Aruku = GO! Kodomo = Child
Chapter 12 – All of us Lost Children
April pressed her hand onto the creature's mouth, cutting off his scream. Large brown eyes, flecked with gold, scanned her face and then crossed as they looked at her hand on his mouth. They were the prettiest eyes she'd ever seen. She didn't want him to be scared. Biting her lip, she decided to try to talk to him.
"I'm not gonna hurt you," she said sweetly. "I wanna be friends. Okay?" Donnie looked up at her face and blinked as she went on slowly, "Do you know what friends means? Wait a minute, can you understand me?"
Donnie bobbed his head once. April's smile grew wider.
In the dappled light, Donnie could see her bright blue eyes sparkling and he felt some of his earlier fear dissipate. Still his heart was hammering at her close proximity. He'd never been so close to a human before. He never saw one the same age as him, least of all, a girl. He never saw one so . . . pretty. She looked like one of those paintings he'd seen in a tattered and water-damaged book he'd found once. Too cumbersome to lug back home and much too big to hide, Donnie was forced to flip through the pages and absorb what he could while he had the chance at the junkyard. His photographic memory taking in data and images as he quickly flipped the moist, heavy pages. Until he paused; breath catching in his throat. He remembered every detail of the page that stilled his hand. The painting that drew and held his attention until Leo called to him that it was time to go. The image of the beautiful lady standing in the sea shell at the edge of the sea with the angel blowing at her hair seared into his mind. That's who this girl reminded Donnie of; that lady in the painting. His throat swallowed reflexively.
A strong breeze made the leaves around them skitter and twist on their tiny stems. A lock of her dark red hair blew across her freckle-kissed face. Her hand was soft and warm against his lips. Carefully, she removed her hand and brushed the stray strand of hair away back behind one ear.
"Can you talk?" she asked with a slight turn of her head.
"Yes," he replied in a shy whisper. Cringing as he felt the familiar and awful need rise up, Donnie fought it, but couldn't hold it back. He immediately coughed; rolling his scrunched up face into the matted grass beneath his cheek, one fist pressed next to his chin. "Cugh, chugh! Cugh, cugh, cugh!" He couldn't stop the violent spasms making him finally gag and shudder. He rested his cheek on the cool grass as his heart galloped and his breathing slowly calmed from gasps to hitched panting.
April watched him with concern. His cough sounded tight and painful. She scooted closer, hunched over beneath the branches of the large bush shielding them from the rest of the park.
"That sounds like it hurts. I'm getting over a bad cough, too. Are . . . are you cold?" She noticed how he was shaking and an idea struck her. She pulled her backpack nearer and unzipped it. She pulled out a rolled up sweatshirt. "I don't have any band-aids. For your . . . uh, cuts," she told him. "But I have a sweater you can borrow."
Donnie shifted to raise up on his elbows and cringed. His back hurt so much. His head swam. He slowly laid back down in the grass and only stared up at April with his mournful, chocolate-colored eyes.
"You poor, poor thing," April whispered, her heart aching for him.
She wanted to stroke his cheek but decided that she'd probably only scare him so she forced herself to stay where she was. This was the most incredible moment of her life and there was little to nothing she could do to help her new special friend. She chewed on her bottom lip trying to think of what she could do to make him feel better. Carefully, she unrolled the dark purple sweatshirt against her stomach and lap. The front of the shirt showed an image of a giant white kitty hugging a smiling statue of liberty with the caption above and below it stating the invitation of "Hug Me in New York City!" It was a gift from her aunt when she and her father had moved here only a few months ago. It was big on her, really big so she figured it would easily fit him.
She started suddenly as the voice of her father called out for her; laced with frantic worry. Her mind raced as her eyes darted around. She nodded to herself as a plan formed.
"Nuts! I have to go. But will you promise to stay here? Right in this spot?" She spoke rapidly and then quickly threw the purple shirt over his shell. "Right here, okay? I'll come back a little later, but only if you stay here." She pointed at the grass.
With a quick glance into her backpack, she reached in and pulled out a small package of crackers sandwiched with bright orange cheese. Donnie's eyes darted to the food. His mouth filled with saliva and his empty stomach cramped.
"You hungry?"
Donnie nodded once and blinked. He was starving, literally. She handed the crackers to him and he reached out and gingerly took them from her with one hand.
"April! Where are you?"
"Oh man, please promise you'll stay here," she pleaded. "Please? Please-please-please?"
Donnie nodded, "o-okay," he finally said in a soft, hoarse voice.
April turned to go then paused as she whipped her head back to look at him one more time.
"My name's April. What's yours?" She paused. "You have a name, don't you?"
