Story 2 - It Will Rain

Larkin stared at the woman for a moment, then hustled over.

The woman was pale and completely soaked in blood.

However, in her arms, she cradled a blanket.

"What happened...?" Larkin asked cautiously.

"Please..." She breathed heavily.

"I-I don't have much time left, and they..." She stumbled.

"What's in the blanket?" He questioned.

"M-my daughter..." The woman looked up at Larkin, her eyes glossy, brimming with tears.

"A-and who are you talking about? He asked.

"They...?" Larkin asked, placing a hand gently on the woman's shoulder.

"Those monsters at Experiment Labs..." She whispered as she collapsed against a nearby tree.

"H-hey!" Larkin cried.

"S-stay with me...!" He shouted.

The woman gave a weak smile as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"P-please, mister, take care of her..." She whispered, gently placing the blanket onto the ground beside her.

"Iris Azalea..." Her eyes began flickering.

She then let out a weak cough.

"You'll grow into a beautiful, gentle lady..." A smile spread across her face.

"Never forget that mommy loves...y-"

Her eyes closed as her hands fell limply into her lap.

*

Larkin stared in awe at the woman's body for a good minute.

Then quickly remembered the blanket with the child inside.

"She's not crying...?" He mumbled as he knelt in front of the blanket.

As he uncovered the blanket, his eyes widened.

Underneath the sheet was a girl, a bit older than he was expecting, but it was a helpless toddler.

The girl was in deep slumber.

Larkin swallowed dryly.

"She's been drugged..." He whispered.

Then he quickly thought back to what the woman had said.

"Experiment Labs..." He said, making a mental note of the name.

"Well," he began as he gently scooped up the sleeping girl.

"Your mommy did the right thing..." He whispered, stroking her light pink hair.

"I won't let her efforts go to waste...she cared for you tremendously, Iris Azalea." He smiled gently, looking up at the night sky.

"Good grief," he chuckled.

"The rain sure is coming down hard..." He whispered as tears fell to the ground.