Makorra Week Day 5: Damage

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They were arguing again.

Their neighbors were used to their midnight bouts. Most ignored them, trying to get a decent amount of sleep before work the next day. One neighbor, an old healer, stayed up just in case something went out of hand. She never needed to go to the terra cotta house, though, for she saw through the windows that they never hit each other hard.

The old water bender continued to observe the two through her window. They were right in each other's face, neither backing down from their fight. When they moved out of her line of sight, the old woman's breath hitched. This is when things got nasty.

Even though her hearing was going, she could hear their voices which increasingly got louder. She heard a couple chairs being knocked over. She heard something shatter. She even saw flashes of yellow light, though she couldn't tell who was bending fire to what.

Then, she heard the slamming of a door.

Turning her head towards the front, door, the old water bender tried to see who left the house. Not seeing anyone made her confused. She still heard the couple screaming at each other and objects breaking, so why did the door slam?

Her confusion and worry temporarily ceased at the sound of a soft knock on her door. The old lady turned her attention away from the bickering couple and padded to the door. What was waiting for her there only broke her heart.

"Hi GranGran," greeted a little girl. She only reached up to the short woman's hips, so the girl had to look up at the healer. Her big, blue eyes were watery and red. The water bender could see faint traces of tearstains that ran down the girl's cheeks. In her small, tan hands was a red scarf.

"Hello Kida," answered the old woman, "What brings you here tonight? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

The little girl started to cry.

"Mommy and daddy are fighting again," she replied, "because of me. Daddy said he wished he didn't marry Mommy and that I wasn't born."

That got the old woman's attention. Kida's "GranGran" gently placed her hand on the little girl's head.

"Would you like to come in and sleep over?"

Feeling the girl nod her head, GranGran lead her inside. The scarf she was holding dragged on the floor.

As soon as she closed the front door, the old water bender ushered Kida into the guest room. After lifting the girl to the bed with difficulty, GranGran noticed the gash on her leg and cuts on the soles of her feet.

"What happened, child?" the old woman's voice was laced with concern.

Looking in the direction of GranGran's eyes, Kida answered, "I fell on my way here, and I came barefoot."

Seeing the water bender's eyes still rage with concern, Kida added, "But it's ok. It doesn't hurt that much."

GranGran, sighing, went to the kitchen to get a bowl of water. When she came back, Kida was already asleep. Tears flowed in the girl's eyes as the old lady healed her.

Anger coursed through the old woman's body when she finished. Not only did her neighbors keep everyone up at night, they damaged the psyche of their own little girl.

In her sleep, Kida whispered, "Mommy," and clutched the red scarf even tighter.

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