Chapter Four : Talim's Somewhat Perfect Day

Talim opened her eyes one bright Fillipino morning. Boy, did she feel great! She could tell that this was going to be a good day from just sitting up in bed!

She threw back her pink blankets and hopped out of bed to go and feed her little bird. "Good morning, Alun!" she said cheerfully, putting some mixed bird seed into a little dish in his stereotypical bird cage (you know the one you always see parrots in when you go into the pet store? Yup) then smiled at him as he tweeted and hopped down to the food and began pecking at it.

After getting dressed and making up her bed, she went into the kitchen where her whole entire family (comprised of her parents and grandmother) were waiting for her at the table with her place already set with eggs, bacon, toast, and orange juice.

Wow! What a splendiferous day! thought Talim happily, eating politely.

She helped her mom with the dishes and then went outside to frolic in the morning sun and maybe do other things a fifteen-year-old girl would do.

She stopped frolicking when she reached a hill that overlooked the entire village. Breathing in the clean air, she smiled warmly and watched as several butterflies fluttered around her before she sat down to enjoy the view.

"My, this day has been wonderful!" she said to herself. "Why, the only way this could get any better would be if-"

"Excuse me, but would you like this big cake that I just made but couldn't possibly eat?" asked a random neighbor of hers.

"I couldn't possibly take that!" Talim said, holding up her hands.

"I'd be insulted if you DIDN'T," chuckled the neighbor, then shoved the cake into her hands.

"Thank you!" giggled Talim, but then she looked troubled. "But... I don't have anything to eat it with..."

The neighbor whipped out a fork and knife, along with a plate. "There you go!"

"You've got to be the best neighbor ever!"

"What a nice girl you are!" chuckled the neighbor, blushing. "Well, I'm afraid I've got to go. See you later."

"Good-bye," called Talim, then ate the cake in portions. She wouldn't want an upset stomach on such a perfect day! She only ate about two-thirds of it, and had the whole big bottom half left, but she figured she'd save that for another day as a momento to this wonderous day. "Nobody can ruin this day. Absolutely... nobody!"

But she was taken aback as a shadowy figure walked up behind her and made her jump and nearly topple down the hill. "Oh! You startled me!" She giggled. "But I'm sure you didn't mean to."

The only reply she got was a questioning one in a garbled language that she didn't understand.

"Um... excuse me?" she asked.

The person repeated what they'd previously said. Talim figured it was a man by the bulging muscles in his right arm and the way it stood, even if it was a creepy suit of armor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that..."

Nightmare rolled his eyes. Humans were so annoying. "I said: I WILL TAKE YOUR SOUL, YOU PATHETIC GIRL," he said for the third time. She replied in Fillipino, and he was sure that he was never going to get through to her now. "Fine, you know what? I'll just TAKE THIS CAKE."

He did take the cake, and then opened his visor and wolfed the whole thing down right there, making sure to savor the taste so that it would be THAT MUCH more painful for the little girl. She looked heartbroken.

"There! I didn't want to do that but you forced me to!" shouted Nightmare, irate. "That's what you get for not being multi-lingual! I walk in your land and yet, you cannot speak a hint of English!" But then he remembered that he wasn't speaking English either. "Oh, right... GERMAN."

Talim was sad now. This big guy had just ruined her PERFECT DAY! That was rather mean of him...

"Hey! Why'd you do that, you big meanie?" she DEMANDED of him. She didn't care if she had to be rude- this man needed to EXPLAIN his actions!

He chuckled, then turned to leave, bidding her farewell in that odd language of his. She just glared at his back until he was gone.

"Argh! This has been the WORST DAY of my LIFE!" screamed Talim, pulling on her own braids. "That armored FA-REAK will PAY!" And she chased after him, pummeled him, and got her revenge.

Talim must have sensed the change in the winds, for she looked to the sky and smiled.