the silent child

Chapter One: The Silent Girl Scene 1 – The Forest After the Storm Night. The sky was overcast with dark clouds, and the air still carried traces of the storm that had swept through the area a few hours earlier. Raindrops clung to the leaves, slowly falling, making a quiet sound amidst the silence. The ground was soaked, muddy, with the scent of clay mixed with blood in the air. Among the thick trees, a young girl walked slowly. Her bare feet sank into the mud, but there was no sign of discomfort on her face. Her long black hair clung to her body because of the rain, and her tattered gray dress was not enough to warm her in the cold weather. Despite all that, she didn’t shiver... she didn’t feel anything. She didn’t cry, didn’t seem afraid, and didn’t even look lost. Just a girl with empty eyes, walking as if she had no place to go... or as if she wasn’t even looking for one. Scene 2 – A Strange Encounter At the edge of the forest, where the ground became less wet and the sky clearer, there was a small camp. A faint fire burned, an old, tattered tent, and a wooden box used as a table. By the fire, a young woman sat on a piece of cloth, stretching her legs forward, holding a metal cup from which she drank quietly. Her light brown hair was carelessly tied behind her head, and her golden eyes reflected the firelight. She hummed softly, a tune that seemed to be from a distant memory. “So, where did you come from?” The girl stopped. She hadn’t noticed the woman, or perhaps she didn’t care. Her eyes slowly rose to look at the woman sitting in front of the fire. A long moment of silence passed between them. The wind stirred the flames, and sparks flew into the air, but the girl didn’t answer. The woman raised an eyebrow, then set her cup aside, sighing slightly in disappointment. “Hmm... I was expecting a more exciting reply, something like ‘I survived a bloody battle’ or ‘I’m the ghost haunting this forest.’ But instead, I get a pale, silent child.” There was no response. The girl stared at her without blinking, as if trying to understand the words but didn’t know how to reply. The woman stood up, walked slowly towards the girl, stood in front of her, then bent down a little to look into her eyes. “You look like a wooden doll... did you know that?” The girl didn’t move, but something in her eyes changed. It wasn’t clear what it was, but it was there... a glimpse of awareness? Of interaction? “Well, that’s a bit disturbing.” The woman stood up again, turned back to the fire, then waved her hand nonchalantly. “If you’re hungry, there’s bread over there. And if you’re planning to steal from me, I’d advise against it. I’m generous, but I hate thieves.” The girl didn’t move. She stayed where she was, as if unsure of what to do. The woman sat back down, resumed sipping from her cup, and glanced at the girl from the corner of her eye. “Either come over or leave. I don’t have time for living statues.” ... After another moment of silence, the girl finally moved. Her bare feet slowly took a step toward the camp, her footsteps barely making a sound on the wet ground. She approached the fire, sat down on the ground without a word. The woman gave her a sidelong glance, smiled slightly, then raised her cup again. “What a strange sight... a bounty hunter drunkard sitting next to a lost child in the middle of the forest.” She sighed, then closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the fire. “Well, looks like I’ve got myself a new companion.”