Angelika Frank, a mutant who had a knack for surviving, watched the world become corrupt beyond imagination, then cure itself afterwards. She had stood in the very of center of the madness and endured an agonising youth.
Amidst the raging battle bet...
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"Everything hurts, Angelika."
The young boy thrashed violently on the bed, biting on his lips to contain his whimpers. Sweat glistened on his pale skin and he shivered despite having a thick wool blanket covering him. Next to him, Angelika shed tears silently as she rinsed the lukewarm towel in a bassin of water before neatly folding it to place it back on his forehead.
It was a week after Agnes' funerals, where people found the deceased's son's absence particularly peculiar, whispering absurdities behind. The grief stricken Caliban chose to play deaf and watch the sky from the window Erik had built for him in the attic.
Angelika had never felt so spent in her life, from having Agnes' remains cremated, planning a simple ceremony with a pastor and her close friends, taking care of Caliban day and night.
Caliban continuously refused to see a doctor and remained stubborn, deepening the telepath's worry. All she could provide were her presence and the stolen painkillers from the hospital. The only time she could leave the house was when the boy was deeply asleep, giving her a narrow to steal whatever they lacked in the moment, be it food, clothes and wood for fire.
In such a small village, thefts were never gone unmissed. One after another, the villagers started to actively look for the petty theif until an old woman by the name of Elise spotted Angelika fleeing from her kitchen.
Odd, that was the only way to describe how Angelika missed the woman's presence.
Even on the fateful day Elise decided to drop by the house, it took the pair by surprise. The way she banged her fist on the door was thunderous, her raspy voice screaming strings and strings of curses.
"Open the door, you filthy jewish rats! I saw you stealing a loaf of bread from my kitchen!"
Caliban pulled the covers over his head, naively hoping the woman would magically leave them be. Clutching her jumping heart, Angelika left to face the woman. Not by choice, but because she threatened to call the police.
Involving the police would mean that the pair would be sent to different orphanages and who could tell what kind of hell hole they'd send Caliban to?
Taking a deep breath, Angelika opened the door and the first thing that greeted her was a harsh slap to her face. She heard the sound before she felt the sting, tears pricking her eyes.
"The audacity of you lot," Elise screeched. "Agnes raised a pair of thieves! Don't even think of denying, you brat. I saw you! No one has their hair as long as yours. Everyone says I've grown senile but I know it was you!"
"Elise, there must be-"
The woman let out a feral scream. "I know, I know it was you! I'll have the police drag the two of you out of this house and village! Have you properly punished for-"
