What Once was Broken

Chapter 16.... Nomes

"Claire..... Claire..... Can you hear me?" A voice asked, concerned. "I feel as though my heart was blended into a bloody milkshake." I replied sadly, looking to the gray tiles beneath me. "Oh, Claire. There are many things in this world, but none are as pure as you." "But I don't understand! I'm off on this adventure with two boys I barely know, just to find another that I've never even heard of! Now my friends are after me, and I'm locked in a cage because I was foolish, and naive." I cried as I dropped to my knees. "I don't know why... I don't know why I'm on this mission.... I don't know why I'm so desperate to find you, or why I need to watch out for the girl in the coat, EVERYTHING!" I sniffed, feeling more hopeless than alone. A shadow kneeled beside me, and gently took my hands in his. I could feel that he was sad about something, but I couldn't determine if it was because I'm hurt, or because I felt like giving up. "Y-You don't.... HAVE to come.... If it's what you want..." "But I WANT to! I've wanted to since I first started HAVING these visions of you! It sounds insane, but I want to come see you, and take you into my arms." I replied, sighing hopelessly. "But you don't know me. How can you love someone you don't properly know? Why not one of the other two you spoke of?" The shadow tilted it's head quizzically as it asked. "Leo's like a brother that I've never had. As for Charlie, he's just a trustworthy friend, always standing beside me when there's something wrong. But it's you that my heart desires for some odd, mysterious reason! I can't think of any other besides you..." I replied, looking at the shadow where his face WOULD'VE been, and giving a small smile. I could feel the shadow smiling back, and, although it may just be my imagination, I could hear a slight heartbeat. "I'm here for you if you need me, Claire. Just ask, and I'll see what I can conjure up for you! You're coming closer to your next adventure, which means your more closer to me than you think! I can feel it." "Feel it, where?" I asked. The shadow lifted one of his hands from my hand, and placed it over my heart as it began to glow brightly around us. I knew what he meant, and I could feel a slight blush coming to me. "Leo is a crafty one, I'll give him that. Even I wouldn't have thought about cutting my way out of a body bag!" The shadow exclaimed in awe. "Body bag? He saved us from body bags?" I asked, tilting my head back. The shadow nodded, and replied, "If it weren't for his quick thinking, you'd BOTH be next on the menu!" "What of Charlie? Is he alright?" I asked, looking back to my knees. The shadow took my chin gently, and turned my gaze to him for the first time. "All you have to do is trust, Claire." He replied simply, a phrase that Charlie had told to me MANY times. I felt overjoyed to hear that he may be alive, and my smile grew wider. "Oh! Thank you! Thank you SO much!" I said, hugging him tightly. The shadow giggled, and replied, "For what? I'm all the way here!" This time I giggled, and pulled away from him, happier than I was when I started talking to him. "Your next adventure, my beautiful starlight, lies with the creatures called Nomes that hide in the hidden parts of the sea prison. Seek them, and they will bring you closer to your freedom, AND to me! Be careful though, for the girl in the coat isn't to far behind you. Don't be fooled by her lies, and the facade she portrays! And that Janitor who hurt you will eventually get his in the end." The shadow came close to my face as if to kiss me, and I closed my eyes to embrace it. "CLAIRE!" Someone screamed, and my eyes flashed open. Leo was standing over me, a relieved look in his eyes as he sighed, "I thought I'd KILLED you girl. I tried EVERYTHING to wake you, and you just wouldn't move!" "Wh-What happened? Where are we now?" I asked, looking around at what seemed like mountains of black rocks! "I just saved our lives is what happened. As for where we are, I'm not certain yet." Leo replied, holding his hand out to lift me from the floor. I felt dizzy, and my eyes burned from all the crying when we were locked up. I stumbled a bit, and Leo quickly caught me, and steadied me back to my feet as he said, "Careful now. Coal isn't particularly soft to land on!" That explained the black rocks surrounding us. I scanned the area, which was blacker than pitch, remembering what the shadow had said to me in my vision. "The Nomes..." I whispered to myself, "We must find the Nomes, and they'll lead us closer to freedom." "What are you talking about Claire?" Leo asked, concerned. I turned back to him, and asked, "Have you heard of the Nomes? Appearantly they're scattered across the Maw." "Depends on what your talking about. Describe them!" "How can I describe something I've never-" I stopped in the middle of my question, and a lightheaded feeling washed over me. I closed my eyes as my chest began to glow, and, as if it was familiar to me, I described the creature! "Grayish white skin, about the height of your thigh, they have cones for heads, and they make a creaky squealing noise as communication." I described, opening my eyes again as my chest faded. Leo looked shocked, and he slowly shook his head. "I hadn't seen them before, I'm afraid. Say, are your powers getting stronger?" "Must be, if I'm describing creatures I've never seen before. It just comes to me at random! I'm not sure if it can be controlled." I replied honestly. "As long as you use it for the best, you shouldn't worry about containing it. At least, it's what I assume anyway." Leo replied, squinting his eyes to see. "I wonder if Charlie made it? I really, REALLY hope so!" I said, feeling my way through the darkness. "Y'know, you really SHOULD stop worrying so much. He's strong, witty, confident, not to mention he's the best looking guy I've ever met, in case you're interested that is." Leo replied. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that YOU'RE more interested in him than I." I giggled. Leo's sillohuet shrugged, and replied casually, "Nice kid. Real honest, and that's what I respect out of a person." We both giggled until a small rustling across the coals caught our attention. "Wh-What was that!?" Leo squeaked, hiding himself behind my tiny figure. I rolled my eyes at his immaturity, and closed my eyes to focus all my energy to my heart until the familiar burning sensation came back. "Show yourself. Don't be frightened by us, please?" I asked into the empty room around us as I opened my eyes. At first, there was only silence.... But then a quivering motion came from the coals beneath us, producing these tiny, gray-white creatures, with cones for heads. I stood in disbelief at the sight of the strange beings, my heart melting inside of me at the sight of their adorable little hands and feet, and their friendly sounding squeals of wonder as they came to observe us both. "How darling!" I cooed as one of the tiny creatures came up to me. I tilted my head left, and it mimicked the motion in an adorable, curious fashion. I giggled, and kneeled onto the coals in front of it, holding out my hand to it gently as it approached me heasetantly. "Come! Come! You're okay." I called out softly, and just before the small dear could take my hand.... "Gotcha!" Leo shouted harshly, and I whipped around at the cry of all the little cone creatures. Leo had captured one, and had his hand firmly grasped around the tip of it's squishy head. It cried out in pain as it squirmed, and the other ones around him fled in terror, which made my blood boil like a pot of water. "Leo! What do you think you're doing!?" I scolded, stomping up to him to try and take the creature from his harsh grip. "When's the last time you've eaten, Claire?" He asked me, holding the small thing up in the air out of my reach. I looked up to see that it had it's hands folded into a prayer, and it's painful cries begged for it to be released. "We're NOT eating it, so put it down NOW!" I shouted, hopping up to try and grab the sweet creature from him. He pushed me away and replied, "They're only ANIMALS! It's not like we're harming anything by eating just ONE!" "Look at it! It's frightened to DEATH the poor dear! We need their help, if anything else, their hospitality." I cried. "HA! What hospitality can THESE freaks give? What purpose have they?" Leo asked gruffly. Just as he said this, Leo's face contorted into a painful look, and he cried out in pain as he dropped the sweetheart to the floor, and pulled a metalic object from the top of his foot: a gleaming, blood covered fork. "You see what these jerks did to me just now!?" Leo growled as the rest of the tiny beings scurried off into the darkness. "Serves you right for trying to eat them you meanie! Now it's going to take forever trying to befriend just ONE!" I shouted, and I sunk to the floor, sad and frustrated. "How will I ever reach you now?" I sobbed quietly to myself, putting my face into my palms. I felt a light tap on my arm, and I looked to find that one of the creatures, the same one who was observing me before, was now standing back where it was when I first tried to make contact with it. I wiped my nose on my sleeve, and I held out a hand gently toward it. As it neared, the light of my chest began to illuminate the room around us once more, revealing a mass crowd of the tiny dears watching nervously as the one in front of me edged closer to me, and set it's soft, tiny, fragile palm into my hand. I felt happy that I was able to win it's trust, and I gently lifted it from the floor, holding it in a soft hug. As it was in my arms, it tilted it's little cone shaped head up to my face, and placed it's tiny hand on my chest. I giggled sweetly, patting the tiny thing on the head, and I turned to Leo and said, "Look at it. I think it likes me!" "What even IS "it"?" Leo asked, crossing his arms. "I'll ask them right quick!" I exclaimed, and turned around to the bunch of tiny creatures around us. Now if I'm correct, they SHOULD understand me when I use the monster language to try and talk to them, seeing as how they were little monsters themselves, but when I tried, it yeilded a very, VERY different outcome! "WEEEEERGH!" They all screeched in terror, and they all ran off to hide once more.... All except for the one in my arms, who began to laugh unexpectedly. "Oh!?" I yelped in surprise, holding it away from my chest, "Did you just-" "I sure did!" The tiny sweetheart replied, and I was in utter awe that it ACTUALLY spoke! "D-Do you understand WHAT I'm saying? Like, you