( Fortunate, then, that the person who approaches her is not an adult. It's another girl roughly the same age, if maybe a few months younger. Freshly turned twelve herself, dressed in the local garb, but with a careful and calculated distance in her expression that the locals definitely do not share.
It's rare for there to be a girl of her own age here. She's seen a few teenage boys, all slightly older. One other girl, also slightly older. Eleven is the closest in range and gender of anyone she's seen them pull in so far, and that alone would be enough to grasp Laura's curiosity.
But what initially attracted her is actually the smell of blood. She follows it; spots it on the girl's lip. Watches her stuff a fistful of food into her mouth the same way Laura had on her first day here, and she feels an immediate kinship in that combination of blood and disregard for manners or propriety in the face of a starved hunger.
She edges closer, around the table, into Eleven's sight line.
Doesn't say anything yet, but she moved into visual range on purpose. She wants to be seen, and she wants to make eye contact, to study the girl more clearly from a closer range โ without startling her, or making her worry that Laura intends to steal her food.
๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ
It's rare for there to be a girl of her own age here. She's seen a few teenage boys, all slightly older. One other girl, also slightly older. Eleven is the closest in range and gender of anyone she's seen them pull in so far, and that alone would be enough to grasp Laura's curiosity.
But what initially attracted her is actually the smell of blood. She follows it; spots it on the girl's lip. Watches her stuff a fistful of food into her mouth the same way Laura had on her first day here, and she feels an immediate kinship in that combination of blood and disregard for manners or propriety in the face of a starved hunger.
She edges closer, around the table, into Eleven's sight line.
Doesn't say anything yet, but she moved into visual range on purpose. She wants to be seen, and she wants to make eye contact, to study the girl more clearly from a closer range โ without startling her, or making her worry that Laura intends to steal her food.
Wary curiosity. Interest.
Hola. )