3 letter word for embrace

It had been a while since Kam or I had such fresh, warm food. Perhaps fresh was pushing it but it was fresh off the stove and to be honest, frozen and canned food never tasted so good. Kam gobbled up the food on his plate. It had been a while since I saw him smile so much.

Miss Lauren had me on strict bed rest, but I still got up to help with some chores. She said I was stubborn. I told her I owed her enough. Still, she would have me sit again, with my feet bandaged. Miss Lauren said it served me right running around without shoes. I had some at the shelter before last, but when that place was evacuated, I couldn’t find them. I wasn’t sure if some stole them or if I was just in a rush and couldn’t find them. Still, ever since I made Kam wear his shoes at all times. Miss Lauren didn’t like dirty shoes “traipsin’” about her hideaway and made Kam take his off. He was happy about it. 

I wanted to ask how did Miss Lauren come across this shelter. Why did she have so much food and spare bedding for me and Kam. She was too old to do this all herself. But I knew I couldn’t pry. We all have things we didn’t want to talk about.

“Our Daddy works in the capital building,” Kam had no reservations about talking. “He’s a janitor there.”

“Is that right?” Miss Lauren was more than willing to listen to Kam. She was kind.

“Yup. He’s been working there since before either me or Jasmine were born.”

“Oh, that’s a long time. Jasmine, you can’t be over fourteen yet?”

“That’s right, ma’am.” I tried to get up and clear the table. Miss Lauren stopped me.

She gathered the dishes. “Does your mother work there too?”

Kam got up to help. “I- we don’t know.”

“You don’t know?”

“We don’t know who our mother is, ma’am.”

Miss Lauren looked perplexed. “And you both have the same mother?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s what our father told us.”

“I think she’s real pretty,” said Kam. “Daddy says Jasmine has Mama’s hair. And the eyes the color of emeralds.”

Miss Lauren smiled. “You and your sister have the same colored eyes. They are very pretty.”

Kam crossed his arms. “I’m a boy, boy’s aren’t supposed to be pretty.”

She laughed. “Of course boys can be pretty.” Kam didn’t believe her.

Kam went to flip through a picture book with moving illustrations after supper. Miss Lauren came to change my bandages.

“I can do that myself, ma’am.”

“You won’t tie it tight enough, Jasmine. Please, allow me.” I did. She smiled. “I think they’re healing up very nicely.” She paused. “Kam’s a good child.”

“Yes, ma’am. He is.”

“Forgive me, Jasmine, but I think it was unfair of your mother to keep you both away from her.”

“No- I agree.” I think mother is married to someone other than Daddy. Maybe married to a rich man or someone important. I’m old enough to know how it works. Being unfaithful to your partner is a crime. A serious one. Still, I’ve passed those places. The houses where men and ladies are up for the bidding. Plenty of married people go in and out of those buildings. Dad never went there though. He said Mom was the only lady for him.

Miss Lauren was finished. “You’re a good sister, Jasmine. Kam is lucky to have you.”

“Thank you, ma’am.” She was about to leave the room, when words came out of my mouth without thinking. “Kam’s birthday is this week- I think.”

Miss Lauren’s face seemed to light up. “Really?”

“Yes. I-” I stopped. This was stupid, why should I even be telling her this?

“What is it, Jasmine?”

“I-I promised him an,” I sighed, “An orange.”

“An orange?” she laughed.

“He, likes them.”

“Those are hard to come by, Jasmine. Even before-“

“I know. Dad used to bring them home sometimes. He said they were a gift from Mom.” To honest, I was never really sure if Kam liked oranges so much just because he did. Or if maybe, it was his way of feeling close to Mom.

Miss Lauren thought about it for a moment before smiling. “We’ll see what we can do.”

I think I saw Mom once. Just once. My class went to the capital city for a trip. None of us had ever seen the city before, even though Dad went there daily. We were given a tour of the Administrative buildings that ran the colonies our particular planet, and the buildings that communicated with other, nearby planets. Mom was in the Communications building. We were walking down a hall being told the day-to-day business that went on there when I glanced into a boardroom.

She was in front of a small room full of people. I think she was giving a presentation. I stopped and my heart jumped into my throat. She felt my eyes. Mom looked up and her mouth fell slightly agape. I was looking into a mirror, a much more gussied up mirror. I was about to speak when my friend pulled me forward. She didn’t want me to get in trouble. As I walked down the hall, I saw Mom step out of her board room and watched me disappear. That was it.

I never told Kam. It would hurt him too much.

