Liisu had gone to the shoppe again. Friend was sitting on a woven basket as she browsed the silverware (they're not real silver, are they?). She'd lost quite a few spoons lately and it was difficult to eat porridge without them. It's worrying, really. Where could they have all gone?
Holding a grand meeting somewhere? Between the floorboards and couch cushions and under the cupboard?
"I found a big ladle if you want one Lis." Auntie Bean came in, carrying one. She'd have been somewhere in the depths of her shoppe, much like an ant in it's hill. So naturally.
It's sad, of course. Ants shouldn't be by their lonesome. Just like Auntie Bean was.
Liisu measured up the ladle in her hand. "Hmm.."
Auntie Thimble had disappeared recently. This wasn't Liisu's first time alone at the shoppe, but she hadn't asked much last time. Auntie Bean got so sad when she'd asked where her chosen one was.. She could tell it was weighing on her so much. It's worrying. Of course Liisu missed Auntie Thimble, but Bean must've missed her even moreso.
Thimble liked little trinkets and ornamental items. Items of sentiment. Bean was the more practical of the two - as evident by this beautiful ladle. Liisu picked up a wooden button that had been merged into another similar one. They were inseparable - either due to glue or a painting mishap. Maybe a production error. She picked it up.
Just like Bean and Thimble.. Glued at the sides. She sighed sadly.
"I miss her too.." Bean said, in her low voice. She stroked her bald head absently, just to give her something to do. Much like she did often when thoughtful. Liisu put the buttons down. "I'm very sorry this happened.."
"It was the nightmares." Bean said simply. As if it were only a fact of life. Unfortunately, the nightmares were much of a fact of life these days. Their neighbours had become so few and far between, Liisu didn't even know who else was there besides Bean.
"It shouldn't have been." she said defiantly, though her voice shook. Liisu tried to be brave for Bean. It'd been the other way around for so long now.
"I know.." Bean sighed. "She.. Left a note."
Bean sat atop a wooden chair. Liisu quiet down, knowing this might mean story times. Bean was good at those.
"Thimble was a little all over the place. You remember it." And Liisu did. Thimble had been scattered before her disappearance. Sensitive. Much like Liisu was now. She'd taken the declining of their neighborhood badly. As one would! It was frightening, getting Less.
"I should've listened to her." Bean sounded sad. "The nightmares said something bad to her. Something that made her remember, when she usually wouldn't."
Liisu swallowed. "What.. Did she remember?" Bean didn't say much. She stroked her head again. "I know she had a sadness that hurt her. There wasn't much I could do - I could love her, and hold her. But sometimes being big and strong doesn't mean you can save someone from their pain." Bean shook her head slightly. This was the most soft that Liisu had seen her. She hesitantly came up to hold Beans shoulder. Much like Bean would've done for Thimble, perhaps.
"Sadness can hurt us all." Liisu said.
"I know.." Bean sighed. Her shoulders rising, then slumping. "I woke up to her note. In it, she told me she was next. That the nightmares had her in their grips even when awake. That she didn't wanna hurt me. That she was sorry."
Liisu swallowed needles and pins. "They.. Took her?"
"She went with them herself." Bean hung her head low. A little warm hot tear fell down her face. Liisu hugged her, not knowing what else to do. She tried to be brave, so Bean didn't have to. But just like her Auntie said, you can't always protect someone from their own sadness.
Friend fell down off the woven basket. Liisu squeaked, both of them being snapped out of it as it happened. She went to collect Friend, dusting it off as she did. "Erm.. What's in here?" she turned to Bean, who was wiping her eyes.
The basket revealed itself to contain clothes. Bean sighed - happy this time. She took out armfuls of them, like a magician with napkins. "These.. Were hers." she smiled, tearing up more. How wonderful. To have something to remember her by.
"You should have some." Bean said.
She nodded. "Thimble always liked you. She said you'd become a brave little gnome one day. But I think you already are." she said. Her eyes glowed a little in the yellow light. Liisu gulped, and took some clothes to feel them in her hands.
"Well.. I think that, if she wanted me to, I'd wear them with much pride. And remember Auntie Thimble every time I did!"
Bean smiled at that. Liisu didn't leave her shoppe empty handed.
