Legends of Amacia The Awakening

The Maimed Angel

Fifteen minutes after leaving the pool, Hanna and Selina entered the infirmary. It still housed quite a few patients from the Black Fortress’ dungeons that hadn’t fully recovered. The lights were low as most patients slept. Dr. Drew, Emma, Lola, and Lola’s Harem sister and kindred spirit Jessica moved through the infirmary, checking on the patients. Hanna stopped at the entrance with Selina, looking around. “Where is she?” Selina asked softly.

The little girl’s whimpering sobs now not just echoed in Hanna’s mind, but in her ears. “She’s here,” Hanna whispered urgently while moving into the room. “I can feel her. She’s close.” A gasp escaped Hanna’s lip and she abruptly looked right. “This way,” she told Selina, pushing her towards the right wall. After passing five isles of beds occupied with sleeping patients, she and Selina reached the line of beds with their heads next to the wall. Hanna turned left into that isle with Selina and started moving forward at a brisk pace pushing Selina along in her wheelchair. Dr. Drew, Lola, and Jessica noticed Hanna’s and Selina’s entry and quick movement towards right wall, but continued to tend check the patients. They knew Hanna and Selina would be quiet and not disturb them.

The little girl’s whimpers became loud enough for Selina to hear them as they moved down the aisle. In moments, they saw Emma sitting next to a patient with her hand on the patient’s head. Hanna gasped, whispering, “There she is...the little girl I felt at the pool. Emma is with her.”

Emma noticed their approach and put her fingers to her lips. She had a concerned look on her face as she turned her gaze back to her patient: the maimed little girl Hanna had sensed. “Be quiet,” Emma whispered. “She’s asleep.”

Hanna rolled Selina up beside the little girl’s bed on the opposite side from Emma. Selina gasped in horror and compassion. Tears burst from Hanna’s eyes as she knelt down beside the bed next to Emma. “Oh, you poor tortured little angel,” she wept softly. “You’re not alone anymore.”

Seeing the little girl in person with her missing limbs and scarred face ripped at Hanna’s heart. Emma saw Hanna’s intense response to the little girl’s condition and marveled. “Is it okay if I touch her, Emma?” Hanna asked, choking on her emotion.

“Of course,” Emma whispered.

Hanna reached out and touched the little girl on her handless right arm. At the moment of contact, her telepathic prowess blossomed, allowing her to see the horrors the little girl endured in the dungeons of the Black Fortress. Hanna sobbed softly as if the little girl were her own daughter. “Oh, Rachel,” she wept, instantly knowing her name. “You’ve endured such heinous torment in the Darkness. But you’re not alone, little sister. Oh, you’re not alone.”

“How did you know about this little girl?” Emma asked softly, moved by Hanna’s sorrow and compassion.

“I felt her while down at the pool,” Hanna whimpered. “Her soul called out to me through time and space for help. You have no idea how alone and tormented she feels. She’s even now reliving her torments in the dungeon as she sleeps. Of all the people in here, she was the only one I heard. I have to help her. I know her pain all too well.”

“We both do,” Selina whispered, her own sorrow and compassion rising for the girl. “The moment Hanna felt her call, she came running. We didn’t even stop to change out of our swimsuits.”

Rachel’s whimpers became louder as she started stirring in her sleep. Even Emma could tell the whimpering sobs were those of pain and terror. A sigh escaped Emma’s lips. “I know you do,” she whispered. “You’re so kind to have come like this.”

“How long has she been crying in her sleep like this?” Hanna asked, stroking Rachel’s bandaged arm gently.

“For about an hour,” Emma stated. “Fact is this is the first real movement we’ve seen from her since she was brought in here.”

“She’s been in a coma since the rescue?” Selina asked.

“Yes,” Emma replied, gently stroking Rachel’s forehead as she whimpered. “She fell into a coma right after she was put into the Healer. The little dear hasn’t so much as stirred until now.”

“How bad was it,” Hanna asked, just for verification.

