And I left here in darkness and found you on the way.

Miraye arched her back up and slid up from the table, turning her head up at Tic. She heard everything. She heard the man’s blubbering, the boy’s inquiry and the bartender’s kind gesture. Well it wasn’t much of a gesture but it he was nice enough to let them stay there for the night. As for her resting her eyes, she was feeling a little dizzy as though running up a case of stairs. She saw images of elegance and marble in her mind when she set her head. She could hear a distant breath and a song of hope flutter in her stomach. It was most peculiar that things like this would happen. There were times she would close her eyes and see the valleys from window view. They’ve since stopped. It was only now this occasion would return.

“We’re done for the night, I’m guessing?” she asked, leaning on the table with her elbows propped up while her hands supported her chin. She heard this from earlier but decided to ask again avoid a possible awkward moment.

Tic nodded. “I’m sorry if I awoke you,” he apologized sheepishly. “We’ll stay here for the night.”

Miraye looked up at the ceiling above them. “It’s all right. I wasn’t sleeping anyways.”

~*~

The spare room happened to take up the entire floor. It was some what like storage space except it was separated by a curtain. On one side were boxes of liquor and the other had one bed and a bathroom. The boxes didn’t take much space thankfully and there was enough room for Miraye to pace around if she had to. The rain above them pounded heavily while another thunderbolt rumbled through the sky. Miraye walked to the window, staring out the veil of rain and watching the lights flicker slightly at the great castle. Larkin was still alive. How could she miss? This only occurred to her now that if she aimed properly, they wouldn’t be here and freedom may have already embraced them.

She needed to relax. She turned her head to the bathroom door. “I’m going to take a short bath. Go ahead and sleep on the bed. I’ll be up all night, it seems.”

Tic responded with a perplexed expression but didn’t bother questioning.

~*~

Miraye slipped into the tub of hot water. Almost instantly her muscles contracted and melted with the touch of warm liquid around her. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. It was nice to bathe again. Especially in heated water. The bubbles floated all around her, popping and re-appearing now and then. The sound of the soft fizzing of the soap and the rain felt at peace. It was times like these that everything that troubled her drifted away and that the only thing that was important was her leisure. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her chest, humming a lullaby from long ago. An empty void inside grew and she slipped her head below the surface.

After a thorough washing of her self, she soaked her gown in soap and water. It sat there, the soap trying all its might to get rid of all the stains that had corrupted its immaculate white. It must’ve been thirty minutes when the ebony turned into a faint scarlet and the scarlet turned into a faint pink. The color of mud dissolved a little but didn’t dare leave its home. Miraye figured this was all it could muster for the time being and they were going to get new clothes anyway, so it didn’t matter. She drained the water and wrung her gown, setting it on a shelf.

She opened the door, wrapped in a towel and found Tic, sitting on the edge of the bed staring straight ahead. It looked like he wasn’t in much of a sleep trance yet.

“Tic, you can take a bath if you want. You went through a lot these past few days, you deserve it.”

~*~

Tic was still in the bathroom and Miraye was under the covers, her eyes closed though her consciousness was still very much with her. The time passed slowly yet the rain did not. The storm would continue for a while. Some one must have upset the gods from what the sky read. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. “They wanted me dead,” she whispered. “Maybe I should have stayed dead.”

The door opened and a click of a light turned off. There was barely a swift noise of any garments on Tic. He must’ve washed his clothes too. Miraye’s own towel was lying on the floor and she could sense him stepping on it. She felt his shock, hesitation and guilt of awkward taste inside.

And being as he was, she knew he wouldn’t dare sleep in the same bed. He was afraid and broken from something in the past.

Miraye stared at the bleak darkness that filled the room. The only light that filled it was from the moons that created eerie shadows on the walls. A sky blue crept into her eyes and an urge to comfort the boy was great inside her.

“Come here,” she said gently.

He didn’t move.

Miraye sat up and leaned on the edge of the bed, groping blindly for his hand. She found his fingers and pulled him into the bed with her, his towel slipping off his own body as well. The covers embraced them and her arms held him close against her fragile body. She kissed his forehead again like she did when she returned from death as though a déjà vu came into play. It was because of him she was given a second chance.

“I’ll always be here,” she whispered in search to give him hope.

And with that she drifted off to a world of dreams.