"W-well, I... I guess, but... " They eased down out and sighed. "I just want to help her. She's my little sister."
They looked up and down the beach, walked a little ways off, and picked up another shell. "I guess, for now, I'll just collect seashells for her. Maybe she'll want to come here and see the ocean for herself, collect her own shells. And maybe I can convince her to..."
They paused and, instead of finishing that sentence, swapped to a completely different one. "I don't think she thought that Abandoned were... I mean, I don't know, but..." They weren't doing so hot on finishing these sentences either. "I think she just knows that other people think badly... and, I mean... it is pretty horrible that we call them - you, any of you - 'Abandoned'."
Which lit a whole different idea in their head. "What do you think we should call Abandoned instead of 'Abandoned'?" Is it better than 'Disappeared'? I need to remember not to call Miss Valair that, either.
They looked up and down the beach, walked a little ways off, and picked up another shell. "I guess, for now, I'll just collect seashells for her. Maybe she'll want to come here and see the ocean for herself, collect her own shells. And maybe I can convince her to..."
They paused and, instead of finishing that sentence, swapped to a completely different one. "I don't think she thought that Abandoned were... I mean, I don't know, but..." They weren't doing so hot on finishing these sentences either. "I think she just knows that other people think badly... and, I mean... it is pretty horrible that we call them - you, any of you - 'Abandoned'."
Which lit a whole different idea in their head. "What do you think we should call Abandoned instead of 'Abandoned'?" Is it better than 'Disappeared'? I need to remember not to call Miss Valair that, either.
