Lost Causes [Nightlocke]

[Melissa Hashaway]

Melissa had just gotten done working at the 7/11. It had been a regular day filled with a multitude of different people. She was use to everything, and every person. She'd seen mutants, humans, cops, and robbers. Even though she wasn't a fan of cops, robbers kind of really sucked. Especially when they're robbing you. It almost wished there were more cops, nah, she just wished people were nicer.

Melissa spotted walking through the alley way a stain of red. Another bum fight maybe. Not a lot of bums hanged around here though. The cops patrolled her often actually, also gangs loved killing bums around here. Her heart sank a little as she thought about it, but then she saw it lead to a pair of legs. Female legs. A woman had been taken out maybe and killed.

Melissa wasn't afraid, she was in her neighborhood. People around here left her alone. She ran over to the body it was still alive passed out or asleep. The wounds indicated probably passed out, but the trail came from the sewers? She sniffed, quickly jumping back regretting the fluctuation in her nostrils. The girl looked beat up and starved. Melissa wasn't sure what to do, call the police? No, she couldn't this girl had a baton on her. She was on the run probably.

Those wounds. She couldn't help but think back to that day. The day her father mercilessly beat her, and the following day when they refused to feed her. The hunger... The horrible hunger, but Melissa was weird she starved after two to three days of not eating. Quickly she reached into her satchel bag and pulled out a Twinkie. It was one of two she had left for the day. She didn't want to create to much a scene, so she waved the Twinkie in front of the girl and squeaked. It was a loud squeak and a few squirrels gathered on the nearby buildings in question.

[Nightlocke]

Charlotte was filthy and unconscious. She awoke from a very loud, and very strange noise. Was that squeaking she had heard? No... couldn't be... it must be a dream. All of this, everything she was going through. Everything was all just a dream. It had to be...But she knew it wasn't, deep in her mind. The pain she felt couldn't possibly be a part of dream. Most definitely a nightmare. She couldn't believe how exhausted she was.

Charlotte wanted to go back to sleep, but couldn't. Something was alerting her senses; a very good and very sweet aroma, urging her to wake up. Her vision was still a big foggy. She could feel the hard ground underneath her, and the uncomfortable feeling of the handle of the baton she carried jabbing into her back. She shifted on the ground so that she wasn't laying directly on top of it. She blinked heavily as she tried wake up, forcing her eyelids to function. She finally saw what it was that she was smelling. It was a Twinkie.

Charlotte paused and stared at the unbelievable Twinkie. Her stomach, as if on cue, let out a menacing growl. She didn't see the squirrel girl and the other little curious rodents which were surrounding the area, just the Twinkie. The hands who held the heavenly Twinkie waved it around, as if to rouse her. Instinct took over as she reached out for the Twinkie and put it in her mouth. She lay her head back down on the ground as she weakly began to chew the Twinkie, wrapper and all.

[Melissa Hashaway]

"You're not suppose to eat the wrapper..."

Melissa said with a frown. She felt so bad for the girl below her. How could one fall so low and not get any help from anyone. She reached into her satchel and pulled out a second Twinkie. This Twinkie she unwrapped first before handing it over to the wounded girl before her. She wasn't gonna risk getting bitten and reach for the wrapped twinkie getting mauled.

"Hey... You can't lay here.. You'll get, get in trouble."

Melissa glanced around the alleyway making sure there weren't any silent predators around. She squeaked and the squirrels around squeaked back. It was a very odd chatter that confirmed to Melissa that the coast was clear. She couldn't let a fellow living creature suffer so poorly in the alley behind her apartment. It was too close to home to allow.

"This is my apartment. The coast is clear, they told me it is. Squirrels don't lie. Seriously please come with me. I'll take you to my apartment. You'll be safe, but we got to hurry, please?"

Melissa spoke as she extended her hand to the fugitive. She quickly noted how weak the woman was and knelled down. She was lowering her shoulder and body so the woman could limply attach to her. Melissa was honestly really kind of scared. The woman was covered with blood and all, but she'd offer and if the woman excepted she'd rush her to her apartment.

