To Walk In Light

Quiet.

Intense.

Stable.

None of these could really be applied to Lily. She was kind and friendly. The perfect typical girl next door. All fresh air and blue eyes, chocolaty curls and sunshine crooked grin. Never one for temper tantrums or mean spiritedness. She sat humbly in church beside her brother, parents and Nana, honestly thinking on the well being of others. Given to random fits of kindness towards humanity in general. Skipping along through childhood, into those heart quickening teen years, surrounding herself with brightness in all forms.

Doran took her at 15.

In just under 6 hours, Doran changed Lily’s world. Brutally turned and churned all the goodness she had around her and spilt it out again as so much dark waste.

Lily didn’t change so much. She became more quiet, less open. It was a failure to her soul to dwell on fear and anger. Tried desperately to push back the gathering thunderheads around her. She felt the stares, saw the pity reflected from face to face to face, like so many well-placed mirrors. She turned from them all… except two.

*********************************

Ethan was quiet, intense, stable. He had actually carried Lily most of the way back to town, covering himself in stains of pain and tears, talking quietly about the friend he once had. As they approached the town, he set her down and helped her adjust the coat that fell nearly to her knees.

“You okay, Lily? You oughta walk from here, if you can. Folk need to know you’re okay, you know? If they see you walkin’ chances are they call out to you, not run on up to check and see if you’re breathing if I’m carryin’ you…just…you know?” Ethan stared directly at her as he spoke and hoped to God he was making some kind of sense.

Lily simply nodded and set her lips grimly. She thought he meant to let her walk home on her own. She was none but surprised when he draped an arm companionably around her shoulder and pressured her forward.

The streets were dark, but they noticed a crowd gathered i