Here to Help

Chapter 12

"I... I don't..."

Cutting her sister off for the last time, Eda made the decison to explain the events leading up to Amity's stay at the owl house. Though she knew the green haired girl wasn't keen on other's knowing her situation, this, Eda reasoned, could easily be a life or death situation. As such, if there was any empathy or compassion for the girl in her sister's heart, Eda knew she had to try and find it by any means necessary if she were to save the girl without violence. "The reason she's here with us is because she ran here," Eda began. "Ever since Luz broke her leg, Amity's been coming over after school to help Luz with her coursework and at some point during one of their study sessions, Amity told Luz that...," Eda stammered, choking back emotions growing in her throat before continuing, "that her parents abuse her. When she didn't show up after school the Monday following a weekend she had spent with us, Luz got worried and suggested we check on her, only for us to find her passed out at the edge of the woods out front. She... she was unconscious when we found her, Lily... she was hurt badly."

Sighing as she met her sister's eye, Eda couldn't help but feel sorrow for the green haired girl having recounted what she had gone through knowing that the extent of the abuse surely existed far beyond this incident. The girl has just found safety in the owl house and here was Lilith, trying to pull her away from it. Studying her sister's face as the pair stood in silence, Eda noted a stunned look of realization cutting through the confusion written on her sister's face. Composing herself before continuing, Eda silently hoped her words and more importantly, Amity's story, would get through. "The healer said she has a concussion and three broken ribs... not to mention a slew of cuts and bruises that all required attention. She was in the healers for a week before they allowed her to 'go home' but Lily, you have to understand, there was no way we could send her back to the Blight Manor. She ran for a reason, Lily; she ran to escape. I won't let you take her back; she can't go back."

Dumbstruck and in horror at the information she had just received, Lilith stood in silence as she processed everything she had been told. Having known the Blight family for years in both personal and professional capacities, she could not believe what she had been told. Sure, the Blights had tempers as made evident through Mr. Blight's acts of political violence, but inside his own home? Towards his own child? Thinking back to all of the time spent with the green haired girl, Lilith couldn't help but wonder what signs she missed and how she could have missed them. Yes there were days Amity seemed more down than usual and yes, the green haired girl would often arrive to training patched up, sporting some sort of injury but for her hurt and anguish to be caused by her parents? That seemed unfathomable. "Her paren't always said she was clumsy..." Lilith muttered under her breath as she fear and sorrow slowly replaced the doubt in her heart and mind.

"Lily..." Eda began, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder, noting the look of shock in her face.

"I... I had no idea, Edalyn. I... I should have known. I'm her mentor for the gods' sakes, I should... I should have been more inquisitive... I should have been more caring... I should have known..."

"Its not too late, Lily," Eda sighed as she interrupted the intrusive train of thought that had taken hold of her sister's mind, manifesting itself in the form of spilled words. "She needs you; she needs us - adults she can trust to look after her."

Nodding in agreement, Lilith sighed as she blinked away a small set of tears that had pooled in her eyes. "You're right, Edalyn. She does. I... I'll tell her parents that she wasn't here. That they should look elsewhere. That..."

"Is everything okay?" a small voice interjected as the sound of footsteps and crutches made their way into the room. "We thought we heard shouting."

"Ms. Lilith?" another voice tinged with fear asked, as Lilith and Eda watched Amity and Luz enter the room. "Wh... what are you doing here? Wh... whats going on?"