Another Lost Soul

Chapter 3

I shot awake with a heavy heart, gasping for air as I grabbed my shirtfront. I don't remember my dream, but it clearly wasn't a good one.

"Are you alright? You were crying." Alenor stepped into the main room and glanced at my teary eyes as I stood up from the couch. "Did you have a nightmare? Most people are prone to them after their body has experienced magic it can't handle yet. Maybe I overdid it healing your feet."

I stared at him, tears falling down to my chin. "I don't know what it was about."

"That's uncommon." He tilted his head and walked closer to me, wiping my tears with the back of his palm. "And how can you cry with such a dull expression?"

"I can barely remember my name and you expect me to answer that?"

"Another lost soul." He sighed. "You told me about your coma, but you never told me how it happened."

"Because I don't know."

"I understand." He placed a hand on my head. "Don't think too hard."

"I have nothing to think about anyway." I walked past him and grabbed my scarf. "It's nearly morning, take me home."

"It's dark out."

"I can feel the air getting warmer. The sun will be up soon."

"But- hey!" He quickly blocked the door with his body and laughed nervously. "I can't see well in the dark....that's why I leave the lights on at night. It's dangerous before daylight."

"Can't you just use magic to protect yourself? I wanna go home."

"Which is where?"

"The city."

"Oh dear, you really did wander far."

"I'm leaving." I sighed and pushed him aside, stepping outside. Rather than being mindful that the floor was a foot off the ground, I tripped and fell in a puddle of black mud.

Alenor simply hopped down and helped me stand. "Looks like we're traveling by candlelight then." I wiped the mud from my face and glanced to the lantern in his hand, shining across his fearful smile. "Would you like to change before we leave?"

"...no." I walked past him.

"You're persistent, but that's the wrong way." It took a few minutes for the mud on my skin to dry as we walked through the forest. He was clearly uncomfortable with the darkness, but I didn't mind much. "At least the mud's protecting you from mosquitoes!"

"Kill yourself." I scoffed.

"Someone got a temper."

"I'm about to shove it down your throat if you don't shut up."

"I'll manage." He set the lantern down at the edge of a small river. The mushrooms nearby reflected the light with a hue of red, lighting up his body as he bent down to the water and traced his fingers through it. "There's not any snakes inside if you want to wash the mud off."

"How can you tell? It's dark."

"If there were snakes in the water, they would have been drawn to my hand."

"Why? Is this some kind of magic thing?"

"Yes and it's difficult to explain so just wash yourself off, I'll get the mud off of your shirt. Give it here."

I tossed my scarf to the dirt and pulled my sweater over my head and arms, shoving it to his chest. "Here." Ignoring his optimism, I bent down and washed the mud off of my torso and face with the clear water.

"I apologize if you don't like me." He sighed. "I've been told I'm a little too open."

"I'm just frustrated."

"Yes but-"

"I'm sick of being confused and it's only been a week since I woke up." I sighed. "It's upsetting."

"Your tone is unfitting to your personality." He kept a distance, careful not to cross my boundaries.

"My personality?" I carefully pulled my sweater from him and held it beneath the water, scrubbing at the dirt with my fingers to smear it away.

"You're a kind person from what I know already. Just lost."

"You keep saying I'm lost." I rung the shirt out and tossed it over my shoulder. "I don't know what that means."

"You're wandering in search of something you've lost. You get the feeling that you forgot something somewhere. Like when you leave something at home and only realize what it is once you're at work. Only, for you, that feeling will never go away. You're afraid you'll never find closure. You'll never find out what you're looking for."

Hearing that made my lungs stiff. "I have nothing worth looking for."

"And yet you search so desperately that I can see tears in your eyes at the sight of your own reflection."

"If it's forgotten then it wasn't that important to me." I stood up and turned to him, my skin tightening around my hips in a way that felt a little uncomfortable. "This is my life now. I'm alone, that's okay with me."

He took a step forward and grabbed my hips, turning them toward him so that I was fully facing him. He quickly let go and he'd both hands behind his back with a small smile. "How would you like to stay with me, Amir? We can grab your belongings tonight and head back at sunrise."

"What good would come out of staying with you?"

"Company. This may be the last time you ever see me if you decline."

"Fine by me."

"Hey!"

"I'm joking. I'll stay until it becomes an issue."