It was Kam’s birthday. And I was well enough to stand and dance with him a little. It was good to feel my toes wiggle again. Kam seemed relieved to see me up. We had pudding. Chocolate pudding. It wasn’t the cake I promised Kam, but it was more than I could hope for. Miss Lauren was really too kind. 

“I have been saving this for a special occasion.”

“What occasion was that, ma’am?” She didn’t answer.

It was the most fun I have had in a long time. Kam sang for us. “You have the voice of an angel,” said Miss Lauren. Kam was happy. 

“Now then,” said Miss Lauren, “Jasmine and I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?!”

Miss Lauren brought out a small package, wrapped in brown paper. “Here, Kam. Open it.”

Kam’s eyes lit up. In his hands, he held a small can of oranges slices. “Jasmine!” He threw his arms around me. “You remembered!”

I looked at Miss Lauren and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’ She nodded.

Kam was passed out on a chair, snoring slightly. Miss Lauren brought out a bottle and we toasted to a good day. I nearly coughed up my lung. the drink burned my throat. “What is this?”

“Ha! A little strong? Ah, well, more for me.” I stuck to water.

The bottle was nearly half empty. Miss Lauren stared at Kam and smiled. “He’s like my Paul, you know. My little Paul.”

I didn’t need to ask. Paul was gone. I took Miss Lauren to her bed as she rambled. “They’re about the same age, you know. Paul couldn’t sing though- nope! Couldn’t carry a tune.”

I tucked Miss Lauren into her bed and went to go fetch her a glass of water. When I returned, she was sobbing. “Miss Lauren?”

“I’m so- so sorry, Paul. I’m so sorry.”

“Miss Lauren…”

“He would have liked you both. Oh Paul….” I left the water by her bed. I didn’t know what else to do.

The night air was hot. And yet it was strange, because my body started to find it hard to differentiate cool from warm. I knew I was hot, and yet my bare feet had this odd cooling sensation. Then again, they didn’t feel pain anymore either. You think running on warm asphalt would hurt more. But they just kept running. It was all I could do, to escape the falling star.

His hand slipped out of mine. “Jasmine!!”

I turned and scooped my little brother up. “Are you hurt?”

There were tears in his eyes. “I can’t run anymore. Please, it hurts to much.”

I glanced up; I had to shield my eyes from the intense light even with sunglasses. Then back down to Kam. “Hold onto my back.”

He wasn’t heavy. He was only seven. Maybe eight, we lost track of the days. If I was right now, he wouldn’t be eight for a few more weeks yet. Kam was going to see his eighth birthday. I promised myself that. I promised myself a lot of things. Most of them nowadays didn’t happen.

I kept running.

Kam tucked his head into the collar of my shirt. I felt water drip from his sunglasses.

“Kam, sing me a song,” I huffed.

He stopped crying. “Dad’s song?”

“Yeah, Dad’s song.”

Kam began to hum as I ditched the road and began to climb a pine needle covered hill. The little needles pinched my feet. I was relieved.

“Some people live without a song in their hearts,” began Kam, “The saddest people I’d ever saw.”

I glanced behind. There had been another family running with us a while ago. They weren’t anymore. They must have followed the road. 

“As for me- I’ll sing with every breath I do draw-“

Downhill. But the trees offered little shade. The star was reaching impact. We wouldn’t make it. there was no way. Still, I ran. I couldn’t stop. I’m not sure if it was because my legs wouldn’t let me, fight or flight, or if I couldn’t bring myself to disappoint Kam. I promised myself. And I promised him. A chocolate cake. And an orange. Kam liked oranges.

“La, di, la, di lay, Lady. La, di, la, di, lay, Lady.”

I asked Dad what lady he was singing about. He said that it was our mother. Mom liked to hear Dad sing. Dad had a sweet voice. But always sad.

Kam’s voice grew a little louder. “Lady, I’ll sing for you another tune.” Good, he was enjoying himself. “If you’ll grant me one more boon.”

I didn’t know Mom. Either of us did. Dad always told me that Mom was too important a person to marry Dad. But Dad said he saw her sometimes. At work. He would come back sometimes with gifts from Mom. Like my necklace, tucked under my shirt. I was so sweat I was worried it would tarnish. One day, Dad came home with Kam.

Uphill again. Birds above us shrieked as they flew away. I wish I could fly away. But I guess my arms would hurt then, instead of my legs. “You’re the song in my heart.” I slipped and fell on my knee. I cried out. Kam stopped singing. I stood up again.

“I’m fine,” I was lying. “Keep singing, Kam. Please?”

“…Promise we will not part.”