“It was very bad,” Emma stated. “When she was brought in from the Black Fortress, she was dying. Someone or something completely crushed her legs from her feet to halfway between her knees and hips. The beasts also crushed her right hand and left arm to the elbow. She had a multitude of lacerations and burns on what they hadn’t crushed. A severe infection had festered in her crushed limbs and in her wounds. By time she was brought to us, the infection had spread to her abdomen and brain. We had to amputate the infected limbs above where they were mangled. The limbs were in advanced stages of deterioration, having turned a disgusting blackish-green with a terrible smell emanating from them. They were literally rotting away. The moment Dr. Drew and Arabella saw this, they insisted that we amputate to save the girl’s life. But that’s not the worst of it. She’s been raped repeatedly, both vaginally and anally, and had her breasts lacerated and repeatedly burned. Her genitals and butt have been mutilated and burned repeatedly as well. They did tremendous internal damage with the rapes. She’s torn up inside, which allowed the infection to get into her that way too. The poor thing has been beaten so hard around the head we discovered several skull fractures. I do not doubt that she’s endured several severe concussions. Several ribs were broken, her pelvis fractured, and a number of her teeth are missing too, apparently knocked out by the guards. For the life of me, I don’t understand how they didn’t break her back because it was beaten to a pulp. I cursed the Emperor and those fiends who did this to this poor little girl. She’s had her entire life destroyed by those fiends. They deserve to die in the most painful way possible.”

Selina gasped in horror at what Emma reported. “That’s utterly heinous,” Selina cried softly, reaching out and touching the little girl on the side of her face. “She should be dead.”

“She should, but isn’t,” Hanna said softly, feeling an icy chill race down her spine at what Emma reported. “She’s as bad off as I was after my rescue from the Black Fortress. I’m humbled that she withstood such punishment a young age. She has a will to live that’s as strong as mine. But she feels so alone and cast away now. We have to make her understand she’s not alone. Tell me, did Nemesis have enough medicine to help treat her. I’m sure he was crucial in your treatment of her.”

“He was,” Enoch called out softly as he walked up with Kida. “I knew it. It is the same girl we found being gang raped in the dungeons.” Enoch now had on a white shirt and tan trousers with a leather belt and loafers on his feet. Kida sported a sleeveless leopard-print sundress that reached to her knees with a belt buckled around her waist. Sandals shod her feet.

“Shhh,” Emma hissed softly. “She’s asleep.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Enoch stated, kneeling down beside Hanna to look at Rachel. “I’ll be quiet. Do you know what her name is? We never got it out of her before she fell unconscious. She was crying hysterically from the pain.”

“Rachel,” Hanna whispered as Kida knelt beside Selina, gazing sympathetically at the little girl. “When I got here, I was able to sense her identity, but she’s still severely traumatized and is reliving her torment as she sleeps. I can sense it. I have to bring her out of that. It’s a hell she cannot escape by herself.”

Enoch patted Hanna on the shoulder, encouraging her. “I’m sure you will,” he whispered as they watched the little girl’s whimpering sobs rise to moans. She started to writhe in her bed, flinching as if she were being hit.

“What happened?” Selina asked softly. “You said she was being gang raped when you found her.”

“Indeed,” Enoch growled softly with great displeasure. “When Nemesis and I came across the cell with our teams, we heard her cries and broke down the door. Apparently, they’d beaten her almost senseless as four guards had taken turns raping her while she was tied down. One of them was in the act of raping and choking her when we came in. I pulled the bastard off her and snapped his neck while Nemesis gutted the rest of them with his claws. He ripped the bastards to pieces and personally took this little girl to the portal, giving her to Kida here. When the rescue operation was over, he went looking for her, finding her in the Healer with Dr. Drew, Arabella, Emma, and Elle trying to save her. The damage was so severe that by time Nemesis arrived, they were about to give up. They just didn’t know what to do with someone so battered and ill. But Nemesis didn’t give up on her. He helped them diagnose her condition and treat her. He supplemented the Healer’s power by providing the necessary medicine to halt the infection rampaging through this little angel’s body and performing life-saving surgery right there in the Healer. Dr. Drew and Arabella both told him that limb amputation was the only recourse to save her life. Her limbs were actually starting to rot off. Arabella called it the worst case of Gangrene she’d ever encountered. Nemesis agreed and went to work. He gave Rachel here a powerful sedative to compliment the Healer’s ability to keep her asleep and personally amputated the affected limbs with that cyborg arm of his. He was even able to cauterize the cuts to keep her from bleeding out. Then he surgically repaired the damage they’d done to her groin, abdomen, chest, and head. I saw it all. Nemesis went far out of his way to save this little girl.”

“Did they do it while she was in the Healer?” Hanna asked.

