Today, 12:18 AM
Matias introduced himself and she noticed the change in Ricky immediately - in both his scent and stance. She saw him become tense, saw his jaw and hands clench. Marta saw him look at Matias' hand, disdain in his gaze. She watched as he looked up to meet Matias' gaze, anger in his eyes. His scent was full of anger. Ricky was close to blowing. She had to stop this before it started. At the very least it was only her, Ricky, Matias, the stranger, and the silent one behind the fence. This could be worse, although not by much.
"Ricky..." she said, her voice twinged with anxiety. Ricky didn't move. Marta increased her volume. "Ricky! I'm thirteen - don't make me be the adult here!"
That did it. Ricky shifted, turning to face her. His gaze softened even as the tension still coiled in him body like a spring. "Marta this..."
"I know who he is, Ricky." she interrupted. "He's not one of them. Not anymore."
Ricky looked at her, his eyes stunned. She had never spoken to him like this. Her breathing began to quicken as she turned to look at the statue. Memories began to flood into her. The needle scars on her forearms began to burn. Her hands rubbed at them in an attempt to dissipate the phantom pain. She was drawn out of her thoughts as a weight leaned against her leg. She looked down to see Splash there, responding to her emotional state. Marta put a hand on her head. Her scars still burned, and her face did as well. She wiped her cheeks to find tears there. She had started crying.
Marta looked back up at the statue, gathering her courage. She knew what she had to do and she would need her courage. She turned back to face the men, looking at each one individually, including the silent and hidden one in their midst, all looking at her. Marta had told the stranger the angel in the statue was a healer. Tonight - on the night they celebrated the birth of the one who would redeem mankind - the angels would witness the healing of a soul. Maybe even two. But it would hurt. God, it would hurt.
Marta took a step forward towards Matias, facing the memories of her past in earnest. One hand held on to Splash's vest, the other still remained on her forearm. She began to speak, her voice quiet but full of authority. "Matias, your family has done some very bad things. Things that can never be erased," she passed Ricky then, who placed a hand on her shoulder in a protective gesture. She pushed it away gently. She wasn't angry at Ricky - he still saw Matias as a threat to her.
She took another step, holding back tears by sheer will even as they continued to gather in her eyes. "I may not have been hurt directly by them, but I know first hand what they did to those like me. Marta was standing in front of him, within reach. "But I see you. I see your regret. I see you trying - trying to make amends. I see you looking for redemption. True repentance." She looked down, letting out some softly choked sobs. "I can't speak for other victims. I can only speak for myself, but I..."
The tears could no longer be contained. She squeezed her eyes shut and wiped them away, feeling as she did the dark contact lenses in her eyes shift. More sobs broke the quiet. She knew what would happen when she opened her eyes. The lenses would fall out, and they would see. They would all see. But she had to do it. She had to look Matias in the eyes as she said her next words. He had to know she meant them. She opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry for a second as she blinked and the contacts fell out.
Marta looked up, her lupine eyes meeting Matias'. "I forgive you. My forgiveness is yours - if you will accept it." Even the wind seemed to silence then as she waited. Hoping he would accept and that his healing could begin. Hoping that he wasn't scared of her now that he had seen the golden eyes. Hoping that he knew her words for the truth they were. Even as she was afraid, she felt the pain in her diminish and the burning track marks receded. Her hand dropped to her side.
"Ricky..." she said, her voice twinged with anxiety. Ricky didn't move. Marta increased her volume. "Ricky! I'm thirteen - don't make me be the adult here!"
That did it. Ricky shifted, turning to face her. His gaze softened even as the tension still coiled in him body like a spring. "Marta this..."
"I know who he is, Ricky." she interrupted. "He's not one of them. Not anymore."
Ricky looked at her, his eyes stunned. She had never spoken to him like this. Her breathing began to quicken as she turned to look at the statue. Memories began to flood into her. The needle scars on her forearms began to burn. Her hands rubbed at them in an attempt to dissipate the phantom pain. She was drawn out of her thoughts as a weight leaned against her leg. She looked down to see Splash there, responding to her emotional state. Marta put a hand on her head. Her scars still burned, and her face did as well. She wiped her cheeks to find tears there. She had started crying.
Marta looked back up at the statue, gathering her courage. She knew what she had to do and she would need her courage. She turned back to face the men, looking at each one individually, including the silent and hidden one in their midst, all looking at her. Marta had told the stranger the angel in the statue was a healer. Tonight - on the night they celebrated the birth of the one who would redeem mankind - the angels would witness the healing of a soul. Maybe even two. But it would hurt. God, it would hurt.
Marta took a step forward towards Matias, facing the memories of her past in earnest. One hand held on to Splash's vest, the other still remained on her forearm. She began to speak, her voice quiet but full of authority. "Matias, your family has done some very bad things. Things that can never be erased," she passed Ricky then, who placed a hand on her shoulder in a protective gesture. She pushed it away gently. She wasn't angry at Ricky - he still saw Matias as a threat to her.
She took another step, holding back tears by sheer will even as they continued to gather in her eyes. "I may not have been hurt directly by them, but I know first hand what they did to those like me. Marta was standing in front of him, within reach. "But I see you. I see your regret. I see you trying - trying to make amends. I see you looking for redemption. True repentance." She looked down, letting out some softly choked sobs. "I can't speak for other victims. I can only speak for myself, but I..."
The tears could no longer be contained. She squeezed her eyes shut and wiped them away, feeling as she did the dark contact lenses in her eyes shift. More sobs broke the quiet. She knew what would happen when she opened her eyes. The lenses would fall out, and they would see. They would all see. But she had to do it. She had to look Matias in the eyes as she said her next words. He had to know she meant them. She opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry for a second as she blinked and the contacts fell out.
Marta looked up, her lupine eyes meeting Matias'. "I forgive you. My forgiveness is yours - if you will accept it." Even the wind seemed to silence then as she waited. Hoping he would accept and that his healing could begin. Hoping that he wasn't scared of her now that he had seen the golden eyes. Hoping that he knew her words for the truth they were. Even as she was afraid, she felt the pain in her diminish and the burning track marks receded. Her hand dropped to her side.