I was three.

  Ma told my sister and me to play in the park in front of our house. My sister was five years older, tall-legged and impatient, and she dragged me along like a reluctant shadow.

  While we were walking, she glanced back at me with a sneer.

  "Why do I have to babysit a brat?" she complained loudly. "Can't Mom just hire someone? It's not like we're poor."

  Her eyes flicked to me. I was struggling to keep up, my short, stubby legs pumping as hard as they could.

  "Tsk."

  She turned away and picked up her pace.

  I tried to run faster.

  "Huff… huff…"

  My feet tangled. I didn't even realize I was falling until the ground rushed up and kissed me hard. My knee scraped against something sharp.

  It hurt.

  Warmth slid down my skin.

  I stared.

  Bright red.

  It was the first time I had ever seen so much blood. My body froze, as if someone had pressed pause on me. I tried to push myself up, but my arms gave out and I fell backward instead.

  The tears came before I could stop them.

  Sitting on the ground, I cried, loud and ugly, hoping my sister would hear me and come back. But she didn't. I cried harder. Louder.

  People in the park began to gather. Shadows crept closer. That made it worse. I hated strangers. I curled in on myself, lowered my head, and squeezed my eyes shut.

  If I don't see them, everything will be alright.

  "Ma…" I whispered, even though I knew she wasn't coming.

  Fwoosh.

  A gust of wind swept past me, carrying something sweet. Floral. Soft. Even through tears and snot, my tiny nose caught it. I lifted my head. Someone was standing in front of me.

  Is it Ma?

  My heart fluttered, ticklish and hopeful. My mouth curled into a smile without me meaning it to. I scrambled forward and threw myself at her legs, clinging tightly.

  "Ma!" I cried, sniffling, snot dripping shamelessly to the ground.

  There was no response.

  Hmm? Is Ma angry?

  My lips puckered and I peeked upward. The sun blocked her face, turning her into a glowing silhouette.

  A woman with round animal ears. Not Ma.

  My smile dropped. I held my breath, whole body stunned. My legs subconsciously took a step back, then another, before I lost my balance and plopped onto the ground again.

  Thud.

  The shock numbed the pain in my butt for a moment.

  That's not Ma.

  My chest felt wrong. Not scared. Just... wrong. She wasn't Ma. And that thought broke something. I stared blankly at the ground. Frozen. Unable to process anything, like a broken doll.

  The woman bent down. I could feel her gaze on me. Silence stretched. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. In that moment, all I want was to run away but my legs refused to move. I couldn't even twitch. She leaned closer and I squeezed my eyes shut.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Ma! Help!

  Something pressed against the side of my knee. Cold. Then numb. Gentle touches followed, light and careful. My body trembled with each brush. I didn't know what she was doing, but my instincts whispered that she wasn't dangerous. That she was kind.

  When the touches stopped, I felt her move away. I opened my eyes. She was turning to leave.

  "Ah—!"

  My body moved on its own. I lunged forward and grabbed the hem of her dress, clutching it with all my strength. She turned back. I immediately let go.

  Ah! I made her mad.

  I pulled my hands to my chest, clenched tight. My head dipped. My shoulders hunched. Even the wind scared me now. She studied me quietly, then tilted her head. Slowly, she extended her hand. I blinked a few times.

  Hmm?

  I raised my head and saw her hand was wrapped in leather. Is that a glove?

  I tilted my head, leaned closer, examined the glove, then poked it once. Twice. Three times. She waited patiently. Only after I was satisfied did I curl my fingers around her pinky. Pretty.

  I lifted my leg and took a step forward. Pain zinged through my knee. I frowned and squeezed her finger slightly. She paused immediately. Her eyes followed my gaze as I looked down, expecting blood. But there was none.

  Blood...gone?

  My brow knitted more. I heard whispers from above. I glanced up and heard some sound but couldn't make up the words. I couldn't see her lips moving either because she was wearing a cute, blank-faced raccoon mask. Nevertheless, I could hear a few broken, strange words. "... potion... The Doctor..."

