Cake

Prologue

Hey! So this a story that I'm hopefully actually going to finish, quick note: Cake is not the official name of this story. It only means that I had to title this before I could publish it. So without further adeu, let the reading commence!

She shivered on the side of the road alone. Her dress, once beautiful silk was in tatters and full of mud. Nobles walked past with looks of disgust on their faces. She felt a foot connect to her shin. She whined in pain and clutched her bruised leg.

"Move it rat.” The owner of the foot said. “There’s no room for scum like you.” She stared at the man with hard eyes. She remembered when she thought the same as the man. Cruel and uncalled for. Now, she was the one receiving the insults and she couldn't do anything about it.

The man made a point to step on her her fingers before walking off. She wiggled her fingers. They hurt but were unbroken. As the sky grew darker she stumbled her way to the corner she slept in. She waited and the figure of an old man appeared. She smiled. Her supper had arrived. The scruffy man held out his hands, a sticky bun wrapped in a piece of rice paper and an apple. The man smiled a lively grin and sat down next to her.

He took his own apple and bit into it. He looked down at the girl’s leg and gasped. “When did that happen?” He asked in his ancient voice. The girl looked away and hugged her legs to her nearly flat chest.

"Oh.” He looked away. A dog barked in the distance and the owner shouted. The barking grew louder as did the shouting. The old man’s face grew dark.

“Get out of here. Now.” The man stood up suddenly and pulled the girl with him. He pushed her away from the alley corner. The girl looked back with pleading eyes. “Go, I’ll be fine. I just… might not be able to help you anymore.” Tears shone in his eyes . He waved his hand and the girl turned and ran. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she felt weak and ashamed she had left the old man. Never again would she cry.

Dogs barked and humans shouted. They grew fainter as she ran. Her ankle gave out and she fell to her hands. Stones dug into her legs and palms.

She tried to get up but her ankle wouldn’t allow it. She lay down with her back to a stone wall.  Tears rolled down her face, fast like a rushing river. She shivered and as she shifted her weight, a pain flared in her ankle. White and black spots danced in her vision and she blacked out.

“Hey, Hey!” A cool hand touched her forehead. She was vaguely aware that she had been turned on her back.

“Wake up!” She tried to open her eyes. They fluttered but stayed closed. Her eyes were heavy and hard to open. After a moment she succeeded in opening her eyes. She blinked a few times and a worried face came into view.

The girl started and used her arms to pull her body away from the strange man peering down at her. She didn’t have enough energy and her weakened arms gave out. Before her head connected with the cracked cobblestone a pair of strong arms caught her. The man put her in an upright position against the stone wall and reached forward to tuck a stray piece of hair behind the girl’s ear.  She flinched and wrapped her small arms protectively around her stomach.

His face filled with confusion. “Oh,” he said as realization crossed his face. “You're pregnant!” The girl glared at him as he stared down at her frail body.

“Let me help you.” He said, kindness filling his words and face. “Come with with me.” He held his hand out to her. She looked down at the hand and to his face and back down to his hand again. With one arm still wrapped around her stomach she reached out and put her tiny hand in his broad one. The man lifted the girl easily as she stumbled into his arms. Her energy depleted and he legs shaky. The man lifted the girl and cradled her to his chest. “It’ll be alright. You can trust me.” His bright green eyes were soft as he looked down at the scared girl in his arms.