ACTUALLY can hear me right now?" I asked, confused. The creature laughed again, and replied, "Of COURSE I can silly girl! I've heard you and that one there the WHOLE time." I looked around for the other creatures, but none of them seemed to have come back out yet. "Where are the others? Why did they hide?" I asked. "They thought you were one of the Maw's brutes, so they did what came natural to them. By the by, why DO you sound like one of the nasties? Is it like some kind of lure so you can trap them?" "Oh, heavens no! That's how they communicate with one another. See, when I was very young, my parents died, and this family of monsters took me in. They raised me up until my father, my monster father that is, died when I was seven, so my mother decided to raise my monster sister and I here until they, I guess, began to turn against me now. Now I'm a scared eight year old girl going on this elaborate adventure to escape the Maw, and head Eastbound to mainland! Or, I assume so anyway..." "I see, I see, I see." The creature replied, nodding. "But before I escape, I need to find another friend of mine that may have escaped a body bag." "A body bag?" I nodded, and continued, "There was a boy. His name is Charlie, you see, and he was in one of the bags on the hooks above us." I pointed upward to the sillohuet of the hooks and bags, and the small creature tsked it's toungue. "The poor souls who gave up. I sure hope they know what they're in for!" It said, shaking it's head dissapointedly. "You haven't seen him, have you? Charlie?" I asked, a twinge of hope growing. "You said he was a boy, yes?" "Oui. I mean, yes." "Typical young ladies, always going for the biggest, strongest boys." It teased, "Describe him to me." "He's got a mess of shaggy brown hair, a blue cardigan, pale skin, and a shackle around his left ankle if I'm correct? He's a dear friend to me, and he's supposed to help us find these creatures called "Nomes" that hide in the nooks and crannies of the Maw." I explained quickly. The creature began to laugh again, and replied, "My dear, you've already found them on your own." "Really? Where?!" "He WAS right! You're quite silly indeed." "Wh-Who said that!?" I whined. The creature laughed again, and explained, "Honey, I AM a Nome. And it just so happens that we know who it is you're looking for!" "What? Really?!" I breathed in awe, happy that I had managed to hit two targets with one arrow, or as it's commonly said, "Two birds with one stone". The Nome nodded, and said, "He's in our Hideaway now! He told us about you and the bone head behind you. He seems really fond of you!" "Fond? Of me? Why?" I asked, feeling a little nervous. "Well for starters," the Nome started, "He told us that you had a sweet, adorable, and charming personality. He said that you sang really good, and that you were VERY pretty, which you are very much so! You're also quite optimistic, from what I gathered from your escape from the depths. I'm TRULY sorry that you had to go through all that back there." "Oh, it's alright." I replied, blushing a little out of embarrassment. "Hey! Who are you talking to?" Leo asked, coming up beside me. "The Nome here said they found Charlie!" I answered, bringing the Nome close to my chest. "So now you're talking to NOMES? Strange girl you are." Leo commented with a chuckle. "Well at least she didn't assume we were good for your bellies." The Nome muttered, displeased by his teasing nature. "He didn't mean to, honest! He just isn't very bright, is all. But he IS a sweet person!" I replied. I could feel Leo's eyes peircing through me, but I knew that his temper was short lived, and that he'd get over it soon. "So, about Charlie?" "Ah, Yes! I'll take you both to him RIGHT away! He's been quite a help around the Hideaway and would be absolutely THRILLED to see you again." The Nome said, hopping out of my arms, and back to the coals on the floor. "Do you have a name?" I asked as the Nome began to walk. The Nome tilted it's head back, shrugged, and replied as it turned back to face me, "If I had one, I don't remember. I've always felt like a lady under this mushroom cap of a dome I have, so if you can figure out something petite, and lovely sounding, be my guest." "Like something floral? Rose? Prim? Dahlia perhaps?" "Keep guessing. I'll let you know once you've found something I like." "Let's see...." I tilted my head to the side in thought, and began to list off, "Peony, Lilly, Daisy, Hydrangea, Buttercup, Carnation, Chrysanthemum-" "Try something more elegant, and less cutesy." "Iris, Tulip, Orchid, Azalea, Jasmine, Petunia-" "Petunia. I like that name!" She said, bouncing up and down happily. I giggled, and replied, "Petunia it is then. So, where is your Hideaway?" "Follow me dear, and don't stray!" Petunia said turning back around, and continuing on into the pitch blackness. "Oh! And if you could be a doll and give us some light to see with, you're free to do so as you choose." She called back. I concentrated all my energy to my chest, and the golden glow lit up the room once more. "Come Leo, or we'll lose her!" I called, and I ran to catch up with Petunia, and the rest of the Nomes. "W-Wait for me!" Leo called back, and rushed to keep up with me. "I'm coming. And I'm not looking back for ANYTHING!"