Etienne

Dinner

 The child sat at the table looking around the cabin that they were now in. Milo had found the cabin all the way on the other side of the woods from the town they had been in. The cobwebs and dust settled everywhere gave away the time that it had been abandoned and reflected the life that had once occupied the space.

Milo was gone for only a moment after having set the child in the chair at the table and when he returned, he brought her food and water.

She took the food slowly and began eating. As she did though she stared at him as if seeing him for the first time. She couldn't see any light glowing off of him as she witnessed with everybody else she saw.

"What is your name child?"

"Etienne," She responded faintly.

"Well, very nice to meet you my darling. My name is Milo," He bowed his head ever so slightly in her direction.

They sat in silence Milo watching the small child slowly eat her food while she continued to stare.

"What are you?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't have the light around you." She responded like he would know what that meant.

"I am a creature of the dark. That is why light does not exude from me."

Etienne nodded her head but otherwise didn't seem phased by the statement. Milo couldn't help thinking it ironic. That statement alone was more honesty than he had shared with a human in many years and it was like he had told her the color of his eyes. A detail she was curious about, but it didn't seem to change how she was witnessing him.

"Now child do you have any family?"

Etienne thought back to her lifeless mother. Tears budded from her eyes at the thought and she pushed away her food though made no move to get up or leave.

Milo watched her another moment.

"I'm sorry my darling, but my nature prevents me from feeling the way you do, but I can certainly imagine the grief."

And with that, he disappeared to leave her to her thoughts and feelings.

She was still confused about the whole situation and she couldn't help wishing that she could see her mother again. Perhaps she was mistaken about her body, maybe her eyes had been playing tricks on her and her mother was actually alright. Still out in the world wondering where she had gone. This brought more tears to her eyes, the hopeful thought doing more damage. She managed to finish eating her food and climbed into the cot that was in the cabin curling up and letting her exhaustion take her over.

She awoke while it was still dark outside, Milo sitting by the cot watching her. She sat up more looking at him with no hindrance. His lack of aura actually made it easier for her to look at him. She could see his face clearly something that wasn't common for her. Even when the light around people she saw wasn't that bright it still distorted their faces. The only other face that she had seen clearly like that was her mother.

Even though Milo lacked an aura like Etienne had grown accustomed to he did have an energy about him. Something that Etienne could feel radiating off of him even though she couldn't see it the same way. Milo's glow was subtle, not overwhelming like auras could be to her.

"I must sleep soon myself. I can't protect you during the day, so you need to stay out of the way, which should be easy here."

The statement awoke Etienne all the way.

"Please don't leave me," She stated. She reached out towards him, but he was too far away to actually grasp.

"I'll be back tomorrow night. I'll help find your family."

"I have no other family." She cried.

No emotion played across Milo's face, but he did move so that he was now sitting on the bed which prompted Etienne to crawl into his lap. She didn't care that his skin was cold to the touch. She didn't want warmth right now. Her little brain was clouded with grief. She needed reassurance that she wasn't alone and Milo provided that just fine, at least for the moment.

"There, there my darling. Don't let such things upset you. Family is a word that can mean almost anything."