pinkie and ring finger, “They're bandaged.”

Luna shrugged her shoulders, her cheeks became somewhat rosy and her voice dropped low. “Don't laugh.” She ordered shyly. “Whatever is going on in with my eye threw off my depth perception so I accidentally burned them on the stove.”

Ryan stared at her then let out a sharp tuft of air and held his fist up in front of his mouth. He struggled to keep his lips together but quickly began to bellow with laughter, causing Luna to turn a shade darker. “You really... can be a... a bit of an air-head sometimes.” He declared in between breaths while wiping away a tear.

Luna puffed out one cheek and squinted. “I knew I shouldn't have told you that.”

He readopted a healthy posture and tried to respond but was interrupted multiple times by another fit of giggles. Luna waited for him to calm down, tapping her foot impatiently and started to squeeze his fingers like she was a vice grip. “Ow, ow! I'm good now! It's not funny anymore.” He exclaimed, still grinning ear to ear.

“Geez. The hell am I going to do with you?”

“Keep holding my hand for starters.” Luna's eyes widened and she blushed again. “It's fine, right?” Ryan asked.

She looked away bashfully. “I... guess it is. Where to then?”

“Just follow me for the time being.” He instructed and they ambled through the mall in awkward silence. Luna's heart pounded, her cheeks burned, her palms became increasingly sweaty and she religiously avoided peering up at Ryan. He only chuckled and focused on browsing the signs of the fast-food joints as they passed them. “Bollocks.” He whispered and Luna finally lifted her head. Just in front of them was a large mass of people who at least attempted to form organized lines, all waiting outside a neon green counter. On the other side of it, two teenagers in red polo shirts furiously ran back and forth, calling out names and handing out white-capped cups. “I didn't think they'd be this busy already.”

“This is the place you wanted to order from?”

“Yeah but it looks like everyone and their mother had the same damn idea. I don't think too many more are coming though. Why don't we check out the nearby places and come back?”

“Beats mingling with them.”

“I thought you'd say that. Any requests?”

Luna grunted questionably and Ryan tightened his grip. The fire on her cheeks became molten lava and she cranked her neck so that he couldn't see her face at all. “Let's just go somewhere, it doesn't matter.”

“Yes, ma'am.” He snickered and lead her to a small emporium that was littered with displays of phones, phone cases, laptops, cables, speakers, and headsets. The counter housed memory cards of various sizes, portable hard drives, and some cheap flashlights. Ryan stopped in front of a wall of computer mice and pulled one off the rack, examining its specs carefully. Luna checked over her shoulder and let her gaze wander up to the ceiling. She felt a tug on her hand and turned to Ryan again who was scrunching up his expression a tad, simultaneously bending over oddly to look at the other selections. Luna cleared her throat and he jumped. She glared at him curiously, putting on an air of confidence and trying to ignore the heat of embarrassment. He held up the package, turning it around so that she could see it from every angle, and explained, “I was comparing them, to see if there was any with a higher DPI for roughly the same price. It's too much of a hassle though to put it back when I might be picking it after all.”

Luna looked down at the ground without lowering her head and quickly snapped her eyes back up with a flick of her chin. She drew out the first syllable when she spoke, “So why don't you just grab one with this hand instead?”

He pressed the mouse into his chest, opened his mouth, squeezed her own hand again, and exhaled sharply saying, “If I let go now, you may not let me hold it anymore today.”

She dropped her gaze to the corner between the floor and the wall. “If not doing so bothers you that much, I suppose I can let you do it again. Just don't bend over like that. It's unseemly enough without you acting like a retard.”

“Your words of love are always so moving.” He mocked and hesitantly released her.

She felt her face quickly cool down and she let out a sigh of relief. Ryan immediately reached for a second box and Luna leaned towards him, “You're not going to wipe it off first?”

He squinted. “Why would I?”

Her cheeks warmed up again and she stuttered, “W-well, it was... you know... sweaty.”

