Grit To Grace

Five

Fallyn allowed Will to sleep. It gave her time to open up her laptop and do some research. The first thing she searched for was his hometown, Black Hill. What she found shook her to her core.

The town hadn't fallen to sickness, nor had it fallen financially. The town had been obliterated at the hands of an unknown serial killer. Bodies had been strewn and arranged all over town. With no one left to protect Black Hill the killer had gone on a killing spree, leaving every last resident that stayed dead.

Her eyes darted over newspaper clippings and articles. Her heart sank for the man sleeping soundly on her couch. Everything he had come to know was destroyed after he vanished.

The article had also mentioned the fate of the Sheriff, claiming he'd been distraught after his son had gone missing and had eventually taken his own life. She didn't have the heart to look further into it. Fallyn shut her laptop and shook her head. One thing was clear; Will could never know about this. It would kill him.

"Will. Will, wake up." She shook him gently as she spoke. It was around 6 in the evening now and she had plans for the night. He snorted as he startled awake, though after a quick glance around he began to relax. He rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn.

"What's going on?" He asked. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just have plans tonight. Are you going to be okay here? I can cancel," she suggested.

He yawned and shook his head. "No, no. I'll be just fine, Fallyn. You go ahead and go. I... Could use some time to myself anyhow. There's a lot of things to process," he admitted softly.

She nodded and pulled a blanket over him. He gave her a grateful smile.

"I'll be home around midnight. I have plenty of books and you can help yourself to anything in the fridge or pantry. If you don't know how to use it, don't." She gave him a soft smile before heading up the stairs to get ready.

He nodded and got up a few minutes later, going up to his room. He returned a moment later carrying Little Cisco and snuggled up under the blanket again. He let his eyes close as he waited for Fallyn.

Fallyn came down a while later. Will opened his eyes as he heard her footsteps and instantly his breath caught in his throat. A tight green dress framed her body nicely and he noticed how much taller she looked with those gold high heels on. Her fiery hair fell in soft waves down her back like waves. She even had makeup on. He watched her as she grabbed her purse and blushed as her eyes met his.

"Remember how to use the remote if you want to watch something," she said. He nodded. "I won't be out long." She spoke to him like a mom leaving their child home for the night. He didn't mind it, but part of him felt that she didn't trust that he was an adult and could in fact survive alone. So what if he was in an unfamiliar world?

"I'll be fine, Fallyn. Try not to worry. Your life doesn't need to be put on hold just because of me." He smiled up at her. She looked stunning. It was almost a sin. He wondered what the special occasion was, for Fallyn to dress up so nicely. Or, who. He tore his eyes away. "Go have some fun. I'll be here when you get back," he added.

She nodded and grabbed her purse and keys. She gave Will one final once over before heading out the door. Did she feel guilty about leaving him in her home all alone? A little bit, but he said himself that her life shouldn't go on pause because he had appeared in it. Part of her wanted him to ask her to stay. An anniversary dinner with Warren and his family sounded dreadful.

Will went through the pantry after about half an hour, not particularly hungry but in a snacking sort of mood. He found a box of goldfish, and when he tried one, his head spun with the instantaneous blast of flavors. He loved it. He quickly settled back onto the couch to enjoy the crackers.