Blissful Dream, 1st Draft

Finally, this short story is finished. I finished it a lot earlier than I expected, which is good. I will probably start working on fixing my old website sometime to include these stories, and additional background information/lore. Not really sure how long that'll take though.

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“Rinny! Mommy is teaching me how to cook stew, look!”

Nina gave Karin a big smile. Karin was always jealous of that smile. It was the kind of smile you wish everyone could have; a smile without a hint of sadness. It was because of that very reason that it made Karin angry that Nina could smile like that.

Nina stirred the empty pot with a long wooden stick. Karin forced a cheerful facade. “It looks yummy.”

She set her pouch on the floor and pulled out half a small loaf of bread to show Nina. “I brought something that’ll go good with the stew.”

Karin stared at the piece of bread. It was hardly larger than her bony hand, and despite being dirt-stained, she couldn’t help but salivate every time she looked at it. It was always a struggle to keep herself from eating whatever food she managed to acquire, but every time she saw her sister the urges would fade into a dull ache.

Nina’s stuffed bear sat atop a worn stool, watching her as she continued stirring her stew. The left shoulder of her tattered dress, now too big for her haggard eight year-old body, dangled loosely half way to her elbow. She continued her humming, paying no mind to the bread in Karin’s hand.

Karin frowned and stood beside her sister. Despite being five years older, she stood only a few inches taller. She gazed into the pot. “It looks like the stew is done. You don’t want to overcook it, you know.”

“Oh, you’re right!”

Nina rushed to the shelf and grabbed three bowls and spoons. She scooped her stew into the bowls and placed them on the floor where the table used to be before last winter. Karin watched Nina’s arm tremble as she lowered herself in front of her bowl, then sat down facing her. Nina mumbled to the bear settled beside her, sipping empty spoonfuls of her stew.

Karin tore off a small piece of the bread and offered the rest to her sister. “Here, Nina. Try this with the stew, it’ll taste good.”

Nina continued her inaudible conversation with her bear.

“We always eat bread with Mommy’s stew.”

Nina’s face lit up. “Oh, right, the bread!”

Karin’s heart tore as she watched Nina rip the piece of bread in half with great difficulty. She knew Nina would do it, but every time it pained her to watch it. Half of it would hardly be eaten, and the other half left untouched. Her once healthy little sister, trapped in a blissful dream, had slowly withered into an emaciated girl over the past three years. Karin managed to keep Nina fed for the first six months, despite protests, but her own hunger left her too weak to continue trying.

“Here’s some bread, Mommy.”

Nina placed the bread in Mommy’s hands and resumed mumbling. Karin stared at the bread, which had fallen from the bear’s arms. She enviously watched Nina smile and ramble about random nothings to the stuffed animal beside her. Nina sipped from her wooden spoon as Karin looked down at her empty bowl, struggling to remember the days when the bowl would be full every night.

Every night was the same thing. No longer was there any hot stew that warmed her through the cold winter nights. No longer was there any juicy meat that filled her taste buds every time she sank your teeth into it. No longer was there any pie or cake for dessert that she looked forward to every dinner. Every night dwindled to nothing more than stale bread remains, left over scraps donated by sympathetic townsfolk, or whatever near-spoiled food she scavenged from waste piles. Every night she would live off anything, and everything, she could manage to find for her and her sister. Every night she would try to do what she could to live on, to live for the days that their savior was able to bless them with food and a visit.

Karin took an exhaustive bite of stale bread, staring at the front door. She didn’t expect a visit that night, but she always found herself staring hopefully. It’s been eleven days since the last visit. Rarely has it been so long between visits, but Karin already knew that this time it would be longer than usual. She wanted nothing more than to have another visit, to have a brief moment of relief from starvation, to have a day of sleep without the fear of never waking up again. Her body trembled as she ate the last piece of her bread, her body too weak to break into tears. Karin shivered as the late night’s chill quietly howled through the broken window and weaved through her ragged dress. She curled up in the pile of rags in the corner closest to the embers that remained under the cooking pot, drifting off to the sound of Nina’s cheery song.



The creek of the front door woke Karin from her extensive sleep. Unable to comprehend the voices that came from the den in her stupor, she winced at the setting sun that glared against her eyes.

“Nina? Who’s here?” she croaked weakly.

Karin rolled away from the light and slowly opened her eyes in a daze. Her body ached from the lumps of rags she slept on, her stomach empty as usual. Every day she found herself waking up later and later, as her body attempted to preserve every bit of energy it could.

The talking in the den had stopped. A shiver ran down her spine. Wrapping her body with one of the torn rags she slept on, she glanced around the kitchen for Nina. She was nowhere in sight.

“Nina?”

Dead silence filled the air. Karin furrowed her brow in worry. “Nina?”

