The Runaway

Chapter 39

I grab his hand and pull him closer. He's so worried about being too close to me he's going to fall in the street and the car is going to hit him.

"Wanna go to that place?"

I point to a little store with a bunch of clothes. They all look pretty. He shrugs. He hasn't talked at all today besides this morning. Those were the only two words he said.

We walk in the smallish building that has pretty clothes and jewelry.

"I have this dress saved that's pretty. Well, ma and pa say it's pretty, but they won't let me see it."

He doesn't look up, at me, at anything, only the floor. The ground must be his friend.

"What's wrong?"

He shakes his head before walking to a section of dresses and hands me a random one without looking. I look at the very short dress that has sections of the sides and tops missing. It has a bunch of silver glitter on it too; I put the dress back and actually look through them. Some are short, some are very, very long. Who would wear such a shiny dress or an all-black one? Some are missing sections and others are super thick. I travel to another section of dresses.

"You should get yourself some clothes too. You can't live in mud-stained clothes. Unicorns hate mud, you know."

He sighs before slowly walking to a different area of clothes. I don't think a dress would be the best thing to wear- actually, who cares? I grab the white dress off the metal pole. It has long, transparent sleeves that are puffy. The skirt part has many layers and there's a bow on the middle of the collar. It is so darn cute.

I take the dress and walk over to Sylvian, who looks like he doesn't want to be here.

"Would this fit me?"

I hold the dress up to myself. He holds his hand out. I hand him the dress and he inspect it.

He nods. I go back and grab the other dress that was next to this one. It has the same things but is off shoulder and has flowers on it. The skirt is longer, and the sleeves are shorter.

"What about this one?"

He walks over and nods.

"Now, to get you a dress."

He scrunches his nose. "No."

"So, the only time you talk all day is when you don't want to match me?"

He nods.

I find some clothes for him since he won't get it himself and walk over to the lady to give her the papers. Oh, there's a pretty necklace on the counter, I point to it after making sure no one is looking. Mainly my silent companion.

 She says some symbols I've never heard before. We keep giving her red papers and she keeps holding her hand out for more. After the ninth one, she gives us a blue one and we leave.

The necklace is really pretty. I took it- not stealing, she handed it to me in a little box after she put the red light on it.

"Do you like necklaces?"

He nods. I decide to spare him from the misery of being outside and take us back to the bedroom in the hotel.

When we get in the hotel room, he gets on the bed and buries his face in the pillow. He must breathe through his ears since he hasn't suffocated yet.

I throw the clothes on the bed beside him and take the first dress with the long sleeves.

"Can I get my stuff from the bag?"

He reaches over the end of the bed and grabs my rolled-up dress, holding it in the air. I take the mess from him, unroll the dress on the bed and grab the oils.

"I'm going to bathe myself really quick... don't fall off the bed?"

He gives me a thumbs up. I walk into the room connected to this one. Finally, clean clothes. This is amazing. I turn the weird knob thingies for the waterfall contraption. The sounds in the wall happen then the water pours out. In the mirror, I see a girl with the darkness under her eyes fading away. I'm still thin. The pain.

Once I'm all clean for the first time in forever, and wearing clean clothes... I miss home. No water, clothes or cleanliness will fill the hole in my heart, the pain in my stomach. It's been so long but so short since I've seen anyone. It feels like yesterday I got kidnapped but the yearning for home says it's been years. I've lost count of the days.

I walk back into the room, put everything back in my makeshift dress bag and hop on the bed. It feels nicer now.

"You should go wash yourself, you'll feel better."

He stays facing away from me, saying nothing.

"Please? I picked out a gray shirt, a black one, black pants and these beige ones. What do you want to wear?"

He turns towards me, woe engraved on his features.

"Why are you so nice?"

I lay besides him and sigh, wondering how to answer this. Who wouldn't be nice? It is the easiest thing in the world.

"Ma and pa told me to be nice to everyone, no matter how the other person treats me. They said the world needs kindness and, in my kingdom, everyone is nice to each other, and no one is mean. Just because I'm not there right now, doesn't mean I stop being nice. Also, it's in our nature to love and based on how you act, I don't think you get enough love. I care about you and love you and want to show you that."

He grabs my hand, wrapping his around mine.

"I care about you too..." His voice is hoarse and has little emotion in it.

I move the hair out of his face with my other hand, it was stuck to his skin. Maybe now he can see his clothes and the bathroom and take care of himself. He still doesn't look at me.

"Then why didn't you talk to me all day?"

The sun has left us for a while now. Tonight is warmer than the others. Someone down the hallway is making music real loud. They keep replaying the same song and it sounds the exact same every time somehow.

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Everything..." He whispers. "Talking to anyone, humans looking at me, leaving everything I've ever known... I'm now responsible for you. What if something happens to me, to you? What if we get caught? You'd never get back to your kingdom."

"We'll get there. We're okay, you're okay."

He shakes his head. "You'll leave me."

"I won't leave."

"Everyone leaves."

"Not me, buddy." I sit up and grab the beige pants and gray shirt. "You shall wear this; the shirt matches your hair, and the pants go with your eyes. Now, come on."

I get off the bed, grab his wrist and pull him up.

"I can wash myself," he mumbles.

I hand him the clothes and hop back on the bed.

A/N: sorry for the slow updates everyone! I've been a lazy bum and going through a burn out but now I'm going to get back to doing everything.