The child remains with her head resting on the edge of the bed. Her red hair is barely noticeable in the darkness of the tiny room, and her eyes open slowly, as dark as the corners of the site. It flashes with exhaustion, and looks at the mother lying in front- has trouble breathing, and fingertips froze. All remedies heaped upon the old head, they did not serve for anything? Her mother did not improve on weeks, and the drugs would end, as well as the money they had.
"Mom..."
Her voice is almost a meow, weak and low enough to not wake the woman. No, she should get plenty of rest to get well, and the two get together again to fulfill their dreams and desires together. When the girl got sick, her mother always took care of her, with what little they had, and promised many sweets as her mother could get more money. Better, a big, sweet and very tasty cake to celebrate! But she did not have enough money for both.
The girl bites her lips, moistening them; never felt a taste of something different, only with her eyes, every time she passed through a storefront. Her clothes were thrown away by someone else, and would even wear her clothes of years ago, but she was in a growth phase. Oh, how bad it was growing up. She had more and more desires. Gradually she grew, and abandoned dreams, along with her mother. It was hard. All she wanted was for everything to get better.
And a beautiful, delicious cake.
She blinks again and realizes something in silence. The thing has red eyes, penetrated on her, and gently approaching - almost like a cat. What was that? For a few seconds, the girl was afraid, but felt so weak and unmotivated that nothing else mattered. Approached with curiosity, until see the creature altogether. It looked at her blankly, features, emotion, nothing.
"You want to become a magical girl?"
Even though its mouth did not move, that's what it said. She opens her mouth, but no words come out of her throat.
"Being a magical girl means you have power to fight against witches. I will fulfill any desire of yours in exchange for it. "
Her eyes widen, tongue passes her lips, already tasting the sweet streaming down those cheeks and white skin. The creature's eyes glow red in the most intense she had ever seen, like a demon seeing his victim burn in the flames of misunderstanding, but the girl just see red. A red hot and warm, ready to fulfill any desire.
"I just wanted... A cake. A good and colorful cake. "
She speaks without hesitation or fear, much less without thinking. She could only think about the cake, the damn cake.
Kyubey blinks and comes closer, confirming with its head. The girl felt an immense pain in her chest, and sees something being taken away from her, turning into a jewel-the creature seems just watch, even it was doing the act. It seemed to last forever, and she let out a long sigh at stop feeling the pain. On her knees, she notes the orange gem, a glittered so beautifully... Look at that gave her nostalgia, somehow. Finally looked forward to, but did not see the creature anymore.
Just a cake.
Three layers, pink and beige, it smelled like sugar and milk. Pure, sweet, delicious. Just as she always imagined. Could not express such happiness to have a wish fulfilled, no matter the price.
But before taking it, had to tell her mother. She remained the same; pale, cold, eyes closed. It was then that she finally realized... The mother was not breathing. She did not breathe as well as the child.
"Mommy?"
Her heart almost stopped when realized what she had done. Her hands were shaking too much to hold the hand that took care of her all this time. Her lips dried up, mind stopped, cold sweating and seemed to see nothing.
I could have saved her.
I could have saved her.
I could have saved her!
She again fell to her knees, tears coming out of her ink eyes, icy drops falling on her clothes.
Stupid! I could have saved her!
The tears are salty, taste and invades her being. Can feel her loneliness, guilt, in her screams, can feel the innocence being broken and thrown in the trash. Nothing could bring her mother back, and no cake in the world would replace that sweet smile, those sweet hands, those sweet hugs. She heard her own screams, dropping own despair on her face, the request for help that would never come. Wasted the only chance she had.
The orange became black. Black, dirty, impure, like the corners of that room, the color of her eyes, the depths of her soul, and the cake that and dripped whipped cream on the floor.