Bonds And Friendships

The night was peaceful as the girls slept, cuddled up in each other's arms. As the night elongated, Dabria rolled to the side.

Dabria's lashes fluttered open and as her surroundings became clear to her, she noticed the empty side of the bed where Malia was supposed to have been sleeping beside her.

Cleaning her eyes, her gaze scoured the small room in search of Malia, and within a quick glance, her eyes fell on Malia's back as she stood facing the window.

In curiosity, Dabria scrambled off the bed, the wooden floor was cold beneath her small feet as she walked towards Malia who stood unmoving.

"Malia?" Dabria called out with a small voice as she poked Malia.

Malia suddenly veered around with a smile on her face, despite the dim room which was lit by only a single candle, Malia's forest-green eyes still glimmered brightly.

"Why are you awake?" Dabria asked.

"I can't sleep." Malia answered.

"Why can't you sleep?" Dabria asked again, her curious violet eyes boring through her green ones.

"I can't sleep every night even when I try to. I just stay awake till morning. Father said it's because I'm special and I can do things no one else can." Malia exclaimed in a cheery voice, her eyes gleaming with enthusiasm.

"Really? What makes you special?" Dabria asked with eyes widened in eagerness to know.

"Father said I'm special because I'm different and that's why stepmother and stepsister don't like me." Malia said, a tinge of sadness flickered in her eyes, but in the next second, it faded.

"They don't like me either." Dabria mumbled as she lowered her face, her big magenta eyes reflecting the sadness within them.

Malia squeezed Dabria's hands delicately in hers as she said to her "That's because you are also special. Father said a lot of people are afraid of different people, maybe that is why they don't like us."

Dabria smiled at her. Although she felt like an alien that had been thrown into an unfamiliar world, Malia was the only one she could feel at home with. She exuded a sense of comfort and trust, it made Dabria draw closer to the girl.

It felt as though they had known each other since forever. It was easy and comfortable being with Malia as she seemed to understand her and the fact that they shared a mutual feeling of alienation in a world that was perceptibly foreign to them, it strengthened their newfound bond of friendship.

Although Dabria had lost her mother, she now had a new friend and companion with whom she felt a sense of home with. It gave her a sense of relief and consolation that she was not plunged into a strange world all alone and terrified. She now had a friend by her side.

"Let's go outside and play," Malia whispered with a mischievous smile curving her lips up.

"But mother said never to go outside at night, it's dangerous." Little Dabria warned, but there was not the slightest whiff of fear emanating from Malia.

"I'm not afraid of the wild animals, they're all afraid of me." Malia whispered with a naughty glint in her dark green eyes.

Dabria fluttered her lashes in confusion and disbelief "That's not possible, why would the wild animals be afraid of you? You are little." She pointed out and Malia giggled.

"Simple, it's because I'm different." Malia shrugged confidently.

"Let's stay here and play instead." Dabria pleaded.

"It will be too loud and then we'll wake Father up and get into trouble." Malia suggested as she shook her head.

Dabria's eyebrows twisted "You'll get hurt if you go out into the wild, It's not safe."

"It's fine, there's nothing for you to be afraid of, It's not my first time going out, now are you coming or not?" Malia remarked in a sharp, confident tone, leaving Dabria perplexed for a moment.

While having an inner battle on whether to agree or not, Malia's voice suddenly cut through the air "I'm your best friend, trust me. We'll be safe, I promise." She said with a comforting smile as she extended her hand to her.

Dabria's large eyes narrowed between her face and her hand, her eyes reflecting fear and uncertainty for a second but when she looked at Malia's assured face, she suddenly gained confidence. Taking in a deep breath, she took her hand with a trusting smile.

"Now, be very quiet or we are sure to get caught by Father or worse, step mother." Malia warned with a grave look and Dabria nodded.

Holding on tightly to each other's hand, they quietly tiptoed out of the room. Their big eyes scoured the small cottage in alert with every quiet step they took and finally, they sneaked out of the cottage.

The two girls, with mischievous grins and deviant glints in their eyes, ran into the forest with bullet speed as their giggles filled the air with their delightful sounds.

The forest was situated at the back of their cottage, so they easily arrived there without onlookers catching a glimpse of their shadows.

Hands clasped together, the girls both drifted into the forest, the midnight air whipping past them as they ran. Their hair with contrasting shades billowed behind them in an ethereal manner as they whisked into the forest which was dimly lit by the moon.

Their laughter echoed through the forest, cutting through the air like an addictive melody as they played tirelessly in the forest. They played the game of hide and seek, but they were both smart enough to never wander too far away to avoid getting lost in the forest.

The seconds turned into hours as the two girls played, but with every second that ticked, their bond of friendship grew stronger into something inexplicable, the pillars of their friendship, unbreakable.

The two girls grew closer with every passing moment, their friendship turned into a sisterhood, a bond to be reckoned with the older they grew, built on a trust that couldn't be betrayed, on a love that couldn't be defined by words.