16 Flow of time

Awakening in a small confined space had not filled her in any sort of fear. She gotten over seeing enough times of her own deaths and the afterlife that followed those micro-lifetimes. It was rather that size of her own hands and strength of her body. She was back again to baby times, chubby and powerless. It's dark but she been awake long enough to her eyes adjusting with gloom condition. The air was loud, flowing and cold. The distant sounds were now loudest for her as she can hear she is alone. That this place was devoid of living at least. She choose to not try to fathom what the undertakers or God's caused for time revert to such a broken state of offer.

"Seriously." Walking though a wall and steps approach of her crib. It's nice that some consistency stays, as his long platinum white hair strain lowered leaning down looking at her. He couldn't be afraid of her, even as this baby that doesn't cry. Lifting her up out and carried her. It's the late evening but she reconginized this house. This is indeed grandma's house. Remembering past time events, she was born and lived only her frist 3 years here. She was moved with mom to other locations following after. It fits with her age. It fits with some consistent factors that carved exact always be things.

"I don't really want to know how. Rather I wish a sort of vague reasoning for why time reverts backward to this extent." Her mask forces and takes her living baby body away from the undertaker, "Although I have just realized I am talking to a brick wall. You undertakers have no hearing for the damned or masked ones. The only set you do are the clothus... but they aren't what damned or cursed are." She changed diapers with accept of fate.

"Gah, lady Marionette." He freaks over her mask shadow side coexistence. He took out a notepad and went over some notes. He eventually give up with it all, "You are the human and that ghost form. A cursed soul." He rubs his temple like that help him. He makes several werid clicks of his tongue and rude waving about. Clearly in depth conversation telepathic to some other undertaker or beings. As per always, she cares only in survival. If it meant relying on her mask to raise her human side, she was prepared to do so. A now changed clean and clean clothing. Putting together a travel baby bag and cocoon herself a hands free baby holder. Laying the baby body to a hammock in being free to get on with other bothering things. The undertaker finally not being distracted with himself rejoined business of bothering. Finding that her masked side was raiding the food cabinets for suitable supplies and some bunch of papers to read in future to explain why she alone in her abandoned grandmother's house. Not sure if this was early or later set world War. She wasn't sure of its was just the living world affected or bigger implications.

"I don't know why I bother." He huffed but with eventually getting her attention. He puts some random amounts of currency in show to her, "I need black sand in reconnect with the team." She collected the money and place a small pouch amount. It is more then plenty and of pure consistency that it lasted better then other stuff. He takes what he paid for and back to pacing about. He waved around trying to 'reconnect'. She finally was just trying to see how the adults left things. Was their messy beds, half ate meals or something to suggest they were coming back. It's when she noticed that there was something different about this time. Looking to the back yard, there was always just plants and dangerous animals. This time was a bunker, but it too was partly left open. The door on broken hinge. There was flies in and out from the door. A rotten smell. She isn't ready for going to check that. Instead she was better off checking out the neighbors. Mask softly peering over fencing, bunker shelters in every back yard even converted pools. The immediate neighbors are all half open doors of more rotten within. Since the neighbors were strangers, she felt confident to check what corpses were and how long. Peers in, blacken blistering bloated bodies but they are all humans and some pets. It was answer enough. So why was she still alive and left in the crib. Returned to the house for other survival resources, this was an apocalypse. She need a weapon and carry trade. A large cloak to shelter from sun as a damned.

"It doesn't matter for you to continue. Your living side is soon to die." The undertaker was right in how her human body is doing. Coughing fits have dazed her several times. Even so, survival until the very end. She not sure of getting over this illness but the possibility of keeping going while being ill is on the table. She takes a little pain meds to ease things and went about her business. She finds stiff her grandmother talked of having in the attic like that her father went to war. His uniform was long bugging ridden and useless. But it's the medals and weapons. It's better than nothing. No one here owned a gun that she knew of. But it turned out in digging through closets - grandmother was a proud house owner with enough to protect her in emergency. A scary thought but will do with this situation. The satisfaction of bullet into a barrel with a click there. It will do.

"Why do you need it?" The undertaker rolled eyes. She can't reply towards him so she finished looking for more ammo and packed according. A last sweep and it was time. There isn't a car outside. No one has cars. No trucks. No vehicles. That was very wrong for American lifestyle, they need to drive miles for food shopping. Cars were evacuation for hurricane and tornadoes. No neighbors had them. All gone. She walk by foot for now. A dangerous prospect. It's be day break soon. She would rather travel between after peak light hours, a small safe window. Heat. Wildlife. Weather. She can't go right now, there be bears and puma prowling.

