"Oh my God," Kirstin whispers, covering her mouth with her hand. "Is she okay?"
I stand up and walk cautiously to her, as if she might pop out at me or something. "Hello?" I call. "Miss? Are you alright?"
"'Course she's not alright, ya idiot, she's laying on the ground," says Avi, who apparently was lured from his workspace by the strange girl.
When I reach her, I bend down and place my fingers on her neck, feeling for a pulse. "She's breathing, her heart's beating. She seems fine," I report.
"Yeah, she's fine, she's just out cold," Avi says sarcastically.
"Can it, Avi," I hear K.O. say behind me.
I poke the girl's cheek lightly, watching for any sort of reaction. She moves slightly, but other than that, does nothing.
"I think she's--" I begin, but before I can finish my sentence, the girl sits up abruptly and begins to speak.
"Hello," she says quickly, grinning. I jump.
"Jesus," I say. "You scared me. What's your name?"
She tilts her head. "Name?"
"Yeah, what's your name?"
She doesn't answer me, but stands up slowly, dusting off her tattered dress. She giggles at me, and then she sneezes suddenly, which seems to scare her.
"Who are you?" I ask, trying to get an answer out of her.
"Lost magic," she replies. "Magic, magic, magic, magic..."
"She's lost it," I hear Mitch say behind me. I look at him and see that the entire crew has joined around me, staring curiously at the small girl.
"No kidding," I reply, returning my gaze to the girl. "How do you mean, magic?"
"Magic!" She says, falling backward on her behind and giggling.
"How old do you suppose she is?" Avi asks.
"Dunno. Looks like she's twenty but acts like she's four," observes K.O.
"Where is my mama?" She asks suddenly. She points to Kirstin. "Mama?"
Kirstin shakes her head quickly, throwing her hands up defensively. "Most definitely not."
"Are you lost, then?" I ask the girl.
"Lindsey," she says suddenly. "Little lost Lindsey."
"Is that your name? Are you called Lindsey?" K.O. asks.
"Little lost Lindsey, sitting in a tree..." she singsongs, giggling. "K-i-s-s-i-n-g. You!" She gasps suddenly, pointing at K.O.
"Me?" K.O. asks, looking totally bewildered but also amused.
Lindsey throws her head back in a fit of giggles. "I," she says. "I, I, I."
"You what?" I ask her.
"I!" She says, standing to her feet. She points to K.O.'s eyepatch.
"Oh. Eye," he says, pointing to his own eyepatch. "Do you want it?"
Lindsey shakes her head, still giggling. "Have no eye."
"Yes, I do," K.O. says, lifting up his eyepatch. "See?"
Lindsey squeals, clapping and rocking back and forth like a toddler. She points at me suddenly. "You!"
I point to myself. "Me. Scott."
YOU ARE READING
The Clockmaker and the Pirate - EVERMORE BOOK 1
Fanfic"The only thing I've wanted my entire life was to die, to die, to die. But then -- by a twist of fate you found yourself onboard my dinky little ship and you flashed your stupid smile and you gave me the opposite," he tells me. "What's that?" I...
