The Runaway

Chapter 59

We came across a very small city that has lots of space between the houses and buildings. There are more trees and grass. There was this one building, it was short compared to the others. It was brick too but the insides were wood.

A wood counter, as they call it, that was around this section, had shelves of glass bottles. Some were clear, brown, black and some other colors. There were strange contraptions on the inside ledge of the counter. The lights were dim and there were a few humans. Some smelled weird, they smelled like the building. It smelled sweet, pungent, sour, fruity. All of me was confused. Some humans looked goofier than normal. They couldn't talk right and their hair was messy.

The woman behind the counter asked us for IDs. She said we need IDs to get drinks at a bar. What is so special about those drinks? Are they magical? Well, we left since neither of us know what that is. The humans were looking at us strangely anyways.

Now, we found a hotel. It is smaller than the others but cute. It has cracks in the bricks. There are vines growing on it and the little fabric roof above the door is sun bleached. The grass around it is pretty, there are flowers against the walls.

And the room they gave us is cute. It has white walls, a giant window with thick curtains, tables with lamps on both sides of the bed and the floor is old wood covered by a rug. There are pictures hung on the wall behind a bed and a small, thick television on the wall in front of the bed.

I roll over and drop my arm across his stomach as I'm now pressed against his side. The numbing kicks in as my skin burns. Why does it do this? This doesn't happen to humans.

He stops reading his book and looks at me startled. "What?"

"Oh, did I hurt you?" He has gone thin and sickly pale but it can't be from being inside this time, he has been in the sun. Some of him is darker. He is still gorgeous.

"No." He puts his arm around me and keeps reading the book over me.

"What's happening in the book?"

He glances down at me before setting the book down behind me. "She's talking about the wedding."

"What wedding?"

"She gets married."

"To the guy she met?"

"Mhm. They have a giant wedding."

"Is it fun?"

"From what she says."

"Good for her. I should have thought of bringing a book to read."

He nods. And picks the book back up, flipping pages right above my head. The sky through the windows is darkened. This small city is much calmer, there aren't as many vehicles or talking from humans. There are less lights and it's easier to see more stars. It still isn't the same as open land.

The back of my shoulders is burning from his arm across them. All of me is very warm right now. Very warm. I'm going to melt. I roll off of him and face the ceiling. The ceiling is concrete, and the paint is cracked along the edges and around the light.

"You're so cool."

"Yeah?" He doesn't bother to look at me.

"Yeah, but I'd never want to be you."

"Huh?"

"I'd never want to be you."

He puts a finger in the book where he was reading, closes it and turns on his side to face me. "What are you talking about?"

"You are very cool, but I don't want to be you. I don't want to be in your pain or have your memories. I don't want to have your misery or scars. I don't want to have your shattered heart. I don't want to have your problems. I don't want to be in your shoes. I don't want to be anything you have, I want to be everything you need. I want to be the pleasure you get lost in. I want to be the new life you create and think of. I want to be the memories that make you excited and kick your feet. I want to be your bandages. I want to be the person you call on when you need someone. I want to be the one you think of all the time, never leaving your thoughts or dreams. I want to be your comfort."