DEVOTION - THE WEEPING MONK [PART 2 COMING IN AUGUST 2023]

CHAPTER THREE

"Please, we don't know anything." The mother pleaded causing the man to sighed in annoyance. The man behind began to grumble getting tired. They still continued to look around messing up the house. Nobody knew about the door leading to the ground. Immediately, there was a sign. The little girl turned to look up seeing how the man slapped the mother onto the ground.

"Whore." The man began to leave behind a crying mother and broken man.

~ ~ ~ ~

"Gwen!"

"Gwen!"

Squirrel began to walk back noticing Gwen wasn't nowhere near him. He immediately eyed a girl with her eyes closed sitting on the ground to the side. "Gwen?!" He ran towards him hopping through the branches. He began to shake her, causing her to open her eyes, snapping out of her memory.

"It's awake, Squirrel," she began to smile. "Thankful you came back. I feel like remembering about the past can cause a rift in a person."

Squirrel smiled, wrapping his arms onto her. She embraced him. She honestly wanted Boro back in her hands. She never was this far apart from her brother? He has always been a good friend to her and loyal brother. This didn't make sense that they are separate. He helped her survive in the woods those countless months.

He was her guide. Now, she is Squirrel guide.

~ ~ ~ ~

They spent hours near a small area behind a large tree trying to make fire, they eventually stopped. Nothing was occurring. No fire. Something wasn't right. She could have sworn, she felt like somebody eye's were burning onto her.

"We should stay for tonight. I'll try to make some fire, it's going to be dark soon." She walked over to grab a bucket and began walking the other side till Squirrel came running towards her, pleading.

"Don't go, please." Her eyes fell upon his green eyes. He looked scared but he didn't want to show it. She knew him since a babe had always been a good friend to him. Now he is alone. She could tell by his saddened look that his father didn't make it alive. He was now an orphan. Sometimes she wonders if Boro wasn't alive. Will she have been an orphan? Will she have witnessed the death of her parent's alone? She would be so young and so naive of the world.

"Okay. I won't." She walked towards him bending down. "No matter what happens, it's you and me." She ruffled Squirrel blonde hair messing it up. "Remember that. We have each other now, we must survive."

"You and me," he repeated. "You promise?" Gwen nodded. "I won't let anybody hurt you, little knight. It's just you and me." She smiled looking at him.

"You promise?" He questioned once more. She smiled at him, "I promise." They began their evening trying to make fire.

It was peaceful so far without any sign of trouble. Yet, Gwen had a gut feeling somebody was watching them.

"By the way, where were you going?" She questioned Squirrel, who jumped back. She could tell he was a little scared. She wasn't the only one who lost a home.

"Nimue told me to go." He paused, "She told me to go to the Iron Wood and hide in the Old Man Rock." Gwen looked around noticing that they were exactly the place where he was supposed to meet up with Nimue. "It's been a very long time. Nimue, hasn't appeared." She replied, stilling looking around.

Something is wrong.

Immediately, she grabbed onto Squirrel's hand dragging him behind the old tree hovering in a deeper area. "What's going on?" She held onto his hand tightly laying her back against the tree.

"I need you to run." She whispered to Squirrel causing him to widen his eyes, in disbelief. "What? No?!" She turned to him, with pleading eyes. "I will find you.''

She stared at him holding his hand, pleading desperately. She continued, ''Run like you do in our fox races. No one can ever catch you." She still stared at Squirrel, looking at him fearfully hoping he could understand what she was asking.

"It's you and me, remember?" He lay his back onto the tree refusing to leave her, determined. Her eyes began to tear up, watery. She watching how he refused to leave her alone, standing right beside her. She began to calm down trying to breathe on a steady pace, she knew he was right. She had to honor that.  "Right." She answered hiding behind the tree once again. Suddenly, she could fear footsteps getting closer to them. She began gasping for air heavily, wincing, trembling.

"Born in the dawn. . . "