The Wakings (On-hold)

01: Red Rabbit Down The Hole

I forced her to stand up and dragged her back to a small street food stall owned by my father's brother and his wife in the market.

I looked back sternly at her menacing eyes, asserting dominance but also giving reassurance that I wasn't a completely terrible person. But that depended on her and how she decides to approach me.

'Hey, look. I don't who you are or what you are, but I won't do whatever you're thinking. I'm feeding you before you hog on these people's brains. God only knows what kind of demon spawn you are... if he even exists. Take it while I'm still kind,' I thought to myself.

"I know."

She muttered in my thoughts, stepping gently on my sneaks with her bare foot confirming that she could indeed, read minds too.

Finally convinced, she willingly followed. I let her arm link mine so that I could function as her support.

"Aunt Scarlet, please give me one serving of whatever You're cooking. And I'm borrowing an extra pair of slippers, some ice, and a first-aid kit."

"Sure. Who's your friend?"

"She's..." I looked over to a nearby hologram ad of what seems to be a luxury car on a small stall and let the first thing I could think of slip out of my tongue.

"Tess- Uhm Tesla. Yeah. She's uh- Tesla."

"Tesla? Huh. O-kay. Nice to meet you, Tesla."

Aunt Scarlet gave me a questioning look along with the kit and a warm box of savory food, which I handed to the redhead.

My aunt gave out her hand to shake 'Tesla's'. I told her it wasn't necessary. Poor girl was already struggling with balance. It's a good thing Scarlet didn't push it.

Great. I've made friends with a starving thief I just named after a fucking car.

When we were far enough from my relatives, I was about to apologize until she stomped on my foot.

"Tesla? Really?" 

"I don't know who you are. I panicked." She gave me a haunting, stern look.

"Anyway, can I take a look at it?'

The girl limped, showing me her slightly sprained and bleeding grazed right ankle. I knelt down to cleanse the wound, as well as her bleeding soles, and treated it with the things inside the first-aid kit Aunt Scarlet lent me, then cleaned and bandaged her peeling soles.

"Alright. It's done. Wear the slippers. It's yours now. I'll figure out a way to tell Scarlet I gave her slippers away." I stood back up and returned the kit I borrowed. 'Tesla' slid the shoes she stole in my coat pocket with her free hand, lightly stepped on my toe, and spoke again.

"T-thank you. I don't think I'll be needing it anymore. Oh and uh- I'm sorry too." We both awkwardly averted each other's gazes with her foot still uncomfortably pressing on my sneaks.

"We're good. Just forget about it. So, uhh. What's your name again?" I tried breaking the ice to change the uneasy vibe that was already existing between us.

"Y-you first." I scampered in my head, thinking of a name I could use for now. Then I saw it- a walking run-down house converted into a small stall. An...

"Ark-"

Idiot. You're so fucking brilliant in making names up.

She mouthed an 'Oh' and nodded in response to my half-assed tense response. I felt great that though she could read minds, she couldn't tell that I attempted to lie. I hope she understands that I couldn't just trust a stranger that fast.