Everglow: Friend From Far Away

16 - Holiday Spirit

"Uhh. . . they're just from work." Fischer hesitantly stated. He had completely forgotten to cover them up since he used his jacket for the tourniquet. His bare wrists were exposed, along with the scars that were etched into them. Scars that he hadn't planned on informing Ko about.

She looked at him, raising her brow in confusion. "All those scars were from work?"

"Y-yea. Working on the train tracks can be dangerous sometimes. This tends to happen. But it's nothing to worry about," he quickly exclaimed, assuring her that nothing was wrong. However he could see the scepticism on her face as he spoke. It was clear that she wasn't buying it one hundred percent, but for now she seemed to play along.

"Right. . . ok."

An awkward silence followed, the two of them blankly staring at nothing for the next thirty seconds before Fischer piped up. "Hey, you still hungry? I know we just had some food but one sandwich doesn't really classify as breakfast for me."

Meeting his question with a grin, she nodded her head, "Of course."

"Alright. Um. . . well I didn't really want you inside just yet, but considering my mum isn't home, it should be all fine. Just. . . try not to break anything ok?" he fretted. The last thing either of them needed was for his mother to come home and find the house wrecked.

Ko nodded her head once more, eager to see what the inside of his house would hold.

"Alright, I'll see if I can make up some pancakes for us. I think you'll like those."

Both of them getting to their feet, Fischer led the way out of the shed with Ko following closely behind, keeping the rags she wore tight around herself. Walking down to the house, she had a better look of the garden in which she resided. It looked a lot nicer than the outside of the house had led her to believe. The grass was a rich green, nourished by all the water and moisture in the air. The dirt was a healthy shade of black, complimenting the saturated greens wonderfully. The entire garden was enclosed by a large hedge, which looped around the whole property. Behind the hedge was the tree line, beyond that it appeared to be just dense forest. All around the house were hanging lights, blinking different colours periodically.

Opening the glass sliding door, Fischer let Ko in first, standing aside and waving his arm. She looked up at him, confused by the motion.

"Go ahead, ladies first," he beamed.

Although confused by the fact he was letting her walk into his own house before him, she did as she was instructed and shuffled inside. The first thing she noticed was the temperature. The air was much crisper than outside. The sharp cold had been replaced by a comfortable warmth that engulfed her as she took in her surroundings.

The insides of the house were a stark contrast to the outside. Far from the grimey walls and disgusting floors of the factory, it appeared much nicer and a lot more well kept than the exterior. The walls were a light shade of cream, and the ceiling was a solid white. There was a cold sensation under her feet as she stepped onto the tiled floor, something she'd never experienced before. It felt similar to walking on the concrete in the factory, though a lot smoother.

Fischer noticed his companion gawking all around at the insides of the house. He realised that this was her first time inside a human house, and so all the sights she set her eyes on were brand new to her. What he took for granted his whole life was a whole other world to her.

"Here, grab a seat," he said, pulling a chair out from under the table. Turning back to the kitchen, Ko watched as he flipped open all sorts of cupboards and drawers, grabbing ingredients and tools from each one. He set a bowl down on the bench and began pouring in a mass of strange liquids and powders.