The kind old lady stormed a second-floor apartment, me still in tow. With the door flung open, she yelled into the depths, "Fern! Grab me a blanket and bring it to the kitchen, now! Then a change of clothes and take them to the bathroom."
"What have you done now, you old fogey?" came as a response echoing from the small abode's walls.
"Just do it," she called back, nodding to herself, seemingly satisfied enough with the response.
"Now." Turning on her heel, she removed her hand from my wrist and proceeded to close the door behind me. "We need to get some food in you, first and foremost." She circled around to my back and pushed me forwards. I had accepted that there was no way I was getting out of this for now, so resigned myself to her care and no longer resisted her urging.
She turned me into the first doorway to our left and a quaint kitchen and dining room appeared before me. She guided me over to the dining chair closest to the windows, almost pushing me down into the seat. I was still reeling a bit from the whirlwind that was this old lady and her kindly whims when she suddenly just left me there.
Being in a house after two nights of sleeping rough felt a bit odd, especially when it was a stranger's house. I fidgeted nervously in the chair, unsure whether I should just sit there and wait till she returned. I wanted to help out in some way, particularly because of her elderly status, but I didn't know the location of anything in the house nor what she was intending to grab or do. I looked to my fidgeting feet and shoes that were still on them. I briefly considered removing them but decided against it. If my body smelled the way it did currently, my feet wouldn't be any better. In fact, they might be worse, and I didn't intend to subject her to that horror.
Footsteps approached the kitchen, so I looked up only to be faced with a completely unfamiliar face.
He paused, staring at me with a blanket in hand.
"Well I'll be damned." Poking his head back out into the hallway, he yelled further in, "Picking up strays are we now, Malru?"
"No need to be rude, dear." The old lady Malru came rushing through the doorway, giving the man (presumably Fern) a shove with her hip on the way through.
She brought the tub of water and cloth she was carrying closer and placed it on the table, motioning me to come closer. I acquiesced to her insisting and approached the steaming tub, feeling the warmth radiate from it.
"Dip your hands in, dearie. I'll be back with soap in a sec so you can wash them properly, but for the moment you can wash your face with that cloth."
And then she was gone again as quickly as she came. I tentatively dipped a finger in the water, feeling out the temperature and whether I might burn my hands with it, but it seems Malru had achieved the perfect temperature.
Hands now immersed, a shiver ran down my spine after feeling the warmest I have in days. I wiped my hands together and watched as a definitive dirt tan line appeared at my wrists. I knew I was gross and filthy right now, but I didn't realise how much muck covered my skin. Apparently it was enough to change the colour of my complexion. I guess sleeping on the ground surrounded by garbage bags would do that to a person.
Ready to clean elsewhere, I grabbed the cloth, wetting it thoroughly, and then just plastered it on my face. I tried to be somewhat gentle so I didn't make a mess on their nice clean floor and table—water did splash onto my clothing in the process, but I didn't care about that. I breathed in the scent of the warm, clean water and just revelled in it for a moment.
"How's the water, dear?"
I smiled behind the cloth, so relieved and happy in this moment.
"It's great," I responded with a sigh. Removing the cloth from my face, I turned to look Malru in the eyes. "Thank you. Really."
She smiled back with her lovely and kind old granny smile. "You're welcome." Then her smile dropped, and she turned back into her whirlwind self. "But you can thank us later. Right now, you need to finish washing up so we can get you fed, cleaned and rested." She rushed off into the kitchen to presumably whip some food up for me.
Realising she got the tub of water so I could clean my hands and face before I ate, I quickly finished up with wiping my face and properly cleaned my hands with the soap she gave me. I dried my hands and face with the small towel she had apparently gotten when she grabbed the soap.
Immediately, warmth enveloped me as a blanket was draped over my shoulders. I turned to find Fern behind me, a somewhat cheeky smirk on his face.
"I guess we gotta take care of you now that Malru's picked you up."
Just as Malru had earlier, he guided me down into the seat, now wrapped in the blanket he provided. Before I could help, he grabbed the wash tub, cloth and soap I'd used and took it away to clean.
