Tiny Zack!

What even is magic?

After Zack finished his breakfast -unsurprisingly quickly- he looked up at Rachel. She was still eating her breakfast. Zack impatiently waited for her to be done.

He didn't want to admit it, but he was starting to get attached to her.

She fed him, clothed him, and even hugged a monster like him. She was even worried when he left for the night.

It was hard for him to admit, but he had gotten attached. He... doesn't want to be away from her. He doesn't want to lose another person he's grown attached to.

"Hey, so..." Rachel had just finished her food, and she was collecting the plates. "I'm heading out to the- store -and I was wondering if you would like me to pick up anything for you? You can handle being here on your own, can't you? There's some food in the fridge, and you have your knife in case of strangers trying to break in. I don't exactly know how long I'll be out." All he heard was "I'm heading out to the store" and then he stopped listening.

Zack was frozen. He just started getting attached to someone, and now they're leaving him again. He couldn't let this happen again. This Rachel girl does seem tougher than the old man did, but he didn't want to take any chance.

She got up and placed the dishes in the sink, then grabbed her bag. "Zack? You'll be okay on your own, right?" She asked again.

The last sentence hit his core. "You'll be okay on your own, right?"

Zack jumped up, and grabbed Rachel's arm. "No!" He cried out. "No! Never again! Please!!" He pulled at her arm.

Of course, he wasn't strong enough to even pull her an inch. Rachel turned around to face the smaller Zack. "Zack? What's wrong?" Rachel asked, completely confused.

"... I-..." He couldn't say it. He didn't want to. But, he was scared. And that was the truth. He was scared that if she walked out that door, he would never see her again. Or, if he did see her, it would be her corpse being inspected by police. "... I just... don't want you to go away..." Before she could get any idea's, he continued. "Because! If you leave, I'll have no one to cook meals for me!" He said, quickly.

Too quickly for Rachel to think that was the only reason.

Rachel pulled her arm out of Zack's grasp, causing him to flinch, and fear that she would leave him anyway.

Rachel saw the fear on the young child's face. "Zack. I'm coming back. I'll only be a few hours, I promise."

Zack looked up at her, the fear only worsened. "How do you know something bad won't happen?"

And that's when it hit Rachel. Zack thought that she might get hurt if she goes out. "Why do you think something will?" She answered.

The young Zack stiffened. "... Because it already did... Their faces... so happy..." A malicious grin appeared on the child's face. "... So happy... when they're taking someone away from me!... When they kill!... They killed... HIM!..." His hands grasped his face, covering his eyes and tearing into his skin.

The pain was too recent.

Rachel didn't understand, but didn't have to, to know that someone he cared about was murdered when that person went out one day. Apparently the murder had made the killers joyful. And that apparently traumatized him.

She grabbed Zack's small hand. "Would you like to come with me, then?" Zack frantically nodded. If Rachel could smile, she would.

Rachel wrapped her arms around Zack's small frame, and walked with him out the door. The two of them walked away from the hotel, ducked fences and got mud all over their shoes, and climbed buildings. Zack only looking mildly confused.