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A little blond haired six year old girl stood in the middle quaking in her red velvet cloak. Silent tears streamed down her cheek, a scream erupting from her quivering lips. Leaping from my seat, dirt crunching underneath my boots. Alarm widened her chocolate brown eyes, her screaming stopping. My heart was pounding away, the wolves creeping ever closer. Opening my palm, a beam of light shot up in the sky. Their furry ears flattened with fear, their tails tucking in between their legs. Dirt crunched underneath their paws, only seeing their tails scurry into the woods.
“Why did you do that?” She chided, looking all around her. “Now she will find me.” My lips parted to ask who would find her, but a blond woman my age leapt from a tree branch behind me. Her green double button coat clung to her hourglass figure, a black pirate hat with a green feather sat on top of her intricate bun. Her chocolate eyes glittered excitedly, a wicked grin spreading across her purple painted lips. A curved sword glinted in the moonlight, fresh blood dripping onto the ground. My eyebrows cocked, a snarl curling on my lips. Black energy oozed from her every pore.
“I see you found my little Lottie.” She mused, examining me cautiously. “Now give her back my dear.” No tears flowed from her eyes, nothing. Something was wrong here, very wrong. Bushes rustled behind her various men coming up behind her, their boots crunching as they lunged at her. Sitting at Lottie’s level, our eyes met. Fear gripped her tiny little body, her pale face full of wicked concern.
“Go with my friend, and I will take care of all of this.” I urged, setting her next to Franken. “Take her away from here. I will find you guys after.” His lips parted in protest, his eyes glowering in my direction. Placing my hands on my hips, my eyebrows furrowed.
“Fine, but take these.” He ordered, handing me his gun and a fancy curved sword. “Just promise me you will find us.” Nodding, he turned in the opposite direction, taking the next turn. Horror darkened my eyes, corpses lay all around her. Red blood flooded the dirt pathway, stopping at my boots. A maniacal grin danced across her blood covered face, a crazed look gazing my way. Calm down, she was clearly unhinged. Hopefully her thought process will be sporadic at best. Air rushed around me, her blade cutting my cheek. A neat line of blood dripped down my cheek, her face inches from mine.
“I told you that Little Lottie is mine!” She growled, groaning as I pushed her back. “I killed her dad, so she could be all mine. If I can’t have her, no one can.” The hair on the back of my neck stood up, feeling a rotten hot breath on the back of my neck. Pain shot through my spine, the hard edge of a heel slamming me into the pool of blood. Struggling to stand, my finger wrapped around the trigger of Franken’s gun. My eyes slammed shut, only a click happening. He forgot to reload the bullets. My train of thought was interrupted as her sword was coming for me. Blinding agony shot through my leg, her sword planting itself firmly. Blood oozed down my leg, feeling like a warm river. Her body fell back, the edge of my heel slamming into her face. Yellow rotted teeth rained down onto the ground. Clouds formed above me, a soft sprinkle tickling my skin.
“I will be taking care of Lottie from now on.” I asserted, sliding the sword through her heart. Her skeletal finger called me closer, kneeling closer to her was a little difficult as she placed a bloody golden locket in my hand. Hot salty tears fell down her gaunt cheeks.
“I was dying from a strange illness, so I made her hate me.” She wheezed, grabbing my hand. “Her father was going to kill us both. You know the pirate life. Give her this locket, and those men will be after you. Promise to protect her at all costs. Thank you for stopping the pain.” Her eyes rolled back, exposing the white of her eyes. Loud men's voices called out in the drizzle, my heart shattering into a million little pieces. Swooping everything up, my boots pounded against the dirt. Sharp pain shot up my leg with each step, relief washing over me at the sight of Franken and the girl in the far distance.
“Stop right there.” A gruff raspy voice ordered behind me. “Wait, are you an android? You would fetch a mighty amount of gold in the marketplace.” Putting my palm towards a bunch of trees, the blue laser cut the trees down. The ground quaked, the heavy trunks crashing down one by one. The shadowy man cursed, Franken’s strong arm sweeping me up into the wagon. The horses clapped in the still night, the danger growing far behind us. Franken groaned and slammed his palm into his forehead at the sight of the sword in my leg. Lottie hugged me tightly, her tears soaking my arm.