“Yes,” Emma stated. “I’m positive that if she hadn’t been in the Healer when Nemesis treated her, she’d be dead. It helped to keep her stable much as it did for you and Selina when Josephine removed those seventh gen shebats from you. He even apparently mended her broken bones with what he called a nano-fiber injection after she’d stabilized.”

“I know of those,” Selina reported. “He did the same thing to me when I was in the Harem. I’d broken some ribs in our capture and he snuck into the Harems and used that little trick to stabilize my ribs and my broken leg. He’s a very versatile healer with tons of tricks he can utilize.”

“I’m sure of that,” Enoch answered softly. “But regardless, he’s taken a real shine to this little girl. He comes here every day to check on her. Right, Emma?”

“That he does,” Emma agreed. “He loves this little girl as if she were his own. I’m not telepathic, but I can see it.”

“I’m sure he does,” Hanna murmured. “I must thank him for saving this little angel. The Lord obviously has something important for her otherwise she wouldn’t have made it.”

“I say that’s obvious,” Selina purred. “But what can we do for this little maimed angel that we haven’t already?”

Rachel’s moaning and stirring became louder and more energetic, getting the attention of Dr. Drew, Lola, and Jessica. They started over to Rachel when they saw Emma, Hanna, Selina, Kida, and Enoch surrounding Rachel’s bed talking in hushed tones and her stirring.

“I think she’s about to wake up,” Enoch whispered, backing away slowly and standing. “I suggest we give her some space if she wakes up. She may not know where she is and react violently.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Hanna declared softly. “Of all the souls in this place, I heard her call. I’m supposed to be here. I have to help her. She has no one…no family, friends, or anything.” Hanna abruptly looked up at Enoch. “We have to be her family, Enoch. We have to show her the way out of her nightmare,” she insisted, looking back at Rachel. “We are so alike. I have to be there for her.”

“You mean to adopt this precious girl, don’t you?” Kida murmured, abruptly realizing what Hanna intended to do.

“I have to,” Hanna said softy, tears starting well up again. “She’s been demolished by the same Darkness that scarred me for life. I have to show her the way out so she doesn’t suffer the same fate I did. I have to.”

“That’s a truly noble gesture,” Dr. Drew said softly, hearing Hanna’s declaration. “And if anyone needs to be loved, it’s this precious little one. The hell she endured is unfathomable to someone like me. And yet, like you, Hanna…she stubbornly refuses to die. Personally, I think it’s your destiny to help heal this little girl’s wounds and give her a new life free of horror, pain, and evil.”

“Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Enoch asked soberly.

“I am,” Hanna insisted, wiping her tears away. “I’m convinced to the bottom of my mutated feet that this is what the Almighty wants me to do. I have to save this little one. I must.”

“Then you have our support,” Enoch declared. “And we shall help you and be family to this little maimed angel. She will feel the love and support of real family again.”

“Thank you,” Hanna replied softly, choking with emotion. “I’ll need all the help I can get. Selina, you’re okay with this?”

“Of course I’m okay with it,” Selina answered emphatically. “It’s the Lord’s will. We need to be this little girl’s family and I’m more than ready to be a mother to her if she will have me.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem,” Kida murmured, patting Selina on the shoulder. “The biggest problem is going to be getting her to realize she’s no longer in mortal danger and surrounded by enemies when she wakes. Even I can sense the uproar in her mind. Hanna…you must be gentle. Remember you own weakness after escaping the Emperor. She will surely be as traumatized as you were or worse, so be very gentle with her.”

“I will,” Hanna insisted, sensing Rachel was about to fully wake. “I haven’t forgotten what I felt when I woke in Acheron. I will soft as feather and gentle as a mother with her newborn.”

Before anyone could say or do anything, Rachel woke with a blood-curdling scream, bolting to a sitting position despite her semi-limbless condition. Her hazel eyes flew open in a panic, looking around wildly. Tears of terrified panic streamed down her cheeks. Hanna instantly moved in, putting her arms around the terrified little girl while sitting on the bed with her. “It’s okay,” she cooed softly, “You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

“No! Let me go!” Rachel screamed in terror. “Don’t hurt me! I don’t want to go! Let me go!” She writhed violently in Hanna’s grasp, trying to escape, seeing strange faces surrounding her. “No…no, don’t hurt me again!” she pleaded in a panic. “No more! Please, no more!”

