4

Eve was not able to lift herself up on her shaky arms and get to her feet until several hours later, when the moon was hanging high in the sky beside the sparkling stars. Only then was she able to pull herself to a standing position. She struggled to find her footing in the dark and hoped without hope that she was moving in the right direction to get back home. Her brain was in such a state of disarray that she was unable to truly absorb and understand where she was or where she needed to be. Her eyes were blurred from the tears, which caused her to trip over a tree branch and fall to the ground after taking only a dozen steps further in the direction she was going. She wailed even louder as the force that had broken her fall caused her hands and knees to be in excruciating pain.

She has begun to pull herself forward along the uneven ground, unable to stand up again. It was a pathetic attempt at an army crawl, though. After only travelling, she stopped and rolled over to stare up at the sky above her. With an accusing glare, she looked at the moon, feeling utterly betrayed.

“You were supposed to bond me to someone who would love and protect me for the rest of my life, forever and ever. Why… why is it that this keeps occurring to me? Please, moon goddess, put an end to this suffering. Please, I will do anything you ask of me… I only wish for the discomfort to end.” Eve's eyes started to slowly close as she gave in to the exhaustion that was taking over her as a result of her desperate pleading, which had worn her out. She was prepared to go into a pit from which she would never emerge.

“Eve! Could it be you, Eve?” A voice could be heard calling from far away. Eve only managed to open her eyes with a lot of effort, and when she did, she saw Joanne's worried face hanging above her.

“Oh my god, Eve, your mother and I have been so worried about you. Please don't make us worry any longer. Why are you still out here by yourself while everyone else has left?” The hands of Joanne hovered over Eve's tear-streaked face as the latter blurted out a barrage of anxious queries. Eve was visibly upset. Joanne was terrified that if she touched the abused girl, the girl would splinter into a million pieces and run away from her.

“It's going to be okay. Don't worry, I am here to pick you up and take you home right away.” Joanne remarked this as she rose and placed Eve's scratched arm around her neck before attempting to lift Eve, who was lying on her back, to a standing position. Even though Eve was on the shorter side, Joanne was even more delicate in stature. This was a challenging task.

The two individuals moved in complete silence toward the humble cottage that Eve called her own. Joanne never once grumbled about the burden that her travelling partner placed on her shoulders; rather, she continued on anyway. Eve was able to recognize her mother as she waited on the porch of the small building as it came into view. Her mother was waiting for her cousin and her daughter to return. Marie let out a gasp as she hurriedly descended the stairs as quickly as her walking stick would permit in order to embrace her kid with sunken eyes. She couldn't help but wonder what might have possibly transpired in her daughter's life to have caused her to appear to be so lifeless on the inside. However, the reality was significantly more upsetting than any of the scenarios that were running through her mind at the time.

“What happened? Look at you, my baby.” Marie let out a scream just as Eve's limp body began to pull both of them down to the wet ground. Joanne let out a cry as she desperately attempted to catch the two people who were tumbling, but she was also knocked to the ground.

“Mom... my mate... he turned me down,” she said. Eve had a hard time breathing and was gasping for air. However, this was not the type of ache that could be alleviated by a peck on the cheek and a bandage from her mother.

Marie let out a cry as she drew Eve even closer to her chest and continued to hold her there. Joanne let out a shocked cry and immediately encircled Eve and Marie in her arms in an effort to keep their family as close as possible.

The three women sat on the grass with tears streaming down their faces as the moon watched over them. As the sun began to gently rise above the woods in the background of where they were sitting, Eve became so exhausted that she passed asleep while the other two women continued to cry.

“Marie, let's bring her inside and put her to bed right now,” Joanne said. “If she is going to make it through this, she absolutely must get some sleep.” Joanne was the one who finally broke the prolonged period of stillness that had surrounded the women.

“Okay.” The cracks in Marie's voice reduced her speech to a mere whisper that was barely audible over the chirping of the birds that were just beginning to wake up for the day. After going through all of that misery, she had no idea how she would ever put Eve back together.

The two cousins worked together and were successful in bringing the unconscious girl into the house and placing her on her bed there. After bringing the quilt up to cover Eve's shoulders, Marie sat on the side of the bed and stroked her daughter's hair while she was completely overcome with grief.

“This keeps occurring, Joanne, why? What could I have possibly done to inflict such suffering on my daughter?” Joanne reached out to gently comfort Marie after she let out a small sob, but her feelings of guilt prevented her from doing so.

“Nothing. Eve does not deserve this, and you certainly do not deserve to relive this agony through her. Neither of you deserves it. We owe it to her to maintain our composure. You are aware that she is going to endure tremendous pain, and it is our responsibility as her family to support and steady her until she can stand on her own two feet once more. You have the ability to… This is within our reach. Because in the event that we don't…” Joanne's voice trailed off as she left an idea unspoken in the atmosphere all around them.

“I know. I shall keep my composure for the sake of my daughter. I will.” The statement was made by Marie with a resolute expression as she lovingly looked down on her sleeping daughter.

“Come on, you are just as in need of rest as I am. When she opens her eyes, she'll find us right here.” Joanne lifted Marie up and guided her towards the exit in a gentle manner. Marie spoke softly to her sleeping child as she turned her head slightly backwards.

“Pumpkin, I love you.”