Why trash my kitchen?

When Morning arrives it's by the crowing of the rooster. Miles grumbles to himself but pauses when he notices arms wrapped around him. He takes a moment to remember the event of last night.

Miles pats the boy's head, this causes the boy to stir from his slumber. He sits up and rubs his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Miles asks the boy.

Ezra yawns and after a while, he takes Miles's hand. Miles feels a calm grogginess sweep over him.

"Ah, how about we get some breakfast." Miles stands up and then stretches.

The boy climbs out from under the covers and hops out of bed.

They walk into the kitchen to find it a mess. Ezra bristled like an angry cat. Miles looks around for the perpetrator. He finds no one.

Ezra holds on to Miles's arms as any frightened child would.

The kitchen looks as though a tornado went through it. Food and cooking items lay in places they don't belong.

The two search the area and clean up while they do so. The mess takes a while to clean up. Once finished they check other areas of the house. It doesn't take much time for them to look through the house. After a few more times of looking around, they find an intruder. the person doesn't move. Miles knees down and takes a hold of a leg. He pulls the other out from under the table.

The two see a scruffy young lady. Memories flash in Miles's mind.

"I killed you," Miles mutters.

The memories dance in his mind, violent actions and gold blood.

Cries of injustice echo in his head.

A tug on his sleeve pulls his attention away and to the boy at his side.

"What is it?" Miles asks.

The child points to Miles.

"What?" Miles repeats.

Ezra takes Miles's hand. Worry fills Miles's chest.

"Don't worry. We are safe. She's out like a candle." Miles picks the woman up and carries her off to the empty room. He lays her on the bed and leaves the room. Ezra stands waiting where Miles left him.

"I put her in the empty room. Let's eat and get the animals cared for." Miles walks past Ezra and starts working on the morning meal.

The meal is simple and easy. Bread with some fruit. They eat and fall into their routine as if they did not have a mess to clean up and an extra person in their home.

Betty met them partway to the barn. Miles wondered how she was able to get out while the other cows stayed in their spots. Seeing as there was no trouble from his Miles didn't feel a need to address it.

Hours passed and when they got as far as they could get for the day Ezra and Miles went inside to check on the woman. She remained asleep. Miles bites on his lower lip.

Ezra takes Miles's hand. Miles is unsure why the child does this but doesn't question it.

The two take a break on the steps of the house together before they return to their care of the animals and the garden.

The weather is hot and both find themselves covered in a layer of sweat. Miles finds himself wiping at his forehead often. Ezra sits in the dirt and huffs.

"It's hot isn't it?" Miles says with a broken smile.

The boy nods.

"How about you go inside and look in on our guest and I'll finish up here," Miles gestures to the house.

Ezra nods and trots off. The boy enters the house. he makes his way to the room the stranger is sleeping in. Ezra walks up to the side of the bed. He takes note of the long red hair that spills over the pillow her head rests on. Her ivory skin dotted with fawn brown freckles.

The boy pokes her but she doesn't stir from her slumber. Ezra climbs onto the bed and looks through the pockets in her brown oversized jacket. He pulls out two small books, quills and ink, a broken pocket watch, a small bag of coins, and a small knife.

Opening the books, Ezra looks at the contents. None of it means anything to him but he still looks through it anyway.

Turning pages he runs his hand over the crinkling paper. He spends more time with the pages that hold drawings.

"I ask you to look after her and you go through her things., Miles says from by the door.

Ezra jolts and looks back at the older male.

Miles joins the boy and looks over the items, "You shouldn't go through other people's things."

Ezra stares at miles. It's an empty kind of stare. One where the person on the receiving end wonders if anything is going on in the other's head.

"You better not take anything or you're going to get in trouble." Mile warns, "stealing is not okay."

Ezra nods and places the items in a small pile on the bedside table.

Miles sighs, "It's time for the evening meal. We should take care of that. We'll have to put some aside for her when she wakes up."

The two walk out and get their meal together. They eat and ready themselves and the animals for the night.

When they finish they walk up the stairs. Miles pulls open the door to see the stranger standing on the other side reaching for the door handle.

"You're up." Miles states.

"I am." She replies.

Then moments pass in awkward silence and staring. After a while Miles clears his throat, "So... uh... are you hungry?"

"I am."

"Okay, we put some food out for you. I'll get the plate for you." Miles passes by her and gestures to where she should go. When she takes a seat at the table Miles leaves to get her food.

Ezra stands off to the side and stares. The stranger forces a smile, but the child doesn't react. She chews on the inside of her mouth impatient in her waiting.

Relief floods her when Miles returns. He places a plate of reheated food. He takes a seat across from her. Ezra pads over to the seat next to miles and sits by him. Despite all this, his the child's eyes never leave the woman.

she takes her first bite and with it she feels how hungry she is.

"We need to talk about why you're here and why you trashed my kitchen." Miles rests his arm on the table.

The woman tilts her head, "I did what?"

"You came into my house and trashed my kitchen. Why are you here and why did you have to make a mess of my kitchen?" Miles holds a level gaze.

"I don't know how I got here nor why." She says.

Miles raises a brow, "That's difficult to believe."

She glares at Miles, "I don't know."

Miles studies the woman. She may look like someone he once knew but she wasn't the same. Not only that he couldn't tell if she was lying or not.

Miles rubs his face and sighs, "Whatever. It's too late in the night to deal with this. Go back to the room you were in and we'll... figure something out tomorrow. What's your name?"

The stranger finishes off her food, chewing the last of it for longer than she had the rest, "Emma Dryer."

"I'm Miles and this is Ezra," Miles then stands and goes to bed.

Ezra watches the woman still. She gets up and makes her way back to the room. The boy close behind her. She lays in bed and looks at the door. She wonders if the child is still there. Would he be there all night? She closes her eyes though she isn't tired and waits for morning.