Fragment 1 : Maddy
One time, Maddy had isolated herself by the edge of a river, a place she often visited with her friends to relax. It was a peaceful spot, where the water gently lapped against the stones, creating a pleasant sound to the ear. That day, something seemed to have pushed her to stay there alone.
It was Stacy who found her first. As soon as she spotted her, she quickly texted Emilie, who was searching at the other end of the city, to tell her there was no need to look further and to share her location. Then, Stacy approached Maddy, a little hesitant, and gently tapped her shoulder.
— What are you doing here ? We were worried about you. You didn't answer the phone.
— I just wanted to know what it felt like to be alone… just for a day. Sorry. If I had told you, you would have definitely come to check on me.
Stacy sat down beside her, and the two of them silently watched the river. Ducks were swimming peacefully. One of them seemed to be looking for its chicks. They quickly spotted them, but one had lagged behind. It had taken a little longer to catch up and had been alone for five minutes. Stacy watched it closely, worried. Eventually, the mother turned back, and the duckling rejoined its family.
Stacy let out a quiet sigh of relief before turning her gaze toward Maddy. She waved her hand in front of her face to get her attention.
— Being alone is sad and scary.
— Yeah... That's exactly how I feel. I don't want to know what that feels like.
— Then why did you come here ?
— My parents got divorced today. They'd been fighting for a while, but now it's official. The saddest part is that neither of them wants custody of me. (She picked up a stone and threw it as far as possible into the river). They want to live their own lives, be free, apparently… So, they decided to leave me with my grandmother, and as if that wasn't enough, they both went abroad. My mom says she'll be back soon, but I don't believe her.
— I'm so sorry… Your parents are assholes, they don't deserve you ! But you won't be alone. I'll always be here for you.
— Haha, you're right. They can go fuck themselves !
Stacy looked at her for a moment, then moved closer and hugged her.
— What's going on all of a sudden ?
She gently stroked her back while holding her tightly, as if fearing that she might fly away at any moment, trying to comfort her. Maddy, who had held it together until then, suddenly felt tears roll down her face. Everything came out at once, as if someone had just removed the cap holding back the water accumulated in a faucet. It was impossible to stop. Everything had to come out.
Stacy was crying too. She could feel Maddy's pain through the heartbreaking sound of her sobs.
After a long moment of reflection, Stacy clapped her hands together, having made up her mind.
— Come live with me, for as long as you need. My mom won't say anything.
— I can't just crash at your place like that !
— You're like a sister to me. You don't need permission for anything. You'll always have a place at my house. Anytime, anywhere.
A beautiful smile lit up Maddy's face.
— Thank you.
— Come on, let's hurry up, Emilie's waiting for us !
Stacy grabbed Maddy's hand and pulled her along. The two of them ran through the streets at full speed, not because they were in a rush, but simply because it was more fun.
In the end, the duckling had indeed rejoined its family.
Fragment 2 : Emilie
One time, on her way home, Emilie found herself surrounded by a group of young adults.
— Hey there ! Are you new around here ?
— No, I'm just visiting my friend, excuse me.
She tried to push her way through, but one of them stopped her.
— Why are you in such a hurry ? We just want to get to know you. We can give you a ride, if you want.
— No thanks, I know the way.
— Hey, why are you ignoring us like that, huh ? With the way you're dressed, don't complain when you get noticed, right guys ?
They all laughed loudly while eyeing her up and down. Their gaze lingered on various parts of her body, from her chest to her hips, her butt, and her face.
— The way I'm dressed ? I'm literally in sweatpants, are you kidding me ?
— Wow, she's got some fire, I like her even more.
Though she tried to act tough, her heart was pounding so hard she felt like it might burst from her chest. Without wasting another second, she turned on her heels and ran as fast as she could, but she was quickly caught by three of them at once.
— Maddy !! Maddy !! Madd… hmm, hmm !!
She had tears in her eyes, one of the boys had shoved a handkerchief in her mouth, and one of them was already preparing to remove his belt.
Maddy and Stacy had also gone out, eager to properly welcome Emilie, but she still hadn't shown up. That's when a scream of terror echoed down the street. It was Emilie, desperately calling Maddy's name. Without hesitation, the two of them rushed toward the source of her voice and were stunned to see her being dragged into an alley in broad daylight.
That was all it took for Maddy to pull a Swiss army knife from her pocket without hesitation. It was a compact multi-tool, with several components like a blade, a screwdriver, a bottle opener, and scissors. It had been useful to her many times, but she never imagined having to use it this way. Unlike all the other times, she unsheathed the blade for this occasion.
She ran as fast as she could into the alley where she had seen her friend. There, face-to-face with the four attackers, she stabbed them, each in the leg, stomach, arm, and shoulder in a blink of an eye. Just one limb per person. They, caught off guard, still hadn't figured out what was happening. Without giving them any respite, she shoved the knife into the eye of the one still holding Emilie and kicked the one blocking their path in the crotch.
She grabbed Emilie's hand tightly, pulling her behind her as they ran down the street. But Emilie's legs, no longer obeying her, suddenly gave out without warning. The two girls were left immobilized in the middle of the street, completely panicked. The four boys, furious, were already returning, ready to fight. In one final effort, they both shouted :
— Stacy, help !!
At that moment, all the residents of the houses opened their doors in surprise. Stacy had been busy ringing all the doorbells, trying to gather any help she could. An elderly man came out of his house, ready to give those pedophiles a good beating. But three of them had already fled. The wife of this brave man approached the girls, ensuring they would be safely escorted home.
— You're brave girls, none of this should've happened. Oh, come here.
She hugged them both tightly and left.
— Are you okay, Emilie ? They didn't hurt you, I hope ! Maddy asked frantically.
Emilie jumped into her arms, tears in her eyes.
— Thank you, thank you so much. No, they didn't hurt me. You arrived just in time. Thank you.
Maddy gently stroked her hair.
— It's okay, it's over now.
She turned to Stacy.
— Thank you. You saved both of us earlier. I rushed in without thinking. I'm so glad we can always count on you.
— It's nothing, really. You did the hard part. You're very strong and brave. I envy you.
— From now on, we'll stick together as much as possible, okay ? Maddy declared.
They both nodded.