"Mister, are you alright?" A quiet question, floating on the cool autumn air.
"I...I'm fine." 'A grin, give the little thing a grin. Don't distress the poor thing with your weakness.' The side of his face pulled tight to do as told. Turning slowly with wet checks and redden eyes to see a sight he hadn't expected.
The small girl, no older then five watched the man curiously, deep in thought. Her pink tails reached beyond her shoulders, just stopping at her shoulder blades. Held in place with hair bands that pulled at her hair when their use was done. Decorated with red ribbon on either side to match her shines red shoes. A dress of lacy white, matching tights and tiny gloves. A beautiful red sash tide into a bow adorned her middle.
Dressed so pretty as if for a tea party, or a Sunday service, but it is a Thursday nor is it a holiday of any kind that one would dress so finely for. His brow raising with curiosity. He doesn't believe in ghosts, but he wonders for but a moment if one would look so from the many children that have met an awful fate in this small town.
She watched him just as curiously before she seemed to make up her mind on something.
"You must be very sad or hurt. I could hear you crying from the trail." She pointed to her right, staring up the path she had come from. "I cried like that when momma and daddy told me we were moving here…." The girl looked saddened and as if she might cry herself as she confessed her own sadness.
"It ... it is nothing. Merely bad dreams." He spoke quickly, standing slowly to face her. 'We must get rid of her. She can't stay around us.' But before he could say a word the girl did something he hadn't expected.
She looked a moment down at the ground before her, taking as step down the incline as best she could. The ground was slick though with debris and rocks. The bottom of her nice shoes slippery even upon pavement was all the worse here. Her arms flung up as her shriek filled the air as her footing gave, falling backwards.
At the last moment long strong arms caught her, pulling her close before she could hit the ground. Preventing her beautiful dress from being soiled by the surrounding mud and leaves.
"Careful! Are you alright small one?" 'Stop, don't ask. Place her down and leave.'
"Yes, thanks to you mister." She beamed a smile yet to lose a single baby tooth. Cheesy so bright and rosy.
"Why are you so finely dressed?" 'Don't ask questions, send her on her way!'
"Pictures. I start school soon and momma wanted me pretty for them. I'm so tired of wearing it all day." She pouted as she he carried carefully back to the top from where she had fallen. The forest was thick here and one could easily get lost in this part if one abandoned the trail. "I rather wear my pants and favorite shirt. I can't climb any trees in this."
He couldn't stop the chuckle that left him at her words. Such an explorer and quite different from other small girls he had encountered over the years.
"Where is your mother?" 'Let the child wander alone. It'll find its own way home.'
"Back at school talking to the grown ups. I got bored. It's so different here. I wanted to explore." She shrugged, looking about even now in awe of the scenery. Such a curious child. Not many adults would find this forest of interest, and the children of town often found it frightening and stayed far from it when IT was awake.
"She'll be worried if she can't find you." 'Not the first nor the last a parent shall worry.'
She reached suddenly up with her tiny gloved hand, wiping away a tear from the his face that he had some how missed.
"You were crying. It must have been a really bad dream to make you cry."
She stares at him with such concern that he'd never seen or felt given towards him by a single living soul. Not even the Turtle, it had only been a lie…. A lie he had believed so much.
But this small child actual cared.
'Don't grow attached. They grow up. Wither away then die. Their bodies feed the weeds. Only hurt will come from this. Stop before it's too late.'
''It would be a pain I'm willing to suffer for one that cares for one like me. Please, let me have this one for myself. We take so many….''
'...this once...to keep you calm and appeased. Happy and well. To keep to entertain you and your mind from wandering to what we do. We shall keep her. Protect her. She is fragile. They die so easily. But in exchange you will forget. Everything you've known until this point must be forgotten and locked away. And when the day comes that this frail child dies, only then will you remember. Do we wish for this so badly to lose it all?'
''I'll never let anything happen to her. As long as she lives in Derry, she'll be safe. I'd lose my memories a thousand times over for this one chance.''
'When did we become so soft?' He sighed deeply.
"What's your name small one?" A smile growing upon his lips as he watched her curiously, entertained already by this small girl.
She giggled at his question. Oh how sweet it sounded. Like wind chimes. "you talk funny. I'm Linda." She smiled, arms wrapped around his neck, keeping her safe and secure as he climbed the slip slop.
His smile only growing bigger, he chuckled answering, "I'm Bobby. Would you like to be my friend?"
"Sure!" She squealed with glee. "My first friend here. It's nice to meet you Bobby." She hugged him tight, burying her face in his shoulder.
He stiffened unused to such such close and emotional forms of contact. Relaxing slowly, as he sighed, he could grow to like human contact like this.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Linda."
He took a moment to free one hand. Easily holding Linda in his other arm. He pulled a shiny red balloon as if out of thin air, offering it with a charming smile to her. Linda was captivated by it and in awe by such gift presented in such amazing way. A magic trick. Oh how she loved such things.
"Now lets get you back. Too many children have gotten lost out here." 'All of them delicious and tastily full of fear.'
Linda looks saddened by his words as she took the ballon, letting Bobby set her back on her own feet upon reaching the top of the incline.
"They must be so scared." She looked about as if she might find them right then and there. "I want to become a cop some day. Then I can help all of them find their way home."
Bobby smiled sadly, "That is a very noble cause small one. Perhaps you shall one day be the greatest cop to ever live in Derry." 'Perhaps even one that could see through even us…'
She smiled, giggling with a blush at his comment. "You really think so? Thank you Bobby."
Bobby offered his hand, her taking it as he guided them back up the trail to the school. Pausing at the edge of the woods. He began staring with uncertainty and unease at the horizon.
"What's wrong Bobby?"
Linda squeezed his hand trying to comfort him.
"I am already beginning to forget..."
He continued to stare into the distance as the memories began to fade. Not just the past year, but the years before that and so on. His entire life disappearing.
"I...I'm afraid..."
Linda wrapped her arms tight around him. Confused by his words, but trying her best to help her new friend.
"Don't worry Bobby, I'll stay here with you. I won't leave alone. It'll be okay."
'Enjoy your time...while it lasts...'
Bobby broke his gaze from the orange sky line, the autumn suns light fading as it set. Looking down to the small girl holding to him. A bright smile replaced the look of fear.
"Hello. What's your name small one?"
