You Can Read Me

Fires

Well, sharing my home with three people is certainly different than one. 

That was the first thing I could process, the first thing I thought. I'm pretty sure I even whispered it under my breath. 

I was just so dumbfounded that by some ironic twisted fate, Sonic and Sally, were now at my front door, practically begging for help.

Like a backwards karma, they were now in my house, my territory, my shelter. 

If I was anybody else, I would've thrown them right back out, snowstorm or no snowstorm.

Except I knew that if Sonic, the fastest thing alive, had to ask for help from me, he obviously couldn't run through the storm. 

Actually, I could now see that both Sonic and Sally were limping, and could never have walked out of the woods that surrounded my house.

But another, deeper part of me was afraid that they might suddenly turn violent. Fearful that they would hurt me again. Terrified that they'd come here later and kill me in my sleep.

Help me.

I was too exhausted to hide from them, but my entire body started shaking, and I subconsciously attempted to make myself smaller than I really was.

I was scared. I am scared of them, I am scared of myself, I am scared of Shadow.

I am so, so scared.

Shifting on the countertop, I looked away awkwardly as Shadow stepped into the kitchen, clearly unnerved as well by this sudden appearance. 

"Nice place you got here Shadow," Sonic said, attempting to break the ice, "not what I would have expected from you, but it fits the secretive vibes you got going on."

I was too timid to say anything, to tell him I lived here, not Shadow, so I just sat there, watching closely and making sure the blue idiot didn't touch anything he wasn't supposed to. Meanwhile, Sally sat down on the chair farthest from me and began examining her ankle.

"I don't live here," Shadow replied, surprisingly calm, "she does." He nodded in my direction. Both Sally and Sonic averted their attention to me, suddenly realizing I was there. 

I could feel their lightning stares on my bandaged hands, my swollen face, and my overall shakey appearance.

I shrank back even farther.

I was suddenly very, very glad I had heard these two in the forest and hadn't told Shadow my name.

It wouldn't have been pretty for them to have yet another knife against my throat.

Why were they even following me?

It didn't matter now. What mattered was that they were going to need medical attention and have their wounds treated, maybe even more than I did. Everyone always should have more than I had.

Getting off of the countertop, but still keeping the tips of my fingers touching it, I walked over to my medical cabinet. I carefully removed a first-aid kit, also moving the slightly-burnt food off the burners and turning off the stove, before walking back over.

The pair seemed tense, now knowing they were in my house, but were hiding it as well as they wanted to, sitting and quietly assessing their injuries.

"Here you go," I said, quietly and gently, "do you need any help with anything else? Would you like something to eat or drink?" I tucked my practicly-vibrating hands behind my back.

They both looked visibly startled.

"Just hours before, we nearly drowned her. We... we did that to her. and yet, she still acts as kindly to us as she would a king..." Sonic tilted his head in a sort of awe.