look at me. I looked at Priya for answers instead, since she seemed to be the only one interested in talking to me.
" Maddy is sad-sads, because of the fire," Priya explained in a dramatic stage whisper. "I think she be okay, but is sads now and does not want to talk."
" Ah. A bit of shock, then." I nodded thoughtfully, and looked back at the little girl. "Maddy, I wanted to thank you for telling us about your dreams. I don't know how you did it, but you may have saved everyone's lives. You're a good girl, and you've done well."
A flicker of something that I couldn't identify passed through her eyes. She nodded and gave me a faint smile. "Thank you for believing me, Miss Sandy."
" I always believe you, Maddy," I said softly, prying myself out of Priyanka's grip so that I could go over and kneel down beside her. "You're special, Maddy. I don't know how it happened, or what kind of special you are, but you're definitely special. I remember how you helped me when I first met your family, and now this? You're one of the most special people I've ever met."
" I—" She hesitated, staring up at me with huge brown eyes. Suddenly, they filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Miss Sandy. I didn't mean to make the fire happen."
" What?" I blinked, startled. "You didn't start the fire, honey. Zain did, by accident. You weren't even there."
" But I started it by dreaming about it," she said. Suddenly, she burst into tears. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. Please don't be angry with me."
" Whoa!" Flabbergasted by the sudden outburst, I grabbed the little girl and pulled her into a hug. "Shh, honey, it's okay. You didn't make the fire happen. It's not your fault. I promise."
" B-but I dreamed it before it happened," the little girl blubbered, clinging to me as though her life depended on it. "If I hadn't dreamed it then it wouldn't have happened."
" Okay, I'm no expert on these things, but I know that it's not your fault." I gently held her back away from me, and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Sweetie, you did not cause the fire. The fire was going to happen anyway. You just… sensed that the fire was going to happen, and you warned us. You saved lives by giving us the advanced warning to prepare. You did not cause the fire."
" I didn't?" She sniffled loudly and looked up at me, her little face stained with tears.
" No, you didn't," I told her firmly, and gave her a smile. "You saw what was going to happen and told us about it. The fire was caused by a gas stove falling over. You weren't even in the room when that happened, so it couldn't be your fault. Could it?"
" Well… no, I guess not," she agreed, then took a deep breath and rubbed her hands across her cheeks to wipe the tears away. "I was so scared, Miss Sandy. I thought Granddaddy was doing to die."
" Nobody's going to die on my watch," I reassured her, and gave her another quick hug. "Everyone's okay because of you, Maddy. You saved them. Look, even Tigger knows that you're a hero."
Maddy looked down at the purring bundle of fluff in her lap, and shot a dubious look at me.
"No, really," I said, grinning at her. "She won't even let me pat her, but she's letting you hold her. That's special right there, isn't it?"
Maddy looked down at the kitten, then picked her up and gave her a cuddle. Tigger barely even stirred, but the sight made me smile. It might take some time to get over the shock, but I decided that she was going to be fine.
" Okay, kids," I announced, easing myself back to my feet. "I need to go see what the others are up to. You be good for Priya and stay inside where it's safe."
" Okies!" Priya agreed cheerfully. I waved and headed out of the apartment. As I made my way down the stairs, I heard voices speaking on the other side of the door. I tried the handle and found the inner door locked, so I knocked instead.
The voices on the other side stopped for
" Maddy is sad-sads, because of the fire," Priya explained in a dramatic stage whisper. "I think she be okay, but is sads now and does not want to talk."
" Ah. A bit of shock, then." I nodded thoughtfully, and looked back at the little girl. "Maddy, I wanted to thank you for telling us about your dreams. I don't know how you did it, but you may have saved everyone's lives. You're a good girl, and you've done well."
A flicker of something that I couldn't identify passed through her eyes. She nodded and gave me a faint smile. "Thank you for believing me, Miss Sandy."
" I always believe you, Maddy," I said softly, prying myself out of Priyanka's grip so that I could go over and kneel down beside her. "You're special, Maddy. I don't know how it happened, or what kind of special you are, but you're definitely special. I remember how you helped me when I first met your family, and now this? You're one of the most special people I've ever met."
" I—" She hesitated, staring up at me with huge brown eyes. Suddenly, they filled with tears. "I'm sorry, Miss Sandy. I didn't mean to make the fire happen."
" What?" I blinked, startled. "You didn't start the fire, honey. Zain did, by accident. You weren't even there."
" But I started it by dreaming about it," she said. Suddenly, she burst into tears. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. Please don't be angry with me."
" Whoa!" Flabbergasted by the sudden outburst, I grabbed the little girl and pulled her into a hug. "Shh, honey, it's okay. You didn't make the fire happen. It's not your fault. I promise."
" B-but I dreamed it before it happened," the little girl blubbered, clinging to me as though her life depended on it. "If I hadn't dreamed it then it wouldn't have happened."
" Okay, I'm no expert on these things, but I know that it's not your fault." I gently held her back away from me, and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Sweetie, you did not cause the fire. The fire was going to happen anyway. You just… sensed that the fire was going to happen, and you warned us. You saved lives by giving us the advanced warning to prepare. You did not cause the fire."
" I didn't?" She sniffled loudly and looked up at me, her little face stained with tears.
" No, you didn't," I told her firmly, and gave her a smile. "You saw what was going to happen and told us about it. The fire was caused by a gas stove falling over. You weren't even in the room when that happened, so it couldn't be your fault. Could it?"
" Well… no, I guess not," she agreed, then took a deep breath and rubbed her hands across her cheeks to wipe the tears away. "I was so scared, Miss Sandy. I thought Granddaddy was doing to die."
" Nobody's going to die on my watch," I reassured her, and gave her another quick hug. "Everyone's okay because of you, Maddy. You saved them. Look, even Tigger knows that you're a hero."
Maddy looked down at the purring bundle of fluff in her lap, and shot a dubious look at me.
"No, really," I said, grinning at her. "She won't even let me pat her, but she's letting you hold her. That's special right there, isn't it?"
Maddy looked down at the kitten, then picked her up and gave her a cuddle. Tigger barely even stirred, but the sight made me smile. It might take some time to get over the shock, but I decided that she was going to be fine.
" Okay, kids," I announced, easing myself back to my feet. "I need to go see what the others are up to. You be good for Priya and stay inside where it's safe."
" Okies!" Priya agreed cheerfully. I waved and headed out of the apartment. As I made my way down the stairs, I heard voices speaking on the other side of the door. I tried the handle and found the inner door locked, so I knocked instead.
The voices on the other side stopped for
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