That’s right. I promised Dad I wouldn’t part from Kam. When the colony was first hit with a wave of falling stars. The gods were punishing us. For daring to colonize the heavens. That we should have stayed back on Earth, where we belonged. Or what was left of it. At least, that’s what one old woman said in the first shelter we stayed at. Our hoverbike was stolen there. Wish I had it now.

“All I want is one more kiss, one more kiss.” Dad loved Mom. He loved her so much that he went back to the capital to make sure she was alright. He said he’d keep underground if another start fell, and not to worry about him. He sent us out with Uncle Ben. I’m not sure I forgive him for leaving us. He said he’d meet us at Uncle Ben’s mechshop soon. He never showed.

“La, di, la, di, lay, Lady. La, di, la, di, lay, Lady.”

My heart dropped. Deeper than it did when Uncle Ben shouted at me to take his hoverbike and get away from town. Looters were pounding on the front of his shop. I had to wake up Kam and run before they broke the door down. Kam was saving an orange under his pillow for him and Dad to eat when he got back. He was mad at me for a week when I had forgotten it.

There was river in front of us. To broad for me to swim across and make it.

“All I want is one more kiss. Lady, please keep your promise…” Kam stopped singing. He saw the river too. No were to go. I turned to face the star. So much for promises.

A hand grabbed my ankle. I shrieked and nearly kicked an old woman’s face in. Her body was sticking out of a hole in the ground. There was desperation in her eyes.

“Down here! NOW!” I didn’t argue. She shut the industrial door above us and spun the heavy wheel to seal it tight. At the bottom of the tunnel she threw her body over ours as we heard the star impact. Kam was still humming Dad’s song. I think I cried, but I could hardly feel the tears on my warm face.

Gladys lead Helen and Davis into the debris of the crumbled condo. The back of the giant’s head was facing toward them. There were several other goblins there, surveying the giant’s upper body. All of them were wearing black coats with yellow, official looking patches. Helen eyed them. Each patch had the image of a pair of goblin hands holding the letters GTG between them.

“I am not familiar with the work of the GTG, officer Mary. Enlighten me.”

“Certainly, Miss Marks,” Gladys pulled her techpad from her coat pocket. A small hologram projected out of its surface displaying the same hand logo the team around them were wearing. “GTG stands for the Goblin Tasks Group. We handle the- messier situations.”

“Messier than the Sixth Precinct?”

“We normally handle more corporate messes than anything. They are normally not as destructive as this particular case,” she paused and looked to the giant, “Normally.”

Davis suddenly let out a sneeze that jolted through his system uncontrollably.

“You alright there, Davis?” asked Helen.

“Yeah, chief, I don’t know- AHCHOOO!”

Gladys pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to Davis.

He accepted. “…Thanks.” After a rather unattractive trumpet into the cloth, Davis straightened up. “I’m sorry, I have terrible allergies. I don’t sneeze like that unless there’s wild flora around.”

“There a plant here?” ask Helen.

Gladys nodded toward the giant. “This way.” She led the two over to the head of the giant. “His face.”

Helen and Davis leaned walked around to the front of the giant’s head. Helen’s nose crinkled in disgust. Davis sneezed again.

The giant’s face laid there, mouth agape, eyes open. Or at least one eye was open. The other eye had exploded out of its socket and a large, wilted Venus fly trap of a plant was in its place. The roots crawled out of the giant’s nose and between his teeth. A terrible stench came forth from the plant.

“That thing is dead, right? Have you removed the spore sac?”

“Yes, Miss Marks. My team has already terminated this flora and the poisonous sac has been extracted.”

Davis sneezed. “Extracted? Did you take it somewhere?”

“The GTG is interested in studying the effects of the spores. We’ve taken it to our labs.”

“The effects of the spores?” snapped Helen, “The effects are that they kill people!”

“That is not always true, Miss Marks. Sometimes they only cause nausea, headaches, or in Mr. Lee’s case, they cause unvolatile-“

“AH-CHOO!”

“If I’m still sneezing, does that mean the spores are still present?”

“Trace amounts, Mr. Lee. Nothing lethal.” Gladys displayed her techpad and tapped the hologram. Another image came into view. It was a projection of the giant’s head. It began to slowly spin and as it turned, it depicted the flora sprouting out of the giant’s eye. “We suspect that the victim unfortunately missed the sprite he was trying to catch. The sprite landed on the victim’s eyelashes and began to take root. The roots quickly spread into his head and killed him.” The projection disappeared and Gladys put her techpad away. “It was a quick death and according to the scans it would have been rather painless.”

Helen leaned in closer to the giant’s eye. “Painless? The sprite was being merciful?”