Honestly, it was all a bit overwhelming. Malru had been so kind to me and then forced the situation upon Fern, but he didn't resent me for it. Instead he seemed to be perfectly fine with taking care of me, even if it might only be for the sake of Malru. This old couple was too kind.
My eyes warmed and my throat began to constrict at how fortunate I was to have met these angels in disguise.
"Here we go," Malru announced as she placed a plate of sandwiches in front of me. "Eat as much as you want. I can whip up as many as you like."
I tried to blink back the threatening tears and swallow down the catch in my throat so I could respond. "Thank you," I managed to force out, hoping it didn't sound too strangled.
I took a ham sandwich in my hands, inspecting the beautifully crafted sandwich briefly before taking a generous bite. Warmth immediately sprung back to my eyes—the sandwich was delicious. I knew it wasn't literally the best sandwich I had ever tasted, but it was damn good and may as well have been ambrosia at this point.
I was so starved that after swallowing the bite, my stomach protested. Being without food for a few days and just digesting itself instead had confused my stomach and made it unable to recognise food as good. I just kept eating though. I didn't care if it made me have a stomach-ache later, just as long as my hunger stopped and my energy was restored.
Malru placed a glass on the table and filled it with water while I ate her food heartily. The sight of the clean, fresh, cold water made my salivating mouth suddenly feel bone dry. I placed my half-eaten sandwich down on the plate and gulped down the glass of water with vigour, revelling in the taste of clean water and the partial cleansing of my mouth.
Concentrating on the feeling of the cold liquid flowing down my oesophagus and into my stomach, I heaved a small sigh. The warmth of the blanket, the smell of the house, the presence of food and drink, along with this familiar sensation were so calming.
I grabbed my sandwich and took another bite just when Malru decided to speak up.
"Oh, I don't think I ever introduced myself. I'm Malru Cade. Feel free to just call me Malru," she offered from a chair beside me at the table with her signature kind smile gracing her face. Just before she continued, though, it morphed into a smirk. "And that rude old fart from before is my husband Fern. Don't mind his teasing, he doesn't mean anything nasty by it." Her face in this moment was very reminiscent of the smirk Fern made earlier when he gave me the blanket. This couple were really just too cute and sweet.
Realising I should probably introduce myself I hurried to chew and swallow the food I had in my mouth as fast as possible. After what felt like an age, I had an empty mouth and could finally reciprocate the introduction.
"It's lovely to meet you, Malru. My name's Erin Haynes," I responded with a pleasant smile on my face.
"Erin. A beautiful name to match a beautiful girl."
I didn't really believe the compliment, taking it more as a simple pleasantry, but that didn't stop me from getting a small blossom of warmth in my heart after hearing it.
We sat in comfortable silence as I finished the assortment of sandwiches she'd served and she enjoyed her own smaller serve. Malru snatched up the empty plates the moment I was done, offering to make more sandwiches but I declined. She'd already piled more than 2 serves worth of sandwiches on the plate originally so I didn't need any more.
I stood and stretched my body, enjoying the feeling of a full stomach after days of a whining void. I took one final swig of water before Malru ushered me off towards the bathroom.
"There should be a towel and a set of clothing for you to change into on the bench. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable, but you'll have to make do with my spare underwear for the moment. We can't have you putting your dirty clothing back on after you just cleaned yourself."
I might have been uncomfortable with it at any other time, but right now I just didn't care. I wanted to get clean and stay clean after my shower. "That's fine, Malru. I just appreciate being able to have clean underwear to put on."
Her concerned face softened at that. "Oh, Erin dear…" She let it hang in the air for a second before regathering herself. "The shampoo's in the clear bottle and the conditioner in the opaque one. The soap is in the pump bottle on the ground. You can use the silver comb in the top drawer of the vanity for your hair. Call out if you need anything else."
Alone in the bathroom, I took the first good look at myself I'd had in days. My hair was an oil slick, bubbles everywhere in the ponytail. The clothing I'd sported for the past few days had smears of dirt in various places. I touched my cheeks, noting the rosiness that usually coloured them was gone, the rest of my typically warmer golden complexion turned a sickly pale colour. My eyes were circled in red and slightly sunken from the lack of sleep, the usually purple underneath of my eyes exacerbated and accentuated.
