3rd Person

“Are we really gonna see Mommy and Daddy?”

Paisley whispered excitedly. The pups were hesitant to believe any good news after everything they’d been through, but their walls were down after so much trauma, and the costume mistress had taken their worries very seriously. She promised to take them back and not to trust anyone but their parents.

“They says they’re taking us back!” Riley exclaimed, bouncing up and down where she sat. “l can’ waits, I’m gonna hug Mommy and Daddy so tightly. I’ll never ever, ever lets go.

“What if Fabian finds us first?” Parker worried aloud. “What if it’s too cloudy to see thems again?”

“Don’ be so grumpy” Ryder scolded. “lf you thinks like that, you’ll jinx us.”

“How long ‘afore we get there?” Paisley asked the costume mistress when she returned from the caravan’s kitchen unit with a jug of hot water and a few wash cloths.

“It will be a few hours.” She tells them kindly, “And I’m sure your Mommy and Daddy would prefer to have nice clean pups returned to them” She continues, waving the cloths in their direction.

“Mommy and Daddy loves us dirty or clean.” Riley informed the woman haughtily.

“Well of course they do, but you don’t want to worry them do you?” She reasons. “They’re probably already so concerned, and they’ll feel bad if they see how hard you’ve been living. I don’t have any fresh clothes for you, but we can at least get some of the dirt off you.

This reminder made the pups submit to her ministrations. They found it annoying that grown ups were always so obsessed with being clean, but they couldn’t help but see the logic in her statement. They didn’t want their Mommy and Daddy to feel bad, and if they were completely honest, they didn’t like smelling like the sewers or feeling the grime on their soft skin.

“When was the last time you ate?” The costume mistress questioned once they were recognizable as pups -rather than street urchins- once more.

“A nice llama farmer gave us food the day ‘afore yesterday.” Parker explained, “we didn’ really have anything with the orphans.”

with the street children for a time” The woman surmised. “That must not have been

out the story behind the little one’s adventure without asking directly. She could only guess why they were so skittish, but she knew it would keep their l!ps sealed no matter

murmured, her young eyes look far more haunted than should be possible. “Only Mommy and Daddy are

Ryder

heard Mommy calling for us

they can’t wait to see you.” The costume mistress assured them. “There’s nothing scarier than losing one’s

often considered it his job to protect the

The costume mistress promised.

very hard to explain or understand, and it really isn’t fair. But sometimes bad things happen to the best people. Even innocent little

questions. If Parker had shared his worries she might have told him she feared the same thing. But after everything happened with Jane and Eve, her parents had told her over

was the only thing that

misses them.” She whispers, linking hands with her

sure they miss you too.” The costume mistress empathized. “You’ll be together again soon enough. I promise, I will not leave your side until you’re

heard promises like this before, but so far no one they’d met on their journey had been truly trustworthy. Anita’s goons had promised they were safe, only to take them so far away. Thomas and Mary had been kind, but they’d only gone to the police. Sophie had promised to be their friend, only to hand them over to Fabian

in Alta Montaña, they immediately began scanning the small town’s streets for signs of their parents – or even Sophie. They saw nothing

cobblestones, wanting to call out for their Mommy and Daddy, but afraid to call attention to themselves. They came to a stop behind a clothing shop, and the costume mistress pursed her l!ps. “All these shops are closed

another, silently conferring. Eventually, Riley

was even half as lovely as her pups, she must be a

giant and really strongs!” Paisley announced, smiling

looks just like him” The

then.” The

if anyone who looks like

from hotel to hotel, questioning receptionists and maitre d’s however, it gradually became clear that no one matching these descriptions had been about. The only travelers in the area

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