Cabinet Conundrum

Loose End

Last Time:

A chunk of skin popped off the third finger of the figure's right hand. The person cursed and threw the paper to the ground only to have another flap of flesh fly off. The cloak, damp with rotting goo, fluttered in the wind as the figure quickly walked away swearing quietly about an unstable body and needing fresh flesh ...

XXXXXXXXXX

Somewhere, surprisingly close to the ministry, there was a small blonde girl with big brown eyes wandering around looking for anything to eat. She was skin and bones, and sadly, she wasn't alone. A thing creeping in the shadows spotted her and moved towards her.

"H-hello?" She whimpered as she heard a crack coming from behind her, but nothing was there when she turned to see. After taking a deep breath to calm down she continued her search. Only a moment later she took step and the ground gave way under her. The new opening swallowed up her leg and trapped her there.

"Help! Someone-" The little girl froze as she heard a crack from above her. The hairs on her neck as she looked up.

To her horror a massive spider hovered over her head. She screamed as the legs grabbed her. The terror turned to pain as the creature pulled at her freeing her leg easily, but it looked like the skin was still in the hole. Still she flailed trying to get away even though her leg was gushing blood.

"Shit! Over here!" Someone yelled, but suddenly the little girl felt weightless and saw two heading towards her, but her vision became blurry from blood loss and she blacked out. "Is she going to be alright?" Came the voice that the little girl heard before and she slowly woke up to hear other voices.

"Yes ... she was lucky it wasn't worse. A few days rest and she'll be running around with the others, master." The little girl opened her eyes to see a young man with silvery white hair and the man standing with him who noticed her wake up, "Good, she's up."

The silver haired man smiled at her, "Hello little one. I'm Ryan Peverell and this man with me is Sirron. What's your name?"

"Maria." She said so softly that it was hard to hear her.

"A lovely name." Ryan said softly, "Tell me, Maria, why were you all alone in such a dangerous place?"

Maria winced and looked down at her tiny hands that were fiddling with the blankets, "Mama saw me make a flower dance ... she said I was a demon like my papa and that I'd should stay with him ..."

"Where's your papa now?" Ryan asked patiently.

"He came ... but he took me to a scary place and disappeared. The only thing he said was mud-blood ... what does that mean? ... why'd he leave me?" The little girl asked looking up at Ryan with big pleading eyes that were brimming with tears.

Ryan stared indifferently at the the little girl for a moment before smiling, "It's a mean phrase made by foolish people who think certain things, like blood, are really important and those who aren't pure in blood are worthless. Those thoughts from your papa and fears from your mama are wrong. You aren't a demon or someone to be tossed aside ... you're no different than me." He said happily as sparkles of light began dancing around the room.

"So pretty!" Maria gasped in awe as she watched the pretty multicolor lights dance for a moment before descending into Ryan's outstretched hands where they merged into the white silhouette of a fairy that fluttered towards the girl.

Purple eyes watched as the little girl giggled, "Would you like to learn?"

"Can I?!" Maria exclaimed excitedly not seeing the fairy disappear.

"Yes, when you turn 11 there's a school-" Ryan paused and chuckled at the pout on the little girl's mouth, "How old are you, Maria?"

The little girl tilted her head cutely before counting on her fingers, "5!"