❥
Memory Meme
❥ - a childhood memory
❝Get out of my house, boy.❞
The young giant stumbled out of the house, falling into the snow face first. Getting on their feet was harder than they thought it'd be. Every muscle felt like it was burning whenever they moved. Only managing to roll onto their back, they felt the snow melt around their wounds. The wounds would heal on their own. They always had, leaving pale scars along their body. But it was still a painful process to go through, which made them glad that the snow was there. Snow had always played the role of a gentle hand, helping them with small things. Probably why the child giant still prayed to old gods. To their believed father. To Ullr. To any one of them that would listen. Making sacrifices, and taking the beatings that came with taking food from the house.
Ever apologizing, the giant slowly got to their feet. Stumbling with a lack of grace as they moved towards the forest. A forest where everything had be blanketed in snow, the birds had gone and the animals went to sleep. It was peaceful to be surrounded by such serenity. But it was hard to enjoy the wilderness after they heard the loud yells of their father coming after them.
See, Erin was a sneak thief. Constantly stealing goods, usually food, for themselves. It was self-preservation, honestly. But they had stolen other things, like their father's knife which was hidden beneath their clothes. They were good at sneaking around, sneaking off and spending time in the woods. They'd made a small hideaway in the tallest tree where small faeries gathered now and then. Some nights they would comfort them after being injured beyond healing, helping them heal.. Helping them rest a weary body.
The endless slurs behind them made the child run. Heart beat pounding in their ears, things seemed to move in slow motion. The sun peaked through the tree tops for a moment, showing a more clutter path of trees. They quickly turned towards the illuminated path, stumbling at first but scrambled to their feet with a look behind them. They had to run faster, so much faster. So they did. As fast as their feet could carry them, weaving between the trees and the illuminated path. For a moment, everything was drowned in their heartbeat. There was no yelling. There was no sound.
With every pound of their feet hitting the ground, Erin felt the world slowly come into full speed. Their father's voice was gone. The beat of their heart had slowed. And there eyes slowly fell close as they ran. There was a quake beneath their feet, a crack in their bones that slowly shifted. Shifted, and stretched into a lanky form. Fingers ripping as the tips of their fingers stretched into long bone like claws. Then, the quaking beneath their feet was a shatter of the earth as they pushed off into a leap. Their claws digging into one of the trees as the scurried up to the top.
Erin jumped towards the next tree, the tallest tree. Maybe they miscalculated the distance. Maybe they just thought they could make it with that strength. But they didn't. The free fall was slow at first quickly gaining pace the more they realized what was happening. A brace for impact. A steady breath as they waited for something that never came. Instead, vines coiled and knitted together under them forming a hard net. It may have still been a hard impact but it was better than hard ground. The chittering sounds the faes filled their ears. Small hands helped them to their feet, keeping them standing as they crossed the net.
The chittering sounds became worrisome and sad. They were frantic as the pulled him into the small opening between branches. It was a small hideaway, but large enough for them to fit. Made from branches and vines, the hideaway was sturdy. The faes had gathered bits of cloth, feathers and anything really to cover the bottom of it for them.
They began tearing at Erin's clothes. ❝What are you doing! I need those!❞ Their hands protectively went to cover where the fae had been tearing. What their hands founds was an arrowhead protruding from their stomach. They hadn't really noticed. Nor had they noticed the way the injuries to their back weren't fully healed. ❝Oh..❞ The giant blinked a few times looking at the injury. Snapping the arrow, they pulled it from their stomach. The world started to blur as they hit the floor of the hideaway. Chittering turned to screams as the fae rushed to the wounds.
As the world turned black, the giant heard a small voice..
❝You're gonna be okay.. I'm Winston, I'm gonna make sure you're okay.❞