Lucy stepped into the bathroom, a tshirt, sweatpants, and a sweatshirt in her arms. “I grabbed you a tshirt, but some long sleeved things as well. My friend, who is staying with me, likes it kind of cold in here so I keep the AC on. How does the water feel?”
Oliver, after getting the corpse into the hole, began to shovel the dirt back into the hole. He wiped a trickle of sweat from his forehead, successfully smearing a line of dirt across his head now as well.
Bella wondered if she should approach the man. As she took a step towards him, twig snapped under her foot. She froze in place.
"It is okay." Calla swished her hands through the water, smiling a little bit.
“Okay, great! I’ll leave your clothes right outside the bath, and you get them once you’re done. I’ll be in the kitchen making you something to eat, call for me if you need anything,” Lucy said, setting the clothes where she said she would, a delighted smile on her face as she stepped back out of the bathroom and shut the door. She headed to the kitchen to look for something to make Calla, delighted to have a child in the house. Well, not like she didn’t have one there already. Oliver acted like a toddler half the time.
Oliver was about to set the shovel down and head inside, but a noise came to his ears. Someone was there? “Hello? Who’s out there?” He called hesitantly, drawing a gleaming dagger from its hilt on his thigh.
Bella took a deep breath before responding, "Hi. Just a passerby that happened to step on a twig. Nothing strange to see. No magic. Definitely not a which."
The silence was unsettling. Her old house, the silence was a ticking bomb. Waiting until it went off and the rooms erupted in screams and pain. Here, the silence was just that. Silence. It wasn't a ticking bomb, it wasn't walking on eggshells. It was a peaceful silence.
Calla rubbed her arms, hoping the dirt would melt off. Her ribs poked out through her stomach and she could feel her spine in her back. They'd underfed her. Lucy wouldn't do that. Calla'd made the right choice, coming here.
Stepping out of the bath, she lost her footing and fell onto the ground. A bruise would probably form, but Calla didn't mind. Bruises were better than broken bones.
She found the clothes and put them on. They were a bit too big, but she was grateful. Calla opened the door and went outside of the bathroom, smiling. "Ms. Lucy. I am finished."
Lucy was humming as she cooked, smiling to herself as she did so. She heard Calla’s small voice and looked over her shoulder at the small girl. She stepped over to Calla, taking her hand gently. “Do you feel any better after your bath?” She asked, leading Calla over to a chair, where she helped the girl sit.
Oliver’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched the woman. “I’d advise you to be on your way then, Miss. The woods are dangerous,” he said, still holding onto his blade.
"Yes." She leaned back in the chair, senses on alert. Chairs meant bad things. They meant slaps and whips and pain.
"Mind if I ask what you were burying?" Bella stated. She wanted to know that at least before she left. Besides she still had things she needed to buy in town.
Lucy gave Calla’s hand a gentle squeeze before stepping away. “Good to hear. I’m just about finished making the food. I didn’t have too much to make, I need to run to the market soon. I hope grilled chicken sounds alright,” she rambled on as she walked back over to the stove.
Oliver frowned slightly at the woman’s question. “Cat just passed away,” was all he could think of to say. Thank God he was a good lier.
Don't leave me here. Calla nodded. "Sounds good." What's chicken? She stood up, not wanting to be in the chair any longer. "Is there a room I can stay in? Preferably with a window."
Bella nodded just as Midnight ran out from behind the trees. She looked at the small black cat, and with horror she realized what was happening. She quickly ran back towards her hut as fast as she could. Nonononono! Not today! Why did it have to be today?!}
Lucy looked over at Calla from where she was cooking. “Of course, I have an extra bedroom down the hall. Are you wanting to eat there?” She asked.
Oliver arched a brow with confusion. Was that lady mad or something? “People these days,” he mumbled to himself, walking across the lawn to go put the shovel away.
"I will stay there when you go to the market." Calla looked at the floor at her toes.
Snowbell joined Midnight and Bella as they ran to the hut. When Bella got there, she was dismayed to see it in ashes. The perpetrators had left nothing untouched. she dropped down on her knees and buried her face in her hands. Tears slowly dripped down as everything she had worked for, and had cared, blew away in the wind.