“Calm down,” Hanna cooed, choking with emotion because she felt Rachel’s panic. “No one’s going to hurt you, Rachel…not anymore.”

“Liar!” Rachel shrieked. “You’re going to stick that thing in me again, aren’t you? Please, don’t stick that thing in me again. I’m begging you! Don’t do it!”

Hanna’s face paled. “I’m not going to rape you, Rachel,” she sobbed, her heart breaking at Rachel’s intense pain and terror. “Please, calm down. I’m not one of the guards. You’re not in the dungeons any longer. You’re safe, and the people who did this to you are dead. Please…just settle down.”

“Let her go, Hanna,” Selina called out. “Holding her is just aggravating the situation. You know she still thinks you’re a guard and is in an irrational panic. Just let her be so she can calm down.”

“Oh, right,” Hanna whimpered, immediately releasing Rachel and moving back to the foot of the bed. “I need to back off. I’m too close. Forgive me, little sister. No one’s going to hurt you.”

Selina’s smooth melodious voice shook Rachel from her panic as she wiggled to the head of the bed, sitting up and cowering before everyone. “It’s okay, little one,” Selina purred softly. “No one here’s going to hurt you.”

Rachel’s eyes grew wide as she gazed at Selina in utter astonishment. Selina’s smooth, purring voice calmed Rachel’s panic-stricken fear. Then she saw Kida kneeling next to Selina and gasped. Between Selina and Kida, their very presences further calmed Rachel’s tormented mind. Kida smiled warmly and purred, “That’s right, little sister. No one here will ever hurt you. You’re safe with us.”

Rachel closed her eyes, shook her head. “I’m dreaming,” she whimpered. “I must be.” She opened her eyes, seeing Selina sitting in her wheelchair with Kida kneeling next to her. “No,” she whispered. “I’m not dreaming. I’m dead. There’s no way I could be seeing cat people who are this nice.”

“But you are,” Selina purred smoothly. “Kida and I are here and you’re not dead. You’re alive…very much alive. Please, just calm yourself. You’re not in any danger. What’s your name, little sister?”

“R-Rachel,” Rachel stammered, “I’m so confused. Where am I, and what are you?”

“I am a Lynxian, Rachel, as is my sister here at my side,” Selina said softly, patting Kida on the arm. “We’re cat women from another planet called Kaitia. I’m the wife of the Promised One, the Beowulf. Like you, I was a prisoner of the Emperor until Beowulf rescued both you and me.”

Puzzlement filled Rachel’s face as her fear waned. “How is this possible?” she asked. “I thought Beowulf was killed in the Arena. They told us Beowulf was dead and eaten by the Emperor’s pet tarok.”

“The Emperor lied to you,” Hanna said softly, looking Rachel in the eye. “I didn’t die in the Arena.”

Rachel suddenly looked back and forth at Hanna and Selina several times in confusion. “I don’t understand,” she whimpered, looking to Hanna. “How can you be Beowulf? I thought Beowulf was a guy.”

Hanna sighed solemnly. “I was once a man,” she said softly, “That was before I was caught by the Emperor and turned into what you see now by Josephine…the cyborg you may know as his monster pet.”

Rachel shook her head. “I still don’t understand,” she murmured. “If I was to say anyone was Beowulf, I say the big guy there is.” She pointed with her right arm and suddenly realized her maimed status. A horrified gasp escaped her lips. “What happened to me?” she cried in horror. “What happened to my arms and legs?”

“We had to remove them to save your life, Rachel,” Enoch reported softly. “Your arms and legs were so badly damaged and infected we were forced to amputate them just to save your life.”

Rachel broke into deep sobs. “What am I going to do now?” she wailed. “I can’t even do the simplest thing now! I wished you’d let me die!”

“You don’t mean that,” Hanna said softly, Rachel’s words cutting through her heart as if someone had plunged a knife into it. “You’re so hurt and filled with so much pain and rage. But you’re alive because you wanted to live. You and I are so much alike.”

“No, we aren’t,” Rachel wailed in despair. “We’re nothing alike. You still have your arms and legs. I’m just a side of meat now. I’m just a burden now. You’ll leave me alone and let me die. I just know it. That’s what happens to people who are useless. They’re left alone to die.”

“No, we won’t,” Hanna insisted. “We’re not going to let you die. We’re going to take care of you. I’m going to take care of you.”

