Pink hair and a broken heart

Chapter 5. Eclipse

So I do this over on Undeniable and I'll do it here. Feels warning. Don't read in public and please don't forget to comment. ~W.R.

{Location: Crystal Pass/Mayor's home} (Seliel's POV)

I don't sleep a wink all night. I just sit on my bed and stare at my posters, hoping they'll come to life and save me. Half a dozen kids sleep in my room as I grip a kama in my right hand. Please, someone, anyone, please help us. I think about mom, she's been gone for 4 hours, why isn't she back yet? Something hits my door and I jump to the sound. "Morning, Marci." I relax.

Marci looks worse for wear. Her bright clothes are torn up and bloody and she looks out of it. She sits by me as Kevin, a second grader whose parents are downstairs, whimpers to run. Marci takes a deep breath, "When did you start carrying that?"

I'm too tired and wired to lie. I tell her everything. Everyone else is asleep so my secret will be safe, "So yeah. I'm becoming a ninja now."

"Wow." She runs her hands through her hair, "So you saved me."

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

The sun is peeking through the mountain tops as I'm free to say what's on my mind, "I should have started sooner. Maybe I could.."

"Seliel," Marci stops me, "I did a little reaching out. Not even the Golden Ninja could stop these things. You're lucky to be alive."

I sigh and bite my lips to keep all my worries for spilling out. I stare a hole at the Black Ninja poster. What's taking them so long? "I know. But Mom's out there."

"If everything you said about your Mom is true, I think she's ok." Marci is a tad doped up still from the way she slurs her words a tad, "So do you think I can help?"

"With what?"

"Duh. Being a Ninja."

I look at her. I wasn't expecting that one.

She gives me a small smirk, "They can't do it on their own." She points to the team picture of them I managed to snag from a library book, "And neither can you."

"Maybe you can be like my bat girl. Like in baseball." I smile a little at my joke.

"And do what. Look pretty? I mean I've got that part nailed but I can do more."

"I'll think about it." I still beg the pictures to come to life and help us. "But I'm sure you can keep my secret."

"Yeah." Marci relaxes as a warm knock hits the door.

Dad looks like he had a week of meeting crushed into a sole day with how heavy the bags around his eyes are, "They're leaving." I jump to my feet and step over any sleeping kids and open my window. The robots are tugging away huge rocks from the mines, plenty carry away parts of each other I managed to break. "In about an hour we'll-."
Srick. A sword stabs something. It sounds flesh like. A noise I know because of what I've trained to hear. But as far I know, it can only mean one thing. I get out my window and walk on the roof. Where is she? Where's my mom? I get to the lower level roof of the house as I hear a gasp for air. 200 yards away from my home a robot has his sword in someone who wasn't in the house.

Her hair's like mine. Her clothes are plenty bloody and she has a large black messenger bag that's dropped to her feet as blood drops onto the grass.

Mom.

I hear someone scream as I jump off the roof. I tuck and roll and run faster than the track team. But the robot pulls his sword out as her body flops down. He joins the others as he sticks the bloody weapon on his back. I get to her as the sun comes up higher as I slide onto my knees and push her over. "Mom?" My eyes water and I try CPR, "MOM?! WAKE UP!" I scream that over as something crawls into my heart. Shame. I failed her. I should have gone with her. I shouldn't have let her go. "MOM, PLEASE! YOU SUCCEEDED. YOU GOT WHAT YOU NEEDED. WAKE UP!"