Lucy nodded, more to herself. Once she was done with the food, she put the chicken and a sliced apple on a plate. She stepped back over to Calla, giving the girls shoulder a gentle squeeze to let her know she was there. “I have your food for you.”
Calla reached out, touching Lucy's nose. "Thank you Ms. Lucy." She lowered her hand and put it by her side. Her scraped knees were bleeding through the sweatpants and her scraped elbows were just bleeding on her bare arms. (She'd chosen the t-shirt.)
Bella regained her composure. She walked into the ashes to see what little she could salvage. She walked over to where she had stored her books to find them untouched. Belladonna sighed in relief and continued scavenging. All she had in the end was her books and a few seeds. She sighed and began her way through the forest. Snowbell was perched on her shoulder, and Midnight kept winding around her legs.
Lucy glanced over Calla’s aura, seeing the pain trickle through it in streaks of white. “Oh my!” She exclaimed, seeing the blood. She set the food down and quick crouched next to Calla, worry in her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt? Hold still, I’ll get some bandages.”
"My parental units don't like it when I tell them that I'm hurt, Ms. Lucy." Pain was just a part of her life at this point.
Bella looked up to find herself back at the man's house. She sighed, and figured he would be better than no one. She walked up to the front door and knocked.
“Well, I’m not your parental units. I help people feel better, because it’s not okay for others to suffer,” Lucy said, looking at Calla. She considered giving the girl a healing potion she’s had finally managed it crack. She had to test it on Oliver, and he was not happy about it. He was the one who offered in the first place, though. She heard a knock on the front door and frowned. She wasn’t expecting anyone.
“Oliver! Can you get the door?” She called to the man, who had just come inside.
Oliver could be heard groaning, but he walked over to the door anyways and swung it open, frowning at the sight of the woman from before. “Uh, can I help you?”
Bella began to think this wasn't such a good idea. She took a breath and responded, "I, uh, need a place to stay. Could I stay here?"
Ms. Lucy was confusing. Not okay for others to suffer? She wasn't like her parental units. Not at all.
“Er, well this isn’t really my home, and you’re a stranger..” Oliver started, glancing in the direction of the kitchen where he could hear Lucy’s voice.
Lucy got up, rummaging through a cupboard before he found a small vial of golden liquid. She also got a bit of water, mixing the two together. “Here, drink this. You’ll feel better,” she said gently, putting the small cup into Calla’s hands.
"Thank you Ms. Lucy." She took the cup and sipped it, trusting that it wasn't poison. The liquid was sweet against her lips and warmth spread through her body, making her smile.
“You’re welcome, Calla,” Lucy said. She watched as the potion quickly took effect. The scrapes and cuts flowed a soft gold as the potion worked through her, slowly sealing the small wounds shut.
Calla hugged Lucy, wrapping her arms around Lucy's legs. "Can I stay?" she asked, breathless. "I promise I'll be good. And I won't take up much space or cause you any trouble."
"Oh," Bella said. The old witch was gone, she had nowhere to go. She sighed, "I guess I'll be going then. Goodbye."
Lucy looked down at Calla, smiling warmly. “Of course you can stay here,” she said gently. “Now, eat your food. Don’t want it getting cold,” she added, giving Calla’s shoulders a squeeze.
Oliver sighed slowly, running a hand over his jaw. “Hold on, just- let me ask,” he said, stepping away for a moment. “Hey, Teller.”
“Oliver. You only use that tone with me when you want something. What is it?” Lucy asked with a challenging smile.
“A girl needs a place to stay,” Oliver stated.
“Let me guess. A damsel that you want to toy with?”
“Hey, you cant assume-“ Oliver started, but he was cut off.
“How many fiancés have you had in the past two years? 3, was it?” Lucy asked.
“Okay, okay, shut it. Yes or no?” Oliver said, hands up in surrender.
“Let her in,” Lucy said simply, and Oliver went back to the door, motioning for the woman to come inside.