Prologue

"Mama?"

Your voice was scratchy and hung unanswered in the air. Shifty fingers pinched at your side as you mustered your voice again, addressing the person dragging you by the arm. "Mama...?"

"What?" Your mama finally spoke up, her pace unwavering as she continued her determined march with your little figure in tow. "Speak up."

You glanced at the trail of footsteps behind you before looking up at your mama from under your unkempt hair.

"Mama, where are we going?"

Despite telling you to speak, she ignored your question, her eyes fixed ahead where all you could see were hills upon hills of waste. You tried to keep up with her quick pace, your small legs struggling to match her strides.

"Mama... I'm tired," you admitted, your voice faltering. "Can we rest for a bit?"

Without warning, she jerked you roughly by the arm, her grip like iron. "Stop whining," she snapped, her face a mask of irritation. "You're slowing me down."

You stumbled, your knees scraping against the gritty sands. The pain made you wince, but before you could say anything, she yanked you up again, her impatience barely concealed. "Don't make me repeat myself."

You looked down at your knees, wincing at the sand collecting on your scratches as she continued dragging you along.

Finally, as you reached the entrance of the wasteland, your mama stopped.

You took a moment to scan the surroundings. A murder of crows descended upon heaps of garbage strewn across the streets. The air was thick with the stench of decay and putrid fumes, an unsettling backdrop to the chaotic scene.

Besides the hills of garbage, there were figures in strange suits, their movements almost robotic as they snapped glances at you, emotions unreadable behind the dark lenses of their gas masks.

You avoided their gazes fearfully and looked at your mama just as she looked down at you with a distant, impassive gaze.

"I have to go get your dad," she said flatly. "I'll be back."

Hearing this, your eyes widened and you protested by tugging at her sleeve. "I'll come with you! Please, Mama, I don't want to stay here."

She flared up suddenly, her hand snapping out to strike you away with a sharp, angry gesture. "Just stay here and shut up! I don't have time for your nonsense."

You staggered back, your heart pounding as tears blurred your vision. Ignoring the stinging in your cheek, you sobbed, "M-Mama, I'm scared... I d-don't want to be alone."

Despite your pitiful look, her eyes hardened, her face devoid of warmth. "You'll be fine. Just stay put."

Helplessly, you watched as she turned and walked away, her figure disappearing into the distance. You stood there, the sting of her rejection and the harshness of her touch echoing in your mind. You could only sit down on the ground, eyes straining to find your mama amidst the dust blowing in the wind.

"Mama will be back."

She'll be back, you told yourself, sniffling as you wiped your tears away. Your sobs calmed to mere whimpers, trapped in your throat. You just had to wait-that was it.

You would stay there and wait.

-

The skies were close to darkening by the time you accepted that Mama was far from coming back anytime soon.

Mama abandoned you.

The realization drove you to despair, thick tears streaming down your face. However, a small part of you must have already known this would be your fate, when your heart eventually settled and the tears ceased to fall.

Nonetheless, the suddenness left you gazing blankly into the night, uncertain if you had the strength to take on the new world you'd been pushed into. This continued for at least an hour until you heard faint footsteps approaching.

As you looked up, you were surprised to see a girl smaller than you, with mid-length hair styled in double pigtails. She had on a heart-shaped purse and was staring down at you with a curious expression.

"You're still here?" she wondered, turning her head as she observed your curled-up posture and the way you grimaced as your scratched knees hit the ground.

"What's your name?" The girl inquired. "Mine's Sarasa!"

You glanced at her, feeling unsure but deciding it was only polite to introduce yourself. You imparted your name and then fell silent once again.

"You've been here since this afternoon, right?" Sarasa continued, her tone gentle but inquisitive.

Your eyes widened as you stared at her in surprise. Your voice was barely a whisper. "H-How'd you know?"

"Saw you and your mama earlier," she said, approaching and sitting beside you. You avoided looking directly at her, still dazed from the earlier events. She didn't seem to mind and hummed thoughtfully. "Must've been waiting for her to come back, huh?"

Your lips trembled at her words, and you answered slowly, "Yeah, but I don't think she will anymore."

A moment of silence stretched between you two before Sarasa spoke again. "Honestly, I don't get why you waited for her. She looked mean."

