Her Tiny World - pt. 2

Chapter 37. Apologies

Gadry

I stretched as I woke up to the smell of food coming from the living room. Kae, who was lying next to me, flapped its wings at my movement and flew to the nearby furniture giving me room to turn a little more in bed. The day was already bright outside as only a summer day could be. I wasn't sure if it was morning or not. I probably missed breakfast time but due to recent events, sleeping had taken up a large part of my days. I couldn't eat properly or sleep and I was also having nightmares about humans. They were dreams mixed with memories of when I got lost in their midst. It still gave me goosebumps remembering that day. They were so scary and giganormous and their every step shook the ground like an earthquake. What if they were doing bad things to Mina and Ben? Thinking about it scared me. My mother thought I might be sick and so she started making more hot tea and made me drink it at least four times a day. I hated drinking so much tea. That amount of hot drink and an empty stomach just made me vomit sometimes, a lot actually, but it was easier to deal with than telling her the truth. What would I say? That I was like this because my sister had been caught by a human because of me? And that then Ben went after them and I hadn't told anything to anyone when I should have? We small people shouldn't lie to each other, ever. Would it help if I told them now?

As I was putting on my boots that were next to my bed I looked at the walls of the bedroom, seeing my old drawings hanging from it. There were drawings of some animals and plants I had seen before. Most of the shapes were quite similar but sometimes I would find some kind of unique mushroom or flower that grew up nearby. However it wasn't much since I never left the village. It had been a few years since I started wondering how big the world really was. Everything I knew was that it was bigger than it here. There were more incredible and wonderful things to discover than I could ever imagine. That was why I asked, actually I begged, Mina and Ben to take me flying on my birthday. I was finally going to see the world outside for the first time ever. They didn't take me much further than the same old forest, but it was a start. I was so happy my dream was coming true. For a few hours I no longer felt trapped in an invisible cage. I felt the wind in my hair and I could fly so fast that the surrounding trees were just a green blur around me. I was free and I could do anything I wanted. But the forest wasn't enough, I wanted to see the lake. I always heard Mina, Ben and my mother saying it was my dad's favorite place when he was alive. They had all been there, except me. It wasn't fair that I couldn't go just because I was young. Why wouldn't they let me? I had already turned ten, why did I have to wait any longer? Why did everything have to be so dangerous? I needed to go there and see it with my own eyes.

It was so beautiful and bright and blue. There was so much water it was mesmerizing. It would've been a great memory. I thought sadly. As much as Ben had told me it wasn't my fault I couldn't help but think that I shouldn't have run away from them that day. I knew I did wrong. So, so much wrong.

"I hope they are ok." I spoke in a low, sad voice.

I could do nothing but wait for them to come back home. I sniffed, almost crying. Kae landed on my shoulder and brushed my cheek with its antennae, which tickled me making me laugh a little. I petted its head. The ladybug flapped its wings, cheerful about my reaction. I jumped out of bed, getting ready to leave. I went to the kitchen and got some water from the drinking bowl and a piece of bread from the table. My mother was sitting on one of the cushions, concentrating on sewing something.

"Morning, mommy." I walked over, with my breakfast in hands.

"Good morning, dear." She said when she saw me. "How are you feeling today?"

"I don't know. Okay I guess." I shrugged. "What about you?"

"I can't stop worrying about Mina and Ben. It's been a week now." She frowned in concern. "Perhaps I should ask Roger to go look for them."