Madeline's Insanity

Kind Souls

Madeline's weary eyes - bloodshot and heavy with exhaustion - ached as her body screamed for rest. Even though she was stronger than when she escaped and her magic was rejuvenating day by day, she was nowhere near the strength she needed to be. She still cannot perform any spells or even use simple magic to heal her aching body.

Madeline stopped walking so she could adjust the once sturdy leather satchel hanging from her shoulder, being as careful as she could of the many rips and fraying stitches. She hoped it lasted until the next town so she wouldn’t lose any of the contents inside. When she finished adjusting the strap of the satchel, she did her best to dust off her filthy clothes, the stains far too deep in the fabric to get rid of easily with just water. Madeline sighed. She hasn’t had decent clothing since she was chased out of her Coven. She remembered Hannah teaching her how to measure her own body and make her own clothes. The memory brought a small smile to her chapped lips. Maybe she could pick up that habit once she has settled safely in an old, abandoned cottage or even the safety of a small town.

Taking a deep breath, she continued on the path that she had been following the last few days. Her supplies were dwindling. She hoped she had enough to last her until the next town - if the next town was a two days worth of travel, that is.

Each exhausted step kicked up small puffs of dust which coated her feet and legs with a layer of grime mixing with her sweat. She recalled Mother calling her a filthy rat when they first met, and Madeline looked the part then and even now she surely looked like a filthy rat. Thoughts aside, she continued on the path, admiring the lush greenery on either side of the dirt path she traveled on. Appreciating the sounds of singing birds overhead, losing herself in thought until she heard the sound of footsteps in front of her. She stopped and looked ahead to see a man walking towards her. She froze. Her heart began beating rapidly as he came closer, finally seeing her ahead of him. He looked to be in his forties, dressed in a neat brown coat and black weathered boots. His eyes wrinkled at the corners as he smiled warmly at her. “Hello, miss,” he greeted as he looked over at her, taking in her appearance. “Are you all right?”

Madeline hesitated nervously, clutching onto the strap of her satchel before nodding timidly.

The man seemed to scrutinize her for a minute or two before gesturing for her to sit on the side of the path with him. He sat on the side, placing his large backpack beside him before once again gesturing for Madeline to sit down. She hesitated as she watched him take a metal flask out of the bag and drink its contents. “Come sit, miss. You look more exhausted than a mule haulin’ logs up a hill.”

She didn’t immediately follow him but after a few moments she moved to sit next to him, still guarded as she sat herself as close to him as she was comfortable with. He seemed nice, however, people can be quite deceiving. Yes, Madeline knows all too well how deceiving people truly are once they have someone right where they want them. Some beings are master manipulators.

There was a heavy pause between the two before the man offered the metal flask to Madeline with a smile. She slowly took it from his calloused hand. Madeline quickly examined the flask before hesitantly taking a drink. However, once the cool water touched her parched tongue, she began taking larger gulps as if it was the most quenching fresh water she’d ever had - hell, maybe it was. Her throat suddenly seized and she quickly pulled the flask away and held it out for the man to take as she began coughing almost violently, the end of the fit leaving her gasping for air. The man chuckled as he placed the flask back in his bag. “I take it you’re a bit thirsty, aye?”

Madeline sheepishly nodded as she pulled her knees to her chest, trying to seem smaller. Her voice was small as she spoke. “It has been a long travel, I suppose.”

The man nodded knowingly, scratching his graying beard. “I’m no stranger to long travels, miss. Do you travel often?” he asked curiously.

She shook her head slightly. “No, I left an awful place and I … I’m looking for a small town, um, o-or cabin to settle down in. To-” she paused nervously, fiddling with the strap of her bag, resisting the urge to bite her nails- “to call home, truthfully.”

The man was silent for a moment before he spoke. “Searching for a new beginning,” he concluded with a nod. Like he’s been in the same situation.

Madeline gave a small smile. “Something like that.” It felt nice that someone could almost understand what she was going through.

The man hummed thoughtfully for a minute before he gave Madeline a wide smile. “I know a place to settle in,” he revealed as he got up from his sitting position, dusting off the back of his legs. “Down that road,” he pointed towards the direction he’d come from, “pass that hill and after maybe an hour walk, perhaps two in your condition, you’re gonna see a clearing. In that clearing, at the edge of the surrounding forest is a small village. Blackburn village is a newly settled village so its population is very small. Now when you get to the sign, there’ll be an Inn. Oar’s Rest Inn, tell ‘em Elias sent you.” The man, Elias, smiled as he reached out for her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. Once she was up on her aching feet, she gingerly dusted herself off as he reached into his bag and pulled out a neatly packaged paper parcel and then handed it to her.

