drapetomonia - the overwhelming urge to run away.
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When Junia Beaumont, her brother and their classmates get a last assignment before the end of the school year, she doesn't know just how quickly things will change for her.
Who would have thought t...
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50. survivor's guilt
As the house falls silent, Treech lies awake with his head resting against the pillow. He has his fingers loosely tangled in June's hair, the feeling of her silky strands providing him with some momentary comfort. He feels her soft breathing against his neck, hears the gentle padding of rain outside, and smells her familiar sweet scent that he can't get enough of, no matter how many times he smells it.
The wood surrounding him creaks occasionally, and he can hear his father's snoring down the hall and the rustling of the leaves outside. June's sweet scent mixes with the smell of rain and damp earth that sweeps in and through the room from outside, and her warmth against him is almost enough to lull him to sleep.
Treech gives the patchwork quilt a gentle tug and brings it up to cover her back properly. He pauses when he feels her stir against him, and his gaze softens at the sound of the content sigh that leaves her mouth.
And yet, he can't seem to fall asleep. Even though every fiber of his being is practically screaming and begging for it, Treech's mind can't seem to rest. The sound and smell of rain bring back unpleasant memories from his last night in the arena. Although he's now inside and at home, he'll never be able to forget it. Just a week ago, his life was hanging on by a thread.
In fact, he knows that he wouldn't have the pleasure of being here to enjoy this moment if it weren't for the girl in his arms. His body still aches from time to time, no matter how much the bruises are slowly starting to fade. The snake's venom has left his body, and yet he still feels the sting of the bite whenever he looks down at his wrist.
It's all going to be a part of him forever, isn't it? No matter how much he heals, no matter how much time has passed, he'll never be the same again. He lets out a shaky breath. These are all things he never truly considered when he decided he wanted to win and go home. Sure, he knew that whatever happened in the arena would be out of his control before he entered, but he hoped he would never have to carry the burden of having blood on his hands.
Looking down at the way his fingers massage her scalp, he can't help but wonder how she's able to trust him so freely. It's the same with his family as well. All this time, he feared they might reject and shun him when they saw or heard of what he had done to come back to them. But all he received in return was unconditional love, and he doesn't know how to deal with it.
It makes him happy, but it also comes with a guilt he can't quite fathom. He feels like he doesn't deserve any of it.
June stirs again, and when he feels the way she presses her nose into his neck and inhales deeply, he can't help the chuckle that escapes him. The soft rumbling in his chest makes the girl wake up, and he suppresses a sigh when she drags her soft lips over the skin. His heart soars at her affection, and he presses a loving kiss to the top of her head.
