Never forget your knife

4 - sleeping beauty smiles

Shes battered and bruised but still beautiful, an angel now. I sit next to her, I don't know how long it's been but I've been combing her hair with my fingers, her long blonde hair that I was always so envious of, now that envy seems so stupid considering how cold she is right now. The tears stopped falling a while ago, I didn't have any left to cry.

"I'm sorry Elda." Is all I can say to her. No matter how much water I drink I can't get rid of this salty metallic taste in my mouth.

"You should rest" Levi says from behind me, I'd forgotten he was hear, his voice doesn't sound real, he sounds so far away, like an echo. There's nothing I can say so I just nod my head.

He comes to help me but I refuse his help and push his hands away.

He leads me to a room where I see Isabel who's sitting soundly reading and a boy I don't know who's twiddling his thumbs.

"Hey there sleeping beauty!" The unknown boy exclaims earning a whack across the back of the head from Isabel.

"You idiot! shut up! You'll wake the kids, they're only in the room next door, plus she's just lost a family member have some compassion" she shakes her head and resumes reading when Levi comes up and whacks her across the head.

"Tch don't be a hypocrite Isabel, you're so loud." He says with a sigh and sits down on the sofa. I can't help but giggle at them.

"Sleeping beauty can smile I see" the boy — Furlan says giving me a wide toothy grin.

Isabel nudges him with her elbow

He huffs and turns to me

"Heard your names Raizel.. thats cool.." he says seemingly not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to stand on ceremony for me or walk on eggshells around me, I may have just lost my sister but I want to be treated like a person.. not broken glass" I state.

"Okaaaay... so you hungry?" He says producing a loaf of bread and... holy shit! Dried meat.

My eyes widen and I gasp

"M-meat?!" I exclaim, I haven't had meat in a while, I don't know how they got this, I can practically feel the saliva oozing out of my mouth. I tackle him and grab the loaf of bread and meat suddenly remember how empty my stomach is and chew down ravenously.

"You're an animal" Levi says with a smile

"Ah! S-sorry it's just it's been a-a while since I've had food" I say slightly muffled from the food in my mouth.

"Chew. Swallow, and then eat" he says looking away in disgust.

I nod quicker than I should and comply with his request. Isabel and Furlan laugh at my antics while Levi shakes his head hiding a small smile which I don't think I was meant to see.

I finish the food and yawn, even though I rested for most of the day I'm still exhausted. It must be the grief.

"Come on I'll take you back to your room" Levi says standing up and holding a hand out to me, this time I take it and he leads me back to room I was at previously. He doesn't let go of my hand until we reach it.

"Can I ask you something?" He says

"Um.. sure"

"How old are you?" He asks me, the question somewhat surprises me and I'm taken aback.

"Fourteen.. why? How old are you?" I ask, the way he carries himself I'd say he was around 20 maybe 25

"Sixteen." He replies nonchalantly