Change in Heart ▪ Enoch O'Connor

X.

The peculiars trudged up the road back to the house, being wary of people seeing them, though it wouldn't exactly matter. Ash walked alongside Millard, as they had a pleasant discussion about nature. In the front was Emma, Victor, and Bronwyn, holding up the back was Enoch, looking sulkier than ever. Ash was dying to know what his problem is.

"Do you like trees or flowers more?" She asked Millard, peering over at the ocean. It seemed to be getting rough.

"As beautiful as flowers are, trees are better. Flowers die with each season, but trees can stay for hundreds of years. And trees can have blooms, as well as supply fruit," Millard replied, taking his hat off his head and tossing it in the air. Ash jumped up and grabbed it before he could catch it, smiling as she put it on her head.

"That's rude, Ash!" Millard whined, attempting to grab for it.

"You'll get over it. But I think flowers and trees are great. Flowers are the color of the world. My favorite are roses," Ash said, glancing to her left at the tall oak trees. She really wanted to climb them.

"It definitely suits you," Millard said, smiling at the girl as she tossed his hat back to him.

They reached the house with just enough time to play before preparing dinner, Ash deciding on playing ball with Hugh and Millard.

The two boys had grown on her in her short time being there. She never was truly able to interact with others her age, besides at the school house when she was supposed to be working. But in her day in the different world, she felt more at ease and happier. Yes, she still felt very awkward and shy around everyone, but she enjoyed it.

If only Mother were here.

They took turns kicking the ball around, then Hugh and Millard ganged up against Ash and kept the ball away from her. She would run in circles as they dodged her, being quicker in passing than she could get to the person. Ash finally decided to give up and stand in the middle of them.

"I'm gonna get it at some point, Hugh. You might as well just give it to me now," Ash said, crossing her arms and leaning her weight to one hip.

"Oh," Hugh smirked. "You wanted the ball? I didn't know that. Why didn't you just say so?"

And with that he punted the ball as hard as he possibly could. The ball soared over the tall hedges, out of sight. Ash turned back to Hugh and Millard, Hugh doubled over in laughter, the latter rolling on the ground. Ash rolled her eyes at the two and sighed, jogging off into the hedges. She burst through the greenery to find a small stream, and trees just beyond that. In the trees she found the ball, in the hands of Enoch. Ash hesitated before advancing towards the boy.

"I, uh, Hugh kicked that over here. Could I have it back please?" Ash said quietly, feeling awkward. Enoch looked at her and shoved the ball into her hands, then turning and sitting back against a tree. Ash stood with uncertainty, not sure what to say.

"Thank you, Enoch," She said, louder this time, turning on heel and hopping over the stream.

"You're welcome," Enoch whispered to himself. He won't lie, he thought of her as sweet and beautiful. But he also thought as Emma as beautiful. So it obviously meant nothing. He wasn't going to befriend the girl, that would be like slicing open a healed wound. At least he said it was healed.

Ash trudged through the hedges once more, victoriously raising the ball in the air. She took off in the direction of the forest, Hugh and Millard shouting with surprise, then running after her. She looked back at them, then accidentally dropped the ball. She yelled out at her clumsiness, and got tackled by the two boys as she held on for dear life to the ball. The ball was removed from her hands and then she sat up. She pouted when Hugh and Millard victoriously danced around waving the ball in their hands and giving each other high fives (even though Hugh couldn't tell where Millard's hand was exactly.)

"That's not fair! You're both eight feet tall, practically!"

"Just get better," Hugh cockily said. Millard reached down to help her up and she wiped the dirt off herself. Looking in between the two boys shoulders, she noticed a dull looking man in the distance, swaying as he stood their watching her. Ash knew she didn't know this man, and was terrified of the creepy man she was seeing.

Hugh's eyes were watching her confused face, and both boys turned to follow what she was looking at. They found nothing but the trees, and Hugh grabbed her arm to try and snap her out of it.

"Ash. Ash!" He shook her arm until her head snapped up at him, still looking bewildered. "What are you looking at? There's nothing there."

"You-you," She started, pushing past the two boys shoulders. "The man. He's right there."

"Ash, maybe you have sun poisoning." Millard said, laying an invisible hand on her shoulder

"No, no, he's there!" She cried, looking back at the spot where she knew the old man was just standing. But finding nothing, she gasped and drew a hand to her mouth. "Where on earth could he have gone?"

Hugh glanced at Millard who, unbeknownst to Hugh, was looking at him. They heard Emma call for everyone to come to dinner. Ash followed close behind the boys but kept glancing over at the spot where she'd seen the man. It wouldn't have unsettled her so greatly if he did anything humanly, besides stand there and stare directly at her. Her eyes eventually caught Enoch's, whose arms were full with a book, clay, and tools.

Ash ran over to help him, asking if he needed help, to which he snarkily replied that he didn't need any help from anyone and jerked himself away. Enoch had failed to notice that he had dropped a small homunculus at the girls feet. It had a heart drawn over its torso, but had multiple holes in it, with a nail stabbed straight through its middle.

It dawned on her from his rude attitude that he was suffering. She was confused as to why her mother left this place and Enoch. But she was a different person from her mother, despite their looks. And she would be kind to that boy who walked with his shoes scuffling and head down. Everyone hurts in different ways.