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Chapter 29: Tears, Proof, and a Friend
I was alone, totally, utterly alone. I had no friends, no family, I had nothing. I didn't even know who or what I was. I had no proof that I was ever someone else. Mom, Dad, Eric, Lizzy, Jerry, Alex, the waitress; they were all dead, because of me. Bitter, cruel, reality pierced my heart. I was alone, and I had no escape. Anyone else in my situation would have an escape, through death. I didn't even have that option; the scar on my neck was proof enough.
My vision clouded, and tears began to well up in my eyes. I felt something wet touch my ankle, a marten's nose. I looked like a ferret, but with a shorter body and thicker tail. Its face was more like a fox's, than a ferret. It had dark brown fur that was a light brown on its chest. This was no ordinary marten; it wore a collar and had horns. Last I checked, martens didn't have horns, and didn't make very good pets.
I blinked the tears away and noticed that there was a slip of paper in its collar. I tried to pick the horned marten up to retrieve the paper, but it snapped at my fingers. I grabbed one of the meat balls from my lunch and set it down in front of it. That seemed to be the right of passage. It then allowed me take the paper from its collar. It climbed up my arm and laid its self around my neck, and went to sleep. The paper said: Mind if I come up? I went to the window and saw Dustfinger standing below.
"So can I?" he asked. I simply nodded in reply. I sat down on the bottom bunk and Dustfinger came in.
"Nice dress." He said as he sat down next to me.
"Let me guess, a gift from Capricorn?" He said.
"Yeah." I replied.
"Was that necklace a gift from him too?" He asked.
"Necklace? What necklace?" I asked.
"The one around your neck." He said with a raised eye brow. I looked down and saw the necklace, the ruby still as dark as blood. I have proof. I have proof that I was her, Helen. I told myself.
"No, he didn't give it to me." I said as my eyes began to well up with tears again, this time with joy. Dustfinger noticed and put his arm around me, to give comfort.
"It's gonna be okay, kid. I bet your parents are looking for you right now. I bet all of Europe is looking for you." He said softly.
"No they're not." I told him.
"Why not? Come on, tears won't fix anything." He urged. I sat up and looked him straight in the eye, wiping the tears from my eyes.
"Dustfinger, my parents are dead." I solemnly stated. I looked away.
"I don't have anyone, no friends, no family. They're all dead." I continued.
"I know the feeling, like you have absolutely nothing. Life has no meaning, and all you can do is keep on living." He said. I bet he was a thousand miles away, remembering his home.
"How long ago was it?" He asked.
"Just yesterday." I replied.
"Everyone?" He asked.
"Everyone. And it's all my fault." I said.
"You can't blame yourself, kid. Life has just simply dealt you a bad hand this round. It's not your fault." He said encouragingly.
"Thank you Dustfinger, but I don't think you would understand." I said. We sat in silence for a few moments.
"Where are we Dustfinger? You said something about Europe before." I asked.
"We're in the mountains in Italy." He replied. He reached out to pet the marten that was still around my neck.
"Aren't you the ladies' man today?" He said as he pried the sleeping marten from my neck.
"He usually snaps at anyone who tries to touch him." He said as he placed him in the bag.
"What's his name?" I asked, happy that we were off the topic of how I got here.
"Gwin. So, what the hell did you do to Basta?" He asked.
"It may have been that I may have kicked him in the nuts." I said with a bit of a laugh.
"Damn, that must have hurt!" Dustfinger chartoled. We talked until the sunset. He told me about his wife and two daughters he left behind on their farm, and how he hadn't seen them in almost eight years. He told me that he was a fire eater and explained all his tricks. I told him about my life back at home, the simple one, just my Mom, Dad, and I. When the sun was setting he left the room so I could change into the dress.
"Stunning." He said when he walked back in.
"Thanks." I said as I got up to leave for dinner.
"Kid, you were wrong before." He said.
"About what?" I asked.
"About being alone. You've got me now." He said as he offered his elbow. I took it and we walked over to the devil's chapel.
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