He smiled. “Damn straight it was. Felt like Niagara falls in my palm. I'm surprised we didn't leave a trail on the way over here.”

Luna leaned forward even more, face red as a cherry, and raised her voice. “You're not supposed to agree with me!” Her ears twitched under her hood, alarming her that other patrons of the store were giving her disturbed looks. She dipped her head down, relaxed her posture, and tightened the strings on her hood, covering her face. “If you need me, I'll be in the corner.” she mumbled and sulked towards the back of the shop.

“Hold on, now.” Ryan called after her and quickly put both of the mice back on the shelf.

Luna was then startled by something clicking beside her followed by a dull whirring. She leaped off to the side and held the edge of her hood up to maximize her field of view and stared at an obnoxiously large logo that spun in place on a flat-screen. She poked at and started inspecting every side of it. “I didn't touch anything...” she muttered, “I don't even see a power button.”

“It doesn't have one.” Ryan explained as he walked up behind her. “It's a new model type. Instead of turning off and on at one's leisure, it detects movement,” he pointed at a red light at the top of the apparatus, “which switches it on via a toggle. It'll then put itself to sleep on a timer preventing it from being used for more than, say, an hour at a time. Someone must have thought it would help with obesity if people couldn't sit in front of a TV all day.”

“Eh? Do you have one then?”

Ryan rubbed at his nose and clicked his tongue. “Please. I can't afford something like this. My dad and I already resort to sharing a run-down laptop that could die any day. That's the best we can do.”

“You seem to know a good bit about technology. Well, more than I anyway which I guess isn't that hard.”

“I guess I keep somewhat up to date with the bigger changes. I don't follow the slightest upgrade to every graphics card though, as an example.”

“Could this be the rise of a new pandemic?” Luna's ears shot up as she heard someone else speak very faintly. The whirring of the television then turned to buzzing and the voice became both louder and clearer as two men appeared sitting behind a desk in front of a blue background. The man on the right had brown, Elvis hair while the other had short, greying hair and was wearing thick-rimmed glasses. “One-thousand dead in Mexico last night from what is currently being described as a highly active, deadly illness. Have you ever heard of such a thing before?” The Elvis-look-alike asked.

Glasses opened his mouth but didn't immediately make a sound. Instead, he drew a circle in the air with his chin and pushed his bifocals further up. After a second he finally declared, “This is a first for me, I have to say. The bodies are still being examined to determine what exactly was the cause of death, but that is the current theory. We are assuming that it's a new illness. The good news though, is that it isn't spreading, so I believe a pandemic is out of the question. At least for now.”

“That seems like an awfully specific number...” Ryan commented and ran a hand through his hair. “Still sad nonetheless.”

“This thing has an echoing problem.” Luna grumbled and crossed her arms.

“Not even going to pretend to feel sorry for them, huh?”

“I didn't know them. No point in pretending to be bothered by it when I'm not. Regardless, do you not hear that?”

“Hear what?”

“I swear I keep hearing them, like, whisper what they're going to say once before saying it out loud.”

“You might be hearing them outback. The radio studio is right next door. I thought they kept it soundproofed though, so it's impressive that you're picking up on it. I certainly don't hear them.”

Luna shrugged her shoulders. “Blame genetics I guess.” She suddenly felt a tug on her sleeve and she looked up at Ryan, “Oi, why are you... pulling...” her voice trailed off as she noticed that both of his hands were down at his sides. She panned her vision towards her wrist where a young child wearing a red ball cap held onto her with both of his hands.

One eye was a deep green and his pupil seemed to shrink and expand randomly. His other eye was concealed by a thick wad of gauze, plastered on his face using medical tape. Around his waist was a jet black, circular belt pulled taught. It twitched as he whispered, “Guardian...”

Why is he hurting you? The quivering words rang out in Luna's ears and her vision was flooded with red. A black silhouette of a man and woman emerged before her. The male held his hand out over his head and in front of him. The female held both of her arms up defensively while falling backward. Stop this! The disembodied voice continued to shout.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

It was replaced by a deeper one that growled, If you just do what you're told, we wouldn't have to go through with this! When I say leave the useless brat, you leave the brat!

