Songs of Safety
21 years ago
Thunder crashed from outside. A small, shaking figure laid wrapped in a blanket. Kody had never experienced a storm like this. Not at his home in the snowy mountains. It scared him, a lot. “Ma?” He called out warily.
“Yes, dear?” The mother—Medea—said, poking her head through the doorway. When she saw the state of her child, her expression turned soft. “Oh no, are you alright?” She said, stepping into the room and sitting down next to him. Kody shook his head and clung to her. Another crack of thunder reverberated throughout the air, and he jumped.
“I’m scared, ma,” Kody said.
Medea looked down at the small child. She gently stroked his head and hummed to herself. “Do you know what helped me when I was scared, Kody?” Kody tilted his head to look up at her, and he shook his head. Medea gave him a small smile. “My mother would sing a song to me. Would you like to hear it?”
Kody’s eyes lit up the slightest, and he nodded. “Yeah. . .”
”Fear not my child
For despite the dangers of this world
And the fright’ning monsters that lurk the shadows
There is one that will protect and not harm. . .”
The quiet tune filled the air, almost immediately putting Kody at ease. He barely paid attention to the next words his mother sang as he closed his eyes and his breathing evened out.
8 years ago
Kody had been falling in and out of consciousness for days since he had been released from his prison in the enemy palace. He was terribly injured, and the only thing that could heal him now was time. His family had barely left his side for fear that he might be alive one moment and. . . gone the next.
Medea carried this fear heavier than most. If she left his side, it was never for long. How could she leave her child like that? A weak cough caught her attention, and she looked over at her son. He had his eyes open again, blearily staring up at nothing. Medea reached out and took his hand gently. He tensed the slightest and looked at her. When he realized who it was, he relaxed and lightly squeezed her hand in response.
“Mother. . .—cough—you’re here,” Kody said, smiling the slightest.
Medea smiled back at Kody. She blinked away the tears that were forming at he corners of her eyes. “Yes, Kody. I’m here.”
“Do you remember that song you sang to me as a kid? When I was scared?”
“Of course.”
“Would. . . would you sing it for me again?”
“I would love to, dear.”
The song started out quiet and soft again, just as Kody had heard it the first time when he was a child. But he was fighting to stay awake for it, to not fall into unconsciousness again.
”-monsters that lurk the shadows
There is one-“
Stay awake. Please.
“-The pow’rful Guardian sees all
It knows when you are scared
It knows when you are weak
And in your time-”
I might never hear this again.
“-of this world
The pow’rful Guardian will protect you from the monsters
The swords and spears
The. . .”
Damn it.
And again, he was asleep.
Current time
“Mother?” Kody said, looking over at her suddenly. He was visiting his parents for the day. He rarely saw them recently, these days. They had spent most of their time catching up and conversing.
Medea looked over at him curiously. “Yes, dear?”
“I. . . Thank you. For everything.” For making me feel safe.
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