Starlit Ruins (BL | MLM)

Ch. 3 | Before the storm

     A glass bottle breaks above Rahim's small sitting body. He buries his head under his arms, nestled between his bent legs. Rahim's father yells and curses in Hindi. Rahim looks at his bloodied hands, the small and bony fingers covered in tiny cuts. The smell of alcohol and gasoline fill the room. The generator powering his trailer sits in the small kitchen section, rumbling with that loud awful sound. The yelling continues and the words blur together.

Rahim stares into the dark space between his legs and his vision fills with Toucans and Sloths. Birdsong and water fills his ears. His rapid breathing slows, but is still quick. The loud sound of his father's angry voice gets less frequent throughout the hour.

Eventually, when he can't think of anymore scientific names for each animal he knows, he looks up. Rahim's father lays on the couch snoring, with a string of drool hanging from his mouth. Rahim slowly gets up, careful not to make a noise on his way to the back door. He gets a few feet from the door, before a loud crunch reverberates beneath his shoe.

When his head whips around to check if his father heard, his father groggily shoots up, breathing heavily like an angry bull. Rahim makes eye contact and starts to shake. His father bares his teeth, inhaling with a hiss. A voice sounds from outside of the back door.

"Sir?"

Everything pauses.

"Sir, are you okay?" The voice grows louder.

Rahim feels a sensation on his shoulder, and his surroundings suddenly change from his childhood trailer to a starlit room.

     Rahim's eyes fly open, his breathing already rapid. He makes eye contact with a tall man, standing over him. The smell of coconut hovers around him. The man's hand shoots away from Rahim's shoulder, returning to his side.

"Sorry, er... I was just making sure you were good," the man says.

Rahim's face flushes, looking around to remember where he is. He groans and rubs his eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know I fell asleep," Rahim mumbles.

"Um.. did you fall asleep during the last showing? We've been closed for 2 hours now," the man remarks.

"OH! Uh, no. Miss Cora let me in after hours. I..." Rahim pauses, unsure on how to explain his reason for being away from home.

The man holds a hand up. "It's all good. You have Cora's blessing, you're good in my book," he responds.

Rahim breathes a silent sigh of relief.

"Oh, My name is Vin. I work here," he says, putting out his hand.

Rahim stares at his hand for a second, before reaching out to shake it.

"Rahim," he announces; a bit too shaky for his liking.

"Is it safe to say The Constellation Room was to your liking?" Vin asks lightheartedly.

Rahim grins, running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah. I come here often, but just this room," he mentions.

Vin studies Rahim's face for just a second.

"After hours?" Vin asks.

Rahim nods.

"I don't really feel the peace when there's other's talking and shuffling around."

Vin nods in response. He remembers his jacket, prompting him to walk to a staff-only booth tucked in the corner of the room. He soon walks back out, shrugging his jacket on.

"I came here for this. It's always freezing in this place," Vin tells, walking back toward Rahim.

"Yeah, guess it makes the whole 'space thing' realistic," Rahim answers.