Little Comfort

Nikkala Home
Middle of Nowhere
Finland
December 3rd, 2033

The home was silent. It was an oddity; it scared the small girl as she paddled out of the room, her worn teddy clutched tightly to her chest.

She didn't understand what was going on - where all the people went. She didn't understand why they had been there in the first place.

Al l she knew was...

Mama had said Elena wasn't coming back. She didn't understand where her sister had gone; Papa had said it was sort of like she had gone to sleep... only she wasn't going to wake up ever again.

She didn't understand why Elena wasn't going to wake up, but she always did. What if she fell asleep and didn't wake up too? What if it happened to Mama and Papa? What if that was why it was so quiet?

"Mama! Mama!" her thin voice screeched across the small house, "Papa! Papa! Mama! Papa!"

No one answered her calls, and her terror only quadrupled. As she paddled into the living room, she caught a foot hanging off the couch and her pace increased.

"Papa!" Her teddy was forgotten as she shook the man who -unbeknownst to her - not in fact asleep but passed out drunk. Her small hands pushed on his shoulder, trying to wake him up. "Papa! Papa!"

Her bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes swam as he continued to not answer.

"Please! Papa! Papa!! No!"

She took off running once more, through the house she ran and called, this time asking for her mother.

"Child! I have a head ache! Will you keep quiet?!"

The girl perked up at the sound of the familiar voice.

"Mama! Papa's-Papa-'s" She burst into the room, bringing a shower of light with her.

"Elena?!" Her mother's face lit up as she looked at her; confusion flashed on the girls face.

"Mama - I Kallie."

her mother's face crumpled visibly, and disappointment was evident in her bleak, disinterested one, "Oh. Kallie."

"Papa -"

"I thought you were Elena," the woman's voice quivered, tears shining in her eyes "I miss her so much."

Kallie frowned , a helpless look on her face as she watched the woman fall apart. After a slight hesitation, the small girl made her way over to the woman, and curled her way onto her lap.

"It be okay, Mama," she comforted as the women held her tight.

"Will it?" The need was evident in her voice.

Lower lip quivering, mind still lost and frightened - still sure her father wasn't going to wake up either - the young girl didn't believe a word she was saying at all. But her mother needed her.

So she pushed that aside, and comforted her mother.

"Be Okay."

But who was going to comfort her?