“Liar,” Rachel retorted in unbelief. “You’re not the Beowulf. Beowulf wouldn’t have let this happen to me.”

“That’s not true,” Selina intruded. “Beowulf did everything possible for you. But there are things even Beowulf could not keep from happening. Like you, I’m crippled because of what the Emperor did to me. But I don’t blame Beowulf for it. She came for me, and you too.”

“Why do you keep calling Beowulf she,” Rachel asked bluntly. “Isn’t the big guy there Beowulf?”

“No, Rachel…I’m not the Beowulf. I’m Enoch Caverias,” Enoch replied in a soft tone, closing the distance between him and Hanna. He rested his hand on Hanna’s shoulder and declared, “This here is the real Beowulf. He was caught by the Emperor and turned into a woman, but he escaped, learned to be one of you, and returned to rescue you, Selina, and everyone who were prisoners of the Emperor.”

“You’re lying,” Rachel balked, still not believing. “Beowulf wouldn’t have allowed himself to be caught and turned into a girl.”

“Enoch is not lying,” Hanna said softly. “I truly was a man when I first came to his savage land from the surface. However, I was caught in a trap and the Emperor did this to me. At first, I too despaired, but I quickly came to realize it wasn’t forever. I could fix it and now, I’ve discovered the means to undo what the Emperor did to me. Tomorrow, I plan on starting the process to turn me back into what I was…a man.”

Rachel’s mind reeled with continued confusion. “I don’t understand at all,” she complained. “All I know is I’m limbless and can’t even take care of myself. It’s so unfair.”

“I know it is,” Hanna cooed, slipping slowly towards Rachel with an outstretched hand. “What you’ve endured should have never happened, but it did…just as it happened for me. I too have been ravaged, tortured, and mutilated. Just look at my scars. See what that bully the Emperor did to me; I too endured what you did, including having those things put inside me. It makes me shudder and cringe every time I remember it. But I made them pay for what they did to me, you, and all our friends.”

Rachel slowly began to understand that Hanna and those with her were not enemies. Furthermore, she realized Hanna truly understood her pain. “Who are you?” she asked Hanna softly.

“I am Hanna Smith,” Hanna cooed, “the mutated female form of what you know as the Promised One…the Beowulf. I’m also your sister in pain, having felt the heinous fires of the Emperor’s evil, including being robbed of my limbs at one time. But even more important, I am your friend and will move heaven and earth to help you deal with this calamity. I want to help you, and love you as my own. I can….”

“She’s ready,” Selina called out, sensing Rachel about to open her mind to the possibility of Hanna truly being the Beowulf. “Show her, but be very gentle.”

“Right,” Hanna replied softly, having slipped right up to Rachel without having her react violently. She looked Rachel in her eye and smiled warmly. “You have the most beautiful hazel eyes, Rachel,” she said pleasantly. The compliment got Rachel to lower her guard even more. “May I touch you?” Hanna asked. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”

“Why do you want to touch me?” Rachel asked, tensing up. “Why would you want to touch a limbless freak like me?”

“Because I love you, Rachel,” Hanna replied tenderly. “And you’re not a freak. The people and things that did this to us are the freaks. Besides, I can show you who and what I am better if you allow me to touch you. It will not hurt. I promise.”

Tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes as she suddenly realized what Hanna wanted. “You really care what happens to me, don’t you?” she wept, stunned by Hanna’s kindness and compassion.

“I most certainly do,” Hanna answered with such sincerity that it broke through the wall of fear and horror tormenting Rachel. “You are a most precious little girl who’s had everything taken from her. Please, let me help you take back what they took from you. You need to know you’re still loved and wanted. You don’ need to die. I want to show you that you still have people who care whether you live or die.” She opened her arms to Rachel, who suddenly lurched into Hanna’s waiting arms. She wrapped her arms around Rachel in a gentle loving embrace, sitting with her. “That’s it,” Hanna cooed to Rachel as she started crying. “It’s okay. Let it out. We’re all here for you. We all love you, and I love you just as you are.” As she spoke, Hanna telepathically showed Rachel who she was, being very careful in how she touched her bruised, battered mind. Rachel broke emotionally when Hanna touched her mind, seeing not only who she was, but how much Hanna really loved her. Her sobs became deep wails of intense sorrow and relief. Hanna cried with her, stroking her back softly. “I am so sorry I couldn’t stop this from happening to you,” she wept in Rachel’s ear. “Please forgive me for not coming sooner. I am so sorry.”

