Motherly touch

Hannah

...

I was an orphan,

In the edge of Batinca, the weakest humakey's gathered, with houses built with twigs some doesn't have any roofs and most just sleep on comfy grass without having any roof nor walls

strength is not part of the hierarchy at the village, everyone was nice to each other, even us who couldn't help with them was treated nicely they give us food and a chance for education

we only have each other, and we all know how evil the devil den can be

I was one of the kids that show talent even if the birthplace was the 'edge'

As to why 'edge' was such a bad place to be, let's just say it's where a lot of weak humakey's who can't work is currently living, they are still alive but who knows how long the food supply will last

But talent can't give you food, recognition yes, but food no

So I tried to find worked but every place I go to, it feels like I wasn't up for the job, I did many things but it wasn't enough to make that much food for me and my mother to eat and just in time for that year to come, a year where devil den unmasked its true form

branches turned to devil spawn with its leaves quietly falling, grass turned dry and bushes grow spiked, the whole mountain got painted black and large creatures woken from their long slumber

Wild boars ran away and eatable herbs withered, it was that year no doubt

We all experience hunger, hunters gain less and less prey every passing day, a boar yesterday will turn to a slime and no improvement had happened since then

My stomach grumbled, I felt like a anti ant had its stinger pressed against my belly and stirring its inside

"M..om?" I muttered, the wind flew calling the leaves that gathered at my mother's face

Her eyes look uneasy and her hand looks like they were put on the winter cold for days, it trembled and her white fur slowly fall getting dragged by the upcoming wind

"Now, now, mommy's okay"

She forced a smile showing her uneven teeth one of them being soo sharp while the others was hiding in her gum

"mo..m" I called, I feel like I was gonna lose someone important

"Sorry for leaving so early, and not-

She didn't finished, her head flop on the grassy bed she laid in,

I don't know what happened so I waited for my mother to get better

I waited for her to call me, praise me by saying 'what a good girl!'

Days passed and I wanted her to stroke me so badly so I grabbed her almost withered hand and start to pat myself on the head, it feels soothing naking me forget of the hunger

?, don't know what time or day it is, but my eyes opened still feeling sleepy just to see a hand under the sunlight

I looked up to see who it is, she's short and was wearing a green masked and triangle like cap,

"A kid?" I muttered

Her hand lower and I saw a piece of bread it release smoke as if it was freshly bake and its toasted side looked gleamering

"uh"

"Take it" She said, so I did, my hand immediately grabbed the bread and pulled it closer not knowing my hand was grasping one of her fingers

"Ouch" Seeing it I quikly let go and mumbled an apology but I was sure she didn't heard it

When I saw her turn around, I clasped the bread with both hands and felt its warm..it feels like my mother's touch

I break it in half showing its white filling, saving the half and other half on my hand I leaned close to my sleeping mother

Her eyes didn't opened for I don't know, weeks?, Her arm and face isn't recognizable anymore but I'm sure only her looks changed,

I forced her mouth open cause as to how many times I shake her there was no response, with the other hand on her mouth I break a small amount of the bread and put it on her dry lips

"Here you go mom, do you want more?" I try to heighten my voice but my throat was too parch and my hunger was giving my body a huge toll

She didn't respond to my call, so I tried again

"Mom?"

"She won't answer" I instantly look where it came from and saw the same child who gave the food,

Her eyes look caring and her mouth was twitching making me think she was unhappy about something

Before I can call her, she face her behind for the second time but this time, I saw her walk away

"Mom" I called slowly putting small crumbs on her mouth

'She wouldn't answer?' I remember the kids word, it rang the time I was eating my portion and I remember it once again once I was curled up ready to sleep

A brand new day came, the sun rise bathing on it feels refreshing, I could tackle this day, my stomach no longer grumbled even if the bread was small...I also was

I immediately approach my mother and grabbed her shoulder to help her stand, I thought she will be heavy but it feels like I was carrying air

So with my mother on my side carrying her by the shoulder letting her feet got dragged with the mud as I was too small to even dare lift her whole body,

Not like I can call someone to do this for me, the voice of the kid rang on my head

'she won't answer'

it goes like that, the last time I remember

"So my mother is sick" I muttered, with my every step awakening my hunger and weakening my limbs,

I arrived to the place I wanted to

It's tall and sturdy there's no glasses just wooden opening and stone was embedded as a frame to show that it had two floors,

A number of people was on the entrance, a line was formed and I was at the very last of that line

When I reach my turn to enter the sun brightens much more, like it was exited like me

I wanted my mom to get better soon, and I know this place will make what I want come true

Inside is empty, not a single furniture or item could be seen, the walls is made of plank wood that could reflect my muddy face, the floor was made by the same material

"Um, kid?" The humakey said sounding like he wanted what I'm doing to be just a misunderstanding

"Yes" I answered and his eyes shifted to my back where my mother's body laid

"Who's that?" He asked, my eyes got filled with hope at that moment, thinking he might want to help I nodded vigorously

"Yes, she's my mom!"

I thought he would immediately help, but he stood there before calling the person near the door at the side of this room

"What?" I heard the guy said, and the humakey beside me pointed at my mother

They talk for a moment until one of them crouched and said whimpering like he's trying to calm a wild monster

"Its okay, don't be sad for what I'm about to say" The humakey looked back and the guy behind him gave him a reassuring thumbs up

"Your mom....she left this place and goes to a better one"

It took a moment before I understood his words

'Mom's dead isn't she?' but I reject that thought and waited for it to be said by the humakey

I don't want him to say the word death, I hoped it's a disease where you'll go to a better place, I haven't study something related to it, but please exist

He looked at my face before continuing

"So do you want to stay here?, mom might never came bac-

I never let them finish, Hearing it I panicked, 'mom wouldn't leave me!' I cling to the thought, I let go of her hand and slam the door open

I could see the humakey's behind the door being intimated the moment I opened it, I saw their face of disapproval as I ran away from the corpse that I deliver to their door

'Mom will come back' I thought clinging to a hope that never existed

"M..om" I yelped, I almost trip on my own foot, my vision got muddied with tears that everything looks like a reflection of a broken mirror

'Mom please come back, pleeeease!" I yelled almost having the thought to kill my self, if she never return for me then I'll go to her