So this chapter is sort of dramatic, but not with out good reason. It is much shorter and doesn't have any flashbacks in it. :( But I think it is still good.
Maria glanced around at the children, who were all nibbling very slowly on their sandwiches. Kurt, being the exception, had already finished his. Maria couldn't bring herself to eat, she was too nauseous. She knew that the nausea was a result of a combination of nerves and the fact that she had not eaten, but it didn't make much of a difference. She felt as the mere smell of the pickles on her sandwich was contorting her stomach.
"Children, don't drink all of your water at once." She suggested. "We still have quite a walk ahead of us."
"I need to sleep." Louisa complained, lying back on the grass.
"There's no use sleeping now." Kurt told her. "It's just about to get light."
"How do you know that?" She elbowed him.
"I just do."
"You do not." She elbowed him again. "You're stupid."
"You're stupid."
"Louisa, Kurt." Maria interjected. "Please."
Both of them closed their mouths, glancing nervously at her.
"You may sleep until the sun comes out. It shouldn't be for a few hours."
All of them lay back and rested their heads in the grass. Maria attempted sleep as well, but she couldn't bring herself to close her eyes.
She stared at the twinkling stars. She remembered when she was younger and she used to run into the mountains at night. She didn't have a care in the world then, and she would lie on top of her mountain and gaze at the little sparkles in the sky. Not even the glimmering lights could bring her comfort now.
She shifted uncomfortably and noticed a rock jamming into her backside. Sitting up, she looked around at the sleeping children. She counted six heads. Her eyes widened when she realized one was missing. She jumped instinctively to her feet, counting one more time to be absolutely positive.
Her heart racing, she squinted into the darkness around her. She saw what she thought might have been a figure, sitting several yards away from the rest of the group, and walked towards it. To her relief, Brigitta was sitting there, her head tilted up toward the sky, her legs curled up to her chest.
"Brigitta, you scared the living daylights out of me." Maria gasped, taking a seat next to Brigitta.
"I'm sorry mother." Brigitta apologized. "It's just, I couldn't sleep."
"Why's that?"
"I was thinking about father." She said glancing at Maria. "And I just couldn't keep my mind from wondering. I started to imagine him all bruised and battered, locked away in a cell for eternity or…"
Maria pulled her into a hug, feeling her trembling against her chest and hearing her soft muffled tears. She rocked Brigitta gently back and forth, looking upwards in an attempt to prevent her own tears from falling.
Brigitta lifted her head, tears streaking down her face. "I don't like to read about violent things." She explained. "In violent stories, innocent people always get hurt. I don't understand why anyone would try to take my father away from me, when I did nothing wrong."
Maria kissed her forehead. "It's alright, darling."
"But it isn't." Brigitta insisted. "Because we might never see him again. I might never get to call him father ever again. He was just starting to come back to his old self and now he's gone and left."
"He didn't leave you." Maria looked her straight in the eyes. "Your father loves you unconditionally. He would never leave us by choice. He would never abandon us if he could help it."
Brigittas eyes shimmered. "You said 'loves'." She whispered. "Don't you mean 'loved'?"
Maria stared blankly at her, not knowing how to respond. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but closed it a moment later.
Brigitta lay her head back on Maria's chest and eventually her body relaxed into a peaceful slumber in Maria's arms.
She lie back in the grass, still hugging Brigitta to her, and resumed studying the stars, which disappeared as light slowly bled into the dark sky.
As per usual, suggestions and criticism are welcome and reviews make my day. Thanks for reading!