“It’s doubtful that the sprite had anything to do with the quickness of the giant’s death. Record shows that 50% of the sprites that fall are already dead in the air. 45% are unconscious and only 5% have ever been found to be aware in the morning.”

“5%?” asked Helen. “Where do you get your information?”

“The GTG has been at this for a while now, Miss Marks. Much of our data was classified.” Gladys turned to the giant. “As I was saying the victim missed the sprite-“

“What was his name?” asked Davis.

Gladys paused. She glanced at her techpad. “Victor Un’Gryphon. 89 years of age.”

“That’s still rather young for a giant,” noted Davis.

“Most giants his age have a hard time finding decent work,” stated Gladys, “My sources say that he got his job via his only living relative. An aunt.”

“Officer Mary, I would like to know why you needed to speak to my partner and I,” said Helen, “Your team seems to have the situation completely under control.”

Gladys turned to them. “Don’t you think it’s strange that you’d be called out to a crime scene involving giants and sprites considering your personal record, Miss Marks?”

Helen crossed her arms. “What do you know?”

“I know enough, Miss Marks,” replied Gladys, “I had to make a few calls to your department to get you sent out here this early in the morning to get to on a crime scene that you would normally be forbidden to even glance over the report of.”

“Damn- she’s got you, chief.”

“Give it to me straight, Mary.”

Gladys smiled. “Perhaps if you’d both follow me to my car, we could discuss this further?”

Davis glanced at Helen. She sighed and rolled her eyes as she nodded toward the tiny goblin in from of them.

“Splendid! This way please! My associates will take care of the mess.”

Gladys then walked away from the giant’s corpse. Helen and Davis followed. Davis sneezed one last time before the GTG team began to torch the flora and the body.

“What’s big enough to kill a giant?”

“Was that a pun, Hel?”

“Heh, shh, they’ll hear you.”

Helen Marks and Davis Lee approached the crime scene. A large corpse laid over a collapsed two story home. Its leg bargained the main road. A pleasant traffic jam was being redirected into side streets by several police officers.

“Damage report?”

Davis pulled out his techpad and a small digital hologram projected out. “Alright, chief. At 5:45am, the owner came home from a night of ‘leisure.’ At 5:46am he was unlocking his front door when the giant fell onto his condo, destroying it and-“

“It crushed my car!!” shrieked a disheveled man in party-stained business attire. “What are you going to do about my car!?”

“Sir, your car is private property, the public is not required to reimburse you for lost property,” replied a policewoman in the calmest voice she could muster.

“But that thing- that giant is under some government jurisdiction, isn’t it?! It was doing whatever job the big guys want it to do!”

“Sir, I’m going to ask you to remain calm.”

“This is bullshit! That giant doesn’t have the common sense to look where it’s falling?!”

“He died, sir. He could not control where he fell.”

“Who the hell are you anyway? Are you even human?” The man yanked the officer’s hat off her head revealing her long, pointed ears tucked away inside. “An elf!? Fuck this! Why am I even talking to you!” He threw his intoxicated body toward her, thrashing about like a spoil child. The policewoman coolly stepped to the side and let him fall. “ARGH HELL!”

Helen placed her hand on the policewoman’s shoulder. “We’ll take it from here, officer.”

“Please do.” She turned and left.

Davis tried to help the man up. “Sir, I’m officer Davis Lee with the Sixth Precinct, this is my partner, Helen Marks. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

The man shoved off Davis’ hand but soon found it was harder to stand without it. “Yeah, so- what do you want? Are you going to replace my car?”

“You don’t have insurance?”

“Yes, but I hadn’t registered this car with the company. Just got it yesterday- after I was promoted.”

“But before you went out to celebrate?” asked Helen.

“Yeah, so I went out for a couple of drinks.” Mr. Beck eyed Helen’s figure pasted her leather jacket and jeans. “How about you and me get a few drinks? It’ll make me feel a whole lot better.”

“Just trying to get a feel for the situation, mister-“

“Carlyle. Carlyle Beck.”

“Did you know this giant personally, Mr. Beck?” asked Davis.

“Of course not. Why would I?”

“So you’ve never seen him before today?”

“No… Maybe? I don’t know, they walk around every morning doing a job, right? Catchin’ the sprites out of the air or something before they hit the ground? I’ve seen them in the morning if the big oaf wakes me with its goddammit feet.”

“The giants provide a much needed service, Mr. Beck.” stated Helen. “If they didn’t patrol the streets of suburban neighborhoods like yours, the sprites would land and start sprouting out flora like you wouldn’t believe.”

“I think I’d rather deal with a couple of daisies than have my home and car smashed!”

“It really wouldn’t be much different, Mr. Beck.”