To be frank, I looked a right mess. It wasn't like I didn't assume I'd appear as such. I knew what to expect, but seeing it stare back at me in the mirror was a different experience.
As I took in my full body appearance, I noticed the difference in colour between my face and arms. One finger tucked under my shirt sleeve, I lifted to reveal a harsh line of contrast. My exposed arms had been coated with dirt picked up by the winds blowing through the streets and lining the floor of the alleyway I slept in.
Hitching up the sleeve to my shoulder, I moved my fingers towards the dirt tan line. Fingers placed on the pale section of my shoulder, they swiped down through the partition and smeared lines through the dirt. I examined my fingers, the dirt collected on the underside of the finger pads. I swiped them on my forearm this time, drawing a smiley face within the dirt layer. My cheeks stretched to match the drawing, but it didn't feel true. While I may be thankful for the kindness of the Cades, and so relieved to be able to satisfy basic human needs, I was just so exhausted. I was who knows where, speaking who knows what language, with no relations or friends anywhere nearby. This place both had to be a dream world but at the same time couldn't be. Plus, how I got here in the first place was still a massive question mark. My family must be worried sick, probably thinking that I got kidnapped or committed suicide.
My cheeks gradually sagged, lips settling into a slightly downturned line as my tired eyes bored into their own depths. There's really no point thinking too hard about it when the answers seem to be impossible to find, but I just want to know, just want to find out why in the hell this is happening to me.
Hair tie removed, my hair flopped down in a stiff, sad manner. No life in it, just like how my eyes appeared. I found the comb Malru had mentioned, raking it through my oily locks, or at least attempting to. The knots were abundant, so the war was divided into smaller battles against individual knots, repeatedly combing and pulling until they either untangled or ripped out. I honestly didn't care which they decided to do, as long as my hair was free of them. A good few minutes of combing later, my hair was smoothed and slicked against my head, the pre-shower prep finished.
Peeling my grimy, sticky clothes from my body, I discarded them in a heap on the floor before stepping into the shower. I turned the taps and the water ran, cold droplets splashing onto my body while I waited for it to warm. The droplets trailed down my body and streaked through the dirt, my gaze transfixed. The most satisfying time to take a shower is when you're simply filthy, caked in dirt and mud, and you see the stark difference between before and after the shower, so despite my sombre mood, the satisfaction of getting clean still shone through.
Water satisfactorily warm, I stepped under the stream and watched as the dirt tan lines on my arms washed away to reveal my regular, yet paled, tan lines. 10 minutes of routine washing later, I was clean as a whistle, every nook washed of the garbage and alley grime that had accumulated.
Hair wrapped in a towel, I towelled down my body when a wave of exhaustion rolled over me. I grabbed onto the bench, steadying myself against it while I rode the light-headedness out. I really had to quickly get dry and dressed before I accidentally passed out or something. The Cades didn't need to have to take care of me and see my naked body. All at once after the worst of the wave had passed, I hurriedly dried the rest of my body off and slid the provided clothes on.
Slowly, very slowly, I guided my body down to the floor, sliding against the wall. I sat there for a minute, the cold of the tiles seeping through the clothing and into my body. I'll be fine after I just relax for a moment.
"Erin!"
I startled awake, my eyes cracking open a fraction. Malru was knelt in front of me, one hand on my cheek as her thumb rubbed under my eyes.
"Oh, thank god. You had me worried there for a moment, sweetie."
There wasn't enough energy in my body to manage to respond, or even open my mouth.
"If you want to sleep, you should really get in bed first."
An arm slid under my own and secured itself around my body.
"Up you get now. Ready, and…"
My body was heaved up, high enough that my legs now needed to support me so I didn't faceplant. They stumbled beneath me like a newborn deer.
"Come on, just a little until we get to the bedroom."
I tripped along beside Malru as she practically carried me to a bed. Then they hit me. Flashbacks to childhood, getting carried from the car to my bed when we left grandma and grandpa's house too late. To being a young teen, helped to the car so I could properly attend school. My parents, my sweet loving parents helping me.
For the umpteenth time, tears started to spring forth, filling my ducts and spilling over. I fought them with the measly amount of energy I could muster, but they won out and dripped down my face. It was too late now, they were already out and flowing, so I just let them keep coming.