Donnie looked from the package of crackers up to the pretty girl biting her lip waiting impatiently for him to answer.
"Donatello . . . Donnie," he replied so quietly she almost didn't hear him.
He'd searched for the tags that his dad had taken from him when he was very little. He had gathered them up, not really knowing what they were at the time, but his clever mind knew they were important and something to keep. They belonged to him and his brothers and he wanted to keep them. His photographic memory had sealed the strange writing down in his mind, but he'd kept the tags inside the only possession he had in the whole world that exclusively belonged to just him and him alone: his toolbox. As he learned to read, he realized that the writing was actually names. And the long, strange names were his and his brother's. Their proper names.
April's smile seemed to light up the small space around him.
"Donnie," she repeated with a dreamy look in her eyes. Then she focused sharply on him once more. "I'll be back, okay? Donnie?"
Donnie nodded and watched her pantomime for him to stay put again before she spun around on her knees. He watched her shift and scramble through and out of the tangle of branches and tall weeds. Distantly he heard her breathlessly answer her father's insistent calls to her. Their voices faded, leaving Donnie laying in the grass, eyeing the crackers before he tentatively examined the package. His stomach rumbled as he fumbled open the plastic with shaking fingers. His mind raced as he chewed one after another of the crunchy, powdery, pungent food. He devoured the rest of the crackers and then licked the clear plastic. They were delicious. He only wished there were more. With a sigh, he shifted, pulling the sweater over his shoulders, suddenly feeling very, very tired.
The terrible events of the day faded away as exhaustion pulled him down to sleep. His last thoughts were of her blue eyes sparkling down at him through the dappled light and shadows surrounding him. And her voice repeating his name, "Donnie."
Yoshi ushered the sniffling children out into the tunnel in front of him; pushing them out from the only home they'd ever known. He had no time to be gentle and coaxing. Yoshi knew this was a lot for them to deal with, but he had to get back to the little one he'd left by the garbage dump. He'd been bleeding and no doubt traumatized from what was happening to him. Yoshi did not want to leave him, but in a rash moment, he chose to chase after the demon rat to his hole in the wall where he'd kept the little one's brothers. Part of him knew it was the only decision he could've made at the time. After all, he managed to save the rest of the children. He just needed to collect the little one left in the tunnel and they could go home and Yoshi would make them as comfortable as possible. There'd be time for explanations and introductions then. But for now, he had to hurry.
He started off with long, quick strides; cane held tightly in his grip; surpassing the scuffling, hesitant footsteps of the children in front of him. He hurried on but something nagged at him and he turned to turn to see the three turtle children huddled together; no longer following; the two smaller of the group clutching at the one in the middle with blue eyes. His arms were draped over their shoulders, both offering them comfort and supporting himself. His face was pained.
The smallest one in the bright, over-sized electric blue sweatshirt was crying; bottom lip trembling as he nibbled at his thumb. Eyes almost the same color as his shirt darted from him to the ground to his brother back to the ground in front of him. The thick-set one on the child's right was glaring at Yoshi with an eye that flashed gold in the dim light. The red of his sweatshirt only made the gold stand out in the shadows even more. His other eye was swollen and closed, bruised and blackened. Yoshi did not have to guess where he'd gotten that injury. But despite the black eye, Yoshi was reminded of his own strange eyes.
"Leo, we should just run, now," the one with amber eyes whispered in a not-so-quiet voice while tugging on his brother's arm.
Leo's dark eyes rose up and glanced at Yoshi sideways. He wore a filthy dark gray sweatshirt over a pair of light colored linen pants that were probably once someone's pajama bottoms. The cuffs were folded and rolled up over his bare feet to accommodate his height. He seemed to be weighing their options; going over a strategy in his mind for their escape. Yoshi could nearly see the wheels in his mind turning. The little naïve child did not realize that their 'escape' would lead them directly from the pan into the fire. Didn't they realize this was their rescue? Leo stepped back, pulling the other two with him. Yoshi stiffened. He raced around behind them and nudged them forward. They took several steps forward then stopped.
"Children, we must flee from this place. Please," Yoshi pleaded but was only met with a mixed set of expressions: defiance, apprehension and sadness. With a frustrated sigh, he glanced over his shoulder, they had only gone several yards from where he'd taken them. So far, they'd been lucky. The demon rat had chosen to remain hidden away instead of following or attacking him; coward that he was. But Yoshi wanted to get them away from this place. The quicker the better. And he had to retrieve their wounded brother. They had to get moving. He stepped closer and nudged them forward this time a little more roughly only to be met once again with hesitant reluctance as their collective heels dug into the rough ground. Yoshi huffed. They didn't have time to waste. He was quickly losing his patience. He needed to reach the injured one he'd left all alone in that tunnel, but he didn't want to upset the already distressed children by explaining just why exactly they had to hurry. He pushed them forward. The little one with the black eye spun around, tiny fangs bared.