“Making more enemies, I see.” He groaned, looking over at the little girl snoozing in my lap. “I will fix that in the morning.” Awkward silence passed between us, no words being passed between us. Anger burned in his eyes, his lips pressed firmly together. The sun was starting to rise, a soft pink hue painting the sky. An old man with thin rags, and a scraggly beard waved at us. A warm smile lit up Franken’s face, the horses trotting after this odd old man. The old man tied the horses to a couple of trees, before helping me down. His crystal blue eyes looked me up and down, his liver spotted hand rubbing his giant chin.
“I’ll be darned.” He uttered to himself. “A true mix of human and robot, a miracle within itself. Come on in.” My jaw dropped to the ground, a wooden castle loomed in front of me. Lottie stirred in Franken’s arms, her little hands rubbing her eyes.
“Woah, a real life castle.” She exclaimed, her eyes brightening with childish wonder. “Just like the ones that I read about in fairy tales.” With a soft thud, she jumped out of Franken’s arms and sprinted in. Familiar fingers wrapped around mine, Franken’s arms sweeping me up.
“She reminds me of someone I know.” He teased playfully, tucking a snarled piece of hair behind my hair. “Let’s get you fixed up.” A gentle smile crossed my lips, my hand still clenching the locket in my hand. Tears welling up in my eyes, concern flashing across his face.
“Sure, but can I give her something first?” He nodded, setting me down on the nearest bench in the grand cherry wood entrance. “Lottie!” Her blond hair bounced up and down, her little boots bounding towards me. Tears still shimmered in the corner of her eyes, a sad smile dimming her face.
“What is it, robot lady?” She asked cheerfully, sitting down next to me. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Her small fingers wrapped around my pinky, wet tears dripping onto my hand.
“Your mother wanted you to have this.” I blurted out, setting the locket in her free hand. “She said something about being sick beyond healing, and wanted to give you a reminder of her.” Hot salty tears fell from my red eyes, her head lowering. Her boots swung faster, her fist clenching the necklace. The gold trinket bounced against the creaky oak floors, her glowering eyes meeting mine.
“I don’t want this!” She barked, standing to her feet. “I hate her with all of my little heart. She could have told me that she was sick. I could tell by her appearance. Why did she have to leave me alone in this cruel world?” She hurried off, leaving me and Franken. My red eyes watched her run off into a dark hall. Covering my mouth with my hand, my face fell. He sat down next to me with a pile of medical supplies.
“She will come around one day.” He promised, pulling at the ornate sword in my leg. “I was the same way when my mother passed.” A howl of pain poured from my lips, the steel edges scraping the wound on the way out. With ease he stitched up the hole, humming a gentle tune. Guilt hung heavily on my mind, my red eyes watching him wrap my wound.
“Franken, I am sorry for everything.” I apologized, looking sheepishly away from him. “I am just a b-” He pressed his clean finger to my lips, his other hand holding a soapy washcloth. My heart skipped a beat, his finger lifting up my chin.
“I am Viktor, by the way.” He said warmly, wiping the blood off of my face. “I would much prefer that by the way. You are a gift not a burden, a signal of hope. Perhaps the one good thing my father did right. I don’t ever want to hear you say such words again.” The water splashed, the cloth dropping into it. His arms wrapped around my waist, Lottie coming out of the shadows. Her hands were folded together, her little body inching towards the trinket. Gingerly, her fingers wrapped around her small fingers around the small golden heart.
“Sorry for blowing up on you.” She stammered, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “I knew this day would come, but I guess you can never prepare for it. Did she say that she wanted you to protect me with your life? I was awake when my father attacked her, injecting her with a non transmittable disease. He was working on a biological weapon, the buyers stopping by all of the time. When he was gone, they kidnapped us. I guess she went a little mad with the torture they put her through.” Her face fell, her trembling hands opening the heart. Fresh tears flooded from her cheeks, her little legs climbing in between us. The rain pounded on the thatch roof, humming mother nature’s lullaby, her head resting on my lap. Tomorrow was a new day, hopefully much better. After all there is always a rainbow after each storm.
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