The Life Of A Guardian

Realization

So, I got a name for you, and I hope you like it~!

As I open the door, a sour stench hits my nose. I cringe away from it and my gaze lands on Aluan. I don't look forward, I only stare at Aluan's shuddering body. She tears up, and rushes out of my vision. I turn my head quickly, and stand paralyzed at what I see.

There are two bodies, each sitting next to each other, hand in hand, wearing rings on their fingers, possibly signifying some sort of partnership. One body has silky black hair like Aluan's, with a sleek figure, and those same small hands. The other has dark short auburn hair, taller, and slightly built. They're eyes are closed, and they're chests are still, not rising and falling like mine or Aluan's. What is wrong with them...? They won't respond when I see them, they seem to be asleep, like what Aluan does. Except, I spot the pool of blood surrounding them, and they're massacred necks, both sliced across the middle. Aluan is a few feet away, observing the horror scene.

She falls to her knees, and tears form in her eyes. "...Mommy? Daddy?" She whimpers, and crawls to their side. She cuddles with the female, her mother, and puts her hands on her shoulders. "Mommy, why do you have blood all over you? Why don't you wake up?" She starts to shake her in an effort to awaken her, but she doesn't move. "Daddy, what's wrong with mom?" She shuffles over to the other body, her father, and does the same, but no luck at awakening them from their peaceful-looking slumber. Aluan seems to realize something as her eyes widen, and she breaks down into tears, squeezing into the middle of them, wrapping her tiny fragile arms around each of their waists. I decide to speak.

"Why aren't they... waking up?" I ask carefully, and she turns her tear-stained face to mine. She barely mutters the words that escape from her. "They're... dead..." She struggles to say this as her body is racking with sobs. Her whines of anguish continuously ring in my ears. "What does... dead mean?" I ask, and she stops crying, quieting down to soft whimpers. "It's when... someone goes to sleep... and they never wake up again..." She breaks down once more. My heart stops. Dead? Why would her parents be dead? Unless the couple of people we saw from earlier did something to them... Maybe there is an antidote for it? "Is there some sort of medicine we can give them?" I ask, beginning to wonder who the real child is here. Aluan doesn't respond, and I'm beginning to think that something is wrong with her when she finally does. "They go to sleep, and you never talk to them again... there..." She sobs for a straight minute before collecting herself. "... is no antidote for it. When you're gone, you're gone. Death isn't reversible..." She whimpers, and I freeze. Death... those people could've... killed... Aluan... and she would've gone to sleep and... never woken up...

I won't let it happen to her... I come to a realization. I'm her parent now. I must protect her, until the bitter end. I walk over slowly, and kneel down to Aluan's level, ignoring my injured knee screaming in protest. I slowly wrap my arms around her waist, and drag her away. She starts squealing in protest, screaming for her parents right next to my ear, making them ring, but I don't release her. We can't stay here any longer. The 'police' that Scar mentioned about could come any minute, whoever they are.

"Let me see my mom!" She reaches her arm out. "Mommy! Daddy! Wake up, please, you don't have to be dead!" My heart sinks at this. "We made the bad people go away, momma! Please, wake up!" She starts to cry on my shoulder. We go back to her room, and I set her down on a soft flat surface with a covering, almost looking like a cape. She immediately makes a run for the door, but I telekinetically close it shut, and she tries in hopeless efforts to pry it back open.

I wait for her to calm down. Aluan slowly turns around, and sinks to the floor, covering her eyes. No child should've seen what she's seen today, that I know now. And I'll never let her see it again. Not as long as I'm here. When she quiets down, I notice that she goes into a depressed daze. She looks up to me. "Guardian, what do we do now?" She says, her voice still shaky.