The shade of a kid faded into the image and the male stomped towards him. The woman jumped up and took the boy in both arms as the man wound up his foot. Move! He barked and kicked her in the kidneys but she held fast.

Don't worry... she sobbed, I won't let him hurt you... I won't let him...

Crash! There was a flash of light followed by the sound of glass shattering. The woman laid flat on the floor, her arms sprawled out. In the man's right hand, he held a cylindrical object that was broken and jagged at the bottom. In his left was a complete cylinder that transitioned into a gooseneck at the top. He approached the child who was now cowering in what Luna determined was a corner. She heard the sound of a valve turn followed by gas burning. The woman turned over and shouted one last time, Please don't!

The child released his grip and looked up at Luna. Tears began to well as rage danced in his eye and his upper lip trembled. Luna gritted her teeth as she felt her own blood begin to boil and a crimson aura formed around the kid, leading a trail further into the mall. She turned to face it and patted the kid's hair once.

“Guardian?” Ryan echoed and knelt down to get a better look at the boy's face. He scratched his chin and mumbled, “I don't think I've ever seen that scar before but I can't help but feel we've met somewhere. Do you know-, Luna?” He turned to speak to her but she was no longer standing beside him. He quickly spun in a complete circle, scanning the entire store but found no sign of where she had gone. He looked back down at the kid and snapped in a panicked tone, “Hey, did you see where she went?”

The child pointed towards the food court without a word. Ryan nodded quickly and took the kid's hand in his own, pulling him over to the counter. He waved to an employee and instructed, “I don't have time to explain; I need you to watch this kid!” He didn't even wait for a reply before taking off at a full sprint.

* * *

I'm getting close. Luna thought to herself as the trail of crimson mist began to thicken. She halted where she was and started snapping her attention from man to man, searching for the abuser. Her knuckles cracked from how firmly she clenched her fists and she put all her weight on the balls of her feet.

“Stay close to me.” Someone roared in a hushed tone and Luna whipped around to face the source. A small crowd had gathered around an older couple. The man wore a pink dress shirt, black dress pants, and brown loafers. On his wrist sat a gold, analog wristwatch that hung loosely. Nested into the dip of his collar was bronze rimmed aviators with brown tinted lens and his chestnut hair was combed over to one side. Each individual in the group took turns shaking his hand and he smiled confidently for each one, taking the time to listen to their compliments and words of gratitude.

The woman who was with him had jet black hair like the child from before, and a “belt” that was identical to his, save that it was longer to fit her form. Her face was caked in a beige foundation and she avoided eye contact as people complimented her and asked questions about when she met her “partner.”

Luna barged into the crowd, throwing people out of the way if they didn't see her beforehand. “Oi.” She barked low but calmly and everyone silenced themselves. Pink shirt gave her a sideways glance. His eye twitched but he maintained a friendly smile. The woman looked up at Luna and gasped.

The man stared Luna down, hoping that she would go away. When she didn't budge he turned toward her and politely asked, “What can I do for you?”

She put one foot forward, pointed towards him, and slid her other back, perpendicular to the first. With her hands still at her side, she gritted her teeth and spat, “Big man enjoys burning kids with a torch, huh?” The woman gripped her pant leg and held her breath.

He peaked at his watch without breaking his guise and put his hands in his pockets. “A torch? You must have me mistaken with someone else. I do all my work with a scalpel.”

The lady started shaking her head vigorously when no one but Luna was looking. She mouthed, “Don't.”

Luna scowled. “Ridiculous.” She stated under her breath and stared daggers at pink shirt. “I should turn your cranium into dust.”

The cluster of people exchanged glances and gawked at Luna with disgust. A shrew in a leather coat closest to the abuser put a hand on his shoulder, “Do you want me to call the police, Raymond?”

