"Ammu?"
The woman opened her eyes. A combined shock of seeing her son and the ground stretch out below her caused her to almost lose her balance. Thankfully, she had enough adrenaline to keep her footing and crouched down.
"Imti!" She hissed. "What are you doing there?"
Imti continued looking up at her through the window. The moonlight reflected off of his pupils. Suddenly, the woman understood what people meant when they said Imti had her eyes.
"I-" The boy's voice broke. "I had a nightmare."
His mother suddenly felt a wave of guilt crash over her. What she was about to do... No, not the time. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath to collected herself and adjusted herself on the little slab.
"Come up here, abbi." She offered her arm to Imti, who seemed mildly shocked.
"I- I can't."
"Trust me."
Imti withdrew a little into the room before coming out. He gingerly stepped on the windowsill. Before he could waver, he quickly grabbed onto his mother's outstretched arm, who used all her strength to pull Imti upto her.
The child immediately collapsed into his mother, whose arms hovered a little while above his tiny body before closing in for a hug.
"Ammu. You're shaking."
She was, but she couldn't explain why.
"Ah. Yes. I was just up here because... I just wanted to see my little boy!"
An onslaught of tickles caused an outburst of giggles. The movement almost caused both of them to tip over, and so Imti's mother calmed herself and gently extricated her son from the hug.
Adjusting him on her lap, she looked into his eyes. He had clearly been crying.
"What did you have a nightmare about?" She frowned, wiping his cheeks.
"Someone was..." He hesitated. "Someone was watching me."
"Hm."
The woman was suddenly flushed. Of course someone had been watching him. It was her. She had wanted one last look at her son before she jumped, and when he wasn't in his bed, she assumed it was one final sign that she wasn't required in this world.
But she was needed, and she had almost selfishly abandoned the one who needed her at that exact moment.
They both sat there on the ledge for bit more time. The moon was full and blue, covering the town in its melancholy light. Most people had gone to bed by now, but the banners of decoration still waved in the breeze. Norock was a very windy town, and due to it's flat structure and linear formation, the wind always rushed right down the main street.
YOU ARE READING
FALTER
Misterio / Suspenso"Do you remember what we used to say?" "Never falter." "Yeah. Forever after." When a familiar cult emerges from the shadows of Youth City, underground rockstar Imti has to choose between hiding his demons behind a mask or finally facing everyone bur...