She climbed to her feet and walked into the den. Nina’s small blocks of wood, which she used as toys, were scattered on the floor. The stool from the kitchen rested near the broken fireplace, with her blanket thrown on top. The afternoon sun poured into the room from the open front door.

Karin stared at the door, her body trembling with anxiety. “Nina?!”

She ran outside and called out to her left. “Nina!”

A familiar, gentle and loving hand touched Karin’s shoulder, filling her with warmth and comfort. At first she was in disbelief, unsure if was just a dream, but she didn’t care. She turned around slowly, afraid that if she turned too fast she would indeed find that she were dreaming. Karin’s gaze met the large yellow eyes she yearned to see every day, the smile that always managed to wash away her worries and told her, “Everything will be all right.”

“Sorry I was gone for so long, Karin.”

“Kismet!”

Karin embraced her savior, sobbing hysterically with happiness. Nina stood beside them, talking with her bear, as Kismet returned Karin’s embrace with a loving smile and soothingly stroked her hair.

“You’re back! You’re finally back!” Karin choked between sobs.

“I’m back, Karin. I’m back. Everything’s going to be fine now.”

Kismet kneeled down to match Karin’s height. She wiped away the child’s tears with her hands. “I have some great news for the two of you. But before that, let’s eat!”

Kismet slung the sack of food over her shoulder with one hand, and took Karin’s hand in the other. Nina followed the two back into the house, still conversing with her bear. When Kismet set the food in the center of the den, Karin dove in and began eating with newfound energy. Kismet smiled sadly at Karin, then noticed Nina sitting besides her, singing and playing with her stuffed animal.

Kismet offered Nina a roasted chicken leg. “Here, Nina. You should try some, it’s delicious.”

“Oh, look mommy. The kitty cat brought us some food!” Nina took the meat from Kismet’s hand. “Is it yummy, mommy?”

Nina alternated between smearing the chicken leg over the bear’s mouth, discoloring the worn cotton, and taking a bite herself. Kismet gave a little frown and turned back to Karin.

“It looks like your sister is getting worse.”

Karin nodded sadly, her mouth full of food. “She barely eats anything now, even if I give her almost all the food. She won't even listen to me unless it's about mom.”

“I was hoping she’d get better over these years.” Kismet gave Nina a worried look. “Well, hopefully having parents and three meals a day will help her recover.”

Kismet grinned at Karin. Karin stopped eating and looked at Kismet, unable to believe what she had just heard. “Wait…you mean…”

Kismet nodded. “I’ve talked with this couple I’ve known for a few years about the two of you. They live in Lesai, and said they would be more than happy to make you and Nina a part of their family.”

Karin’s face lit up. She grabbed her sister in excitement. “Nina! Did you hear that? Kismet found us a new home! We can finally have food to eat, and a mom and dad!”

Nina squirmed out of Karin’s grasp with a defiant look on her face. Karin glared at her sister in frustration and confusion. “What’s wrong? We can finally go back to living normal lives again.”

“I’m staying here with Mommy.”

“What are you talking about? We’ll keep starving to death if we stay here.”

Nina hugged her bear tightly. “Mommy doesn’t want to leave home, so I’m staying!”

Karin’s eyes welled up with tears, trembling. “Nina, mom is gone.”

“No she’s not!”

“She’s dead, Nina! Dead!” Karin ripped the bear from Nina’s arms. “Mom is dead! This is just a stupid stuffed animal.”

Kismet painfully watched Nina reach out for her beloved stuffed animal. Karin began tearing the stuffing out of the bear. “See, it’s just a stupid toy!”

Nina began crying hysterically, trying to save her bear from disembowelment. “Stop it! You’re killing Mommy!”

Karin continued pulling out the stuffing from the bear, overpowering Nina’s feeble attempts to stop her. Nina grabbed a knife from next to the food and stabbed it into Karin’s arm. Karin released her hold on the bear as Kismet sprung between them and pushed Nina away.

Kismet held onto Karin, examining her arm. “Karin, don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

Karin stared at the blood seeping from her impaled arm in shock. She couldn’t feel the pain from wound, but she felt as if she had been stabbed in the heart. Horrified with what she had done, she watched her sister wailing hysterically, cradling the ravaged stuffed animal. The sounds of her sister’s laments, and Kismet calling out her name, echoed as she lost consciousness.



Karin woke up to the rhythmic sound of a horse’s walk. Nestled warmly between Kismet’s arms, she hardly noticed the frigid breeze of the night. The clomping of the horse’s hooves on the dirt road, the crickets chirping in the night, and Kismet’s warm embrace, eased Karin’s soul.

“Oh, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

Karin looked at the bloodstained bandage wrapped around her arm. “I’m okay. It only hurts a little…where’s Nina?”

“Still at your mother’s home. I couldn’t calm her down; it would’ve been dangerous to keep you there.”