Hanna words reached Rachel and her sobs quieted as she looked Hanna in the eye, seeing how broken she was for not saving her sooner. “You really are the Beowulf they were talking about,” Rachel choked out between her sobs. “But why; why did you come to me?”

“You called to me,” Hanna whimpered with a trembling smile on her lips, looking down into Rachel’s eyes. “I heard your call for help over everyone else here. The Almighty allowed me to hear and feel your torment and cry for help, so I had to come to help you get over this calamity. I came because I didn’t want you to feel alone and abandoned by everyone. I came because I love you, Rachel, and truly know your pain because I’ve felt it too. You have my undying love. I’ll never hurt or betray you ever, and neither will those you see around us. Enoch there, Kida, and Selina are my family…my real family and they will love you as much as I will. Enoch actually killed the bastard that was raping you when they rescued you from the dungeons.”

Rachel’s sobs quieted further as she looked over at Enoch, seeing his long face full of love and concern. Her memories cracked open and she remembered the incident as Enoch said softly, “I sure did. I pulled that beast off you and broke his neck for violating you the way he was. I had to. He was killing you. I’m so glad you survived, little one.”

A gasp escaped Rachel’s lips. “I remember,” she whimpered. “I saw you pull that monster off him and turn his head around backwards before he knew what was happening. You really do care for me.”

“Of course I do,” Enoch declared. “We all do. No one will ever touch you like that again. I promise.”

“And we’ll help and love you as long as you live,” Kida purred. “The Emperor and his bad people will never harm you ever again.” Everyone present emphatically reinforced Kida’s statement. “And Hanna will always look out for you and protect you,” Kida added. “Of all the people she rescued from the Emperor, she heard your call and came to help you personally. She loves you so much, and so do we all.”

The outpouring of support from everyone broke Rachel emotionally again and she started sobbing again, unable to speak. Hanna rocked her gently saying, “It’s okay. Let it out. It’s all right to cry. It cleanses the soul. Believe me. I know.”

“Hanna, bring her to me,” Selina ordered gently. “She’s being overwhelmed by our support. I think I can help calm her down with my purr.”

Hanna nodded, gently scooping Rachel up and sitting her in Selina’s lap. Selina wrapped her arms around Rachel and cooed, “It’s okay, sweetie. Momma’s here.” She started purring deeply for Rachel, calming her down.

Kida looked over at Selina, truly surprised by her act and words. “You surprise me, sis,” she said softly as Hanna sat on the bed facing Selina and Rachel. “I never thought you’d become the mother-type.”

Selina smiled wryly at Kida as she held Rachel close. “This little girl needs a mother,” she stated. “And I’m going to be that mother if she’ll have me.”

“But doesn’t she have a mother and father somewhere?” Emma asked.

“I seriously doubt it,” Enoch stated softly. “If she did, they’re long dead…probably killed in front of her. I think if Selina wants to be a mother to this child, we should let her.”

Rachel felt her grief wane with Selina’s purr and marveled at it. It made her feel safe and loved. Her sobs softened to whimpers as Selina felt Rachel relax both physically and mentally. “That’s it, sweetie,” Selina purred softly in her ear. “Just relax and let your sorrow fade away like a bad dream. I’m here for you.”

Rachel suddenly looked up into Selina’s eyes with a quivering smile. “How are you doing this?” she whimpered. “Are you really purring like a cat?”

“I most certainly am,” Selina replied warmly as she felt Rachel wiggle in her grip as if to cuddle with her. “I purr when I’m happy or when I want to make someone I love happy. You’re so sad and hurt, so I wanted to help make you happy, loved, and wanted. No one should be alone.” Selina cast a sharp glance at Hanna, reminding her telepathically of their fight the day before.

“But I am alone,” Rachel cried softly. “I haven’t seen mom or dad since they....” Horror filled Rachel’s face and she let out a wail of emotional pain that rattled everyone present, unable to finish her thought.

“Fate be merciful,” Drew breathed. “I think you’re right, Enoch. They must have slaughtered her parent right in front of her.”