Raymond? Luna thought, where both Liz and Leo flashed before her eyes. She heard a faint sound of something sizzling and smelled a light trace of smoke coming from her eye patch as she pressed her teeth together harder. This prick? Her lips curled into a smirk. Interesting.

Raymond lifted a hand up towards the girl, “Now, now. Let's not escalate things. I'm sure this is just some kind of misunderstanding. It's clear that she's just trying to protect someone and she seems to have mistaken me for the offender. Let's stick to talking it out for now.”

“But...”

“It'll be fine.” He declared and flashed a toothy grin.

Luna lowered her head like a rhino preparing to charge and snapped, “I'll tear you limb from limb ass-hole.” She lunged forward but froze when her eye pulsed, sending a jolt of pain coursing through her body. The fur on her tail began to stand up and her claws sharpened on their own. She put one hand over top of her patch and pressed her fingers into her skin.

The boy's mother grabbed Raymond's arm and started begging him, “Let's just go. We don't need to waste our time here right? We had dinner reservations on the other side of town.”

His smile remained unassuming but his gaze flared with mute frustration. “That won't be necessary. I can take care of this in a jiffy. If I'm quick, there won't be cause for concern, right?” His tone lowered and he squinted. “Or is there another reason you're trying to get me to leave?”

She gulped quietly enough that no human could hear and Raymond turned his attention back to Luna. His sight wandered from her bandaged fingers to her wrapped tail and then up to her patch. He smirked knowingly, “I think we got off on the wrong foot. How about some idle chit-chat to lighten the mood, hm? I am quite curious about your belt after all. Much fluffier than I would wear myself, but to each their own. I have to say, it reminds me an awful lot of...” he tapped two fingers against his lips, “wolf fur.”

Luna recoiled and she answered, “I don't think they make accessories out of wolf fur.”

He closed both of his eyes and lightly knocked himself on the head. “No, I suppose not. That was a stupid remark of me, I apologize.” When he opened them again he pointed towards her bandages, “Are you hurt? I'm a doctor, so I can take a look at it if you would like.”

“Touch me and die.”

The flock scoffed at her, “What a rude lass.”

“Shut up.” She snapped.

A white cup was thrown from within the pack and hit Luna in the chest. The lid popped off on impact and sprayed her with a cherry slushie, staining her hoodie. All of them started to cheer and collectively threw whatever they were holding at her. She didn't even bother to block. Instead, she tightened her grip around her cover, sending streaks of blood down her cheek as her claws punctured her skin further. Raymond began shouting at the crowd in an attempt to get them back under control but never took his eyes off of Luna. With every object that hit her, his lips curled further.

She then felt a hand grab her shoulder and a familiar voice whispered into her ear, Kill them. She blinked and all of a sudden everything was quiet. The only sound was running water, leaves rustling in the wind and birds chirping in the distance. She peaked at the armour clad hand as the voice continued whispering right into her mind. Killing the ring leader would cause the rest to scatter, but the remnants would eventually retaliate. To stop a plague, you must halt the spread. You already have the ability to do so. Just remove this damned inhibitor and you can make all of them disappear.

Luna slowly ran her fingers underneath the patch but hesitated when someone cried, “That's enough!” Ryan ran in front of her with his arms out and the sheep ceased their barrage. “How immature can you people be?” He ridiculed them and cupped Luna's face in his hands as she shook with rage. “You're upset that she threatened him and yet here you are attacking her? Fucking hypocrites!”

“Insolent boy-” an elderly woman from the flock snapped but Raymond hushed her.

“Is she a friend of yours, Ryan?” He asked.

“You know him?” Someone else hollered.

“He and his father are regulars of mine. He's also... helped me out from time to time with my research.”

Ryan clicked his tongue at him. “She's someone important to me. I'd appreciate it if your cult would leave her alone.”

“Of course. They'll reflect on their mistakes, I promise you. Isn't that right everyone?” He looked around and they all turned away timidly. “There you have it. Can I presume this was just some terrible misunderstanding?”