We reached the bedroom after an arduous journey, Malru lowering me down onto the bed. Her expression changed for a moment as she likely saw the tears wetting my cheeks, but she chose not to say anything about it. She just tucked me in with her kind smile wrinkling her face.
"Goodnight Erin." Malru turned, her smile saddening just before she looked away, and walked out of the room with a flick of the light switch.
Unrelenting thoughts of my family rushing through my mind, I fell deeper. Deeper into unconsciousness, deeper into the abyss. My pillow dampened beneath me.
A hint of light, orange through my eyelids. I rolled over, squeezing my eyes shut as I stretched my body. The popping of my joints met my ears, satisfaction rolling through me. My tensed muscles relaxed, and my body instantly melted back into the comfort of the mattress. I did want to open my eyes to inspect the light, but that would take energy I wasn't willing to muster up right this second. I could look later…
I didn't know how much later it was now, but I urgently had to pee. My bladder had given me the kiss of a prince, true love's kiss, and awoken me from my spell of eternal slumber just enough to make me find the toilet.
Practically rolling out of bed, I hefted my body up onto my feet and stumbled out of the room. A steadying hand braced against the wall, I waddled down the hallway to where I was pretty sure the bathroom was. A quick knock to check it was free found no response, and so I fell onto the toilet.
I might've fallen back asleep on the toilet briefly as my ass now hurt more than it should after a relatively quick trip, but I honestly didn't give a single crap. Washing up, I waddled back down the hallway to the bedroom I was put in and collapsed on the bed. A quick shimmy later and I was back in the warmth of the covers.
"-uld eat something."
Drifting back to the world of the waking, I heard the end of a sentence. I didn't want to be awake just yet so snuggled back into the doona, smushing it into my face so that just the upper section of my head was visible.
"Erin dea…really ea…een asleep f…o long sin…u've eaten."
With my groggy brain and tired, half-covered ears, I couldn't make out most of what was said, but I did manage to pinpoint 'eaten' right at the end. As if on que, I felt the emptiness in my stomach and hungered for something to fill it.
I now realised I was encouraged awake by whoever mentioned something about sleep and eating. I deigned to grant them a fractionally parted eyelid so they could see I heard them (somewhat).
The world was a mess of rough, fuzzy textures, all colours and objects having no defined boundaries as they blended into everything else. One of the textures moved; presumably whoever woke me.
"Erin, sit up. You need to eat and drink," the texture blob ordered. It slid a hand under my back and lifted me from my comfort. An involuntary shiver racked my body as the seal holding all the warm air under the sheets and cold air out was broken, cold air rushing to assault my freshly uncovered upper body. A pillow was shoved beneath my back, also cold against my toasty self.
I was passed a glass, hands placed over my own, likely to make sure I didn't drop it. The hands guided it to my mouth and lightly chinked it against my teeth, but despite the small attack, I conceded and opened my mouth slightly. Room temperature water trickled into my mouth slowly, gradually hastening as I remembered how to drink.
After the hands were satisfied with how much I'd drunk, the glass was removed and replaced with a cold spoon—again with the cold things—and a bowl of warm something following close after. The hands now held one of mine against the bowl, supporting the other side so I could eat.
I cracked my eyes a tad further in hopes of the world clearing, but to no avail. Spoon readied, I went at the bowl and dug straight in. I had no clue what was now on my spoon, if anything at all, but I trusted these hands, kind hands, and just put it in my mouth. The porridge warmed my mouth as I chewed and filled my face with it. Down into my stomach, it warmed my insides as well.
I was made to sit up for a bit, despite having finished what I was given. To help with digestion, perhaps? A cold eternity later, the pillow was removed, and I was lowered back into bed. I gratefully wriggled back down into my burrow and conked out without a word.
I kicked the sheets off my body, embracing the cool air that raced to meet my steaming body. The bed was way too warm now and I couldn't manage to sleep with the doona covering me, but without it I was uncomfortable and too cold. The moment I thought I found a happy middle ground, my body temp spiked up or down, resulting in the ensuing minutes of wrestling the sheets into a crumpled mess that was no more comfortable than when they were neatly tucked.
