Her brown eyes, those eyes I knew to be rich in warmth and endless kindness... held cold;  foggy with no clear direction and absolutely blink-less.

Miss Lelita approached the grand foyer of Levine manor in her cold spacey daze, moving in stiff wobbles supported by the arms of a worn-out Ojwang. The fattened muscles in her cold face were loose, drooping like melting paint, the colour of them dissolving. There was once a constant smile between those dull cheeks but now remained a cold haunting canvas drained of warmth, of her incessant joy. Now she splattered with revolting maroon blood... all over her favourite green Daishiki.

A tight dense blow pounded my chest, constricting within like my innards were bound by chains. I retched, a repugnant toxic stench rising from my gurgling stomach. I clasp a sweaty hand over my mouth and nose trying to uphold myself and overcome the gruesome sight but my body trembled in disbelief at Lelita's state.

I approached her slowly... she remained motionless. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her with a forced sense of tranquillity when taking in that metallic scent of death. I pulled back, glancing over the statuesque figure, solidified by a trauma that changed this outgoing woman into a frozen, soft-spoken mess.

"My dear," She whispers. Lelita's eyes landed on me, out of focus and clearly still in that haze of shock. "My dear," she repeated, holding my elbows with some new-found strength. viable red strains in her round eyes highlighted what cost her experience took a toll on her. "My dear," And with that third repetition, I knew that whatever happened it had caused her mind to be completely scrambled.

The light faint footsteps of another came to us, "Miss Lelita, would you come this way" Melissa spoke softly, her tone as pleasant as ever. The blonde maid got the woman's attention almost immediately, a certain jolting jump came to her change in focus. "Let's get you a nice warm bath, how does that sound?"

There was no real reply, rather, an eerie silent acknowledgment as she turned to the young maid, lips parted limply, blinking slowly few times. Melissa held her arm out and Lelita clung to it somewhat in desperation, her dreary attention found some sort of direction with the maid. "You are... like him?" Lelita croaked her stretched out words.

Melissa's eyes narrowed upon the older woman as she walked her along, then just as she was going to pay no mind to the disturbed woman, she did a double-take as something struck the young maid in realisation, and her lips fell agape with an inaudible gasp and the two stopped in their tracks.

"Melissa is one of the hardest working maids in the manor," Dr Levine spoke up. The attention of the room shifted and made me realise just how silent everyone had been seeing Lelita and young Ojwang walk in. Dr Levine stepped forward with his cane, rather steady for his use of it. "I trust her with everything, Miss Lelita." The Doctor nodded with a thin smile and Melissa's calming poise seemed to return somewhat.

I looked to my sides and caught curious gazes between Stanley, Asher and I as we watched this unfold... Kina held her chin as she went into her deep thinking analytical mode, it seemed whatever was going on between the lines had confused us all.

Melissa took Lelita and gently guided the woman upstairs, not as talkative as she was previously. The two reached the top then ducked out of sight, further into the manor's halls. It seemed like the foyer wasn't as suffocating anymore.

"I'll get someone to evaluate her, (Y/N), don't you worry." Dr Levine said smoothing out the wrinkles in his forehead, he took in a deep sigh and eyed young Ojwang still looking up the stairs where his mother left. I quickly went over to the boy and gave him a big hug, rubbing his back through his dirtied school uniform.

"It's gonna be okay Ojo, we're safe here." The boy nodded on my shoulder. It seemed he was just as emotionless as his mother, knowing Ojwang, he was probably keeping everything inside. I pulled back as Asher gave Ojwang a squeezing hug and Kina scruffed up his fluffy brown frizzy curls.

"It's good to see you, kid." Kina says with a thin smile. she was rather awkward around kids while Asher was clearly the opposite.

"Ojo! it's so good that you're here! I'm so glad you are alright!" Asher squealed rocking Ojwang back and forth while he stood there awkwardly.

"Thanks." He said plainly.

Asher pulled back and Stanley stepped forward.  "I see how you must have looked after your mother..." Stanley says. The ranger then stretches his strong right arm out forward, palm flat for a handshake. "That's a very respectable thing for you to do."

Ojwang's eyes glistened in a way I never quite captured before, the way he saw Stanley must have been some kind of revelation for him. Like he felt some affinity with the masculine gesture directed towards him was a peek into manhood he would grow up to be involved in. He took his smaller hand to Stanley's, the older of the two made sure there was a firm exchange between them.

"What happened?" Asher asked the boy, kind of scared of the answer herself. The cane of Dr Levine tapped twice and brought us all to listen to the older man.

"It was a lucky escape, that's all you lot need to know for now." He says sternly. Although he cut off the discussion, a strong voice in my intuition told me I already knew what had happened.

Dr Levine cleared his throat, "I have ordered the kitchen for an early dinner, Ojwang needs a good feed after this fiasco so let's make our way to the dining room." Dr Levine traveled on his way and we all glumly followed suit, I had my arm around Ojo's shoulder to make him feel a little bit safer in this big place, but he seemed to enjoy the amazement of such luxury which set me at ease... slightly.

"Dinner sounds good hey?" I asked him, he simply nodded his head. but then the rumble of an empty stomach followed, causing us all to have a little giggle.

As long as we keep laughing at the little things. We can all get through this.

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