Coalescing Amorphous

New Towns

"Iva stay here" Xenic whispered to my hazy self.

"Huh" I moaned, dizzily.

Xenic ran off to an orange light, whilst I lay on the floor.

I felt my forehead, it was sticky, and when I pressed a finger in a wave of pain swooshed through my skull.

"Owww" I looked at my fingers, which were covered in thick burgundy blood.

"Are you okay?"

I tried to look around to see who's the voice was. It was too high and too delicate to be Xenic's.

A little girl curiously stood by my head. Her golden hair fell in front of her face, but I could still make out her blue eyes and small button nose.

"Oh my, what happened to your head?"

She bent over and wiped my forehead with a handkerchief she pulled out of her pocket.

I winced in pain, my nails digging deeper into the ground every time she wiped.

Xenic came running back, and didn't seem to mind the strange girl helping me.

"Who are you guys?" The girl asked, not looking back up at Xenic.

"Uh we're, we're just visitors" he replied, and I tried to nod.

The girl suddenly paused and looked up wide eyed.

"Your not the Amo people?"

Xenic looked shocked and quickly shook his head,

"No no no we are definitely not the Amorphous, they don't have bodies"

The girl gave a sigh of relief.

"I'm Tula, I live hear, you guys don't look good maybe I can ask my mum if you can sleep at ours?"

Xenic helped me up and we followed the girl. She lead us to a wooden house, it looked similar to the towns we had back in Tallow Prarie, but these houses were painted. The paint was washing off revealing the dark brown, moulding wood.

"Mum it's me" Tula said.

We heard footsteps scurrying towards the door.

A woman with sunken,wrinkled eyes opened the door and greeted Tula.

"Mum can they stay, look she's sick"

The mother looked us up and down and grabbed Tula inside.

"Don't come near my house" the woman whispered harshly and slammed her door in front of us.

I looked at Xenic, and his disappointment made my head hurt even more.

"Psst"

My damaged head turned like a hawk.

"Guys come here"

A few houses down, a girl around Tula's age was standing by her door, gesturing for us to come with her hands.

"No Iva, we can't draw attention to ourselves"

I looked up at him and explained that I needed to rest.

He reluctantly gave in and helped me limp to the house.

"Quickly get in" she whispered.

We entered her house and she shut the door behind us, turning a heavy metal lock which made a loud clunky metallic noise as it clicked into place.

"Where are your parents" I asked, swaying back and forth.

"I live alone" she replied cheerfully.

"What? How old are you?" Xenic said, he was very shocked at how a girl of her size was capable to look after herself and a house.

"I'm 10, and I'm Tori, by the way"

She stood on a chair and leaned over to reach into a cupboard.

"Aunty Carla kept these medicines in her until she retired a few months back. But they needed her back in the hospital so she's staying a few towns away" Tori explained as she read the labels of several jars and bottles. They clinked every time she put one back.

"I don't know what you need" She said eventually and got down from the chair.

"It's okay T-Tori" I moaned as I lied down on her couch.

"I've got this water, it's really good for you" she said slowly as she carried a jar towards me.

I heard water and craved it instantly.

"I mean, it works for me but not a lot of other people"

I sat up and took a sip of the water. It felt like I was drinking something juiced directly from the juices of the fruit that grow in heaven. My mouth, throat and teeth felt refreshed.

I tipped some onto my hand, then massaged it onto my face.

Xenic looked shocked; I could feel the wound closing up.

As I was putting my hand back in the jar, a droplet of blood from my fingers dropped into the jar. I watched it as it fell and instantly evaporated into a glittery golden wisp, and disappeared into thin air.

I looked at Xenic and Tori, but they were talking and not paying much attention to what I was doing.

Everything slowed down as I took another sip from the enchanted water; Tori's long brown locks bounced up and down in slow motion as she was telling Xenic an action story. Xenics eyes reflected the warm orange fire from the fireplace, his skin was dewy and some hairs had stuck to his forehead. He was smiling and laughing as Tori told her story. I felt so at peace, I wanted to forget about the amorphous and just live in that moment forever. I felt as if I belonged, a tie holding us together.

Soon enough Xenic was dozing off on the wooden chair and Tori was sleeping on the leather chair. The fire was reduced to ember and ashes, giving off a small yet brilliant crimson light.

I was a lot less dizzy, and not tired at all.

I went over to pick up Tori, trying my best not to disrupt her from her sleep, to put her over on her sofa. I then tossed a blanket on her as she adjusted her position.

I gently woke Xenic up and lead him by the finger to the mattress that was on the floor. He didn't hesitate to drop onto it and fall into a deep sleep.

I carefully lied down next to him and rested my interlocked hands on my stomach as I stared up at the cobwebbed ceiling and watched a spider spin another delicate web.

Tori sleepily tiptoed over, dragging the blanket over her shoulder, and letting trail on the floor behind her.

"Can I please come?" she whispered.

I instantly made space for her and she came and lay with me. The blanket spread over us all, and I was in the middle. Their heat radiated and hit me, bathing me in a warmth I didn't have a chance to experience throughout my child hood.

I smile crept up on my face and I forced my eyes closed.

Was this what family felt like?