"Back off!"
Yoshi's temper flared. His frustration and irritation got the better of him. He ground his teeth together and took a deep breath.
"Aruku!" he shouted. "Now!" He snarled; his booming voice echoed around them and down through the tunnel.
The children ducked and cringed back into a tight, trembling group. Their shells smacked against the brick wall as they fell away from him. Even the aggressive one dropped his head and fell back, cowering next to his older brother who positioned himself slightly in front of the other two. His blue eyes shining with fright. Yoshi noted this one continued to place himself protectively in front of his siblings despite his being in obvious pain. The youngest wailed and clutched the eldest tightly; pulling on the fabric of his sweatshirt. At their sudden panicked and frightened expressions, Yoshi immediately felt regret for using that tone. He blinked slowly and motioned with his hand to the eldest to continue on. He ducked his head and pulled his brothers away from the wall and started forward like they'd begun: his arms around their backs, protective and comforting.
Yes, Yoshi regretted scaring them. But in the end, it accomplished his goal. The little ones no longer hesitated but marched forward without any further hesitation or defiance.
"Good, good. Very good, children." Yoshi tried to smooth over his previous intimidation with gentle reassurances, but the children only flinched and hurried forward without a glance in his direction. With a sigh, Yoshi rolled his eyes and said a quick prayer for patience and guidance.
After what seemed an eternity, they reached the place of the lone child's torture. They came around the familiar bend in the tunnel to the space where the grate and the leather belts lay like a crime scene. Yoshi moved around the three children who looked about with confused, nervous glances, as his face and eyes darted all around. This was the correct spot. Wasn't it?
He spotted his discarded robe and fell on it. Gathering it into his fist, his eyes traveled to the spot where he'd left the injured little turtle. They widened as he noticed the twin streaks of blood that led to the edge of the overhang. He crouched and moving on his knees and one hand, crept along the trail, nose and whiskers twitching frantically as he tried to pick up the little one's scent. Dread coiled into a tight knot at the bottom of his stomach. His head felt light as his heart hammered in his throat.
"Kodomo," he called. "Child?" His voice sounded hollow and flat to his ears.
Did he fall into the water? But . . . how? Yoshi's mind raced as hot tears welled and burned his eyes; blurring the lines of his vision. Perhaps he passed out and tumbled forward? His shining eyes searched the water for any signs of the little one. But by the rushing current, he knew even if the turtle had fallen in, he'd have been swept away. On shaking legs, Yoshi stood. He moved slowly along the edge, scanning the water, until he reached as far as he could go. He leaned down and over, peering into the gaping opening of the large pipe where the water surged through and into in great foaming waves. He'd have been crushed . . . certainly drowned.
"No. Please, no," he murmured.
What have I done? Yoshi's head dropped as regret raked his heart and grief aged his soul. One trembling hand covered his brow as his eyes scrunched closed in pain. How could he have left the child in that state? He should have never left him here alone. The sound of metal scraping over concrete had Yoshi's head turning towards the other children. He blinked away the moisture and watched them from where he stood, feeling momentarily himself like a lost child in the dark; frightened and confused . . . lost.
"Hey! I know what this is! This is Donnie's toolbox," Raph gasped from where he knelt next to the large rusted box that he'd pulled closer. He looked up and frowned. "Leo, where is he?" he asked, expecting Leo to know.
Leo could only shake his head. He looked around the space. Took in the belts and how they were wrapped around the rusted bars of the large metal grate laying on the ground. The dark splotches of something staining the cement. His pulse began to beat uncomfortably in his throat. Then his eyes fell on the screwdriver near his feet; they widened with fear. He carefully and by inches, crouched down and lifted it to examine it closer. His face paled as he took in the bloody tip.
His youngest brother brought two hands up on either side of his cheeks and began to call for their missing sibling.
"Doooonnnnnniiiiieeeee," he called. "Dooonnnnnnieeeee?"
The sound of his sweet voice slashed further wounds into Yoshi's heart, for he knew there'd be no answer to the little one's desperate cries for his brother.
A/N: I am in the throes of battling some wicked writer's block. I hope this chapter lived up to the others. Sorry for the shortness. The image of a sweet little Mikey calling for Donnie was so sad to me. Be sure to check out my Deviantart page. I've posted some super cute images of the guys as little ones. And remember, please REVIEW!