winter's child

Shiny Things

After a long walk through the hushed city and silent forest, we reach a gleaming plane. It shines dark blue under the weak sky. I start to panic, They are bad. The man holds me tightly, and the woman comes up, a soft look on her face, "It's okay. Don't worry. Don't worry. We're not bad."

Just then, there's a loud whizzing noise, and something lands behind me with thunk. I turn in the dark haired man's arms and see a metal man. He is shinning gold and red and his eyes and chest glow.

That's when I realize, these people aren't bad, or even good, they're something else entirely.

The metal man speaks with closed lips, "What is that?" He points at me, confusion lacing his voice.

The red haired woman goes up to the metal man and says, "Tony, I-we couldn't just... leave her. She was one of the few survivors."

"Ok great, but what we going to do with her?" the metal man - Tony - says. The woman looks at me and says to the metal man, "I wanted to discuss that..."

I don't know what that means, but clearly the metal man does, because he nods in begrudging silence.

I am carried on to the plane. As we walk up the ramp, I hear more footsteps behind us, and turn back around. Peering over the dark haired man's shoulder cautiously, I see a tall blond man with red cape and hammer, a man in red, white, and blue who's carrying a shield, a man with a bow and arrow, a man with rumpled and shredded clothes, another man with grey and red and a metal back pack, and a woman in deep red.

The red haired woman sits at the front with someone I haven't seen before. I sit next to the dark haired man, leaning into his side. One of his arms is around me, brushing my shoulder. The other people sit across from us, studying me intently.

I want to sleep, but I can't, I've never been on plane before. After long moments of heavy quiet, the dark haired man asks me, "What's your name?"

I whisper, looking at him with my grey-blue eyes, "Tanya."

"Hi Tanya," he says gently. I find it strange he hasn't told me his name.

Head still on his shoulder, I notice something shinning silver in his lap. I reach out to touch, hoping he won't notice. Suddenly, the thing, which looks like a hand, moves towards me. I jump backwards, skittish as ever. The hand is out in front of me. I look at the man and he nods.

My small fingers trace lines over the metal. I have to get out of my seat, the silver goes so far. There's a scratched red star at the top. Suddenly, it stops, ending at where the man's shoulder should be.

I step back for a moment to realize what it is. The dark haired man's arm is made of metal. He smiles at me sadly, when he catches my recognition.

After a while, I walk to the front of the plane, wanting to look out. We glide in a dark sky, speckled with white stars above us and grey clouds below us. The red haired woman sees me and pulls my small, light body into her lap. I feel like I'm floating, up in the heavens.

It feels like a dream and I think I fall asleep, because the next thing I remember it seeing a shinning tower beneath an orange sunrise.

The plane lands on the tower and we step out. My hand is in the dark haired man's metal one. I can tell everyone's tired. The red haired woman says, "We're having a meeting now."

Everyone follows her in noiseless agreement. The tower's innards are gleaming and grey and white. It is much nicer than anywhere I have ever been.

We go down a long windowed hallway. To my right are closed doors, hiding their contents, and to my left are massive windows, I look out and realize we're higher than any other building.

Finally, the end of the hallway, we reach double doors. Everyone takes a seat at the large table inside. Not knowing what to do, I stand next to the man with the metal arm. However, I am dragged to the front of the table by a man with tired eyes.

"Is everyone okay with the decision we have come to?" he asks. Everyone nods. Except me. I have no idea what's about to happen.

He speaks again, "Good," now he bends down to me, "Tanya we have some important questions for you."

I don't know how knows my name; I only told the dark haired man. Nonetheless, I agree with a nod.

The tired man begins, "Tanya, do you have a living mother or father?"

"No," I respond softly. My mother was killed just hours ago and I never knew my father.

"Do you know if you have any cousins or aunts or uncles?"

"None," I say. Growing up poor, in a small country, we could never treat anything, and had to hope you got better. Otherwise you died. My mother was the only one of her siblings to live.

"Do you have any grandparents?"

"No," They all died before I was born, my mother told me.

"Would you like to live with us?"

I look around at everyone. The metal-armed man and red haired woman look hopeful. "Yes," I whisper.

"Meeting adjourned," says the tired man, quickly.

Everyone leaves, except for me, the man and woman that saved me. They walk over to me. Bending down, the woman asks, "We have a big question for you, Tanya."

"Okay," I breathe.

They both look at each other nervously. The man starts, "Well, we're married, and there's complications with having-"

The woman smacks his arm with a small smile and says, "James! She's a child! We can explain this another time."

The man - James - looks at her with a sheepish grin and continues, "We-uh wanted to... adopt you...?"

I look at my feet, the weight of reality finally hitting me. I have no living family. No one to care for me. And I don't know how to care for myself. And if I don't take this offer, I could end up in an orphanage for the rest of my life, not having the love of people who want me. And I can tell these are people want to have a child to love.

The suffocating silence grows before I finally whisper, "Yes."

They both wrap me in a hug. At first I stand there, but I eventually I cave, thin, fragile arms resting on their shoulders.

I feel the red haired woman, crying into my shoulder but a smile on her lips.

My tired body can't take anymore so the man picks me up in his arms as my sleepy eyes drip drip tears.

I have a new family, but have lost everything from the old one.

Most people would give anything for a new start. I just wanted to live in my dingy apartment and have a dream to one day get out of that small city. But not like this.

I cry for my dead mother. For the crushed city of fleeting dreams. For my old life.

But I must be strong. I have no choice. It was either here or nowhere. And anything is better than being forgotten.

Now, a new dream forms in my mind, replacing the ones from the other place. It says, I wish to one day love these people as much as they clearly love me.