"I know the undertaker can't hear me." She turns softly in looking upon another masked, this be the one that was her grandmother brother. He died in the house, "I see. You do." She watched the outside once more, "The poor stay poor. They sold thier cars exchange for government built bunkers on every backyard. The lie to tell them they will survive the radiation. But really it's just tombs. Those that refused to sale cars fleed. Stock was bought up or made to expensive. So even if they did survive the blast, there wouldn't been enough to go around. They would have killed each other fighting over food scraps, which was exactly what was intended." He lifted a newspaper, "Down played the whole event. There wasn't even a total body count." She looked out there, "Some unfortunate people and Wildlife is out there. But your better off doing what you can. Who knows if your supply from your corpse will save other lives or take them."

"It helps. I appreciate learning." She softly pats shoulder, "I will likely see you again in another time or life." He pats back and she is ready. Backpacks and cloak. Guns and holsters. He steps hidden as the undertaker is quick to follow her. She checked over her living needs. Began to hike the walk out this neighborhood. Plenty of regert lingering spirits but she wasn't bothering them. She watched them continue living as they are but they all are starved of human emotions to eat. Packs of feral turned shadows were a thing. Some turned into demon imps if they found to eat their own flesh or flesh of other damned. That was natural brutal ways. None of her family was among. She makes it around to a blockade that is policed by both living and afterlife. Demons, undertakers and humans. Humans that know and see, cursed. It was bound to happen with how back version of events fell. Humans will always to adapt for survival.

"Wow there." She slows approach with some raised weapons of different types. They lowered with the undertaker approaching around her as a sheild and that he waved at her to follow him. She complies at least with lowering to sheild her shape. She was allowed to cross and was left alone for as long as this undertaker stays at her side.

"Miss Marionette." Others that reconginized her with her mask. Step in careful approach.

"She had stated that she is tied closer among the living lands and thus she wouldn't be any part of the affair of what happened." So the disconnected motions of the god's and angels had set war among them. It explains why that humanity seems abandoned.

"The disconnect between me and you all is a much wider void then you have with gods. I have status of an outsider, thus I would never even be able to meddle in anything." She speaks softly and it was clear none here heard her. At least not that wasn't masked. The humans did, they faced her with confusion, "I have no way of teaching you all why those can't hear me. We must only ask those with better ties to better explain things. The laws I know are gone." They accept that.

"So are you a living or dead?" A human making closer approach then comfortable.

"I am both." She softly lets her living side look upon everyone here, "I am so young and left alone. I would assume my family were in the bunker... I know nothing of what and why. How would I know anything?" She bundles warmer as she felt cold, "Clearly I am sick too. Nothing seems well. But I will continue striding with whatever I am given. I will not complain." The human nods.

"The nearest nuclear power plant had leaked with extreme explosion. This with whatever is going on among those spirit folks. Areas are wipped out and sick. You may not see tomorrow but we are all the same. We all... walking dead." She softly nods in looking to the unison of many agreeing or turned away in shock, "You have some sort of history at least." Meaning that she used to being a damned.

"Sunlight burns us to ashes. We hide in shadows. We can't be heard by divine and maybe even pained by divine. We are just a bunch of clueless folks trying to get back or let go. Our soul is reflected in these masks we wear and we seen no filters. We can't reach out but only witness in silence." She looks them in the eye and takes their hand, "We only get by woth devouring the negative energies of others. We might as well be vampires for fear and depression. Those we ate are turned numb and can let these bad emotions go easier. So we benefit each other but it a terrible fate. To be the witness as now you carry that knowledge and you can only talk among our own." They take back their hands and she folds up with protecting her human side. Wipe away the drool and reflect in her own eyes what she stated.

"We are the damned." This guy steps back a little.

"But we aren't forgotten. We be husks of feral ones otherwise." She directed to the housing estate behind her, "So many forgotten their names. They forgotten themselves. Most have starved and attacked each other, adapting for survival." She faced that way, "But they are just like us, lost ones." She noticed the undertaker waving her, "I am nicknamed Marionette. We are not much different no matter what we do." She softly walked away, "Good luck to you all. I still hope another day comes. If it doesn't come for me, then I can still have my now."

"You're a strong little lady." The guy gives nod of respect.

"We are alive. Take not for granted." She softly flutters her left whispy shadow hand. It makes them smile and that they looked to the coming dawn light as the enemy. But everything she stated has brought a new way of understanding. Those monsters are just humans whom lost. That they burn in light like themselves. There was a way to keep peace. The demons noticing the change she brought, that so many humans gave her a sorrow edge of happiness too. That she caused hope in a dire situation. That work was on the way to chop trees to break light to shine as a barrier in the coming dawn.

