The Girl With The Crimson Eyes

77: Remnants

Remnya

At sunrise, Remnya could appreciate the endless acres of the camp. Farmlands rested on the volcano slopes, and a scattering of cabins sprawled along a sharp ridge. Ominous clouds covered the volcanic peaks in the north, casting distorted shadows, and a faint murmur from deep within the Earth's core reverberated through the air.

Remnya's cabin nestled far from the others, concealed amid ancient oak trees and surrounded by a cow farm. She leaned against the rustic fence, gazing at a massive cow and her calf. The duo regarded her with wary curiosity, and a fleeting smile graced Remnya's lips as she connected with those creatures for an ephemeral moment.

It was a short walk through rocky terrain before she spotted Debrin Kavram cooking under an avocado tree. Encircled by vegetables, he sliced five carrots at once and dropped them in a cauldron with boiling water. Remnya approached him, forcing herself to look into his eyes.

"Welcome back," he said with a smile and resumed his activity.

"Does it look awful?" she asked, clenching his fists.

He stopped again to inspect the mess she had done to her head. "It looks decent, but let me fix it a little for you." Debrin left his vegetables on a table and summoned his four vectors. They surrounded her, a soft breeze hitting her face, and began cutting her hair with quick slashes. She remained still until his spectral arms vanished. "That should do it."

"Since when do you know how to cut hair?"

"Did you already forget I once had a daughter?" he said, his lips twitching.

"No . . . I didn't forget," Remnya murmured and walked to the old truck parked nearby to check her appearance in the mirror. Her short hair looked a lot better. "How long was I in there?" she asked, stretching her arms and cracking her knuckles.

"Over one week." Debrin tossed a lunch box at her. "So you better start eating again. You need it."

"Thanks, but there's something I need to do first." Remnya left the food on the table beside him and headed toward the center of the camp.

The strangers glanced at her; unfamiliar faces, bodies of steel, hardened by countless battles. A mixture of conflicting emotions emanated from those warriors. Some eyes reflected melancholy and grief, others the desire for vengeance, and a few the vacant stare of resignation.

And she wasn't different from them.

"REM!"

A high-pitched voice echoed in the distance, and Remnya saw a little girl running in her direction.

"Amy?" Her jaw slowly dropped.

Amy jumped on her, tackling her with all her strength, and wrapped her arms around her torso. A startled Remnya needed time to assimilate the moment, but her soft embrace seemed to awaken traces of the dormant humanity in her.

Feeling her little friend's warmth against her body reminded her of her past and who she had once been: not always a monster but a young orphan with hopes and dreams.

Remnya swallowed and hugged Amy tightly. Her chest burned with guilt, knowing how close she had been to her mother, yet she could never bring them together.

"I'm so happy to see you, Rem!" Amy told her with teary eyes.

"So am I." She forced herself to smile.

"You look so different!"

"You think so?" Remnya patted her head, caressing her horns, now developed completely.

"Yes!" Amy bobbed her head. "You look pretty and strong!"

Remnya widened her eyes. "Are you sure about that?"