“More or less. A kid approached us at the electronics store saying someone in a pink shirt was abusing him. Not exactly a common colour for men to wear so she immediately assumed you were the culprit. She was determined to help the kid but doesn't do well with large numbers of people, so it must've affected her judgment. She's usually much calmer and reserved. I'd appreciate it if you forgave her.”

“Certainly.” He bowed his head slightly. “This kid you speak of though, what did you do with him?”

“I left him with the staff there. I'm sure they've already started contacting authorities and are taking appropriate actions in getting him back to his parents.”

“I see. That's good to hear.”

“We'll be on our way then. Sorry for the trouble.” Ryan grabbed Luna's free hand and quickly lead her away.

Raymond called after him as he left. “Be careful with her. I'm sure you already realized it but she seems... angry.”

Without stopping Ryan clacked his teeth together and replied, “Don't kid yourself.”

* * *

“I think this should be far enough.” Ryan exclaimed, affirming that their only company was a brook and an army of trees. He released Luna where she then backed away from him, still clutching her eye patch and shaking. He tried to cup her cheek but she slapped his hand away and put her own up defensively. “Are you-” He gasped when Luna looked up at him. Steam bellowed from her mouth and her iris glowed like a full moon in the night sky. Her gritted teeth were like razor blades sawing against each other and her eye opened so wide, he thought it was about to explode out the side of her head. He lifted his foot into the air to back away but then lowered it and kept a calm tone. “You're in pain, aren't you?”

She didn't respond. Rather, she threw herself onto her knees beside the creek and unwrapped her tail which slammed into the ground, cracking like a whip. She grasped the chest of her sweater and tore it off, the zipper groaning in protest. She tossed it to the side and her ears perked up, pointing from side to side. On the ground, the inner left sleeve of the hoodie smouldered and smoked. Luna placed one elbow on the ground while she clawed at the mud with her free hand, leaving long and deep streaks in front of her. Memories, her own or otherwise, berated her endlessly and without mercy.

I tried to protect her. A young girl sobbed, her voice shivering. Luna looked up to see a mirage of a small brunette crawling towards her using one arm that was bent unnaturally in several places. Her other was limp as it dragged behind her. Her hair was stained crimson around two bloody stumps that had once been ears standing tall on her head. She had her right eye closed, leaving only a scarlet tear running down her cheek. It stopped at a gash which allowed Luna to see straight through to the girl's teeth and tongue. Her torso was pressed in on either side as though her ribcage had been crushed inwards. I tried... she spoke again and lifted the limp limb as best she could, revealing the head of an older woman nested into her pit. They wanted to take mother away from me... There was a flash and the girl was suddenly underneath Luna's face, resting on her back. Her broken arm reached up towards Luna but stopped short. Hey... she whispered, her voice getting weaker. In my next life, can I call you... Papa? She requested and her hand fell down with a slap while her eye stayed open albeit unresponsive.

The mirage began to fade in a red fog and Luna reached towards the girl with a white, plated gauntlet. “Don't go...” She muttered as flames rose from the creases, licking at the metal and charring it black. “Don't leave me again!” She started to cry.

The fog enveloped her and before she could spit out another word, she was sitting in front of a rusty, steel cage. Inside was a red-haired girl slumped up against the wall. She didn't react to Luna's presence and only stared through the bars at a filthy, stone floor. Her wrists were red and blistered, her eyes cold and lifeless and each individual rib could be counted from across the room effortlessly. Her body as a whole was barely any taller than Luna's bed. The rise and fall of her chest was almost unnoticeable even from just outside her prison. An ebony chain moved on its own and wrapped itself around the girl's neck. Luna stretched out towards her as the chain was pulled taught with a sickening snap!

Luna's hand hit dark brown, tree bark, preventing her from moving forward at all. She stared at it for a moment, panting. She looked up to observe cherry blossoms and pink leaves fluttering in the wind. They dropped to the ground like burning embers and drifted across the surface of a nearby pond innocently. They sunk as they approached a thin, long, and straight hunk of wood with streaks of red running down it. Sitting atop of it was a bloodied head, stripped of its tongue, teeth, and eyes. Its hair looked to be purple in the light with wolf-ears to match. “No...” Luna whispered to herself and sat on her butt. She pulled her knees into her chest and dipped her head down in between them but couldn't tear her eyes away. “Make it stop...” she begged as she was swallowed again.

