Lost in this world

New acquaintance

She was going to help this child and find her mother. In the quiet determination of the morning, Leora embarked on a journey to rescue a child and reunite with her lost mother. However, the harsh reality struck her as the run rose – she had ventured without sustenance, wrapped in weakness. No food, no water, no shelter. Just a box, heavy with hope and desperation.

As the forest enveloped her, the intimidating truth unfolded: a day without provisions awaited her. Hunger's constant growls mirrored her own desperation. The child, oblivious in its sleep, became the beacon of her resolve. She crafted a makeshift belt to secure the infant to her, creating a kind of harness or sling to carry the child against her body. A box, heavy and awkward to manage yet essential, holding gently the promise of berries along the way.

The forest sounds crescendoed into a symphony of civilization as Leora neared the village. Horses' hooves, distant chatter, and clinking tools merged into an approaching crescendo. Leora hesitated when reaching the edge of the forest. she took care to hide the child's ears and tail, ensuring that the infant was not visible to anyone passing by and protecting the child from being seen by curious observers. Emerging into the village, an overwhelming panorama unfolded – houses, people, movement, and noise, an assault on her senses.

Surrounded by the sea of unfamiliar faces, Leora felt the weight of their collective gaze. Leora stood out. She was distinctly different because she was the only person in the village who had dark brown hair. They were all blonde, a blond that would turn gold in the sunlight, and blue eyes that would shimmer with the purest hues of the sky, creating an ethereal collective beauty that both captivated and intimidated, as if each gaze were looking at her. Unsettled by the attention, she sought guidance from an elder woman. The woman's utterance, "You look just like your mother, little girl," stirred a mix of surprise and longing. Hope flickered, Leo ask "have you seen her?" only to be dimmed by the truth – the woman had no knowledge of her mother's whereabouts.

Directed towards the school, Leora navigated the unknown streets, a lone figure against the homogeneous backdrop of blond hair. She was walking towards the school, using the direction the elder woman gave her. As she got closer, the tolling bell of the school left a cacophony of anxiety, "DING DONG DING"echoed through her. A stumble, a momentary loss of composure, and then, a young boy emerged. A boy with fiery orange hair caught her, his dark brown eyes locking onto her forest green eyes with an intensity that transcended the ordinary.

Leora felt frustrated as people kept staring at her. A decision to retreat was cut short by a rush of children from the school. Frozen in fear, hands clutched protectively around the infant, a sudden embrace enveloped her. Eyes closed, she surrendered to the illusion of safety, the fleeting belief that her mother had finally found her.

Reality shattered the illusion. It was the boy again, with his carrot-colored hair and freckled charm. Leora, bedazzled and curious, met his gaze. A simple question emerged, "why?" His response, "why not, im Orion by the way. You have really pretty hair." punctuated the chaos with an unexpected connection, a fragile thread of understanding mixed in the turmoil of a say filled with emotion and uncertainty. The boy possessed an oddly captivating beauty. Who was he?