Shadow of a Grave ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter twenty-seven ✧ salt and bones

Sans Soleil by Alexisonfire

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The sunshine filled the room with a sense of peaceful stillness. A cracked window from across the room let in the chirping of seagulls and the smell of salty air lingered inside.

Amelia hadn't thought to move, in fact, for she hadn't been thinking at all. The memories of her life had stopped spinning around in her head and finally, she felt at peace. Not a single muscle moved as she lay buried under the soft blanket in the warm room while she appreciated the moment that she was finally allowed to stop moving.

With her eyes still closed she just let herself sink deeper into the bed. She stayed there lying in bed as long as she could and listened to the quiet day. The birds may cry their song from outside and the wind might echo against the walls of the home, but that was the type of silence that she enjoyed the most.

Heaven had been that room where she was finally allowed to rest.

A creak in the wooden floor hadn't even caught her attention. The light-footed stranger approached her and she hadn't even bothered to move. Or maybe she had just been too exhausted to.

When their soft fingers brushed her hair from her forehead, she finally moved a muscle. Six muscles to be exact. Just enough to force herself to open an eye.

The woman standing above her was like a dark shadow as she rested the back of her hand against Amelia's forehead. Deep brown eyes had been staring out the window as she determined her temperature. Then their eyes met at last and she realized peace was short-lived.

The warm bed in the sunny room hadn't been heaven after all. 

"You're awake?" Her voice was soft as if somehow she was telling her a secret. Just a touch of an accent that made her wonder where fate had taken her this time.

Amelia wasn't sure how to respond to her or what to say. There were a lot of thoughts and she didn't know the stranger well enough to know which question to ask first. After a long moment, she decided to try moving a few more muscles and nodded softly with her head still heavy against the pillow.

That seemed to please the woman taking care of her. She talked so quietly as she exited, "Your fever has finally broken. Come out when you're ready to move and I'll get something for your stomach."

There was no rush to leave the comfort of the bed and moving was hard. Amelia could have simply laid there forever under the warmth of the blanket with the sunshine flushing against her skin. It was the perfect kind of warm that felt cleansing and renewing. As if her body became a flower with its only concern being to enjoy the sun at every moment.

Every minute or so, Amelia moved a little more. Starting with fingertips and toes with soft little shakes, then growing in rolling stretches throughout her joints. Until finally she left like she was human enough to stand.

It took longer than she expected to cross the room, her body was weaker than she was used to when she found her way into the kitchen. Legs sore from not moving for what had felt like an eternity.

The woman had been standing by the stove with a kettle already in hand when she found her again. Unsure of what to say and still feeling achy, Amelia took a seat at the small table and waited, feeling much like a child waiting on their mother's help.

"It's going to feel odd for some time, it's best to just take it slow." The woman told her as she took a seat across from her, placing a mug of deep brown liquid in front of her, "Your stomach will take some time to adjust. Drink this for now, it should keep you going until you are back to solids."