[Nightlocke]

The Twinkie Charlotte chewed on fell from her mouth and she began to wolf down the other, unwrapped Twinkie. It was easier to chew on. As she ate the Twinkie, she felt a sudden energy hit her as the sugar coursed through her veins. She opened her eyes once again and saw a girl standing over her. She looked into the girl's eyes and blushed. She couldn't believe at how pretty the girl was. Was she an angel sent from heaven to help her? Charlotte had felt such a heavy feeling on her shoulders, and now, it slowly began to fade. Relief was what she was feeling.

Charlotte was staring the girl with large, curious eyes. She didn't even realize that she was crying as the tears streamed down her face. She was fascinated by her and her squeaky chatter. She had a tail that looked like a squirrel's. Was she a mutant just like her? Suddenly, Charlotte was filled with fear, and this showed clearly on her face. For some reason, as of late, she hadn't been treated very nicely by anyone; not a single person or mutant. It was the first gesture of kindness she had received since the Division's mind control chip had broken and her target had become her caretaker. That seemed like too long ago now...

This girl was being so kind to her so why should she refuse her offer? What else could she do? Nothing. She was totally helpless to whatever came her way. Whether the cops finally reached and found her, or Division finally took her out, she was too weak and exhausted to do anything about it. So, accepting her offer of help, and not being able to express her gratitude with words, she reached out to the woman and held her with whatever little strength she had left.

[Melissa Hashaway]

Melissa swept her arm around the woman on the ground and pulled her up off the cold concrete. She wasn't heavy but Melissa wasn't the strongest individual around. Her tail wrapped around the girl giving extra support, but Melissa had to be quick. She took a breath in and focused. Quickly she pulled the girl out of the alley way a small squad of squirrels leading the 'team'. She'd look back and forth down an empty night street sticking to the shadows.

She waited a few seconds for her friends to unscrew the bulb in the street light closest to her apartment. With that Melissa ran to her apartment door, well as fast as one could run while holding a girl. She pushed the door open and climbed up a flight of stairs It was the second door on the left that she stopped at. The apartment had another floor, but Melissa didn't seem worry about people in the apartment so much.

She squeaked at her door and made some odd chatter. The door unlocked and she pushed it open with her weight. A squirrel was dangling from the locks on the door. Stepping inside she quickly glanced around her own apartment for keep sakes. She wasn't gonna go in without first making sure everything was safe. She closed the door then with her weight again. The squirrel locked it before falling to the floor and running off.

The apartment was small and hardly furnished, but the first living room seemed to be attached to a kitchen type deal. The center of the room had a cheap table with four different chairs at it. The window in the background was cracked open with three squirrels sitting there, Melissa squeaked some orders almost and the squirrels rushed around with tissues? They left the room out to the outside. There was a room to the immediate left of the entrance. It was this room Melissa charged into next.

She was partially rushed as she felt the girl probably needed her wounds tended to. She laid the girl a top her mattress which laid on the floor without a box spring below it. She looked around walking to her window and looking out the window at the alley It was where the girl had been originally laying. The squirrels were whipping up the blood with tissues then dropping them in the sewer.

"You should be safe right here... I'm getting you some bandages, ice and food."

Just like that she was gone. She was very fast especially now that she'd dropped the injured girl. The sound of rustling was heard in the back ground. Finally the girl returned now she had a box in her hand. She pulled out bags of ice, a loaf of bread, cheetos, a quart of milk, and bandages. She wasn't really sure how to treat ones wounds, but she reached into her satchel and pulled out some vodka. She wasn't worried that the girl would accuse her of under aged drinking.

[Nightlocke]

When the girl swept her up off of the ground, Charlotte couldn't stay awake any longer. She allowed her eyes to close and that caused her mind to sink halfway into sleep. The squirrel girl took her up a flight of stairs and kept making those squeaky noises from her mouth. Her fuzzy tail was so soft and warm... Finally, she found herself laying on a mattress on the floor of a very small apartment. The girl rushed out of the room, leaving Charlotte alone. At that moment, Charlotte spoiled herself as she curled up on the bed. Some of the tension from her muscles was released by simply laying on such a bed. She hadn't slept on a bed since the last time she could remember, which was before she was five years old. It was a nice feeling.

