Through the eyes of a child... *

Subject: Through the eyes of a child... * Thu May 19, 2011 6:36 pm

Growing up beside the sea teaches a child to dream of bigger things, of endless possibilities, and of life being just as perfect on every other shore. For the much adored only child of a magically gifted woman and her darkly gifted husband, these dreams were but a drop in the proverbial bucket that held all the fantasy and wonder the little girl, Meloli, possessed. From the time their darling child arrived, the couple could sense much happening behind her huge hazel eyes. The child studied the world around her with such intensity and awe that her parents found themselves envious. They would talk late into the night, questioning what exactly their daughter saw as she watched a bird take flight or how it looked through her eyes to see a summer storm roll in on the waves breaking just beyond their door. As an infant, the child would hold long, drawn out conversations with the family cat... a feline in manner and looks alone but whose body was merely a shell to hold a great spirit. As the child grew and began to actively explore the world at large, the cat became her guardian. The two would toddle off to the water line in the early morning haze and sit as the tide came ever nearer. Once the water line reached the stubby feet of the girl, and came too close to the pristine fur of the cat, the two would rise and set off to explore the expanse of dry sand safely within view of the mother's ever focused gaze. Meloli was the light of her parents' lives, their pride and joy, and loved as much as any child could ever be, but there was always a restless yearning housed within their little sunshine. A lust for adventure, inherited mostly from her father, and an almost obsessive need to answer all the questions of life, inherited completely from her mother, made a dangerous combination within little Meloli.

Not far from their slice of beachfront heaven, another family lived a similar simple life. A man and his wife lived with their son who was not much older than Meloli. The two families became close, having so much in common made it rather easy, and the children automatically became friends. The girl's mother saw the slightly older boy as a saving grace, another pair of eyes to make sure the world Meloli found to be so beautiful didn't harm her. She trusted the two of them to play safely together along the land that separated their two houses. While the men would hunt and the women would see to the domestic chores, the laughter of their children could be heard traveling on the salty breeze.

The morning that changed everything began as any other day would. Meloli rose with the dawn, ready for a new adventure as soon as her sand roughened feet hit the floor. It was all her mother and father could do to keep the girl's excitement contained long enough to fill her tummy with breakfast before she was out the door, her sunbleached curls bouncing down her back as she ran along the path to her friend's home. Her plan was to talk the boy into exploring the driftwood washed up by the storms of the previous weeks and couldn't wait to get started on the investigation. Just before her friend's home came into view through the crop of trees that divided their land, the little girl felt the first tingling of warning that told her something was wrong. The birds made no noise, they were not singing their morning song that usually accompanied her daily trek. Meloli slowed on the path watching every step more closely for her father had taught her that silent birds could be a sign of dangerous animals nearby. With her little heart beating loudly in her chest, the girl broke through the tree line and made a break for the house that was now clearly visible.

Her sprint was cut short as her usually curious eyes found the body of the man fallen in his own yard. Immediately she recognized the man as her friend's father, and there was no doubt in her young mind that he was badly hurt, or worse. She did the only thing that a child of her age and experience could do... she planted her feet at the edge of the yard and screamed with all her might for her own father. Meloli kept screaming as loud as a banshee until her father broke through the tree line and drew his only child into his strong embrace. Her mother was only a few paces behind her husband and immediately reached for the now crying girl. The man approached his fallen friend solemnly, he knew his friend was gone but still needed to make absolutely certain. The little girl watched her father kneel beside his friend for a moment and then turn back to his tearful family with a shake of his head. Meloli buried her head in her mother's neck as her father rose to enter the house. He told the two of them to stay outside until he made sure it was safe and disappeared inside to search for the wife and son of his dead friend.

