Stumbling Home|| Self Para
The sight of glowing lanterns was certainly a blessing to Lime's sore eyes, however these eyes could not quite focus on the floating beacons, nor anything around her, simply being driven forward by instinct and a need to survive. A couple of weeks had felt like months to the young healer, and indeed she felt like she had several years taken off her lifespan.
The most terrifying thing about this being how close her mortality was.
How the blonde's feet managed to stumble forwards and into the cirque grounds was beyond her, every inch of her body ached and many wounds stained her clothing an ominous crimson colour. Wounds she barely had the strength to heal though she tried desperately. Yet with each wound she closed, another seemed to open, having used too much energy in trying, and failing miserably, to heal the man who had accompanied the trio of girls on their little mission.
Hyori had taken them off in search of the 'talented people', also known as freaks, who, though possibly proud of their own freakishness, openly opposed of the freak circus, saying that they were not to be put on display, it was wrong to let the ordinary people oggle at their weirdness, that all the circus proved to do was alienate the mutations from the normal. None of them appreciated the sanctuary it gave so many people who had been outcast by regular society. When the mission proved to be a failure, Hyori had ordered the trio home and went on continuing her own mysterious task in life which she refused to share with the others. Indeed the two girls and one man were nearly at the edge of the camp site when one of the apparently insulted 'outside freaks' ambushed them. He had no particular target, he just wanted to cause pain, and this he did. Tao had stepped in front of the girls, hoping that his body would be strong enough to stop the boar which now charged towards them, yet all he managed to do was stop the girls becoming shredded, allowing his own body to suffer this fate instead.
Pleased with his work, and the near-screaming Min, the boar went on his way back into the forests, wishing to pursue a life of solitary rather than be subjected to the taunts of the audience, not believing that this never happened. Desperately, Lime had done everything in her power to heal the badly wounded and dying man, ordering Min to leave someone, anyone, a message back in the cirque explaining what had happened. Tao begged Lime to stop, saying it was too late, yet she paid no attention to him. Going to the point of desperation that she used her mouth to try and heal his fatal wounds, placing kisses upon his torso, barely healing the surface let alone the internal wounds. She could feel her energy depleting but didn't care, determined not to lose another soul.
However darkness eventually descended upon Lime, a weak hand clinging onto Tao's as she continued to heal him even though she too was near-death. If only she had managed to get rid of the tumour which continued returning, maybe she would have had the strength to heal him. Lime didn't care if she died for she knew she couldn't battle her illness forever, but Tao had such a long life of promise ahead of him, it would be a shame to let it go to waste for the sake of keeping a doomed woman alive.
The next thing Lime remembered was waking up in a poorly lit room, wooden boards over the windows barely letting enough light in for Lime to see the dust which clung to everything. Still she had little strength to move, but just enough energy to catch the glimpse of a familiar face darting out of the room. If she was here, surely she was back in the circus? But before she had enough energy to shout out to the leader, sleep took over Lime once again.
Finally Lime mustered the strength to stand, this time no light filtered through the covered windows, the girl no longer having a sense of time and date. All she knew was that she had to get back to the camp site, her feet carrying her though her tired mind no longer knew the way. It was impossible for her to not find her way back, the Cirque was her home and no matter what it always called to its freaks who got lost upon the way.
It took many hours, the sun started to peak its painfully glowing head over the horizon, but she had made it. Luckily for her, Hongki had kept her medical tent set up, as injuries did not stop occurring just because she wasn't here.
The woman stumbled through the tents flaps, most, if not all, performers were in bed now, which was the place she sought. Her frail body crumpled up on the bed usually reserved for patients as her tired eyes began to close, a small smile flickered across her face even though the thought that this might be the last time she would ever see the world did cross her mind.
At least she was home, where she belonged. If she was to die anywhere, it would be here. Silently, but surrounded by those she loved.