Outside the fences

A step forward?

First she looked out, searching her mom. There she was volunteering in the food department which was where she was whenever Periwinkle sneaked out. If she wasn't out volunteering, then Periwinkle would most definitely have a higher chance of getting caught, which was why she never sneaked out if her mom wasn't volunteering.

Her escape usually included jumping out of the window, like a bird escaping from a cage. Well of course the first time she did that wasn't as graceful as she would have hoped for........................... She ended up with a sprained back for 4 miserable weeks spent in agony. Well you know what they say: learn from your mistakes right?

Over the months she had found ways to make her fall bearable. She grew the grass below long and bushy and she didn't want to be poked by the grass so she leaned how to make it soft. And of course she also watered it at least once a week or so because luckily for her the the grass could withstand a long time without water.

Making sure that nobody was around, she jumped onto the grass. She landed with a pleasant squelch, the grass being covered in dew, and the subtle crunch of the stems was all so satisfying. It was easily her favourite part of doing this. The cool night breeze brushed against her skin and the stars twinkled from the vast bluish black sky. Staring back at her when she looked at it. Reminding her of how insignificant her problems were compared to the whole cosmos of this universe.

This place made her feel so relaxed that she couldn't help but stretch. She rolled on the grass feeling the rustle of the tall leaves and the droplets of dew tickle her. She decided it wouldn't hurt to lay down for a moment. Even though the situation was dire, just being here even if for a moment brought a smile to her face. Just a wittle.

 Usually she enjoyed it with Eve and it felt lonely being there on her own. She missed Eve. She missed Eve's company and her presence. Remembering all the times they spent here fooling around, contemplating the meaning of life and just speaking whatever came to their mind. All the sweet memories that were made here....made her feel like she was on the verge of tears. She could feel her eyes glisten with tears. 

She snapped back to reality. Now was the worst possible time to think about all this. Thinking about that would just make her feel depressed. Being more depressed would not help her situation at all and would've made her more useless than she already was.

She forced herself to get up. It was hard. It would have been so much easier to have just lied down in the grass and let someone else deal with this. But that was the problem. Nobody else would do it. She got up first on her front knees and had to drag the rest of her body. At times like that it felt like the gravity of the earth got multiplied over a 50 times. Rising from the floor wasn't easy but she did it. She had to.

 Now the question was where to start. She had no idea what to do. Well, Bella might know something about this. Let's start with her.

She walked behind the caves which were all close to the fence and luckily the path was covered in moist black soil. She was already feeling better and slowed her pace feeling the soil getting squished under her feet. She started to relax, she was in her happy place and took deep breaths feeling better. This place was so nostalgic, she remembered rolling in the mud with Bella which was Bella's habit after she took a bath, which was weird to everyone. Also Eve, often went foraging for worms here, pecking the bits of soil and digging with her feet looking for ants while Periwinkle stood on a rock pointing the worms to Eve.

As she reached Bella's cave, which looked similar to the other caves but it was connected to George and Natalie's house through a Dog door. Inside Bella's cave were a lot of toys scattered on the floor and there was a big pile of it next to Bella's plain baby pink cushion bed. The walls were a beautiful shade of lavender which reflected the moonlight around the room. It was as if the cave was a part of the moon as the cave had a very peaceful aura. opposite to the bed were her food and water bowls set below refillers that would drop the filling in the bowl after bella pulled a rope connected to a button. She rapped at the door.

"Hey Bella, it's me. Can I come inside?" She asked. She heard Bella's muffled voice from the other side of the door. "Just a sec" She heard some shuffling from behind the door, but then Bella came out. She was a little surprised when she saw Bella. Usually Bella would be bounding whenever Periwinkle would come to visit, spreading her contagious energy to not only her but everyone she met. But now? Bella was still happy to see her but she seemed a bit tired and she didn't seem as excited as before. Eve's disappearance was taking it's toll on everyone it seemed.....But was Bella like this after the dingo incident? She couldn't quite tell. Ha, the irony. The very event she worked so hard on to forget was being deliberately remembered again.

"Hiiiiii Peri did you sneak out again?" Bella whispered (not quite). Again something seemed off. Sure Bella was happy but something off...... Eh, I have bigger fish to fry. 

"Oh wait, that chick was your best friend right? oh sweetie, how are you doing? This must be really hard on you, harder on you than on everyone else, especially after what happened before........" Even though she tried to be strong when she came to see Bella and was prepared for this moment, Bella's genuine concern made the black hole in her heart to become a little smaller. It touched her heart, especially at a time like that when she really needed a shoulder to cry on, or at least lean on. 

No no no I refuse to break. I refuse! Trying her best to steel her heart she said "Let's talk about that later, alright?" She made sure that her face didn't betray any emotion, but her voice wavered slightly. Bella noticed it, even if the dog didn't show it.

"Of course Peri. Don't stand outside, come in." Bella stepped away from the entrance, inviting Periwinkle in. She went inside gratefully. The cold wooden floor of Bella's den contrasted sharply with the moist mud outside. 

Take a deep breath in. And out. She let her lungs expand with air and then slowly let it out.

Time to get to work. Of course it WOULD'VE been a moment of glee if it weren't for the circumstances she found herself in. After all she had taken on a role of a detective right? more or less.

"Bella I need your help." her serious tone caught Bella off guard. "Oh?" She replied nervously. Ok that was strange. Bella was not the type to be nervous. "Bell are you okay?" peri enquired. She was getting worried about her. Bella didn't seem to expect the conversation to shift to her. "Well I mean, yeah, why wouldn't I be okay! I mean of course other than the fact that all order has broken, after what happened everyone are anxious about the di-" She trailed off. "And well I'm afraid." A quiet voice whispered. Bella's voice.

Periwinkle didn't know how to reply to that. After all how could you help someone when you are broken yourself? So she did what she could. She hugged her. Bella stiff at first melted a little in their embrace. She collapsed onto the floor with Peri still hugging her.

They stayed like that for a few moments not wanting to break the sacred silence that was instilled in the air at that moment. 

"I'll help you, Peri as much as I can, but please know that there are certain boundaries I can't cross." Periwinkle understood. She needed any help she could get, and Bella was put in a very difficult position by offering help. It was very risky. They'd be putting themselves in danger by going against whatever was going to be in their way.

They decided that they would start the hunt for Peri's missing friend, when the first glimmers of dawn illuminated the sky.