Chapter Text
Panting breath, rustling grass, loud thumping of feet, quiet whistle of gentle wind, panicked eyes.
A young woman ran past trees looming down on her, the cool air of the night nipping at the exposed skin on her arms as she held her child in her arms. The child was unconscious, a small trail of blood trickling from his forehead, a mop of unruly hair pushed against her chest. A loud yell from behind made the woman push her legs to move faster, nearly tripping over an overgrown root. Orange light from torches slowly appeared in her peripheral vision as she quickly ducked behind a particularly large tree.
"Where did that witch go?"
"They're not over here!"
"It seems we've chased them far enough. They won't be able to survive by themselves out here. Let's go."
The voices died away as the orange light slowly faded. The woman held her breath, waiting for a few more moments just to make sure before peeking out. Upon seeing nothing but forest, she exhaled, looking down at her child. The boy still slept, unaware of what was going on. She forced a small smile on her lips, kissing his cheek. "Don't worry, sweetie; Mommy won't let them hurt you. Mommy will take care of you..." With that, she got up and continued into the forest, disappearing into the thick of the night.
The woman stumbled into a small clearing in the middle of the woods, exhaustion clear on her face. She had been looking for a place to make home, unable to sleep at night besides a few hour naps here and there. Looking around, she was glad to find that the clearing was protected by thick brush and bushes, the trees covering what the other greenery couldn't. She looked down at her child. He had not woken up yet, to which she made sure, haven given him certain berry juices to make sure he sleeps, because she knows he needs it. Setting him down under the shadow of a tree, she got up and dusted herself off.
Her kimono was torn and stained with mud and some dirt snuck its way deeply into the veins of the clothing. She sighed quietly before looking around, quickly making her way to a large stick. Brushing off the stray leaves, she examined it and picked it up, testing its weight. Happy with it, she pulled out a rock she had sharpened along the way to cut through tough vines and other things. With another quick look around, she quickly cut a vine from a tree and used it to tie the rock to the stick, giving it a few test swings once finished.
A smile crept across her face, satisfied with her work. Before she could get to work, a quiet groan made her head whip around. The child grumbled in his sleep, turning the opposite way, his back to her. She let out a small sigh along with a small smile before turning back and going to work. The day passed as she worked, gathering food and working on a small home for the two. Of course, all she could gather for their home was a few sticks and whatever she could rip from the surrounding trees. Placing the fruits she'd managed to collect in her small food pile, she took another look at her child. Despite all odds, he was still asleep, mumbling to himself as he always did.
Moonlight slowly trickled into the small clearing, and the woman looked up, staring at the beautiful sight of the large orb in the sky. She clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and began to pray. Dear Lord, wherever you might be, I beg of you... I'm not stupid. I know I can't build a home by myself... At least, not one that would be made before my son is old enough to live by himself. Please. I ask you only for this one thing: give my son a home.
She opened her eyes and walked over to the sleeping child, ignoring the way her feet stung from the constant walking without any sort of footwear. She also ignored the small trail of blood her feet left as she walked. That was not important. Giving her child a place to live, a place where he could feel safe... That was the only thing that mattered. The woman lay next to him, wrapping her arms around him, basking in his warmth. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to finally fall asleep.
A miracle. That was the only word she could describe this as. She stared at the structure in front of her in awe as her child finally awoke, rubbing his eyes sleepily. He looked up at her, sleep heavy in his voice. "Mom...?"
She looked down at him, her face shadowing the light from the rising sun as tears rolled down her cheeks. A smile crossed her face as she motioned to the small house in front of them. "We're home."