Exhaustion kept knocking at her door, kept wanting to drag her back down to unconsciousness but she knew she had to stay awake. It just wouldn't be polite to pass out now, especially when the kind girl was trying to help her. Just as she thought of the girl, she came back almost as fast as she had left. She forced herself to sit up in bed, ignoring the pangs of painful protests of her body. Charlotte was surprised about how fast she did things. It's like she was constantly hyperactive, but more controlled. A sense of gratitude overcame her, and she wished to express this gratitude with the pretty girl.

"I don't know how to thank you...."

Charlotte was taken back by her voice. It came out so small, raspy and cracked. She was really thirsty, too... The girl started to take things out of a box. Some food, ice, a drink, bandages and alcohol. She reached out for the milk and drank right out of it, eager to quench her thirst. Her mind was still a big groggy but she managed to analyze that the alcohol was probably to clean up her wounds and that the bandages were to patch them up. She did have quite a few injuries, what with being hit by a police car and having been beaten by the police man. It came as a surprise to her as to why there weren't any broken bones. Or perhaps there were some broken bones? She felt pain from all over her body, so it was hard to tell. Maybe drinking some alcohol will help lessen her pain....

[Melissa Hashaway]

Melissa still had a hard pressed worried face, as the girl had been going in and out of consciousness. She heard the girls words filled with rasp and dehydration. She was about to say something, but then the stranger began drinking the milk. No need for words actions were more important than words. Formalities could wait until after Nightlocke was taken care of properly.

"Don't worry about it. The wounds are more important."

Melissa spoke quickly as she unscrewed the top of her vodka bottle, she'd then help the girl drink some. She gave a concerned look remembering the one time her friend treated her. She'd been shot once and her friend had to remove the bullet then treat the wound. Melissa didn't have wires or a needle though, so she couldn't quite treat the wounds the same.

"This will sting... a lot maybe..."

Melissa had a little panic her voice, she didn't want to hear or watch the girl rive in pain. Yet this was a necessary part of making sure the wounds didn't get infected. Flinching a little in fear Melissa pour the alcohol directly on the wounds. Grabbing a clean shirt she padded away the blood. She needed to see the exact wound before applying bandages. She'd place a clothe over the wound then tightly wrap the clothe down with bandage. This woman might be a mutant and maybe heal a little faster than others.

"Please be okay."

Melissa was still partially worried the girl might die on her or something. She'd move quickly letting the girl have another swig of vodka before applying to another wound. She was quick about the procedure and was panting by the end of the process.

"I think thats all of them. At least the ones visible. If you need, you can pass out. I don't have work tomorrow anyways..."

She spoke, giving the girls body, a once over again. She just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything she'd missed. Her voice still had worry, but tried to remain comforting. If the girl were to pass out Melissa would make sure to tuck her into the poorly made bed. It wasn't much but it beat the concrete.

[Nightlocke]

The pain was beginning to ebb as the alcohol ran through her blood. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and would flinch as the girl dabbed her wounds in alcohol. As the girl took care of her wounds, Charlotte indulged in the food she had brought as her all consuming hunger. She held the piece of bread and earnestly took large bites out of it, sometimes taking in more than she could actually chew. This distracted her from the continuous stinging spasms of the squirrel girl's handy work with the alcohol and the bandages.

When the girl was finished, Charlotte instinctively reached out with her hand and grabbed the girl's arm, fearing that she would take off right away. Though, when she did that, she was stuck in an awkward situation, as she didn't know exactly what she wanted to say. That, and she was fighting her eyelids. She couldn't possibly understand what Charlotte was going through. A huge chunk of her life was missing from her memories, and the life she had before was dead and gone. She was a dangerous and wanted fugitive on the run. She looked like she had gone to hell and back and she was completely filthy. And yet, she was still showing kindness. No doubt if she had a TV, her face would be plastered all over its screen. She was scared, lonely, and confused. No, this girl couldn't possibly understand the magnitude of her gratitude. But as her eyes began to close, all she managed, in a perfect french accent, was:

"Merci...."