966 exp

Supreme Mystic Rep! : 56 Location : California

The previous night had been a savage one with the battle that took place and robbed this home of its family. Jin, though try as he might, couldn’t do anything to protect himself or his mother after his father was slain before his eyes. After obtaining a body jarring punch to his face, he had bounced off the interior wall of his home and fell on the floor where he laid helpless serving as a mere foot stool for one of the men who was in the company of murders that stole his parents. His only saving grace was his insignificance, for had he been an obstacle like his father, he would have met the same fate and would be dead by now. Now morning had come with the advent of a new day and consciousness was on the horizon for the five year old. Still half asleep, the final moments of the nightmarish images of his mother being raped in front of him played over and over in his head, for even after he had exhausted himself by screaming and his eyes forcibly closed with the shutting down of his body, true rest had not been granted to the child. In those images, the screams of his mother mix in with another pitch as Meloli's piercing scream outside causes his body to stir. His vision still a bit blurry, he finds himself disoriented and dazed as his arms shift about the floor his belly rested on and his torso shifts slightly. His arms come beneath his body and he lifts up, rising his face from the ground enough to look around and realize that he was in his house. The interior was destroyed with belonging skewed everywhere and broken objects scattered along the ground. His first words were, "mother..." as his questioning gaze shifted around the one room building. "Mother..." he called out again in search of her, now startled and attempting to get up. His vision clears enough for him to realize that he was alone and his mother was not there. As a familiar man comes to the door, Jin quickly turns to notice and falls into his rear, scooting into the side of the wall in a frightened manner, attempting to make himself smaller with no where to hide. He was in so much shock that though the person coming through the door was familiar, he couldn't recognize him right away; he just assumed the person was evil.

Persona: Jin | Timeline: 7 AD | EXP: 448

Subject: Re: Through the eyes of a child... * Thu May 19, 2011 9:27 pm

As soon as the man spotted the boy his first instinct was to close the distance between them, but when the child huddled against the far wall in terror the man's heart broke for the traumatized son of his closest friend. Not wanting to frighten the poor boy any further, the man stopped in the doorway and called for his wife to bring their daughter inside. Of the three of them he knew that the boy was closest to Meloli and could only hope their bond would be strong enough to break through whatever horrific things the boy had seen and was probably still seeing. When the woman and child entered the home, Meloli turned to look at her only friend. "Jin...", she whispered to him as her mother bent to set her down. She nodded as her mother told her to be easy and took the first steps toward the wall where he sat. "Jin... I'm gonna come sit with you, 'kay?" The little girl asked as she continued slowly approaching his position with her small hand outstretched much like she always did when inviting him to come explore with her. It was a familiar gesture for both children, one her parents hoped would shine as safe and innocent through the fear he seemed trapped in.

235 exp

Supreme Mystic Rep! : 56 Location : California

The fact that the man didn’t not get too close helped out. Jin remained where he was, though, his body trembling slightly due to the distress and fear of the unknown. With the advent of the two females, the masculinity that permeated the atmosphere was cut substantially to the point where Jin would not retreat from the approach of his childhood friend. Still, he watched her carefully as he held onto the wall until the point where she sat with him and reached out to him. He looks from her to the parents behind her and slowly after taking his time, his breathing began to regulate and lower. His own hand moves carefully to hers before his digits curl against hers. The sudden warmth of human contact caused his face to shift as the frightened visage fades into a softer and more vulnerable look. Tears well in his eyes and the boy begins to sob in a distressing manner, lowering all of his guards and remaining there, pouring out his feelings for the sorrow he felt within his little soul.

Persona: Jin | Timeline: 7 AD | EXP: 200 / 648

Subject: Re: Through the eyes of a child... * Thu May 19, 2011 10:11 pm

Watching from the doorway, the man and his wife exhale in relief once their daughter reaches the boy and he finally moves to take her offered hand. They know things will not be easy from here but if at least one of them is able to maintain some connection with him there is hope that he will be alright. They make no moves to disturb the children, especially not after the boy breaks into sobs and their daughter shifts to hold him with the hand not already joined with his. Meloli tried to stay strong after her friend began to cry but being a girl, and having no experience with emotions as strong as these, she can't do anything to stop her heart from breaking for him. The sight of her daughter holding onto and sobbing along with her friend is too much for Meloli's mother to bear, she begins to cry softly which prompts her husband to fold her into his arms.

Allowing the children as much time as they need for the boy to be able to move from the wall, the girl's father comforts his wife until she is able to wait in the doorway alone. He then sets off to search the surrounding area for signs of the boy's mother or those responsible for the death of his friend. The girl's mother waits until the soul wrenching sobs quiet down some before attempting to approach them, of course every fiber of her being wants nothing more than to cross that room and hold both of them for however long it takes for the world to be beautiful again. But she knows that for at least one of them, that may never happen again.

