:Wolfwood:
Author- Abigail Aimee
He shuddered as he slowly neared the small church-like orphanage, the children all happily playing in the front yard of the building, momentarily unaware of his being there. He knew that the moment they saw him, they would all break into excited laughter and greet him, like they always had. He enjoyed going back, but just as much as he disliked doing so. There were always some of them that were slightly angered by his frequent leavings, especially one in particular. His chest heaved slightly as he sighed aloud, taking one last drag from his cigarette before throwing it into the blistering hot sand.
Stepping closer, now in eyes view, Wolfwood stepped into the invisible fenced off area where the children were all playing. They were smart kids, they knew how far away they should venture into the dessert while at play, they knew their boundaries well. Not a moment before he came into view, several of the children caught sight of him, and ran towards him with all their might, laughing and smiling.
How long has it been…since I've last been back…a whole year already? A year and a half? Time seems to have slipped away from me…
'Nico-nii!' They shouted happily, running to embrace himSome of them more gently than others. To them, he was like a big brother that they never had. The only family that remained for them. He smiled and removed his sunglasses, the bright dessert light burning his eyes. Eventually however, after his eyes got used to the light, he comfortably smiled and crouched down on the ground, now eye level with the children…most of them.
'Have you all been behaving yourselves?' He questioned in his cheering tone of voice.
All at once the children answeredsome saying 'yes', some shouting 'no', in a playful manner of course. Wolfwood sighed, he knew his time here was limited and he only had two days at the most to stay. He stood back up, but was vainly tugged back down by the young children that seemed to attack him humorously. "Let go!' He pleaded, playing the role well as the children continued to laugh aloud.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted an old woman, her face wrinkled with a wide smile. She was one of the woman responsible for taking care of the young children, the oldest woman as a matter of fact. She smiled deeply at Wolfwood and then clapped her hands together orderly. 'All right, Children… Time to go back inside.'
Obediently, the children leapt from where Wolfwood was standing and all ran back inside. Wolfwood stood and brushed himself off and then faced the kind old woman. 'Ma'am…It's been awhile…'
The woman's heavy, aged eyebrows drooped when she looked up at him. 'It's been two years, Nicholas…' She seemed somehow upset with him, but happy that he was safe and alive. 'The children here…they missed you dearly…especially'
'I know, I know…How is she doing?' He questioned, generally concerned as he lit up another cigarette.
'For the first week that you were gone…all she did was lie in bed…neither moving or talking…She was truly devastated, Nicholas.' The old woman coughed into her elderly hands. Her coughing formed into a raging and violent hacking; Wolfwood eyed her with concern.
'You okay?' He asked with his cigarette sitting lopsided in his mouth.
Her coughing ceased abruptly as she tried to recollect herself. 'Yes, I'm fine…It's just this sandy air…it gets caught in my throat so easily…'
'Lets go inside…' He said gently, placing his hand on her shoulder softly.
She coughed again, this time not as loudly. 'But you must promise not to smoke inside, Nicholas…'
He glared at a sandstorm beginning not too far off in the distance and threw his cigarette on the ground. 'Of course, I remember…'
The inside of the orphanage was tidy, well kept, and yet somewhat dusty and unclean. A quick look at the ceilings and corners obviously told that dusting had not occurred for quite some time. Wolfwood sighed and hoped it would only get better for the small orphanage he had once started. He only aspired that he would one day get the money he needed to properly restore the orphanage. Suddenly aware of the unusual silence within the room he ventured further, down a long hallway with a shiny wooden floor.
'Excuse me…?' He turned a corner, in search of the old woman. 'Uhwere did she go so quickly?' He wondered out loud. She's just a little old woman and she managed to sneak away from me already.
He stopped'Oh well…'and turned around. This time something made him freeze almost entirely. 'Hey, it's you, Kitten!' He exclaimed happily, almost expecting a hug from her.
The young girl, no older than fifteen, starred up at him with a blank look, her hazel orange eyes starring up at him with little expression, if any at all. She had ruffled black hair, tied back with two short pigtails, barely holding all of her hair up. She was rough, skin tanned from life in the sun, she was also a tomboy, but a cute one at that, very feminine at first glance. Looks of excitement and sorrow crossed over her face at the same time, not sure how to react. 'Don't call me that anymore…I'm not a little kid anymore…My names Kat…' She retorted in her mildly scratchy, yet feminine and youthful voice.
'The ol' lady said you've been unusually quiet recently…' Wolfwood leaned casually against the wall. 'Usually you play with the little kids…your good with them, they really like you, you know…' He subconsciously reached into his pocket for a cigarette, but retracted his hand quickly, remembering that he promised not to smoke inside. 'Are you sick or something…?' He asked obliviously, letting his arms drop to his sides.
She sighed, barely audibly and leaned against the wall opposite Wolfwood. 'No…' She nervously grabbed her right arm with her left, crossing them against her chest. Wolfwood noticed her strange expression and somewhat nervous nature. He wondered quietly about Vash and the others. Especially Millie… What would he say to them when he returned…? He mentally quivered just thinking about it. How would he face them?
'You never said goodbye…not to me…or the other children…'
Wolfwood shot her a half apologetic stare, wondering if it was his fault that she had become so depressed. 'I'm sorry…Really I am…'
'Don't be. Not to me at least…be sorry for the children…they're still too young to realize that each time you leave you might not come back. I was just like them when I was little, wasn't I?' She kept starring at the wall, the empty space next to Wolfwood.
He felt awkward, usually he had at least a cigarette with him, or his punisher cross slung casually over his shoulder. Now he felt utterly empty and bare. He was sorry for all the people that he had hurt without even realizing it. She was right…the children would grow up and be angry of his frequent leavings. He also knew that his days were numbered. He had to destroy Vash, that was his purpose, wasn't it? To make Vash the stampede suffer… But he had grown close to him…along with the insurance girls.
'Kitten…I'm sorry.' He found himself repeating his words over, without anything better to say. He was unworthy of even being near the orphanage now.
'Just leave….and don't come back.' She muttered vainly, her head tilted foreword. Wolfwood could see visible tears that slid down her cheeks and hit the floor with a silent splash. 'I hate you.' She sobbed silently, teeth clenched.
Wolfwood lugged his heavy punisher weapon behind him, puddles of blood marking his path through the church. 'It didn't have to end this way, damn it!' He cursed in vain. The pain surged through his entire body as he made his way up to the alter, still pulling the cross strongly behind him. 'Is it too late…to ask for your forgiveness?' He muttered, removing a cigarette from his pocket and managing to light it up. 'It can't end this way…I don't want to die!'
'Kitten…' Wolfwood whispered quietly, trying to be sympathetic. Without a word of warning she buried her face into his chest, hitting him weakly while embracing him at the same time.
'Why do you have to leave again! Why!' She shouted, her voice muffled by his shirt.
'Don't worry…I'll come back…I promise.' He looked up at the ceiling, his hand on her small head, feeling the softness of her hair between his fingers.
'I can't die this way' He coughed blood onto the solid wood floor of the church. 'I promised the kids…at the orphanage…that I would…come backand Vash and the girls…Millie…'
Just in his last moments his mind raced with images of all the people he was leaving behind…then, with one last breath his cigarette dropped to the floor, his body drooped forward over the cross shaped weapon. Wolfwood passed away…despite his best efforts to live.
'There goes…Nicholas D. Wolfwood…'