Cheering roared around her and people chanted, “Damn the miscreant! To Hell with the heretic!” A blade was placed against the back of Luna's neck and a pitchfork pressed against her ear. On her right was a man dressed in muddy, wool clothes and on her left, a man in clean ivory armour. A man in the same style stood in front of her, though his attire was decorated by gold swirls. He held an scíth in one hand and smirked at her. Behind him was a wooden platform, elevated a metre off the ground. Two beams were erected on the top with anchored loops up towards their tips. A coarse rope was linked through them and pulled firm, wrapping around the wrist of an older man. His greying hair was caked with blood. The space around his left eye was so swollen that Luna couldn't see any trace of his sclera or iris through it. The ropes held his arms just over his head, out to the side and thick logs were placed on the back of his legs, forcing him to maintain a kneeling position. The captive glanced up at Luna slowly and smiled. Golden swirls threw the scíth into the air and twelve spikes of pale blue ice began to float around it. They were launched towards the bound-man at a blinding speed and the mist returned, ushered in by a sound somewhere between a thwack and a crunch.

Luna squeezed her knees together tighter and covered one of her ears with one hand. The other pressed further around her eye as though she was trying to break through her own skull. She tasted saltwater as her tears trickled down over top of her lips. “Are you sure you don't want to hold her longer?” Luna heard somebody ask and the red dissipated, clearing the way to Stella and Aileen looking over a silver-haired infant. They exchanged glances and looked towards Luna. “I'm not an expert on babies or anything but wouldn't it be better for her mother or father to be doing this?” A purple light then encompassed them and they both looked around in a panic. “Wait!” Stella cried out and dashed towards Luna but the light flashed and they were gone in an instant. Luna was left there, sitting on top of a rocky field, next to a river surrounded by enormous trees. Abaddon stood off to her side, watching without a word. Lilith hid behind him slightly, hands together in front of her stomach. They didn't intervene as Luna fell forward onto her knees again and clapped both ears. She shut her eye and screamed into the sky.

“It'll be all right...” a familiar voice beckoned and she felt someone crown the back of her head, simultaneously rubbing in between her shoulder blades. The red dispersed and she found herself sitting in the mud beside the creek once more. Under her chin was a shoulder, carpeted by a blue coat. “You're all right...” the voice whispered again and her tears dropped onto the jacket like rain. Her claws began to retract and her teeth flattened to a human level. She held her arms out in front of her hesitantly then wrapped them around the person who embraced her, burying her face into their shoulder.

They held that position for several minutes until Luna could breathe normally again and her tears ran dry. Ryan moved the hand from her back to her shoulder and pulled away without breaking contact. “Do you feel better now?” He asked her.

She didn't look up at him. She rested her own hands on her lap and looked at the ground. She slowly nodded and wiped the remaining tears away, sniffling softly. “I'm good.” She quaked shyly.

“I'm glad.” He sighed in relief and started to pull away but stopped when Luna flinched and grabbed him. He smiled, “I'm not going anywhere.” He explained calmly and began playing with her hair. “Take all the time you need.”

A few more minutes passed and Luna broke away from him, jumping up onto her feet. She swayed back and forth as she stepped towards her sweater and almost fell when she bent down to pick it up. Ryan followed and tried to help steady her but she stopped him. “Don't.” She instructed him and put her hand against a tree for balance. “Go home.” She told him. “I'll talk to you later.”

He kept one hand extended but didn't press matters. He simply said, “Don't push yourself.” As her back vanished into the foliage. He paused there for a time then took his book-bag off and placed it on the ground. He unzipped it and pulled out a black box, examining each side of it then looked at the water. Without a word, he put it back in the bag and left in the opposite direction as Luna.