Hush, Little Bird
Melissa Pearce was ill.
It seemed, growing up, she was always ill. Her parents spoke of many things to be wary of, and she took each to heart the most important. Her parents loved her well. They protected her, guided her, and loved her for who she was. So she believed them.
Little Melissa certainly didn't mean to be ill all the time. She wanted to play with the other children. But every time she had a sniffle or a scratch, she had to tell her parents, for Mother knew best.
Every time she had to stay in her room to recover, she dreamed of knights and princesses, astronauts and dinosaurs. In the typical way of children, she wanted to be a princess and an astronaut and meet knights and dinosaurs. What splendid games! What beautiful adventures!
And then came the sickness that set her bedridden. The one that made her mother weep and her father smile sadly. She felt so weak that it was an effort to take the medicine every day, and she never wanted to eat.
Still, she dreamed of unicorns and fairies and what life would be like when she was well again. She would travel the world and discover things, and make many friends who like to travel and discover.
The visits to the hospital was the worst, but it was a start. While her mother was strapping her under her seatbelt, tucking her into their cars loving embrace, she asked if they could go to Australia next. She didn't know where Australia was, but it sounded like a fun place.
Mother burst into tears, and Melissa decided not to ask about Australia again.
When it seemed, even to a child's mind, that there was no end to this – the bed, the doctors, the hospital – was when chance or circumstance, luck or fate, seemed to take pity on the poor girl. There was a way, the doctors said, that she might be well again. Truly well, and able to play and adventure and discover things.
Mother said they would have to wait and see on the adventure and discovery, but it was glorious all the same.
And so it went.
Melissa was mended by a doctor, and all was well. She still had to take medication, and visit the hospital on occasion, and Mother still didn't want her adventuring until she was older, but she had begun to forget about that.
Perhaps, she thought, I'm finally growing up!
It seemed to be true. Her thoughts wandered to princesses and astronauts and fairies less and less as she recovered, and her mind was clear of daydreams. It showed, and by the first time she returned to the hospital to ensure everything was well, she didn't need them anymore.
The young doctor asked of many things, as how she was feeling and what she had done since the last time she was here. Along the silken thread of small talk, came the question, "And what do you want to be when you grow up?"
It was something she hadn't thought of, and, in spite of that, the answer rolled off her tongue without hesitation.
"I want to be an actress," little Melissa said, with all the enthusiasm of a child her age. The more she thought of it, the more it must have been true. Even Mother approved.
And the single desire dominated her thoughts from that moment on.
the end
Working Title: Melissa
Inspiration: Wondering when exactly it was that Eve took over, and the nature of the symbiosis.
Noteworthy: First Parasite Eve fic?
Disambiguation: Yes.
Derivative work of material © Squaresoft.