"Miss Marionette I need your signature on this." She wasted no time ar burning this contract. Rubbed salt over the whole paper and the glare of watching it burning.

"By legality, she is a minor and can't sign anything without an adult guardians permission." The undertaker shields again as he steps between, "We should just be grateful that we have her. She is not someone to make sides or tell secrets. If she did have any secrets, I am sure that she knows how to keep them to herself."

"How old is this minor?" The demon looked at her confused. She hissed at them touching her and brought out claws in narrowing missing whomever patting her that way. Many backing away.

"Sorry... I was just looking for illegal fire arms and other things." Human. She puts them claws back now.

"Well of course I scavenged any weapons I could find. I wasn't going to let myself be ate by a bear." She had to stop her young self from going into a crying fit. Taking her attention solely to herself and wipe away tears. Lowering to Sheild as a small space. Checking diaper and pain tolerance. They certainly gave her plenty of space for whatever she doing. She shakes up a baby formula as she stood back up. Feeding and pacing about trying to calm down. Sniffles but nothing big tantrums cause.

"Are you literally raising yourself?" The undertaker coming to term of asking.

"Who else is here to feed, clean and watch me?" She snarls. They posed open surrender hands, "Sorry. I have been at knifes edge a while. I am not able to relax a single moment." She clearly back to pacing around. Burps the now finished eating. Softly tuck to the hammock and yet this pacing about isn't changed. She glares and snarls upon all sorts of people and beings.

"Baby without a guardian." The demon notes finally, "Found where?"

"In her family home as the last survivor. Who knows if there any that evacuated before the fall or if there was other family members in other places. Leave nameless since that would be true in this circumstance. We will not know her name." The demon nods at the undertakers demanded way of paperwork. Now they are let further to a tuck. Seated inside with other survivors whom came forward from around this area.

"You stay among these lot. I will come to find you again." The undertaker sounded definitely trying to make this a promise. She softly nods. She tucked to relaxing among safety. She drafted into sleep very quickly on her own, laid at the seat alone. The truck moved and stops a lot and was getting full. She was in some strangers warm arms at somepoint for sheer need of space.

They are some distance far from the area she was growing up in. She wakes staring up to this random woman holding her. Study of the lady breathing and sickly look. Little head turns looking at the truck full of desperate needs. Injuries were those who been attacked by the husk ones. The gloom condition, dark eyes and paranoid glancing. Some stink and others shiver or rock themselves. The back door throws open wide and commands of living breathing humans stir the crowd. The lady holding her puts her down on the seat behind. As names are being read out. The ones not called stay here and door closed. It's a short drive through but this time in stopping was that doctors in masks came in. Nurse or helpers taking those that need dragging. She formed up her shadow self to hold her again. The last to be checked.

"Follow this way." She follows directions even if it meant going into sunlight. They move her to a tent and now she was checked over by a human doctor.

"Sounds like this baby has some sort of lung infection. We will put her to a drip and from there we have to hope." Fast work with the needle in and the reflection of pain on both bodies. The needle area on her hand and the sun burn. The doctor realizes very quickly she is the baby. Shelters her two sides equally without questioning it. He had other patients to attend then to worry about her. This is a crisis and priorities have fast shifts. She isn't left alone, rather there is a whole nursery of children whom become orphans here. She been put into their care. Time flies by as hours follow into days. Bare minimum of rations to keep going. She was drifting in and out as the meds worked in fighting the lung infection. She cared little to learn things as it was more in care to recover.

"Sleeping is good thing but sleeping for two days straight isn't." The stethoscope on her is cold and got her wide awake, "You're a smart girl. So you can nod if you understand me." She softly does and puts up whatever this was all about, "Are you feeling pain?" She pats her tummy and this is listened to. He shook at there being no fault with her living side. She nods understanding, "Are you always tired?" She nods again, "You like to be moved or anything?" She makes mask side form and pick up herself as a whole. The doctor looks at the shadow of her, "Your mask side has a scratch along the tummy." She looks about it herself. Admiring any other places she might have wounds. The stethoscope pats about the shadow in perplexed matter. He shurgs and she mirror this shurg, "How about you go play for a bit? You don't need the drip anymore." She nods at this and goes to her own spot. She has her own toys and things that kept her amused. The nurse posed perplexed with the doctor.

"I know. She an abnormal one but it's reflection of how I find some other people. There I'd some of us that have adapted as half spirits in order to survive. She's unique to her age and depth of understanding. But she not unique of having two bodies that work together. Wounds inflected on one side will be on the other. Even if her reflection mask was the burn in sun, she will have resulted sun burn. Whatever spirit war has happened has now become our problem too." He looks upon all these children and hoe things changed. The depth of awareness and development has forever changed the understanding of mental health.