304exp

Supreme Mystic Rep! : 56 Location : California

The sobs didn’t seem as if they would stop. Jin eyes close as his head rocks back with the tears streaming down his eyes. It seemed as if he was being pulled into a world far away where only his sadness lay. There was no way for him to cope with what he had endured, so if it were up to him, he would just simply continue to wale until his throat when coarse. Within these movements of him pouring his heart out, something speaks to him on the inside and simply states, “stop crying.” As if having heard the voice outwardly, Jin’s voice slowly decreases in volume with the pitch reverberating up and down between the breathy inhales and exhales he was taking. A few sniffs come as he attempts to stop the water works, and then after a moment, his eyes seem to go dull. The back of his free hand comes to wipe his eyes as he nuzzled his face into his small fist, and after the tears are gone, just a look of deep sadness remained. His body became slightly more limp and the pain inside his heart started to dull. With that, he just sits there with his face gazing down at the ground beneath him. No words escaped his mouth; the only thing he spoke was sadness in his visage. With his family and past life destroyed, he would now begin his new life.

Persona: Jin | Timeline: 7 AD | EXP: 252 / 900

Subject: Re: Through the eyes of a child... * Fri May 20, 2011 12:55 am

Meloli had no idea why Jin would calm so easily by himself, she didn't even ant to stop when he did. Instead she lifted her teary eyes to her mother, providing the sign her mother had been waiting for, and watched sniffling as the woman approached the two sorrowful children. Usually the woman would have scooped her daughter into her arms and taken the boy by the hand, since he was the older of the two and she still liked to pretend her daughter wasn't growing up so fast, but this time she and Meloli both knew Jin needed to be carried right now. Taking the boy in her arms, trying not to let her fresh tears drip upon his head, she cradles him to her chest with one arm and gently holds his face against her with the other. Meloli walks by her mother's side as they exit what had so recently been a happy home. The little girl's eyes stay trained on her own feet as they pass the body her father was now tending to while her mother is sure to keep Jin from having to see any more than he had already been witness to. Meloli's father struggles to control his breathing as he watches his family, now with Jin included, make their way home so he can see to the proper burial of his friend.

Back at their home, Meloli's mother would finally release the boy into a chair at the table and kneel before him to check him for physical wounds. There is nothing more she can do to tend his emotional ones besides caring for him as his mother would have done for Meloli were the circumstances reversed. Having never been through anything like this before, the mother has no idea how long it will take her husband to prepare the body and land for burial so she will make sure to clean, tend, and try to feed the boy in the meantime.

While his wife is busy comforting the boy and trying to coax him into eating, the man fights his own emotions by keeping his hands busy. Having never buried a body before he can only do as much as he would want done for him. After preparing the body and wrapping his fallen friend in a cloth, the man sets out with his spade to find a decent resting place for the man he called Brother. Just on his side of the land between their homes, because he would never stand for anyone telling him he couldn't visit his friend's grave, the man chooses a peaceful spot just beneath a sturdy beach tree. Here he digs deep down below the loose sand to the hard packed earth where his friend will not be disturbed by the natural changing of the coast. It would take him most of the morning to dig a big enough spot to accommodate his friend and to gently place the man's body inside. Part of him wanted to go ahead and fill the hole in before fetching his wife and the children, but he knew that if he were Jin, he would need to see it happen to say goodbye. So he leaves the freshly dug grave with his friend nestled inside to walk home and fetch his grieving family so they all can have their chance to say goodbye.

Meloli and her mother walk on either side of Jin as they head for the graveside while her father walks a few paces ahead to lead the way. Meloli stops a few feet from the open earth, unable to force her stubby legs to move any closer. Both adults watch the boy closely as they approach, waiting for a sign that he can't handle this. If no such sign comes, the man would begin to speak about the man he called Brother.

672exp

Supreme Mystic Rep! : 56 Location : California

When lifted up and cradled against her, Jin remains limp and allows her to do as she saw fit. His attention wasn't on outward things at the moment, he was too focused on nothingness. He would be carried away from that place with them. Though his face is shielded from the sight of his dead father, the image of the previous night would linger in his head. The response of those around him would solidify the reality of the situation and the gravity of his sadness would continue to linger within his heart.

