Quiet

Fear.

So familiar.

Hands ushering him not to gently, but not ungently into the closet.

The hands were feminine; neatly but not overly extravagant in the manicure. No polish, just plain. Nothing was wrong with plain. It had allowed him to feel so safe and loved for ten years of his life. He looked up at the caramel-skinned woman.

Her face looked sad and worried, but somehow managed to still hold love. A neat trick; especially when her tone was one of gravity. All that, but love was still recognizable. Fear, not for her, but for him. Not his father. Him.

He stood in the closet trembling, unable to stop. He wanted to be brave. Like her. Like his father.

She wasn't scared. He - his father - wasn't scared. He was preparing. Banging. Splinters of wolf sounded as the door was broken apart. His father yelled warnings to his mother. She turned away from him and looked over her shoulder. Sadness crosses crosses over her features and outweighs the amount of fear. She turns back and her face is clear with love and pleading.

"Everything will be okay," she said. "Stay in here. And no matter what you hear: Do not come out of here until all noise has settled." Her hands reached up to cup his small face; thumbs swiping sideways gently to wipe his cheeks of moistness. He hasn't realized he was crying. "Don't be afraid my darling. Everything will be okay. I promise. Just stay hidden." It felt okay to...she was there to wipe away the liquid that represented his fear. She was there.

Her lips, so soft and luscious, pressed against his forehead gently, just like they did before he went to sleep. They disappeared with her hands and she stood as the tall and elegant priestess, he'd heard so many stories about. She closed the shutter door and rays of light from the room filtered into it.

The noise ensued growing louder and screams, battle cries, were heard. His hand lingered towards the door, knowing that a push would allow him to see...maybe help.

Do not come out of here until all noise has settled.

He stopped. She told him not to.

Everything will be okay.

She promised.

I promise.

He swallowed but already felt his heart breaking. For some reason, he knew, he felt it - the lie. Nothing was okay outside. Her screams. His screams. They weren't okay. They were full of rage. Pain. Nothing that signified being okay. He scooted back and replayed his mother's words in his head and the fun day at the carnival they had had, only mere hours ago.

His back touched the wall and he slid down; knees pulled to his chest, he shook before eventually trying to fall asleep and failing. That was all settled when a blast of magic from outside seemed to filter into every crevice and corner of the room, and it rendered him unconscious.