Reflections of Light

Flee

"So, baby bird, where should we go today?"

Nyx had always enjoyed being with Abby, but even more so at the present time.
Being with Abby was easy.
Unlike other people, a young child didn't require much from their interaction, didn't require Nyx to validate into words feelings that she didn't really understand herself.
The innocence of the child who hadn't yet realised the trials of the world around her was soothing to Nyx like no other balm could be.

Abby's eyes seemed to light up at Nyx's question. "Ice cweam!"

"You're an addict, I'm cutting you off!" Nyx said with a chuckle.

"Ice cweam!" Abby insisted from her seat in her pram, pointing with one pudgy baby finger across the road, in the general direction of the park.

The park.

The park where they usually went to get cream together.

The park where they fed the ducks, pushed Abby on the baby swings and went for peaceful strolls in the sun.

The park where she'd first met him.

Much as she tried, her brain couldn't but default to that day, when her life had been irrevocably changed forever.

She felt cold in her stomach, emotions rolling over each other in one heavy, contradictory mass.

LoveHateTrustFearDesireDisgustGoodBadDreamNightmareGiftCurseKissKillFaceFlee...

She turned on her heel, deliberately choosing to push Abby's pram onwards past the park, much to the little girls very vocal whine of objection.

"Sorry, Baby Bird, but we're not going there today. Let's go somewhere else instead. It'll be an adventure! I'll even buy you ice cream before we go home. Promise."

Abby gurgled moodily, jabbing her finger back in the direction of the park a couple of times, but eventually settled back into her pram.

Nyx breathed hard, focusing on releasing her stomach from the knots it had twisted itself into.
"Let's go find some shops or something. Looks like it's going to rain, anyway."