I'll Track You Down

Time with Viv

Even when the winds have calmed down I'm going too fast for me to notice, I'm aware that I will be attending Nye's funeral tomorrow, and I'm going to accept her death with grace. My only goal is to help out her parents and siblings, I'll manage just fine on my own.

When we reach the house, Willow and Vance disappear inside the house but I stick outside to wait for Caspian. When I see his silhouette in the dark night that's when I finally step inside, "I need him safe so I can get the information I need." I tell myself. "That is the sole reason I care." When I step inside my room Vivana and Willow are already waiting for me, I peel off my wetsuit and Vivana gives me dry clothes and once I'm changed Willow carefully unwraps all of the layers she's put on top of my stitches.

Once she confirms that everything seems alright she wraps me back up with fresh bandages, I thank her and Vivana before collapsing on my bed and falling asleep almost instantly.

When I wake up the next morning Vivana is waiting for me patiently on one of the sofas in my room.

Once I've sitten up she realizes I'm awake and urges me to follow her, I'm led out of my room and down the hall. I don't really know where I'm going but I don't really care, I trust Vivana and I knew if I asked she would tell me, she's not as secretive as Caspian is.

"Vivana?" I ask shyly. "Where are we going?" We turn down another hallway, and she doesn't look back as she answers.

"To wash that knotted hair of yours." She replies smiling, almost laughing at her answer.

"I'm not supposed to get my stitches wet, and I can bathe myself if you are worried about anything." I reassure her.

"If I didn't know you could get your stitches wet I would've just asked you to take a shower, I'm taking you to a beauty-type area where there are chairs there with equipment specifically for only washing your hair."

She says it like it's common knowledge and I should've expected that much from Vivana, she seems like a pretty smart person, I wonder why she's even here, working for Caspian.

"What does Caspian use that room for, styling his already messy hair?" Vivana snorts a laugh at the joke and I applaud myself for coming up with it that quickly.

"Kalisa, you're not the only guest that stays here. Yes, Caspian doesn't use it, but this is a large house and many people stay in it, friends, foes, business alliances, all their needs have to be accounted for."

I listen to Vivana speak but really my mind wanders elsewhere. How many other groups are out there?

Similar to my own but as secretive as Caspian I doubt I could get any information out of him whatsoever, but I certainly can try.

We finally stop at a room with a much smaller doorway than the other grand rooms in Caspian's house, when Vivana opens it I'm greeted by the smells of different fragrances.

Just as Vivana said, it's more of a beauty room, for people to get their hair done and such. She leads me over to one of the chairs and I remember visiting a salon similar to this when Nye took me for her birthday.

I try my best not to think about her, but she's in everything, all of my memories aside from work have mostly been spent with her.

She's made a tremendous impact on my life, and I'm eternally grateful for her, even though I wasn't raised on religion or anything like that, I think Nye might still be with us, the bright morning sun reflects her fiery hair, and the bright stars I saw tonight remind me of her soul, pure, until her last breath.

Vivana snaps me out of my daze when she leads me towards one of the chairs she'd described, I lean my head back and let her soak and wash my hair.

"Vivana? Why do you work here, you obviously seem like a very smart person, so why settle for less than you're worth?" Vivana smiles at the question, and she takes her time in answering.

"Well I have a family just as you probably do," Even though she's trying to be relatable, each word is a punch to the gut. "And I'm their main source of income. As much as I'd love to join Caspian's side and assist with missions as you do, I wouldn't be able to guarantee my safety, and my number one priority is my family's well being."

I don't know what to say to that. I never imagined that people could give up their desires all for family, all they share is DNA and a last name.

But I would do the same for Nye, so I can understand where she's coming from.

"That's a really selfless thing to say Vivana."

"Oh please, I barely have to do any work. Before you showed up all I did was give Caspian status reports and help with dinner." So she's had to do more work since I arrived, she must be pretty annoyed with me.

"I'm sorry you had more responsibilities when I entered the picture." I say through a dull expression.

"Don't be sorry, even though you act all tough, you need all the help you can get. Whether you like it or not, Caspian and I just want to help, and you need to let him."

"No offense, but rock hard pass on the Caspian thing."

Vivana has earned my respect and I find myself in a position to be friends with her, Caspian on the other hand, try as he might I'll never trust him.

"Look, I know that kid by heart, I understand he got involved with some shady things during highschool and college, but he means well, in his own way he just wants everyone to be happy."