“Oh…I never should'a done that. She just made me so mad—”

Kismet shook her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It was something that should’ve been done a long time ago.”

“I guess so…” Karin frowned. “Where we going?”

Kismet pointed to the entrance of a village under the dawning sky. “See that village just ahead? That’s Lesai, your new home.”

Kismet stopped at a small farmhouse toward the rear of the village. A warm glow lit the front window. She carefully descended from the horse, gently setting Karin down. A woman peeked through the curtains and waved at them enthusiastically before disappearing. Kismet knelt down in front of Karin and rubbed some of the dirt off of her face. “Are you ready to meet your new parents?”

Karin nodded shyly. Kismet stroked her hair once more before leading her to the front door. A man and woman greeted them warmly as they approached. The young woman gestured them inside. “Come in, it’s cold out!”

Stepping into the newly built home, the warmth from the fireplace enveloped Karin, a feeling she had long forgotten over the past three years. The nostalgia of furniture and decors overwhelmed her emotions. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she began sobbing.

The young woman rested her head on her husband’s shoulders, hand in hand, smiling at the joy they’ve brought the misfortunate child before them. The woman knelt down in front of Karin and embraced her. “Don’t worry, Karin. Everything will be fine now.”

She stroked Karin’s hair, calming her down to gentle sobs. The man knelt down beside his wife. “Welcome to your new home, Karin. My name is Ced, and this is my wife Allie. We promise we’ll take good care of you.”

Calming down, Karin rubbed her eyes. Allie wiped away the tears that trailed down Karin’s face. “After we get you something to eat, let’s wash you up and get you into a new dress.”

Allie led Karin into the kitchen by the hand. Ced stepped closer to Kismet. “That poor little girl...”

“It’s my fault. I should’ve done more for them.”

Ced shook his head. “Don’t blame yourself. It’s not your fault that your work requires you to leave the city so often. Besides, if it weren’t for you, they probably wouldn’t even be here today.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“Speaking of which, where is her sister? Nina, was it?”

Kismet frowned. “Before I brought Karin here, something happened. I had to leave her behind while I brought Karin. I was going to go back to check on her after I made sure Karin was fine here.”

Ced noticed Kismet’s grim expression. “That bad, huh?”

Kismet nodded.

Ced leaned his back against the wall. “What should we tell Karin?”

Kismet shook her head. “I’ll come back after checking on Nina. It’s my responsibility to tell her.”

Ced sighed heavily. “I see… Well, surely you’ll stay for breakfast before heading back.”

Kismet gave him a small smile. “Thanks, but I really should hurry back. Mind if I borrow Allie’s sewing kit? I’ll return it when I come back.”

Ced looked at her, puzzled. “Her sewing kit? Sure, I guess. What do you need it for?”

“Bye! I’ll be back later tonight! Enjoy your new home, Karin!” Kismet grabbed the small sewing kit from a drawer in the den and walked out the front door. Ced sighed with a frown as Kismet mounted her horse and trotted off back to Rokan.



Kismet knocked on the door. All that answered was the sound of Nina’s faint sobs. Kismet slowly entered the house, spotting Nina against the wall, holding her torn bear. Nina looked at her with desperate, swollen eyes. The sight of the child’s exhaustion was heart wrenching, her face more drained and pale than usual.

“Nina—”

“Kismet, Mommy is really hurt. Please save her!”

Kismet placed a gentle hand on Nina’s shoulder. “Nina. Mommy is dead—”

“No! No she’s not! She’s just really hurt.” Nina held out the bear. She had put all of the torn stuffing back into the gaping hole in the toy’s torso. “Please, Kismet! Please help her!”

Kismet closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “I’ll do the best I can.”

Nina’s arms strained against its physical limits, passing her beloved companion to Kismet. Kismet stared into its beady black eyes as it lay in her lap. It stared back at her, oblivious of the grievous injures it had suffered. Those eyes…they hardly resembled the eyes of their over-protective mother; the mother that worried over their health every time they coughed or sneezed, the mother that always glared at Kismet with a deep hatred, the mother whose eyes then pleaded Kismet, in her last moments of desperation, to save her two children.

Kismet opened the sewing kit and threaded the needle with a sturdy black thread. Her hands trembled as she sealed the bear’s wound. Nina watched earnestly, her eyes only half-open as they struggled against fatigue. Kismet tied the stitch closed and severed the thread.

Reluctantly, she gave Nina back her beloved doll. Nina embraced it weakly. “Mommy, you’re all better now. I was so scared.”

Nina began singing her favorite cheery song that she always sang, returning to her blissful dream. Her voice trailed off. Her breathing gradually slowed to a stop, and she became deathly still. Her small innocent smile tore at Kismet’s heart. Kismet draped her cloak over Nina and closed the child’s eyes. “Sweet dreams, Nina. May you rest in peace.”