1 The Final Wish
"What'd the colonies do to deserve all this rain?" Duo wondered. He climbed over the rubble from the recent Oz destruction, "you'd think they'd have the decency to leave me some useable scrap metal from those junky suits!" He dug around. Pretty useless. He wondered what in Hell had possessed him to search in such horrid weather, "if there's one thing I just can't stand, it's a soggy braid!"
"Help!" a timid voice cried out pitifully.
"Huh?" he looked about.
No-one.
"Help!" it was the same little voice.
"Hello?" he felt stupid, calling on someone he couldn't see.
"Help!"
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Over here !" the disembodied voice squeaked.
"Where?" he stepped to where he thought the voice was coming from, "here?"
"Help me, please!"
Something looked unusual about the sheet of metal in front of him.. maybe it was the fact that there was a small foot just visible form under it.
"Wait a second..?!" he gasped.
It wasn't a large sheet, and not particularly heavy, so he managed to prise it up and get it to one side.
"Don't hurt me, please!"
It was the source of the voice. It was a small girl , she couldn't be older than seven.
"Hey, it's alright, I won't hurt you...i better get you outta here." he went to pick her up. She screamed. He shrunk back.
"It hurts!" she wailed.
He noticed the blood on the little girl's dress. It had taken the shape of a rose, new petals blooming, spreading.
"Oh man..."
What could he do? He couldn't move her. If he didn't she'd die, if he did, she'd go into shock. He couldn't just leave this innocent little girl.
"Don't move me," she begged, "it hurts too much."
"I can't just leave you here," he pointed out, " you need medical help. and I ain't no doctor," he murmured sadly.
"Just.don't leave me..alone. in the darkness."
"I promise I won't," he took her hand and squeezed it.
"Thank you mister," she said politely
"I ain't that old!" he exclaimed, "what's your name, little girl?" he asked. He had to keep her mind off the pain, and her spirit high.
"My name's Beth Lei, but everyone calls me Pipsqueak, 'coz I'm so small and I'm 5 years old," she informed him, "what about you?"
"I'm Duo and I'm 15."
"If only I was10 years older," she said wistfully.
He couldn't help but laugh. Her grip loosened.
"Hey, don't you dare!" he ordered.
"I'm just so tired.. I just want my heart to be light again."
"Your wise beyond your years kid," he patted her head softly.
"My Grandma taught me that if something like this did happen to me, not to blame anyone.. that's just wrong."
"Your Grandma was a wise woman."
"She taught me everything I know," she said proudly. She coughed violently.
"Hey..don't.you dare.", his heart was full of sorrow. She was 5 years old. She was going to miss out on so many experiences. At least she had no hate.
"I'm going to go to sleep now.." she murmured.
"Oh no you ain't.just talk to me," he begged.
" My heart will be light again..and I can see Mommy," her eyes filled with tears, "will you do something for me Duo...my final wish..?"
"Sure, if I can," he promised.
" Look after Mr. Kitty," she handed him a small stuffed cat.
"No problem."
"Goodnight," her eyes slowly fluttered closed.
"Huh?!" he gasped. Her hand went limp and slipped out of his, "Pipsqueak!?!"
Now, the poor child was free of pain.
'Forever sleeping'
It started to rain harder. Duo did the only decent thing he could do. He buried her. He looked for something he could use to mark the grave. That's when he saw it. A small white rosebush, untouched by the destruction. There was one left. He picked it, and placed it as a marker. He looked at the cat, then the makeshift grave.
" Sleep well Pipsqueak, may your heart finally be light again."
"What'd the colonies do to deserve all this rain?" Duo wondered. He climbed over the rubble from the recent Oz destruction, "you'd think they'd have the decency to leave me some useable scrap metal from those junky suits!" He dug around. Pretty useless. He wondered what in Hell had possessed him to search in such horrid weather, "if there's one thing I just can't stand, it's a soggy braid!"
"Help!" a timid voice cried out pitifully.
"Huh?" he looked about.
No-one.
"Help!" it was the same little voice.
"Hello?" he felt stupid, calling on someone he couldn't see.
"Help!"
"Where are you?" he asked.
"Over here !" the disembodied voice squeaked.
"Where?" he stepped to where he thought the voice was coming from, "here?"
"Help me, please!"
Something looked unusual about the sheet of metal in front of him.. maybe it was the fact that there was a small foot just visible form under it.
"Wait a second..?!" he gasped.
It wasn't a large sheet, and not particularly heavy, so he managed to prise it up and get it to one side.
"Don't hurt me, please!"
It was the source of the voice. It was a small girl , she couldn't be older than seven.
"Hey, it's alright, I won't hurt you...i better get you outta here." he went to pick her up. She screamed. He shrunk back.
"It hurts!" she wailed.
He noticed the blood on the little girl's dress. It had taken the shape of a rose, new petals blooming, spreading.
"Oh man..."
What could he do? He couldn't move her. If he didn't she'd die, if he did, she'd go into shock. He couldn't just leave this innocent little girl.
"Don't move me," she begged, "it hurts too much."
"I can't just leave you here," he pointed out, " you need medical help. and I ain't no doctor," he murmured sadly.
"Just.don't leave me..alone. in the darkness."
"I promise I won't," he took her hand and squeezed it.
"Thank you mister," she said politely
"I ain't that old!" he exclaimed, "what's your name, little girl?" he asked. He had to keep her mind off the pain, and her spirit high.
"My name's Beth Lei, but everyone calls me Pipsqueak, 'coz I'm so small and I'm 5 years old," she informed him, "what about you?"
"I'm Duo and I'm 15."
"If only I was10 years older," she said wistfully.
He couldn't help but laugh. Her grip loosened.
"Hey, don't you dare!" he ordered.
"I'm just so tired.. I just want my heart to be light again."
"Your wise beyond your years kid," he patted her head softly.
"My Grandma taught me that if something like this did happen to me, not to blame anyone.. that's just wrong."
"Your Grandma was a wise woman."
"She taught me everything I know," she said proudly. She coughed violently.
"Hey..don't.you dare.", his heart was full of sorrow. She was 5 years old. She was going to miss out on so many experiences. At least she had no hate.
"I'm going to go to sleep now.." she murmured.
"Oh no you ain't.just talk to me," he begged.
" My heart will be light again..and I can see Mommy," her eyes filled with tears, "will you do something for me Duo...my final wish..?"
"Sure, if I can," he promised.
" Look after Mr. Kitty," she handed him a small stuffed cat.
"No problem."
"Goodnight," her eyes slowly fluttered closed.
"Huh?!" he gasped. Her hand went limp and slipped out of his, "Pipsqueak!?!"
Now, the poor child was free of pain.
'Forever sleeping'
It started to rain harder. Duo did the only decent thing he could do. He buried her. He looked for something he could use to mark the grave. That's when he saw it. A small white rosebush, untouched by the destruction. There was one left. He picked it, and placed it as a marker. He looked at the cat, then the makeshift grave.
" Sleep well Pipsqueak, may your heart finally be light again."
