CHAPTER 3:
Julia smiled as she heard her back door open and close. Her stranger was back.
While he might not have known, Julia knew he was there. Even for her old frail age, her ears still worked.
Julia didn't know who he was or why he always stopped by her house, but he would often steal her husbands old clothes. Julia didn't mind, no one was using them anyway. But tonight. Tonight was different. Her stranger was mumbling to himself and releasing what sounded like hisses.
She kept her eyes focused on the tv as he rummaged through her things.
After a few more minutes, Julia broke her silence.
"what in heavens are you looking for?"
Silence
"don't play dumb with me Mr., I am 90 years old and I may be dying but I know when someone is around. And I know you aren't human; I have met other species before. You about me I will be dying soon. Now what in the world are you looking for?"
Julia's eyes were still glued to the tv when her stranger spoke.
"..I…I…someone I know is sick…I need…clothes, food, medicine."
"very well, take what you need." She said without looking back.
"do ... do you have clothes for a girl?"
"upstairs, room on your right. "she gestured.
There was silence before he spoke again...
"what do… what do you use for sickness…um…coughing? Wheezing?"
Julia's eyebrows arose.
A child what could her stranger possibly be doing with a child? Coughing? wheezing, sounded more like the need for a doctor or a hospital.
"there are some pills and cough syrup in the bathroom. If you need food, check the fridge."
There a few sounds of opening and closing and then silence.
"stranger? "Julia called not knowing if he would be able to hear her. "If you need to. You can always come back and bring the girl with you. I won't tell anyone. Sometimes we all need help."
No one responded.
….
Alistair was quick to return to the little girl as he came out the water.
He couldn't believe the old had recognized what he was. However, the women had been right, she was dying so killing her would be a waste of time. It was why Alistair would break into her house. He knew she was dying, and he thought she was too old to recognize anything, but he had been wrong. Instead, she knew he was there and had happily offered her home to him.
Alistair shook his head at the absurdity of it all. First the strange little girl and now this strange old dying women.
He shook the water from his hard skin and quickly dumped the sealed garbage bag with the stolen goods.
Shirts, dresses, socks, underwear. He had no clue if anything would fit but he had to try.
As he approached, he noticed the girl lay unmoving. The fire dying out a while ago. He froze, praying he would hear a heartbeat and to his relief he did.
But it was the girls breathing that had him concerned.
Ok, what do I do next? Want do humans need? What do human children need?
Looking at her, he realized he should probably change the girls clothes.
As he undressed the still unconscious girl, he growled as he saw her skin. It was covered in bruises and scratches as if she had been fighting with something.
Alistair closed his eyes as he felt shame at his previous actions.
Mother would be ashamed. How could I hurt a child? Especially a little girl?
Alistair was once again surprised as his mothers smiling happy face shone through his mind.
Finished dressing the girl, he restarted the fire and pulling the water and medicine the old women had recommended.
With gentle hands, he shook the girl.
"hey Ferch, time to get up." He said, as his mother's native tongue slipped from his lips.
The girl twitched and then released an agonizing scream.
"no! no! please!" she begged.
Alistair shook the girl a little harder.
"hey, hey now ferch! Your fine, your fine! Open your eyes plentyn!" he yelled.
The little girl opened her eyes with a gasp and Alistair realized just how small she truly was.
"now. None of that screaming. You're sick...and humans need medicine when there sick. So, take this..."
He said handing her the pills and water.
The child of course, looked at him as if he had a third eye.
Alistair sighed.
He might just need the old women's help after all.