Heart of Stone

Chapter 6: Monsters Together

Heart of Stone

Chapter 6

Monsters Together

She hadn't eaten so much in her entire life. The rice was a bit dry though. She scooped up a bit more of the curry into the rice and started to eat it again. It had a certain spice to it, and not a whole lot of meat. She liked it that way. She really loved the soft potatoes.

She looked up at Macaque who had a huge mound of both rice and curry. Mix it together and eat it. She noticed just how big his teeth were. At least as big as one of her fingers. Which wasn't saying much since her fingers were still small.

Dinners were mostly quiet, Bai He had been told that dinner times were for eating, and never talking. So she remained quiet and just kept eating. She took a drink and sat back, her plate had been picked clean.

"Geez...gonna eat the plate too?" He asked with a chuckle. His own plate was almost gone. "Want anymore?" He asked, holding up a pot.

Bai He shook her head. "If I eat anymore, I think I'll pop. It was good." She sighed contentedly. Macaque just chuckled, putting the pot down and smiled.

"Alright, once I'm done here the water for the bath should be finished warming up.

It didn't take too long for him to finish up his own plate before he put the plates into the sink and walked into the bathroom.

The bath water was steaming softly. He poured something into the water to give it an inky green look to it. To Bai He it smelled sweet.

"Alright kiddo, you got your soaps here, your drying cloth here...new clothes here...and a..." He held up a small rubber tiger. "It's not much, but I found it." He set it onto the side and motioned to the door. "I'll be right outside if you need me alright?" Bai He nodded. Wow she hardly spoke when she was tired.

Bai He waited till Macaque left the room before pulling off her clothing. She looked at herself in the mirror that was on the back of the door. Her skin still had dark patches of bruising from the headmistress...plus the black marks around her arms, and legs that were left over from the Lady Bone Demons possession. She was told by Tang that they would forever be there. A constant reminder that she had her, and refused to let go.

Wukong had shown her the marks she had left behind on him. He was around his middle as if she kept clawing at his heart. He was immortal and not held as long as she herself. So his would likely fade with time.

Macaque heard her climb into the bath. He could feel the heat from the fire beneath the bath. He looked around at the door.

"Hey uh...what...what happened to your parents?" He asked. He knew it was a loaded question, but he needed to know that they weren't just going to show up someday and snatch her away from him. He might have told Wukong that he wasn't a good dad and he didn't deserve to be...but he in his heart wanted it. He wanted her to be his.

"It was dark, cold, raining." She told him, if it were someone else they probably wouldn't have heard her talking, but Macaque could hear really well. "We were driving into town, the rain had turned to ice. The car slid down the road. I woke up outside the car. A man took me away from them. I wasn't allowed to see." She took a deep breath as she spoke, but it didn't even sound like she was crying. She hardened herself to it. "I woke up the next morning to a nurse telling me they were gone and I had to go to an orphanage now." She told him.

Okay...so he guessed her parents weren't just going to pop up and...

"I went through foster homes, after foster homes. Each one didn't like that I seemed...scared all the time. Too afraid to be in cars...hated that I didn't like to do homework. I wasn't perfect and they wanted perfection..." He heard the water move and splash around. "Forgive me if I don't see this as permanent." She told him.

Macaque's heart fell as he realized what she had said.

"You don't think...I'll want you?" He asked, hearing the drying cloth.

"No one does." She took a labored breath as she walked out of the bathroom. " Who would want me? I'm flawed."

Macaque ran his fingers over her set hair and picked up the drying cloth. What would one say to a child who lost hope.

"No one...wanted me either." He picked her up hugging her tight. "Monsters together right?" He walked her up to her room and laid her in the bed. "Right?" He asked.

Bai He ran her fingers over her cheeks. The sleeve was long enough to use as a tissue. She nodded her head as she cried.

Oh to feel so lonely, was something that Macaque knew so well. Curling around the young child letting her cry in his arms just felt so right to him. Who knew this was something he needed so much.