Your eyes widened in disbelief. "Mean?"

"Your mama," Sarasa explained, pointing gently at your cheek. "She hit you and then just left, even though you were crying. My friend Chro says that mamas and papas don't hit their kids and make them cry. If they do, they're meanies."

You tilted your head, trying to process this idea. "Even if Mama doesn't do it all the time?"

Sarasa nodded firmly. "Yep, even just once makes her a meanie!"

You frowned, struggling to reconcile this with what you'd always believed. Since an incident in your earlier years, you'd only ever been subject to such treatment. "Mama only hits me sometimes. But anytime she does, she says it's because of me. Are you... really sure it's not my fault?"

Sarasa's expression softened as she continued to explain. "I don't think it's you! My friend said meanies sometimes do bad stuff because they just want to, like- like disgust king from power cleaners!"

You tilted your head, and she continued, "Uhm, maybe my friend can help explain it better. He's really smart-smarter than anyone I know. We can ask him tomorrow if you want!"

"Tomorrow?" You echoed.

"Yeah!" She said with enthusiasm. "I'm going to show you around the city tomorrow and introduce you to my friends after!"

Your eyes brightened at her words, feeling a flicker of hope.

With that, the two of you spent the rest of the day exchanging stories and asking each other questions about yourselves. Sarasa told you all about herself-what her favorite color was, what things she liked to do, and who the people she held dearest were.

In return, you told her about yourself. Your favorite color, your favorite animal, and what things you liked to do whenever Mama and Papa left you to your lonesome. She listened to you intently, sharing her thoughts whenever she saw fit.

Without noticing, the two of you went on for more than an hour, being so deep in the conversation. It was only when a voice called out to your companion that you realized just how late it was.

"Sarasa!"

"Huh?!" The girl looked towards the voice, then at the sky, "Oh..."

You watched the approaching elderly woman. "Your mama?" You asked.

She shook her head and replied, "One of my nannies."

"I guess that means it's time to go now; it's already dark," Sarasa said as she stood up, patting her dress free of dirt. You looked down, feeling a pang at the thought of parting from her.

All of a sudden, "Up!" Sarasa exclaimed, surprising you as she tugged at your hand and pulled your body with her. "Let's go!"

"W-What-?" You stammered, confused by the fact such a small figure was able to pull you as well as the suddenness of the action. "Where are we going?"

"You're going home with me," Sarasa declared before frowning. "Baba told me that kids have been disappearing again a lot lately. There's all kinds of bad guys everywhere, so you can't stay out here!"

"We'll tell Baba about what happened; I'm sure she won't mind helping my new friend." Her words made your heart race, but not in the same cold sweat-inducing way as when Mama raised her voice. Instead, it felt warm and reassuring, bringing a flush to your cheeks.

"Friend?" You mumbled. The idea of having friends felt equally exhilarating and terrifying. Sarasa seemed kind, but what if you did something wrong? Would she be mean to you too?

"Hm?" Sarasa tilted her head. When she thought of a reason why you echoed the word, she slapped a palm against her forehead. "I forgot; Sheila told me to ask first!"

She called your name and asked, "Do you want to be friends?"

Her warm hands enveloped yours, and you felt a surge of comfort that cut through the fog of your worries. Her presence was light and reassuring, a stark contrast to the loneliness you had been feeling the entire day.

As you looked at her, your mind raced through memories from the past presences in your life-of the moments you were tossed aside, hurt, and abandoned by them. You remembered the moments of solitude and the dreams you harbored of meeting someone who could bring you out of the darkness, and how that led you to Sarasa's smile, kind and genuine.

In the end, overwhelmed by the unexpected kindness and the chance for a fresh start, you answered with a stammering, "Y-Yeah!"

Sarasa's face lit up with joy as she pulled you into a tight hug. Her excitement and genuine happiness were contagious, and for the first time in a long while, you felt content.

"Ahh! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" She cheered, pumping her free hand. The display washed your worries away for the time being, making you completely pliant as the girl tugged you along with her, "C'mon, let's go!"

With Sarasa leading the way, you became hopeful, the city's once-ominous expanse now feeling more like a place where you might find your new home.

Sarasa (art by me)

Status : Unedited