Credence remembered the last time somebody had touched him with their hand; Mr. Graves. And he'd punched him. But he couldn't help remembering all the other times, when the man's touch had been precious and rare, and something he desperately looked forward to, even though it meant telling Mr. Graves he hadn't found the child yet.
:: Porpentina's View ::
A scuffle in the crowd fifteen feet away caught her attention. Tina Goldstein performed a massive double-take when she glanced at the cause, and spotted a young boy with a choppy haircut and pained, shy expression be shoved to the pavement...
Her heart had skipped several beats. Pearls of cold sweat formed on the back of her neck, and her grip on the thief's upper arm became immensely tight. It couldn't be... it couldn't be...
The thief wriggled in her hold. "Eh! That hurts, lady!" He exclaimed. Tina ignored his mewling, and watched with bated breath as the boy scrambled to his feet and ran into an alley way. Thinking quick, Tina dragged the thief into a similar alley way, whispered "Petrificus Totalus!" and stashed him behind some crates.
Running at top speed, Tina reached the alley way and peeked around the corner.
There he was, clear as day. This was no hallucination, no dream... It was Credence Barebone, the Second Salemer boy. He looked more broken than ever.
"Credence?" She whispered. He startled and looked at her with frightened eyes. He was too skinny now, and he kept his shoulders hunched. He looked at her with his head tilted downwards, so he was looking upwards. "I—Is that..." Tina felt her eyes prickle with hot tears.
The boy cowered away, a slight whimper escaping his throat. "Don't be frightened, Credence! It's okay, it's okay..." Tina stepped around the corner, outstretching her hand. He diverted his gaze. "I didn't know... You were... were alive!" he looked to her once more, his dark eyes resting on her hand. "Please, Credence," Tina whispered to him. "Step out of the shadows..."
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Accepting it as True - Credence Barebone
Fanfictioncre.dence /ˈkrēdəns/ belief in or acceptance of something as true. SPOILERS Alive but not well, young Credence Barebone wanders the streets of New York without anyone paying him any attention, without any bed or anybody...
