Behind the Mask

The Day After...Whatever You'd Call Last Night

Enjoy!

The next day:

I woke up groggily to a thumping noise, and groaned at it, rolling over to continue sleeping. My eyes flew open when I realized what the noise was and I sat up with a start, looking towards the window. The sun was shining bright, it had to be at least ten o'clock..........I had slept in. The ordeal last night must have drained me, because I never stayed in bed this late. I tossed the covers aside and jumped out of bed, quickly throwing my clothes on and grabbing my boots. I slammed my door open and skipped down the stairs to answer the door, banging into the wall as I pulled on my boots on the way down. I opened it to see Fishlegs, readying for another knock. His fist stopped mid-air when he saw me. I kept my hand on the door for balance because I wasn't quite awake, and pushed my loose bangs out of my face.

"Astrid." He said, clearly relieved. "Snotlout said you were home last night but when we didn't see you at breakfast in the Great Hall this morning, I came over to check."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, thinking about last night. "Yeah, that storm really knocked the wind right out of me. I kind of conked out right after he left. I didn't mean to worry you."

"As long as you're sure you're all right, it's nothing." He said. "Last night was crazy, you must've had a hard time of it."

"You have no idea." I mumbled, remembering the man I hid upstairs before answering him.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Oh..nothing." I said, mentally telling myself to keep my thoughts to myself.

"Well, I was afraid you would catch some type of pneumonia or something. Did you find some kind of shelter?"

"The shelter kind of found me." I answered without thinking about what I was saying.

"Come again?"

"I was shaded by a pine tree." I improvised, hoping he'd buy it. "Honestly, I was fine, Fishlegs. You don't need to worry about me. I survived the night and I'm back now so there's nothing to be concerned about. I know how to take care of myself and you know that."

"Okay.......well, if that's the case then I guess I'll be on my way." He said, taking a step backwards. "You coming to the meeting?" He pointed to the Great Hall.

"Meeting?" I asked, confused, before the answer hit me. "Oh......the meeting about........you know what?"

"Yeah......that one." He said, almost in disgust.

"I totally forgot about it..........yeah, sure. I'll be there." I answered. "Just as soon as I'm awake."

"Okay, see ya there. Bye."

"Bye Fishlegs and good morning."

"More like afternoon." He said, walking away.

My hand came to my forehead, realizing my mistake. "Oh..........right." I sighed, closing the door and leaning against it. I let out a sigh of annoyance. This was going to be along day....and I don't think I'm ready for it if what just occurred was any indication. I rubbed the sleepy-seeds out of my eyes and groaned, heading back to the stairs; but a savoury smell stopped me short. I took a deep breathe, letting the scent sink in. It smelled of eggs, crisp bacon and melted cheese. It drew me in and I headed toward it, opening the door to the kitchen. The divine smell hit me straight in the face and I saw where it came from. On the table, there sat a plate with an omelet in the middle of it. Now that I was closer, I could smell the fried onion, pepper and a hint of mushroom all topped off with freshly made cheese, a side of bacon, and a steaming cup of something I hadn't ever seen before. I was in heaven. It had been so long since I had had a proper breakfast, and it felt nice to finally get the chance. I sat down at the table, ignoring the fact that I still had a mop messy hair on my head and bedraggled clothes. I was determined to enjoy this while I was able to. The first bite was pure ecstasy, and I relished every taste it gave me. The bacon was the perfect balance of soft to crispy ratio and the cheese was melted just right. I reluctantly swallowed, reaching for the cup in front of me. The chocolate brown liquid inside smelled simply divine, but having never seen anything like it, I hesitated before putting my lips to the glass. The combination of sweet and bitter shocked me for a moment but its enticing taste was so transfixing that it drew me back for another sip....and another..and another. I was officially hooked. Whatever this concoction was, it was absolutely delicious and gave me new energy to face the day. I finished the meal and headed to the sink to do the dishes, but I found that they had already been done. The pan used to make the eggs and bacon was clean and hanging to dry. Any extra glass or tupperware had been put away. The sink had been rinsed out and the counters had been wiped down. Everything and anything that could be, was spotless. It was as if nothing had every been touched.