It found the kitchen, finally. On the counter was some strange thing that made noises when tapped. Food, clearly. What else could it be? Rye was immediately engrossed, eyes dilated to the nines as it stared at the food. It suddenly pounced and began going feral. It didn’t know a thing about what it was eating, but it knows sugar when it can taste it.

(@vapor-web)

"Rye?" Lucy trills. "Rye, why are you eating my Hydrox?"

If the damn thing weren't roughly the size and shape of an angry baboon, she'd try to pry it off. But as it is, she tries to behave reasonably.

"Rye, those were for the children."

He wakes up sometime after noon, escaping from Selkie -who has been clinging to him like he's a stuffed animal- and hobbling over to the kitchen.

"Choccy milk?"

- @eyes-that-decieve

Lucy being Lucy, she's already cooking breakfast. Or, more accurately, she's holding an empty pan over the stove and anticipating food manifesting. She hasn't really eaten in years.

The pantry is empty. Her hands are cold.

@children-of-the-farm

"Baby? What are you doing outside?"

Lucy wanders along behind her, dazed and delirious by the sharpness of the real world.

"Come on. Come home."

She hears a voice she knows, tethered to a face she doesn't.

The bug guy must have done something. He starts coughing again in his haste to get out of sight, tripping and hitting the pavement.

- @eyes-that-decieve

Oh. It's the boy. And he's sick.

She runs to him, her arms outstretched, her eyes bright and frantic.

There is blood on her hands.