The Crystal Mines

32 Taury

"Shh. She's still sleeping."

"Ok. I'll just leave this right here. Make sure she takes the whole potion. Recovery from After Dark is not fun. I don't envy the girl."

"Thank you. I will."

A door clicked shut and room filled with a pregnant silence.

"How much longer would you like me to play along with your pretending to sleep?" Garren asked a short distance away.

I cracked an eye open and shut it immediately. "Until I can stop feeling disgusted with myself."

He chuckled brightly. "I'll grab a good book then."

"You do that." I threw an arm over my face. The morning light hurt my eyes. The door clicked again, and I groaned, falling back into a lucid sleep.

I was aware when Garren returned, pages rustling as he turned them. We sat in comfortable silence while I listened to his breaths, the creak of the sofa, and book pages being flipped. I didn't why he was here. No. I did. I just didn't want to admit it. At some point, he had helped me drink the potion, and my eyes stayed firmly shut. He helped me sit up, holding the back of my head gently, and tipped the contents into my mouth slowly. The taste was a bitter like licorice. Thick and tarry. I tried not to gag. We fell back into the same rhythm and still, I was in and out of sleep.

A knock sounded at the door and Garren answered, my ears perking up curiously. I couldn't hear the voice of the visitor.

"No. I've got it. You can let her know that she is doing well. Just needs more time. Yes, I will. Thank you."

The door shut, and the sofa groaned under his body as he sat. More pages turned. I flipped to my side and pulled a pillow down to hug it. Lunch came at some point, the smell of the food turning my stomach. I sat up, needing the bathroom. Garren was at his feet in an instant. He saw the look on my face and rushed to my side. I barely made it to the toilet before I emptied the contents of my stomach into it. Garren was there the entire time. Holding back my hair, rubbing my back. I reached for a towel and wiped my face. Slumping against a cabinet, I dropped my head in my hands. Garren sat across from me, waiting.

"I want to go back to bed," I whispered.

His answer was standing and holding his hand out for me. He knew me well enough to I wouldn't have wanted him to pick me up. I took it and he yanked gently and let go once I was stable. When I got to my bed, sleep greeted my again.

When I woke again, the room was dark, and I was able to fully open my eyes without pain. My stomach didn't turn, and I was hungry. I wondered if dinner had been brought. Sliding off the side of the bed, I took in my surroundings for the first time.

The room I was in was massive. Bigger than anything I had ever been in. There was a theme of blues and purples. Silvers and charcoal grey. The sofa Garren had been lounging on, was a chaise. On it was an abandoned crushed velvet blanket and a throw pillow. Is that what he had been sleeping on?

I wondered the room. The floor was warm, and I enjoyed the feeling of the fur rug between my toes. I took care of my needs in the bathroom, craving a bath, but forgoing it in favor for hunting down food. Next to the chaise was a platter that I had not seen before. I plopped down and grabbed the meat there greedily. There were golden wrappers around, emptied. Chocolate. Garren had removed the chocolate. I choked on the meat in my mouth and clenched the clothes to my chest. Sobs escaped me as I got the bite swallowed. Grabbing the blanket, I pulled it up to my chest and lay there. Garren's sent lingered and I the tears came freely. My body stayed that way for a while, staring into the darkness, dreading the images sleep brought.