My ruckus of groans and sheet-kicking seemed to catch the attention of someone as I noted the door opened in my delirious state.
"Oh my, you're awake dear. And… you look dreadful!"
A hand, cold as ice, touched my forehead before retreating as if burned. Well, I mean, with hands that cold I wouldn't be surprised if they actually started melting.
"Jiminy, you're really burning up!"
I must protest. Right now, I'm really actually quite cold. Hence the doona covering my body.
The whirlwind from earlier whipped about and began fussing around, putting a cold wet towel here and wiping my limbs there, seemingly holding a shouting contest with someone. My head was tilted up gently now by those cold hands as a cup made its way to my lips. The hands hadn't betrayed me yet, so I trusted them to pour the liquid down my throat.
It wasn't clear and full like I'd been expecting, but instead more viscous and distinctly sweet. Like medicine.
Oh, right. I was sick, wasn't I?
A second, larger cup met my lips immediately after and the taste was washed away with water like I wanted. Mum really was so nice to be doing this for me.
Despite the lethargy in my muscles, I managed to mumble out a barely comprehensible thanks.
The weight in my body seemed to be getting heavier by the second. I couldn't manage to stay coherent any longer so just let my body sink into mum's arms. She'd get the message and tuck me in as well. I knew she would.
After another day or so of sleep and recovery, I felt distinctly better and more clear-headed than I had in a while, though still groggy and congested. Apparently sleeping outside without sufficiently warm clothing, getting rained on, and getting about 4 hours sleep total over 2 consequent nights really wasn't good for the body.
Slowly, very slowly, I sat up and stretched. My joints popped in a cacophony of sound. With a satisfied smirk set on my face, I swung my legs off the bed and stood. Too quickly. My head spun and I had to sit back down on the bed before I fell and gave myself a concussion. I tried once more after the spell had passed, concluding breakfast sounded like a decidedly good choice, no matter what the actual time of day was.
The light of day filtered into the room as I opened the door, its warmth minimal but appreciated. A slow hobble down the hallway toward the source of the light had me find the quaint kitchen from the first day I was brought into this house. Having not really gotten out of bed for a while, the amount of energy it took to travel that small distance drained me near dry. Breakfast could wait for the mo, first I needed to sit down.
I slid a chair as close as possible to the window and parked my butt unceremoniously on its seat. The sun washed over my body in gentle, heating waves that warmed me to my core and relaxed the tension in my shoulders. I cracked an eye open, unaware of when I had closed them, peering out the window to the street a storey below. People casually milled about the street, entering shops to get their daily necessities and other such products. A few appeared to be walking into the shop below the house I was currently in.
What had that shop been again? A gift shop? Bakery? Greengrocers? It'd been a few days since I'd seen it, and I'd been delirious for most of that time, so the details hadn't stuck with me.
Considering it of no consequence, instead I turned my attention back to the prospect of breakfast. I'd feel bad for raiding the kitchen without asking first, so maybe I should try and find the old couple. Though that would inevitably require more walking… No, I couldn't in good conscience take their food without asking. I'd have to find them to ask first.
May as well pee while I'm up.
It's a good thing the house was small, as I found the toilet quickly (just in time, really). Knocking on the only unchecked door in the house and receiving no response revealed me to have seemingly been left alone within the house. Which I felt distinctly uncomfortable with. They had left me, a complete stranger, alone within their home.
My stomach grumbled, but the growing tremble of it silenced it. I felt so awkward and out of place, despite feeling so comfortable and at home not minutes earlier as I basked in the sunshine. They'd come home eventually. I could probably wait until then to eat something. The position of the sun in the sky seemed to show it was about midday, so it likely wouldn't be unreasonably long before one of the elderly pair finished whatever it was they were doing and returned home.
Back to the kitchen I went, basically dragging my body along the walls at this point. My brain and body may have woken up, but awake does not mean strong. Riffling through the cabinets a bit found me a glass that I filled with water from the tap. I downed two glasses of it, hoping the sensation of a full stomach could dissuade my hunger from going too berserk.
A click resounded through the house, making me jump half out of my skin, but I relaxed when a second later the kindly old lady's face appeared round the corner of the archway. Seeing me, she gasped and rushed over, bringing up semi-hazy feelings of a whirlwind from days ago.