"How do we even bring them among society when we leave here?" The doctor shook not sure and makes other children checks. She plays alone for the most part but she willing to share out any toys she no longer wanted. Everyone was kept satisfied and quiet. Snacks passed about attempt to eat like everyone else. She has no teeth, so she breaks the food with her hands to eat it. She ate slow and marks the beginning of waning away from milk only diet. She will unconscious play with her gums as teeth are growing in. Getting herself more to use her human hands. She got them standing up but walking is still a wobbly affair. Watching the adults at work, she picks up thier habits and skills. She became quiet social in helping with collecting plates and cups. She was polite and hardly asked things. Things hardly improve by winters end, as spring and summer months are the cut out disconnection from living realm for demons and undertakers. There is no choose of return.

"Don't do anything stupid." Is what he stated on the day he left her here.

"Can't I have a nickname to call you by?" She made him shuffled slightly in looking back to her, "See you another chance, Ace." He tips that hat in respect. She doubt he will ever remember her really nor does he seem to in her previous times. He always had to use notepad to reflect if he should know her. So she accepts that he will forget her.

Spring wasn't welcomed as bugs and normal wildlife made rationing food worse in the camping area. That bear attack was more frequent from different bears. The river we were using has became a ground for alligators. But at the same time, there isn't any space in the fenced areas for them to go in. Nor was there any normal humans that was going to accept survivors like her. No one wants to trust the cursed ones. The only one that really allowed folks in was already over flooded of people more in need. She ended up stay around with the doctor who helped her and his family l. They dolidnt accept her as theirs but she go along. She stayed as semi-allies against those that didn't understand the survival needs beyond. She camps beside with her own tent. This ease doesn't last.

Eventually, it gets even hotter woth summer flames and that of coming storm warnings. There is no choose but to move into a uncleared buildings. This old large storm evacuation building was no longer as storm protection with the neglect of use. It was infested with masked spirits and feral ones especially. As it turns our feral masked ones that are monsters to most do not attack and mind not in sharing the sheltered spaces. It's when they are in open grounds that living and spirit have conflicts. Right before the storm really hit, it was all hands on deck to patchwork and tape where can. The building was only going to last for the hurricanes and wasn't the solution they needed for other issues like food and sanitary water. But it was at least a roof and teams of able adults went days seeking for better shelter places or food. Groups formed and most began to leave to fend for themselves then be left behind in this dire situation. She was left behind among the many that didn't make groups and or didn't fit in. The one who really stayed were often those guaranteed place back into the human section settlements. The doctor and his folks especially being that later lot. When the storm really hot peak, they were gone.

Just the lonely survivalist that didn't fit in, numbering about 240. Mix of both spirit and humans. The demi human as she been called by. This shelter didn't survive the storm season. The tornado that blasted through half the building and killed 2 third of people. She was among those injured and somehow managed to survive being injured. The main tornado wasn't going to pass back though here. But this wasn't a shelter as more a death trap. Everyone left just packed and began thier separate ways. She stays here savagery. She respected the dead in giving them a burial and was the only one doing this. She the only insane one who still used this death trap shelter as sleeping space. Even the feral abandoned hope as the last roof segment was not stable enough to keep them out of sunlight. She spent the whole winter here, picking among corpses. She understands death, dying and corpse better then anyone ever. She isn't eating them or anything in human. She simply lay them in a line, pick pocketed everyone of them and by her last day here - lit the flame that cremated them.

She was just now able to get her own baring of things, able to start walking without much issue. She began to trek her own short bursts, defending herself from anyone that seemed her harm. She didn't trust other humans or out wear hospitality from those that didn't understand her. She instead began to trace her own way of figuring our where her aunt lived or anyone that was her blood relative. She isn't going to be welcomed as a Seer. But in this situation, this wasn't going to matter. Days blended in and being attacked by more then bears these days.

Mutant demon folks, those who ate demon flesh and began to not survive the convention into one. Animals too. Wherever there been corpses of existence came follow with these hybrids. She became accustomed to the harsh existence this apocalyptic realm tainted being. She felt more at home traveling and gratification in hunting creatures. She particularly longed exploration and documenting her encounters. But she didn't really have a scientific method. She wrote basic details but not bother really in breaking out measuring. She noted what she harvests from these things and the trade encounters that want these items from her. Leading through at the day undertakers began returning to thier human protective duties, she spied the distance but turned away staying where she will be bullied. She was happier in her hunting, exploration and living by her own means. That mission to find her blood relatives was sort of just unnecessary.