Charlotte curled up on the bed and fell asleep instantly.

******************************

Rays of sunlight hit her face. It came from the only window in the room. The time was noon, and Charlotte had been asleep for a very long time. Her eyes slowly opened and she saw... a squirrel about two centimeters from her face, curiously staring at her. It squeaked and Charlotte gasped, sitting up in bed. It's not as if the squirrel scared her. She was just caught off guard. In fact, she didn't even know where she was. Not until she recalled exactly how she had came to be there. She remembered the squirrel girl, though she didn't recall a name, which sort of bothered her.

When she was out of bed, she realized she felt different. It was a little difficult to put a finger on it, but it was a very refreshing feeling. Charlotte scratched her head and felt her hair so smooth and clean. With her fingers she combed her short, jet black hair, enjoying the softness, though perplexed about how it could be so clean. She had been living in the streets and hadn't had a good shower in a good while. Looking down, she also saw she was in a pair of pajamas she knew did not belong to her. They must belong to the squirrel girl.

This was very odd.... did the girl really strip her of her clothing and give her a bath? Charlotte blushed at the absurd conclusion she had just come up with. That was terribly uncanny.... Charlotte looked around the room. Where was she now?

"Hello?"

[Melissa Hashaway]

Mercy? Wasn't she already showing plenty. It hadn't mattered though to Melissa something about this girl made being nice easy. It was probably just the fact that she saw something of her in the girl. As the girl soon passed out Melissa remembered something very important, the girls smell. Melissa only had one bed so that was sort of a growing issue. Melissa didn't feel right waking the girl, but something needed to be done nonetheless.

Staring for a moment Melissa decided to just go with the procedure herself. If the girl woke during it then she could explain herself. Between the undressing cleaning and redressing Melissa couldn't help, but question a little what she was doing. She'd shrug it off with a slight reminder she'd be sleeping with the girl so this was a necessary. Luckily at no point did the girl seem to wake. With that in mind upon waking up to the still unconscious girl Melissa would go about her day.

Melissa had been tired so after cleaning up the girl and redressing her she'd fallen asleep. This left her with the task of still cleaning the girls clothes which she'd hampered with some of her own. Melissa went and did that first after a quick breakfast of course. Yet Melissa felt strangely bound to her patient. She'd taken her as a responsibility though so her caring was expected. She'd made it her fourth job to occasionally check in on the other girl.

She was in and out quickly of the room as to not stir the girls deep slumber, but she'd show up every fifteen minutes on the dot. It didn't take long to check in on the girl, having no medical background, Melissa only really checked to make sure the girl was still breathing. Despite no real large struggles or change in visual appearance Melissa couldn't get the girls injures off her mind. She didn't know the girl at all really yet her heart felt suspended for her.

Melissa was eating a bowl of cereal when she heard the hello. She'd lift her ears a second turning her head aimed at the bedroom door. She was happy to hear her new company was okay. She questioned though just how injured the girl still was... She hoped maybe the girl would have enough energy to join her for a bowl of cereal. "I'm out here, are you okay to come out? or would you like me to bring lunch in bed?"

Melissa did her best to sound as casual as she could. She didn't want her guest to feel unwelcome or out of place. Although now was that time Melissa had wished she'd gotten changed better. It was her day off though so she usually wouldn't be dressed by this hour. Instead she was in her half buttoned up t-shirt, and a normal pair of black panties and bra.

[Nightlocke]

The girl responded after she called out for her almost immediately. She didn't know if she liked the idea of breakfast in bed. It did sound very pleasant. But she really didn't want to be a bother to the girl. After all, she had to bathe the girl while bloody unconscious. If that wasn't embarrassing and if it wasn't a nuisance, she would have to give the girl extra kudos for her effort and generosity. Charlotte stretched her limbs out in the bed and rubbed her eyes. She felt so refreshed, yet still a bit tired from having woken up from such a long slumber.

