A/N: Okay so I lied. There is a hint about Rain at the bottom but I decided to chop that chapter in half and now you get this one and the one following it... Rain really will be explained, I promise.
I went to where Chris stood. He was still holding Sherry, the little girl's face buried in his shoulder. I looked at him for a second and then lightly rubbed Sherry's back. She turned to me.
"You okay, kiddo?" I asked quietly, concern evident in my voice.
She nodded again and held her arms out to me. I took her, shielding her eyes from the gore as I left the room. I paused when I heard Rain's voice call my name. But I shook my head and she quieted. We went through the hall and were back in the bedroom. I sat her down on the bed and looked around the room. There was a chair in one dark corner. I pulled it over to the bed and sat down.
"Sherry, have you had anything to eat?"
Sherry nodded, her brown hair covering most of her face. This sucked. I didn't know what to do with the girl. I was a guinea pig, not a therapist. I pushed her hair behind an ear and she looked up at me, her eyes wide. I wondered what I should do. If I still had nightmares, I knew she would too.
"Sherry, have you slept at all?" This time, the little girl shook her head no.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
"Of the big monsters?" I asked, guessing the answer and praying I was wrong.
She nodded. I breathed an internal sigh of relief. I was wrong. I was afraid she was going to tell me that she was afraid of me. I thought about it for a second and then, "Tell you what, kiddo. I'll sit here and watch out for the monsters. But you have to take a nap."
Sherry made a face. "I don't like naps," she said.
I smiled. "I don't either. But you have to sleep so we can get out of here."
Sherry smiled her tiny smile and slowly nodded her head. "Will you tell me a story?"
I almost laughed and then caught myself. "Sure. Lie back. And you have to close your eyes." She did as she was told, the faint smile still on her lips.
"Once upon a time there was a princess. She had long hair and always wore beautiful dresses, usually powder blue." Sherry giggled. "Shhh... Now, where was I? Now, since you're awake, what should I name this princess? Maybe...Sherry?"
"Now, Sherry, like all princesses, lived in a beautiful castle, guarded by a..." I was on the verge of describing a monster, but I stopped. Sherry had seen enough monsters. "Huge, fluffy pink bunny. Sherry loved the Bunny because he was her friend. He was never mean to her and guarded her from everything..." I stopped talking, as I heard Sherry's breathing slow. She had fallen asleep. I quietly swiveled the chair so that it was cattycorner to the door and the bed. I slowed my breathing, but I was in no way asleep. I was concentrating and listening to the sounds around and inside this room. I had made up my mind. Nothing was going to get this little girl.
About a half an hour later by my internal clock, the door opened and Rain slipped inside. I was standing beside the door, a punch aimed at her face. I saw who it was and stopped, watching her eyes widen slightly. I had surprised Rain. I dropped my fist, hand at my side. I re-took my seat and watched Rain as she regained control over her emotions.
"Do you want to go outside? I don't want to wake up the kid," Rain said, nodding towards the
sleeping girl. I shook my head no.
"I...No. Just speak quietly."
Rain quietly closed the door and then pulled a chair from the other corner of the room. She stared at me for a while before speaking. "We need to leave. Unfortunately, there's no way to know what's going on anywhere else."
Rain paused again, her dark eyes unreadable. "Why do you care so much about her?"
I took a moment to answer. "I don't know." I was lying. Did she know it? The truth was, I felt protective of Sherry. We had both managed to live through things that should've, by all accounts, driven us insane, and yet we lived.
"Isn't she just dead weight?"
I felt my eyes flash. I was mad at Rain for her callousness. Maybe she was right, but that didn't
stop me from caring. I took a breath and thought.
"Why did you help those other people?" I asked, my voice clear, the anger hidden.
Again, I saw Rain struggle with her emotions and the answer to my question.
"Two hours, Alice. Maybe less. Then we're gone. Leave the kid behind or don't. Do what you want."
I felt like protesting, arguing for the necessity of keeping Sherry alive but stopped. It would be a waste of time and words to attempt to change Rain's mind, once it was made up. She stood and was at the door almost faster than even my eyes could follow. She paused on her way out and spoke: "Sometimes, I don't understand humanbehavior."
So, what did Rain mean? Any guesses? Let me know what you think: Review! And have a good night and a pleasant tomorrow.
Jelena