Through the sitting down and being checked, he would not say anything or even make eye contract. The closest thing he had to a wound would be the point of impact where the man's fist had hit his face the previous night. Numbed by the pain from within, he would not even notice the pain that should be pulsing or at least lightly aching on his face.

A shift in environment comes when the father reenters the house, having previously left. Jin's gaze lifts up and to him for a moment as the family is fetched and the promenade begins to the burial ground. As they came to it and he came to stand in front of it, it was his first time seeing a grave. He stared at it, wondering what it was for. Death, at this level of reality, was new to him in his pampered existence. He thought that only the animals his father had hunted were supposed to die, despite his father's words, and the purpose they were supposed to die was to be eaten. Of course, Jin wouldn't assume that they would eat his father; he actually had little to no preconception of what was going on.

Jin simply stands there and stares. There are no words that come out, but slowly, he steps forwards. He begins to move, and if not caught before doing such a foolish thing, he attempts to simply fall into the grave where he assumed he could die as well; there was no real reason for him to stay alive.

Persona: Jin | Timeline: 7 AD | EXP: 378 / 1278

Subject: Re: Through the eyes of a child... * Sun May 22, 2011 12:55 am

Of course the man would not let the boy fall into the grave, nor would he even allow him to get close enough to the edge to make it accidentally happen. Instead he would step forward and kneel beside the open earth with one arm around the youngster to secure him safely above ground. Speaking through the thickness of grief in his throat, the man focuses his words on the lost little boy. "We cannot follow your father where he goes now. His time here with us is over and we must find a way to live through our pain and sadness. Your father would not want you to die with him, he gave his life so that you could remain here and live yours." Unable to find any more words to express all that he felt inside, the man quiets and stares down into the earth at his departed brother while still holding the dead man's son. Meloli and her mother both sniffle audibly behind the males but make no move to speak or even interrupt their moment. Finally, after a few moments of reflection and gathering his thoughts, the man turns the boy enough to look him in the eye. "You are not alone, Jin, no matter how alone you may feel right now. You have me, you have my wife, and you have Meloli. We will take care of you." Another round of sniffles, and muffled sobs from the girl as she hides her face against her mother's legs, comes from behind the pair of them.

278 exp

Supreme Mystic Rep! : 56 Location : California

Dully, Jin's gaze shifts to the ground as the words are spoke to him and he's kept from going to join his father. Though there was a reason for him to stay on this earth, he didn't know or attempt to understand it; he just knew that they would not allow him to kill himself for the time being. The words do assist in coaxing Jin to not attempt to take himself out for right now. Jin looks up to the man who looks him in the eyes, but already Jin's eyes were dull. These words given to him were, however, the glimmer of hope that kept him sane and grounded in this process. It helped for him to know that he was not alone, and even though the man said it, something deep within him assured him that he was not alone either. A voice inside tells Jin to nod his head and he does as he is commanded, giving Meloli's father a nod. The voice tells him to wipe his tears, and he does this as well. Seemingly composed, Jin looks beyond the man to the grave and then steps back slowly away from it. The voice tells him to say good bye to his father, but Jin shakes his head no. The voice is more forceful, but Jin refuses. The internal turmoil stops and Jin is left alone. Turning away from the grave, Jin slowly walks back towards the direction of the house, not waiting for the family if they were to stay behind him. He would only seek to go and lay down as he didn't feel like being active.

Persona: Jin | Timeline: 7 AD | EXP: 280 / 1558
Updated

Subject: Re: Through the eyes of a child... * Sun May 22, 2011 2:28 am

The man and woman do not attempt to stop the boy as he starts off for the house. The father moves to his daughter and gently pulls her away from her mother's legs. "Go with him, little one, your mother and I will be there soon." The girl sniffles as she nods and moves to follow her father's directions. She would jog enough to catch up with Jin but make no move to engage him in conversation, she didn't know what to say and got the feeling that he didn't feel much like talking anyway. When they reach the house and he appears to want to lay down, Meloli would lead him to her room. Her mother had already instructed her to let the boy have her bed for now until her father could build him one of his own. Figuring that the boy wasn't used to sleeping in a room all by himself, Meloli would make herself a pallet of skins and blankets on the floor nearby to keep him company just like her father instructed.

190exp

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