"You're up! How are you feeling? What are you doing up? You should be back in bed resting," she all but shouted into my face. It hurt my ears a little, but I honestly didn't mind that much right now. Seeing her sweet worrying face and hearing her concerned voice—so very warm—made all kinds of feelings well up within my chest.
"See, this is what happens when I leave the house for one second," she huffed with cheeks puffed. "I knew this was gonna happen. That's always the way it is, isn't it? Honestly…" Her thoughts trailed off as she looked me in the face and her expression was back to being worried.
Apparently I was crying again for the second or third time in however many days. Getting kidnapped or getting amnesia or being transported to a different dimension or whatever could do that to a person, I guess.
I tried to wipe the damned things away, but the hiccupping and tingling in my nose worked against me to keep the taps turned full blast. The more I tried to furiously repress the sobs, the more painful they became. I covered my face with my hands, wishing to just hide and disappear right that second, but warm arms surrounded me and my pathetically built dam walls broke.
No more were they repressed sobs. Choked whines and gross sniffles echoed throughout the kitchen and dining area as I tried to drain my body dry. Her warmth was too kind. Her touch too gentle. The generosity this woman had shown me was beyond what I could physically handle in that moment, and so I wept. My home wasn't here, my family wasn't here, my friends weren't here, but this stranger was, applying gauze to the gaping wounds left in my heart.
Sometimes all it takes is a single moment and you know, this person is a gem that I don't wish to let go of. A gentle soul you can immediately connect with. And with time, they will only become more and more lovely, reveal more and more generosity that they needn't give yet choose to anyway.
"I-" I choked on my words as the constriction of my throat refused to cease, but I had to power through. The hand patting my back wasn't really helping me either, making me almost burst back into inconsolable tears.
I loosened the iron grip I had taken of her clothing, attempting to take a step back. The lady seemed reluctant to let go, lingering for a moment with her arms still around my body, but she relented and allowed me a little space.
"I… I'm sor- sorry. I hadn't meant-" Back was I again in her embrace, the action cutting off my words.
"Don't you apologise to me. You have done nothing wrong."
My body released a jerky sob, the tears still streaming down my cheeks in full force. The force and warmth of her words was like a whack in the face. But I didn't want to return to full-blown sobbing, so I took a step back once more and smiled a sad smile for her.
"Thank you." I'd been saying that a lot in this household.
The smile she gave me then, all melting sugar and loving kindness, was more of an answer than any words ever could have been. Her hands held my cheeks and wiped away the still flowing tears, eyes never leaving my own. When she let go, I almost felt as if I would fall, her hands having held up my entire world in that single instant.
"Would you like to stay here with us, Erin?"
I shouldn't be shocked. I really shouldn't. She's been nothing but caring and accommodating this entire time. She wouldn't be able to pick up a homeless child and then kick them right back out on the streets. Yet still, the stifled sad laugh that escaped my mouth betrayed my true surprise. Hesitant yet real, a smile spread across my tear dampened face.
"If you'll have me…" I hesitated to say what was next on my mind, but I had to. "And I'm really sorry but," I glanced down to my feet, "I've already forgotten your name. I'm not good with names."
The cheery laugh that she gave lifted the nervousness right out of my body as I raised my head.
"It's Malru, dear."
Her smile couldn't have been brighter.
A/N: So a year after I said I would write more chaps for Taken by the River, I finally finish the next chapter. Why am I like this? Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Not much happens in it, I'll be completely honest. But I feel it was necessary as set up for some future stuff, and also to give Erin time to grieve after being shoved into a wholly unexpected, sucky situation. Actually, I feel like Erin is gonna be grieving a lot in this story. I hadn't intended for that to happen, but I'm just tryna be real with y'all with how a real person with her personality would react. The pace will still be relatively chill for the next few chapters before the canon shit hits, but some fun prep stuff will be happening before then.
And can I just say that I bloody love Malru?! Because I do! I know I literally created her, but I feel like she's her own person who just sorta took over and was like 'this is what imma do, kay?' and I said yes ma'am. I love her so much.
Also, I hope everyone is staying safe in these crazy times. Really wasn't expecting 2020 to go like this, but here we are.