  I scratched my head. "What is she talking about?"

  Her mask bobbed slightly. My toes curled in. Mask. Cute.

  She bent down again and, with swift, gentle arms, lifted me into the air.

  "Wah!"

  I gasped as the world shifted.

  "I'm up!"

  I flailed my arms happily, eyes sparkling at this brand-new angle of the world.

  "Wah! Wah!"

  Those were the only words I could say at the moment. The excitement got me clogged inside that my vocabulary was restricted to one word. A butterfly fluttered past and I reached for it eagerly, but it escaped my grasp.

  "Boo..."

  A chuckle brushed my ear.

  "Hmm?"

  Am I too heavy?

  I rubbed my round belly. These is baby fat.

  I turned to look at her but I couldn't see her face behind the mask, so I pouted, then hugged her neck instead and giggled. My body relaxed naturally against hers.

  So fun.

  A soft fragrance filled my nose, like petals drifting in spring. Gentle. Clean. Comforting. I squeezed my eyes and a bright smile formed on my face. The moment felt like endless but it still wasn't enough.

  She stopped near a bench and set me down. With graceful movements, she tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear, lowered herself, and sat with calm elegance, back straight, legs crossed lightly.

  Like a queen.

  While my eyes were fixated on her, she reached into nowhere and produced an ice cream. She held it in my line of vision. Chill air brushed my face. It took me a second to realize what it was. That alone was amazing, considering I usually devoured food instantly.

  An ice cream?

  Three scoops sat atop a cone. White. Green. Purple. The cone itself was black.

  I had never seen colors like this together before.

  I took a quick sniff. No smell. Vanilla? Green tea? Yam? My eyes slid to the black cone. ...Charcoal...?

  I accepted it and bowed clumsily. She nodded, and I started licking. The first bite prickled my tongue—like tiny sparks, cold and sharp. I froze for a second. Then blinked.

  No taste. Weird ice cream.

  I lightly bit my tongue. No pain. Tongue gone? Strange. Fun? Fun!

  I kept going, bite by bite, the tingling spreading a little more each time. Still, no pain, only a funny prickling. Maybe my tongue was just frozen from the cold.

  Either way, I finished it all and let out a proud little burp. I patted my stomach, legs swinging wildly. My smile stretched from ear to ear, though the prickling never fully went away. Then she stood and lifted me again. She walked in the direction of my house. I rested my head on her shoulder, thoughts drifting lazily. Ma always tell me not to trust a stranger. But before you make friends… weren't they all strangers first?

  I pondered deeply. Frowning again. Does that mean Ma doesn't want me to have friends?

  I let those thoughts drift in and out of my mind. By the time I realized it, we were already at my doorstep. I didn't even question how she knew where I lived.

  She set me down gently. My eyes never left her mask. She looked up at my house, then back at me. "You may go home now, child." Her voice was calm and clear, like wind through bells, echoing softly inside my head.

  My face heated up. I looked down, fingers twisting together. My body swayed left and right.

  "Child?"

  I snapped my head up. She reached behind her head and untied the string of her mask. As it slid down, sunlight flooded my eyes. I could only see her silhouette. I swayed left and right to see her face clearly, but failed. She placed the mask into my hands. I stared at the mask, tracing its smooth surface.

  "Why—"

  I looked up and she was gone.

  I turned left and right, down the road and then toward the park, but I couldn't find her. I rubbed my eyes in confusion. Was it all a dream?

  The wind blew again. The string on the mask tickled my leg. I lifted the mask. Right. This is real.

  I hugged it tightly to my chest and looked up at the sky. I'll give it back to you one day.

  With the mask held firmly to my chest, I went inside. After that night, my memories of her faded, disappearing as suddenly as she had arrived.

  But some things stayed.

  My love for beautiful things.

  Raccoons.

  And that mysterious, blank-faced racoon mask.