Touching Rune

Chapter 2-4

Rune knew deep down that her time here had come to an end. She never understood how she knew, she just did. Fury built deep inside her as the pain of losing her new family swept through her. She had sworn that she would protect the children and the Sisters with every fiber of her being, and she would do so.

She heard the door slam behind her as Timmy finally raced inside. She could hear his frightened voice rising as he ran back to the dorms and the rooms belonging to the Sisters and Mother Magdalene. She ignored it as the scar-faced man ran toward her.

Hoping to surprise him, she raced forward and grabbed his arm. She let her slender weight hit him head-on. He grunted and stumbled sideways when she refused to let go of his arm.

“Get the boy!” Randolph growled out harshly as he wrapped his arm around Rune’s waist and ripped her away from the scar-faced man. “Kill him.”

“No!” Rune screamed.

Fury unlike anything she had ever felt swept through her. She slammed her head back into Randolph’s face, breaking his nose from the sound of the crunch. She turned as his arm fell away from around her and swung her fist.

“You b***h!” Randolph snarled out as he slapped Rune across the face, knocking her down. “You’ve ruined everything.”

Flames were crawling up the wall behind them as the wooden frame of the kitchen area caught. Rune’s eyes moved from the flames back to the man standing over her. She waited until he bent to grab her again before she threw the dirt that she had gathered in her hand into his eyes.

Randolph cursed loudly and stumbled backwards. Rune’s eyes narrowed in determination when she realized he was in front of the burning door. Pushing up off the ground, she charged him, wrapping her arms around his waist and pushing him through the flames. They both landed on the floor of the kitchen as the door gave way. Randolph lost his balance and fell on his back with Rune on top of him.

Rune gasped as he rolled so that she was trapped under him. She barely had time to raise her hands to protect her face when he raised his hand to strike her again. He cursed in frustration and rolled off her, coughing as the smoke thickened the air.

Rune rolled away from him and crawled onto her hands and knees. She looked at him with watery eyes. Flames were beginning to roll along the ceiling of the kitchen now and the wall where the door leading to the garden was engulfed. She pulled herself up using the table. Seeing the knife that they had used earlier to cut the pound cake, she reached out and wrapped her fingers around it.

“You stupid b***h,” Randolph cursed as he wrapped his fingers around the wrist holding the knife. “You could have had everything money could buy.”

Rune jerked, trying to break his grip. She cried out when he squeezed hard enough to almost break the delicate bones in her wrist. He reached over and grabbed the knife in his free hand.

“Money could never buy my loyalty or make me care about a self-centered bastard like you,” Rune choked out as sweat from the heat of the fire threatened to scorch her skin. “You are through,” she whispered. “Not even your money can save you from this.”

Rune could hear the bells of alarm and the yells of voices as people gathered to form a water bucket brigade. She could hear the sharp whistle of a policeman and the bells on the team of horses pulling the water wagon. A large beam cracked and fell behind Randolph. Rune reacted the moment his attention was distracted. She pushed as hard as she could against him. Pain exploded through her even as she watched as he lost his balance and fell back onto the burning beam. A second beam collapsed, trapping him between the two.

His screams followed Rune as she turned back toward the empty space where the door leading to the garden now stood. She walked forward, ignoring the flames. They could do nothing to her. She was already dead. She could feel the blood draining from her even as the pain from the knife that Randolph had stuck into her as he fell threatened to overwhelm her. She wanted to reach the garden. The garden that she loved. The garden with the flowers that she grew to sell for the children. The garden where their laughter echoed.

Rune fell to her knees near the center. Mother Magdalene, who was standing in the doorway leading into the dorm area, rushed forward. She gently helped Rune down before rolling her over onto her back. Rune stared up into the night sky as the familiar peacefulness of death swept through her. The stars glittered despite the thick smoke and the red haze of the flames.

“Please,” Rune whispered, looking blindly up at the stars. “Please, let me stay this time. Let me watch over and protect them. Please don’t take me away again. I’m so tired of wandering. Please…” her voice broke.

“Oh, child,” Mother Magdalene whispered as she brushed Rune’s sweat dampened hair back from her face. “What have you done?”

Rune turned her face into the withered hand and sighed. “I promised to protect you,” Rune whispered with a serene smile. “Don’t cry for me, Mother Magdalene. I’ll be alright. I won’t… leave you… or the… children,” she forced out softly before she faded away.

Tears coursed down Mother Magdalene’s cheeks. She touched the still face of the young girl who had appeared out of nowhere and captured the hearts of everyone she touched. She brushed the damp hair back, holding Rune tightly for a moment. She gently closed Rune’s eyes with trembling fingers.

“Mother Magdalene!” Sister Mary whispered in shock as she rushed up to where Mother Magdalene was holding Rune’s lifeless body. “Oh no! Oh, poor child,” she cried as she bowed her head to pray.

Mother Magdalene looked up at the stars and whispered her own prayer. She prayed that Rune would finally find the peace and happiness that she deserved. Her only regret was that she had never learned what put the shadows in the young girl’s beautiful brown eyes.

“Please help her find happiness,” Mother Magdalene prayed. “Please give her a second chance to find someone who will love her enough to chase the shadows from her eyes.”