Lost and found
A low moan was the first thing Jenna heard as she awoke in front of the dying fire in Aunt Zelda's cottage. For a couple of moments couldn't remember why she was here, or where here was. She cast her eyes around the dim room. Pale grey light shone through a tiny slip in the curtains illuminating a bright red beanie hat. It all came flooding back, the assassin, the chase, the hunter. Boy 412 was sleeping a little away from Jenna and Nicko, not that Jenna could blame him, she had been so scared herself she had not paused to think how he had felt. Looking at him, asleep near her, he face pinched and grey she felt awful. She had called him and pig and shoved him in a headlock.
"Sorry." She whispered.
She felt too wired to go back to sleep so she wrapped her quilt around her and tip-toed to the door pulling it open silently, hoping that that horrid dream would end and she would open the door to find the usual corridor to the ramblings. Her heart sank as she was greeted to a view of the marshes, stretching as far as she could see.
She felt on top of her head for the circlet Marcia had given her yesterday morning and took it off. This was what had destroyed everything, ruined her birthday, ruined her quiet little family home and her mum and dad and brothers.
Choking back a sudden surge of tears she raised her arm above her head and got ready to throw the circlet into the marshes. She had always been a good throw, indeed Nicko's favourite pair of socks still resided on the castle wall after she had thrown them out of the window after he had done a spell wrong and turned her favourite brown boots bright orange.
Just as she was about to let go a hand caught her wrist. She turned aggressively automatically twisting the arm of the person restraining her. Boy 412 ducked out of the way clutching his wrist, pain and fear flashing across his grey eyes before he dropped his gaze staring glumly at the wooden beams of the porch.
She looked over at him guiltily, she still felt terrible about what had happened yesterday. Looking back on it now she knew he had only acted out of fear. She could relate, she had never, in her whole life been as scared as she was yesterday. Sighing through her nose she walked up to him, resting her hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry." She whispered.
Boy 412 just flinched and looked up at her, his eyes dark and scared.
"I shouldn't have treated you the way I did yesterday. I know now that you were scared, and so was I, but there is no excuse for my behaviour. Is your wrist okay?"
Boy 412 just nodded and looked away again. They stood there on the porch together in silence, lost in their own thoughts, staring out at the marshes as the sun slowly rose around them.
Jenna suddenly became aware that boy 412 was shivering beside her. She turned; his lips were a dusty blue. She realised he didn't have his quilt with him. Silently she walked up to him, draping her own quilt over the small boy. His shivering and breathing slowed a little as he slowly warmed up. Jenna, getting cold now, turned toward the door, thinking of the warm fireplace in the living room. Boy 412 turned and grabbed her hand. Jenna turned meeting his sad grey eyes; she caught her breath as he smiled shyly at her, a silent thank you. She felt a rush of warmth toward the boy and smiled back slowly stepping forward to give him a hug, as she did with all her brothers. She felt him tense and stepped back catching the shocked expression on the boys face, she felt herself blushing and told herself to grow up. It was just a boy. As she stepped inside she could not stop herself turning back once more. Boy 412 had turned back to the marshes, he looked small and lonely in the dim light of the early morning and Jenna vowed at that moment to be his friend. No one deserved to be that lost.