"I...I'm okay. I'll come out there..."

Thinking about the girl's kindness made her smile. She didn't really quite understand her reaction towards the good deed that was being done towards her, but it was a nice feeling. Charlotte rolled herself out of bed until her feet were touching the ground again. As she sat on the mattress, she saw the clock and saw that it was noon. Charlotte blinked at it for a second before moving on. Her limbs ached from the effort of getting up from the ground. She realized that she was still injured and shouldn't overexert herself. Her legs were wobbly at first but as she put herself together she regained full balance. Slowly, she poked her head into the main room of the small apartment. She saw that the girl had already been looking at the door, and she blushed. She looked awfully cute... She also saw her eating a bowl of... something. Whatever that was. It made her stomach grumble. Malnutrition was a problem that needs to be handled delicately. Charlotte then fully emerged from the bedroom, hugging herself slightly and smiling awkwardly. Her hair was a crazy black haystack on her head.


"Hi..."

[Melissa Hashaway]

"Hello..." Melissa responded in a muffled tone as she crunched away at some cereal in her mouth. She was so calmed to see that the girl was all more or so okay now. Too happy to think straight Melissa quickly realized how still starved the girl probably was. Dropping her spoon she rushed out of her seat to the kitchen. They were one in the same room, but a counter was inconveniently placed in the way. Melissa simply hoped the counter, her tail swaying majestically behind her.

She'd hit the ground just as fast. Cabinet opened then the sound of things falling around could be heard. A loud crash soon followed the noise, then there was a moment of silence. One of those deafening silences as if something horrible had happened. "Bowl." Melissa proclaimed as she held a bowl up from under the counter.

Popping back up to her feet, Melissa ran over to the table pulling a chair back. It was the closest chair towards her own room so her new friend wouldn't have to walk as far. She'd place the bowl down and then pour cereal and milk into the bowl. "Oh, Spoon..." Melissa yelped forgetting about the spoon. She'd once again dive into the kitchen with a loud crash, before emerging with a spoon.

"Brunch has been served... uhh... enjoy~!" Melissa said happily placing the spoon in the bowl of cereal. She'd then shuffle across the floor to her seat. She fell into the spot then grabbed her own spoon off the floor where she'd dropped it being in such a rush. Taking her shirt she'd rub the spoon clean. It wasn't the most sanitary solution, but it was by far the quickest.

She looked down at the spoon to see how clean it was and remember what she was wearing. "Ehh..." Her hairs stood up in embarrassment as she throw her spoon nervously into her bowl. She'd then rapidly button the mostly unbuttoned t-shirt she was wearing. "S-sorry. I'm not the most used to guest... uh... make yourself home?" Melissa said with a half nervous laughter and bright smile.

[Nightlocke]

Charlotte sat down at the table as Melissa pulled back the chair closest to her to sit on. She smiled kindly at the gesture, and watched in amusement as the girl scrambled around for a bowl of cereal. Charlotte then realized she still had no idea what the girl's name was. And the girl had no idea what Charlotte's name was either. She was a bit frightened to tell the girl her name. But somehow she felt like she could trust the girl with... anything. Which was a very strange feeling for her, especially since she was just a kind stranger.

Watching the girl fiddle with her shirt buttons and the embarrassed look on her face caused Charlotte to giggle. She stopped instantly because the sound was strange to her. She couldn't remember the last time she had laughed about anything at all. Although she was no longer smiling, that didn't mean she wasn't happy. She felt so at ease and comfortable. Charlotte felt she must introduce herself before she ate.

"Charlotte. Thank you for... uhhh... Brunch."

Charlotte picked up her spoon and hesitated before taking a spoonful into her mouth. As she munched down slowly on the cereal to get a feel for the taste, she found that she really liked it, and continued to eat.

[Melissa Hashaway]

Melissa giggled with the girl remembering that laughter was the best medicine. Even though she'd slept right next to the woman and such she'd still gotten a good amount of sleep. She actually probably slept better last night than most nights. It was really odd, but what was even odder was the fact that none of this reminded her to pick a better outfit. She shrugged the thought off as she didn't want to change in front of the stranger. She could of easily went to the bathroom.

