Escape

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"And it's hard for me to leave you, after it took me so long to find you," Sully said. "But there will be time for us to get to know each other again, I promise. This isn't forever." He kissed her forehead. "It's going to be dark soon, and you should be getting back before that happens." He frowned, thinking of her going back to that lonely cave in the middle of the woods. "Is there anything else you want to know first?"

[Kris Lupin]

"Yeah, what did Mom and Dad sound like? Just in case I hear something I know is a memory of them." Ashura looked at the picture hoping she would start remembering more.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"Well, Dad had a very thick accent," Sully said. "Like mine but even thicker. But his voice was higher than mine. And mum... well, she was very musical. She had a beautiful voice and was always singing softly as she worked. She even sounded musical when she spoke... everything she said sounded like a song."

[Kris Lupin]

"Sounds wonderful, I hope I'll be able to remember." Ashura said running her hand through her hair.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"I hope so, too," Sully said. He glanced over at the door and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. "I don't want to stop talking to you, lass... but it is getting late. Do you have any other questions?"

[Kris Lupin]

"Did we have any pets?" Ashura asked.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"Not really, just an owl for the owl post," Sully replied. "But you used to help all the injured animals you found. Once you even found a dog with its leg broken. A muggle had hit it with one of those auto-things. You took it in and nursed it back to health, but once it was better, it ran away again. You cried for a week."

[Kris Lupin]

"And our parents didn't care? About the animals I mean." Ashura smiled slightly. "I try to help the lost wolf pups but normally their mom isn't too far away and when they see me start to go towards the pups she'll come and snap and growl at me. I've just about gave up on trying to help them." She looked at the photo again and a question came to her, but she wasn't sure if he could answer it.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"No, they didn't mind it at all. In fact, Da built a little shed in the yard where the injured animals could stay, so they wouldn't be in the house, but they would still be protected. There was nothing he wouldn't do for you." He didn't mention that he'd had more than his share of disagreements with their father.

[Kris Lupin]

Ashura smiled slightly. "Would things be different if I hadn't disappeared or forgot everything? I mean what would our parents do if I had still got bit but remembered everything and came home?"

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"I don't know," Sully said. "Things might have been different, and I'm sure they still would have taken you in and accepted you. They loved you very much. But I can't say whether they still would have gotten sick. I always thought that the combination of your disappearance and my insanity weakened them... but I don't know for sure."

[Kris Lupin]

"I wish I hadn't got bitten, or that I could have been able to go back home." Ashura said her voice shaking.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

Sully hugged her again. "I know, lass. I wish a lot of things had been different. But there's no going back now. We have to make the best of what life has given us. For a long time, I didn't understand that, either, and I spent a lot of time hating myself and everyone around me for everything that had happened. All it did was make me miserable. Something good will happen for you, I'm sure of it."

[Kris Lupin]

"I really hope so." Ashura said, she looked towards the door and saw it was almost dark. "I guess I better get going before it really gets dark."

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

Sully hugged her again. "I don't want you to go, but you should leave before it gets dark. I want you to stay safe." He stood up and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. "I will write to you, love. Take care."

[Kris Lupin]

"I don't know if I can read or write, never had the use for it..." Ashura said biting her lower lip as she stood up.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

Sully frowned. "I hadn't thought of that," he said. "You used to be able to read. You used to read all the time. You loved books. Maybe... maybe you'll remember. Or maybe Zander or someone could read the letters to you, if you don't remember." He felt suddenly very sad, thinking of all that had happened to her in her young life.

[Kris Lupin]

"But what if I want to write back?" Ashura asked her bottom lip quivering.

[Matthew "Sully" Sullivan]

"Maybe Zander could help you," Sully said. "You used to know how to do that, too... you were in school. Maybe you'll start to remember that, too... it's just so strange, how much you don't remember..."

[Kris Lupin]

"It was the trauma of the attack. The ones that remember are lucky." Ashura said.