She looked at him quizzically. His smile didn’t waver or seem offended at her questioning gaze. “It’s bread and cheese, nothing special but I want you to have that. I have enough to get me through to the next town. I’ll get what I need there.” With that, almost to ignore any protest she had, he turned around and continued walking to wherever he was headed to, whistling as he disappeared.

Almost shaking after what just happened, an almost long forgotten feeling settled into her chest. A feeling she hadn’t experienced since she was a child. The simple act of someone treating her like a human being, a stranger showing her kindness and compassion gave her a nostalgic feeling which lodged in her heart. Tears welled up in her tired eyes as she carefully opened the package and nibbled the bread. She quietly hiccuped as she wiped away the thick tears falling down her dirty face. She was brought back to the memory of when she was found by her Coven and took her in. She was just a small malnourished child, probably on the brink of death. She remembered when they took her in, the memories pouring in with surprising clarity. Madeline was used to brushing away her memories of her time with her Coven, so afraid of the grief that came with them. Now, the cherished memories were flooding back like a powerful storm, almost like a powerful reminder that she was once happy and welcome, it could happen again.

Maybe there really is a place for me, she thought, hopeful as she carefully placed the bread and cheese into her satchel and stared at the hill.

~~~

“Mama!” the small girl cried as she wandered the forest, turning her head to every twig snap and rustle in the bushes and trees. “Mama, I’m scared!” she sobbed as she could no longer stop the overwhelming tears and sobs. She tried to be brave, just like her mama said when she was told to run into the scary forest. Mama said bad people were going to get them. She was told to be a brave little girl and run as fast as she could. She did. She was the bravest in the world. But why was her mama hiding from her? Did she do something wrong? Lots of days and nights had passed, she still couldn’t find her mama. Her tiny legs were so tired and her tummy really, really hurt.

She couldn’t do it anymore. She was cold and scared and so very alone. The little girl sat on the floor and began crying and screaming for her mama. She promised she would be a good girl forever and ever, but she didn’t want to run anymore. “I want - want to - to g-go home!” she yelled between hiccups. “Mama!” she wailed, slumping to the grassy ground beneath her as she tried to wipe away her ever flowing tears. The tired little girl kept crying and screaming for her mama until she couldn’t anymore. Until she was just curled into a ball, crying into her knees.

By morning, the little girl couldn’t even move anymore. She was too scared, too tired and much too hungry to move. She did manage to find a small twig with a greenish-yellow leaf still attached and thought that would be okay to eat. She chewed on the twig as she softly weeped, unsure what to do anymore. Why did mama leave her? Was she disobedient? Did she not do everything her mama had told her to do?

“Hello?” a voice behind her called out, a soft, soothing voice.

The little girl slowly turned her head towards the voice. “Mama?”

A woman dressed in a pale green dress suddenly appeared from behind a tree and gasped when she saw the little girl sitting on the ground, idly chewing on a twig. “Oh my goodness!” the woman rushed over to the little girl, wrapping a warm garment over her tiny shoulders. “Oh, you poor child! Please, don’t eat that.” The woman carefully took the twig from the little girls’ dry lips and placed an apple in her hands.

Greedily, the little girl began chomping down the apple, grateful tears falling down her face.

The woman tried to gently comfort the small girl as she had eaten the only food for a very long time. She watched the poor child gobble down the apple while taking in her appearance: filthy clothes, matted hair and bruised tiny feet. She knew the small child had been out there for quite some time. Was she abandoned? The woman waited until the little girl had finished eating the apple, core and all, before asking, “Where are your parents, child?”

The little girl looked up at her with bright, tearful eyes, her tiny frame shaking. “I don’t know,” she croaked, her voice was worn out from screaming so much. “My mama said I had to run away from bad people! I was so scared, but I was brave, so I ran and ran and ran! I-I tried going back home, but I couldn’t find my mama!” The little girl began bawling and hugged the woman tightly. “I want to go home!”

“Oh, darling,” the woman whispered sadly as she scooped up the poor little girl and began carrying her away. “I’m going to take you to my home, just until we can find your mother, alright?”

The little girl sniffed. “O-okay,” she whimpered, holding onto the woman, afraid the kind woman would disappear or leave her alone. She didn't want to be left alone again, she promised the woman she'll be a good girl. The woman simply smiled and gently pushed her wild hair away from her chubby little cheeks.

“What’s your name, darling?”

The little girl wiped her nose on the garment the woman gave her, exhaustion finally settling into her as she rested her head on the woman's shoulder. “Mama called me Madeline.”