“Well, you know, they’re just letting everything that can speak two words together right have a job in human districts nowadays. It’s isn’t right.”

“Miss Marks?”

Helen looked over her shoulder. There was no one.

“Look down, chief.”

Helen looked down and was greeted by a rather short creature with pale green skin, large, crooked ears and large eyes. “Hello, Miss Marks, I’m Galdys Mary. I’m with GTG and I believe I have some interesting information for your investigation.”

“Fuck this! A goblin now? They’ll let anyone through-“

“Mr. Beck?” Helen turned to the drunk and eyed him up. “I think you’re done here. Please be quiet and leave.”

“This’s my house! I’ll stay here and shout if I goddammit feel like it! All these dammed things running around my house! I demand justice, you harpy!”

“I’m surprised you were insightful enough to figure that out.”

Mr. Beck’s mouth fell slightly agape. He looked Helen up and down. “You- you’re a half-breed?”

“On my mother’s side. Goodbye, Mr. Beck.”

Helen turned and walked away with Gladys. Davis leaned over and gently closed Mr. Beck’s mouth. “Have a good one, sir!” He said, almost a little too happily before he turned and caught up with Helen.

        I’m not sure when we landed but when I woke up I was very cold. I could see my breath in little puffs in front of my nose before they disappeared into the cool blue of the steel wall. I could hear Roger talking to someone outside.

        I turned over in my cot and saw Jeremy sitting in the corner of the cabin, huddled into himself. I think he was still scared. He wouldn’t talk about what happened and Roger said that if people don’t talk about something it means they’re scared of reliving it. He said it was the same for everyone whether they were human or not.

        “Jeremy? Are you awake?”

        “Yea.”

        “Where are we?”

        “A supply station, something’s wrong with the ship.”

        I shot up in my cot so fast I hit my head on the low hanging ceiling. “Crud… What’s wrong with the ship?”

        Jeremy shook his head. “I think we hit something in that ice field. Well, Roger fell asleep at the wheel. I got him up and he drove the ship here. We were drifting for a while, they aren’t sure where we are.”

        “Why were you up in the cockpit?”

        “… I had a bad dream… and had an accident.”

        I got up and rubbed Jeremy’s back. I could feel the scales under his shirt. His scales were so smooth, all but the few that had jumbled and matted over his scars. “It’s ok, everyone has accidents.” He didn’t seemed convinced. “I mean, I bet Roger nearly had one when he found out we were drifting.”

        Jeremy laughed. He pointed at his large cot. “I think it’s frozen.”

        “Martha! Jeremy! Git out here!” called Roger, “Git ya coats on! It’s colder than Earth’s sun out!”

        We did as we were told. I helped Jeremy with his coat. It was a proper coat, we had to sew three coats together to have one fit him. It looks rather ragged but Jeremy said he liked the buttons most, because they almost looked like they matched.

       We hurried down the hall to the docking bay. The door opened with a scratching swoosh, we hated the sound.

       Wherever we were, it was dim. There wasn’t much light to illuminate the dock, and it wasn’t very crowded. It must have been one of those backwater planets Roger warned us never to dock at. The ship must have been banged up pretty bad.

       Roger waved us down from where he stood. “Git on over here!” He seemed happy enough. “Straight’n up Jer, ya don’t need to hunch over like that!”

       Jeremy stood up a little taller, his shadow engulfed me. Jeremy towered over everyone in fact. Someone bumped into him and got bumped back.

       “Hey you Jurivan- you got a problem with us humans?!” shouted the man.

       “I-I’m sorry—“

       “Sorry ain’t good enough!”

       “Hey! Back off punk!” I shouted. “He’s only nine, he doesn’t need any of your shit!”

       “Watch your mouth you bitch.”

       “Why don’t you say that again,” I was rolling up my sleeves. 

       “Ma-Martha, no!”

       “I said, watch your mouth you—”

       Roger pushed me to the side. “Ya like fightin’ nine-year-olds and teens? Pick on someone ya own size, stranger.”

       That’s when she stepped in.

       “Now Ruffus, I know that we’ve talked about this before.” A hooded woman put herself between Roger and the man. “Not everyone’s lookin’ to fight you.”

       Ruffus backed off like a dog being scolded. “I’m awful sorry Ms. Adrienne. I’s thought that well—”

       “I know what you were thinkin’. But I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” She stepped aside and presented me and Jeremy to Ruffus.

       He hung his head and hid his eyes with the rim of his cap. “I’s sorry to you both. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

       Jeremy perked up a bit. “It’s ok, we forgive you.” I let Jeremy talk. I figured it would be nicer than anything I had to say.