FrAcTuReD (Part One) (Completed continued in Part Two)

Chapter 30

Nina just stared before getting up and heading up stairs, and then came back down with a hairbrush, comb and a few elastics. With a smile hands extended to have the little girl sit on the floor as her hair was brushed with such gentleness.

"You've done hair before?"

"Once or twice, since it grew out since the surgery I tended to do different combinations, though it wouldn't be much since I only wanted to hide the scare."

Nina was silent as she could feel the hair brush running through her hair, before feeling parts of her hair being taken and moved, from what she could tell it was being turned into a braid, then another part being turned into a braid before she took those two braids and placed them to the back of her head and tied together with an elastic that had a flower in it.

"It's not the best but I think it turned out good. How's it feel?"

Nina touched the back of her head lightly. "It seems good," she said before feeling Charla move to be behind her, before resting her chin atop Nina's head, and encircling both arms around the young girl, drawing the girl into her chest. This was different. But she chose to remain quiet, as Charla's body slowly began to sway keeping Nina close as she did some, yet something about this felt familiar and comforting.

That's right... Mom did this when I was little.

"It doesn't seem like the rain will stop any time soon. It's been raining since last night."

"Do you like the rain?" Nina asked.

"I do, I find it vary soothing, even more so when I go for a walk. Not many people seem to feel the same so the stay inside, giving me more to see the world." Those hazel-green eyes looked down at her. "Want to go for a walk?"

Nina looked up in surprise. "Is that a good idea?" she then followed Charla's hand pointing in the direction towards the door, where a man seemed to be sitting in a chair that was protected by the roof.

"That man is a police officer dressed in plain clothes. You said your father went out, so that man, and others like him are walking in the general vicinity of the home. So, going outside should never be something to fear. Bad things can happen, but those things should never stop you from trying to see the world. It's something I used to write to her in a journal time and time again long ago."

"Who?" Nina asked only to then be given a smile that conveyed secrets that wished to be kept hidden. Charla then helped Nina stand up before taking the guitar and heading back upstairs, only to come back down a few moments later wearing a dark brown leather jacket and the same red headphones that rested around her neck. She then pulled out Nina's raincoat and a large umbrella before glancing around for something. Nina held up her hand. "Here," when she placed it in Charla's hand she added. "It's your housekey, did you forget where you put it?"

A smile was given. "I suppose I did. Thank you Nina." Walking to the door and opening it only to surprise the plains clothed police officer. "How are things?"

"Oh, Miss Liebert, is there something you need?"

"I'm just taking my cousin outside for a bit."

He looked almost puzzled. "In the rain?"

"There's something I need to get, and I didn't want to leave her alone, besides, it's just the connivant store and back."

Nina grasped Charla's hand, tilting her head to look outside, she could see another man across the street in a car, watching the house, it was another officer just like the one that remained at the front of the house. She could only guess that there were others around in the area.