Hanna let out a very troubled sigh. She reached over and stroked Rachel’s head softly, intimately knowing her pain. “I know you pain all too well, little sister,” she murmured in Rachel’s ear, choking on her own emotion. “Like you, I watched monsters slaughter my entire family in front of me and couldn’t do a thing about it. The monsters gunned them down in cold blood and then burned their bodies beyond recognition. It’s so terribly unfair.”

Rachel’s sobs abruptly ceased as she looked at Hanna in shock. Her eyes grew wide as she realized Hanna truly understood her pain. “You actually saw them kill your mom and dad?” she asked, sniffling.

Tears ran down Hanna’s cheeks as she caressed Rachel’s cheek. “I did,” she answered, letting the pain of her bereavement show again. “I watched from behind a tree as the assassins slaughtered my dad, mom, sister, and two brothers like pests. I never really got over it.”

“How old were you?” Rachel whispered.

“Fourteen,” Hanna stated softly, “…just a little older than you are now. But I swear to you that you’ll not have to deal with this by yourself like I had to. I know we can’t replace your parents. No one can. But we can stand in for them, if you’ll let us. Selina really wants to be your mother and as soon as I can get changed back, I’d be honored to be your father, if you’ll have us.”

Rachel stared in utter astonishment. “You’d do that…for me?” she asked, sobs starting bubble up again.

“In a second,” Hanna declared, cupping Rachel’s cheek with her hand. “And I promise you I’ll not let anyone hurt you ever again. That’s a promise and I always honor my word.”

“Absolutely,” Selina cooed in Rachel’s ear, keeping her purr going to steady her emotions. “I know I can’t replace your mother, but I’d like to try. Little girls like you need their mothers.”

“That they do,” Enoch agreed. “And I can be your uncle, if you like and Kida your aunt.”

“I can be your aunt too,” Emma offered, “After all, I am Enoch’s sister.”

“Oh, momma,” Rachel sobbed, looking up briefly into Selina’s eyes before burying her face in Selina’s swimsuit covered chest. With that, everyone knew Rachel had accepted Selina as her new mother.

Selina deepened her purr, quickly calming Rachel down again. “It’s okay, sweetie,” she cooed. “I’m so happy and honored you want me to be your mother now. I’ll do what I can in place of your real mother.”

“I know you will,” Rachel answered, looking up from Selina’s chest. “But I still can’t understand how you’d want me like this? My legs and arms are gone. I can’t do anything to help. I’m completely useless.”

“No, you’re not useless,” Hanna chided gently in an understanding tone. “Your arms and legs don’t define you.” She pointed to Rachel’s heart saying, “This is what defines you. What you are in here is what makes you. So what if you have missing limbs. It doesn’t mean you’re any less of a person.”

“But I have no arms or legs,” Rachel insisted. “Why did I have to lose my arms and legs like this?”

“I don’t know,” Hanna admitted. “Why did any of this have to happen? I wish I could tell you. But I know the Almighty works in mysterious ways. Why He allowed you to lose your arms and legs like this baffles me. Why He even allowed such a catastrophe to befall you is beyond my comprehension. However, I do know that if He took them, He can give them back. All He has to do is show us how. Surely, somewhere in the knowledge of the ancients is the means to give you back your legs. He just has to show us where it is and how to use it. But I swear to you that we will do whatever it takes to help you overcome this. You will walk, run, laugh, and play again. I promise.”

“You mean it?” Rachel asked sleepily. Between Selina’s sedating purr and her crashing from the adrenaline spike of her awakening, Rachel found it increasingly hard to keep her eyes open.

“I promise,” Hanna declared sincerely, touching Rachel on the stump of her right arm. “I’m not going to rest until you’re whole again. It may take a while, but we will find a way to make this right.”

“Indeed, we will,” Enoch reinforced. “In fact, you’re not the only one who has lost limbs to the Emperor’s evil, little one. We’ll be searching for ways to help you and everyone else who has been maimed by that demon. That’s a promise. And he will pay for everything he’s done to you.”

Rachel’s eyelids drooped heavily as she gazed into Hanna’s open face. “You’re name is Hanna?” she queried, fighting the slumber that hovered over her like the Sword of Damocles.

“Yes, Rachel,” Hanna replied softly, “For the moment it is. But in a few days, I’ll be restored and then you can call me Hannibal.”

“And then I can call you…dad,” Rachel whispered, rapidly falling asleep. “Okay…dad.” With that, Rachel fell dead asleep in Selina’s lap.