Physical touch

Chapter 2: Hug

There was so much to talk about with Figure, he had so many stories – The two burglars that attempted to steal a 1,000 year old chronicle, the explorer that studied his anatomy for her research on the paranormal, the animals that would make their way into the library, he even taught me about echolocation, it's how he learnt his way around the library – I smiled as I listened to all of Figure's stories, everything he had to say was an adventure, adventures I wish I could've had. "Alright, there they are!" I announced to Figure, I watched as he excitedly but carefully started walking towards the other entities, his arms outstretched to prevent bumping into them, "A-Ah! Oh, you must be another entity." Figure stammered, his hand felt around Halt's ghostly structure, "Figure, that's Halt." I explained to him, "O-Oh! Well, nice to meet you, Halt." Figure saying Halt, elongating the H, was the funniest thing I've ever heard, I never had to hold back laughter so hard before ..

"This is Timothy, here let me put him on your arm." Halt introduced the little spider after the others as he placed him on Figure's forearm, Figure chuckled at the tingle of Timothy's legs on his skin. As I watched Figure talk with the other entities, I too felt a little tingle in my chest, it was so nice to watch Figure communicate with them. Perhaps it was because I still remember when I first found myself in the hotel, or it's just how lovely it is to watch a new entity actually Interact with others, I might never know, but that is far beyond what this is about.

"Seek, would you mind taking Figure to his floor? You know, where he'll sleep?" Halt asked me as he placed Figure's hand into mine, along with a Door Number. I stared up at Figure wide-eyed, I couldn't tell what emotion Figure was conveying, but I shrugged and then dragged Figure with me to the specified Door. "Seek?" He called for me, I turned my head to him, continuing the path, "Yes, Figure?" I answered back, "What do I look like?" Figure asked curiously, my eye widened at him, he doesn't know what he even looks like, there were lots of mirrors in the hallways we walked in, but Figure was blind, "Well, you probably already know about your face." I chuckled, Figure nodded, "Your skin is a fleshy red color, your ribcage is on the outside of your chest, and .. Well, other than your little elbow spikes, that's almost it." I assumed he knew about his long arms and claws, those were easy to tell by touch alone. Figure tilted his head down, "What's wrong?" I asked him, he looked .. Well, not looked, more like turned his head to me, and said, "I knew it, I'm ugly." He stopped in his tracks and let go of my hand, he sat down on the red carpet on the floor, in a hurry, I sat next to him, my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, "Oh, Figure no .." I sighed to him, "You're not ugly, you just look different, we ALL look different, it's okay." I assured him, Figure's whines filled the hallway we sat in, just before the designated door, "You .. You think so?" Figure asked me, his knees bent down slightly, I almost nodded before reminding myself he was blind, and instead replied, "I know so." Figure's crooked smile returned to his face, and he wrapped his arms around me all of a sudden, "AH- Wh .. What's .." I stammered at Figure's grasp, "It's a hug, silly." Figure laughed, I let myself relax despite the new feeling, this hug of his, I felt my insides heat up, the sensation of someone's arms around me, it was supposed to be terrifying in the case of being trapped, but this sort of trapped .. It's so strange .. 

I gave his hug some time to catch on, it was warm, and so were my insides, truly. I hugged him back, his arms tightened around me when he felt mine around his torso, and it made both our smiles grow ..

Words: 707 (Dang)