This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/space_farmer_luke on 2024-12-03 06:26:55+00:00.
Chipped cup
I leaned back in my chair as the latest round of choking caughts left my body. I focused on the pain in my chest each breath was harder gained than the last.
“Mom, that was the worst bout yet. Are you ok?” My daughter asked as she walked out of the kitchen holding my faded tea cup.
Setting the tired vessel on the table next to me, I watched as the steam billowed from the black liquid.
“It’s hot mom, just give it a few minutes to cool down.” She said as she sat down next to me.
Reaching an age-twisted hand out to her she took it without hesitation.
“I’m dying dear. And it’s past time I tell you this.” I said focusing on every breath.
“No Mom you just need some more rest, you can tell me whatever you need after you get better.” She insisted as she forced the tears not to escape her eyes.
“No this is imported,” I answered with a tired wease.
“Ok, Mom what’s on your mind.” She replied this time letting one solitary tear breach the dam that was holding her pain back.
“When I was a little girl, a long time ago. My parents and I were on a transport leaving our colony on Zoll trying to escape the civil war.” In an instant, I was no longer a frail old woman but the shy child I was.
I awoke in my mother’s arms as the sound of stampeding feet and shouts of fear filled my ears.
“Everything will be alright, my love.” My mother whimpered. As she tried to run against the traumatized tide of refugees.
Unaware of the nature of the crisis I sleepily asked as I remained cradled in her arms. “what going on, why is everyone running around?”
My mother for her part kept repeating “Everything will be alright, my love everything will be alright.” Each time her words of reassurance grow more and more tear-filled.
As she ran and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes I heard a man yell to get to the life pods. We passed a first-class suite where an old woman dressed in a fine lavender nightgown was asking a crewman as he hustled by. “what’s happening.” She protested. He never stopped his march but instead yelled out over the noise. “We’ve hit a massive asteroid! Get to the pods!”
I was now wide awake. “Where’s daddy!” I nearly screamed as reality finally sunk in.
We were down another hall before my mother replied. “He’s saving us baby.” I turned my face to gaze up at her. The fear now boldly plastered on her face.
“I’m sorry lady but only one of you will fit in a pod.” A man's voice sounded out over the noise of the ship.
My mother lifted me and kissed my four head as the man took me from her. “Mam, these are programmed to head straight to the nearest class s planet. She will be safe, we’ll find her as soon as we can.”
I banged my fists against the transparent door as I watched my mother fall to her knees tears falling heavy down her face while she screamed out my name. At that instant, the pod rocketed from the ship, the g force smashed my unrestrained body against the pod's walls and everything went black.
I had no idea how long I was out. The terrible noise of the frantic ship was gone being replaced by silents and a muffled crunching of a lone pair of feet.
Under my tiny body, it was cold and wet and I was face down on it. Snow I thought to myself how did I land in snow? From behind me a woman’s voice spoke “What on earth is this thing?” After a moment I could feel the steps getting closer, I was both scared and too weak to respond.
As the steps stopped I felt myself being lifted up. “Oh child, you're frozen to the bone, and you look like you're a long way from home.” The voice sounded much like my mother and I struggled to crack my eyes open.
It wasn’t her. She had a tattered scarf wrapped around her neck and had round ears. Then everything was dark again.
I awoke in a dimly lit room. I forced my body to sit upright and gazed around. The tinny space was nearly bare of all decoration, only a painted portrait of a bearded man gazing upwards, with small strings of blood dripping from underneath a hallow of thorns hanging on the wall.
In the far corner sat a black metal stove that showed flames from cracks in its door. I lay on the only bed, its checkered quilt helped to shield me from the cold that was fighting to enter the room.
As I looked around at my surroundings the small door opened inward letting a gust of cold and snow enter the room. Stepping in from the frozen air beyond a motherly looking woman walked. She carried a small stack of wood and sticks and set them down near the stove.
With a grown she set her bundle down before straightening herself up to look at me. “How did you sleep?” She asked as she set a small kettle on the stove.
She wasn’t speaking elvish but my internal translator was going to work to help me understand her. We were poor but my parents scrimped and saved enough for me to have a translator.
“How do you like your tea dear?” She asked. I didn’t say anything both my shyness and inability to speak her language kept me from answering.
Walking over to my humble bed she carried a pair of old tea cups. Setting one of the cups into my hands she took a seat next to me. I stared at the chipped cup not knowing what to do.
“My name is Masha, what’s yours?” She asked while taking a sip from her delicate mug.
“Allay” I squeaked. My cracked lips nearly bled with the effort.
“Allay, that’s a beautiful name, where’s your parents Allay?”
And with her simple question, I broke and cried. I laid my head on her lap and sobbed. I felt her finger run through my hair in the calming way only a mother is capable of.
She patiently waited for me to stop before she spoke. “You remind me of my Anna, she was a little girl like you, and you look a lot like her.” I could hear the pain in her voice as she spoke. She continued to brush her hand through my hair and slowly I fell back asleep.
I awoke to a loud banging on the door. “Masha open up!” A man’s voice yelled.
Masha walked over to my bed and reheated my chipped cup before she set the kettle back onto the stove. She slowly walked to the beating door, before taking a deep breath and opening the door.
I pulled the quilt up over my face as the door swung open. I listened as Masha and the man talked.
“I’m sorry Masha but the council has decided that you are a loyalist and a traitor to the revolution, I’m sorry.” He said.
“I understand what that means Peter,” Masha replied “May I stoke the stove, I don’t want to leave a cold house.”
“Do what you must,” Peter replied before the door shut. From behind the door, another man admonished Peter. “Do you want to be a traitor as well? You know what happens then! The man yelled.
Masha calmly stepped up to me as I still hid under the blanket. “Allay, I’m sorry but I must go, please stay as long as you need.” She wrapped her arms around me and I wrapped my little arms back around her and with a kiss on my head, she arose. Turning to the door I could see her wipe tears from her face.
“Ok, I’m ready,” she said as the door opened and then shut behind her.
I hid under those covers praying that everything was going to be alright that she was going to be alright.
Then there was a loud pop and then a few seconds went by before I heard the man say. “It had to happen, look at it this way Peter now no one can say you were a czarist traitor.” Then everything became still again.
I waited for what seemed like forever before I ran to the door and swung it open only to find Masha lying in the snow, blood still flowing from her chest.”
I quickly picked her head up and laid it in my lap. Sobbing I cried “Please tell me what to do, please don’t leave me alone. Please!” I cried. I tore at my clothes to get any scrap of cloth to help slow the flow only to have her reach a blood-stained hand up to stop me.
“I’m glad I met you Allay, I got to see my Anna one last time, thank you.” She closed her eyes as her breathing became shallower and shallower. “If your parents are still alive child I pray to God above that they find you.” And then her spirit left.
“No, no, no!” I cried as I shocked her. The tears and snot froze on my cheeks as the snow fell on us. I held onto her not letting go, not until rescue found us.
They said once my father had learned what had happened he went back to that cold place and buried Masha next to Anna.
“Mom why are you telling me this?” my daughter asked the tears streaming from her eyes.
“Masha I’m telling you this because even when life is at its worst and death is coming for you, always choose to do the right thing. Just like she did.”
My daughter let go of my hand to wipe the tears from her face. Leaving my hands free to reach for my chipped tea cup.