The more she thought about it the more it felt weird. She didn't want the guest to get all scared by her over niceness. She wanted the girl overall to feel welcome, "I'm Melissa. It's like breakfast at lunch-ish time. I have all the hobbit meals." Melissa stated as if everyone alive had scene the lord of the rings. It was definitely one of those movies made even more epic by drugs and lack of social involvement. Apart of Melissa lingered for one of those adventures.

"You should probably... uhh... Here just let me..." Melissa said as she awkwardly pointed toward Charolette's hair. She thought it looked a little aloof and could use some fixing, but she didn't feel right just saying your hair looks bad or something. Besides the girl was wearing her clothes she didn't have a brush on her. Pushing a newspaper aside she grabbed a hidden brush an hopped over to her possible new friend.

She hoped the girl didn't get frightened by her fast moving actions. Melissa had one speed and that was a fast speed. She'd brush at a slower pace though to not tug at the girls hair, if the brushing was allowed. To keep her head and hair in place Melissa put her hand on Charolette's shoulder.

[Nightlocke]

Charlotte looked up from the cereal when she mentioned her name, and something about hobbit meals. What's a hobbit meal? Anyway... She really did think the girl's name was pretty, but she knew nothing about Hobbit meals or what they even were. The way she had talked about it, she guessed it had something to do with the cereal. Perhaps the type? It was delicious Hobbit cereal, if that was the case. And her name. Melissa. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

Melissa pointed at Charlotte's hair. Charlotte blushed and placed her hands over the haystack that was her hair. It was an absolute mess. Still she liked the softness and the cleanliness. It shouldn't be too difficult to brush out. As quick as ever, Melissa volunteered to brush her hair out of the blue. It was a very nice gesture, much like everything else she had done for Charlotte. She would owe this girl so much. She really didn't want to cause any trouble for her. She was so sweet and beautiful, and she must already get a hard time for being a mutant.

As Melissa began to brush out her hair, Charlotte enjoyed every single stroke. There was something really awesome about someone else brushing your hair. Sure, brushing your own hair was nice, but when someone else brushed it, it felt even nicer than doing it yourself. She liked the tickling feeling she had when she brushed gently through her knotted up hair. Feeling awkward from the silence, she decided to attempt at conversation:

"Melissa is a very pretty name....W-where are you from...?"

[Melissa Hashaway]

Melissa wasn't the strongest of thinkers, she'd never really been raised to be 'smart'. The whole objective of cleaning up and neatening the strangers hair took all her minds priority. When Charlotte spoke Melissa jumped a little, it was as if for a moment she'd forgotten she was brushing someones hair. The idea of conversation made Melissa pause, she'd have to take a second to comprehend all that'd been said.

"Uhh..." Melissa paused in an awkward manner as she finished the styling of her new friend's hair. "I'm, uh-thanks, eh-from around here. I was born and raised around here. I'm not very adventurous beyond the city, but I know the city almost flawlessly." Melissa spoke somewhat awkwardly as her head zoomed around Charlotte's, a last check once over to see how she'd done. In her mind she approved the job she did, but she was no stylist, her hair was always kept short to avoid too much effort.

Quickly Melissa in short steps returned to her seat, Melissa felt still awkward. She didn't exactly know what to say, or do... Her new friends reaction to things had been so calm, but Melissa had to fast a heart and mind to keep that sort of cool. If Melissa had been sitting in her shoes, she'd of probably asked a million questions and only listened for about half the answers. She'd of been too occupied questioning what was in the fridge, or cupboards.

"Cinnamon powder..." Melissa squeaked to herself, as she'd vocalized her memory of the last time she'd checked the cupboards. Melissa realized how awkward that statement or phrase might of been. She'd blush and look over at Charlotte than back at her cupboards. "I have some in the cupboards... In case you wanted to of known... or somethin..." Melissa would cough into her hand then quickly go back to devouring her breakfast cereal.