➸ AFTER THE STORM

CHAPTER X - Tread very lightly Lola

To be buried is to understand the unknown that lingers in the ground—to connect with them, and when you are, they will know.

Hollow graves, buried so close to the surface, vivid colors of yellow, orange, and brown. Soft, blurring but clear—such a contrast.

Bodies.

Plants growing all around this being's creation—so vibrant, so focused, but not at all in the same breath—so wild and unhinged.

The scene in front of me, so neat, polished. This was handled with affection, something so time-consuming.

Layers of passion, love, and care. Chaos.

Such a deeper understanding of someone trying to connect.

That's what I see now as I look at these bodies.

Surrounded by deep woods.

The surroundings are so familiar, but distant to me. These bodies, buried in a straight line, in a row of six.

These designs speak of practicality—something that just wants to be seen, to be understood, to be known. A soul that just wants to lie side by side with humanity, and just to feel whole.

Venus turns as her body awakens for the first time in three days. Lola, along with Christopher, he is slight, but not so subtle as he thinks when he looks over Venus's once sleeping form; her doe eyes are the first thing he sees. A warm feeling spread across his chest. His face stays the same, very serious, but his hard gaze softens.

As she rose from her long rest. She blinks, then sleeps away, then comes the looks of confusion as she takes in her whereabouts. Her eyes fall to Lola, then she looks over at Christoper and his heart starts to beat incredibly fast. He felt that time had slowed down just so he could take her in her lively appearance.

Her hair is shorter than before; he remembers it being down her back. Her dark brown eyes are the same as always, they always are when she comes back reincarnate. He takes in her microexpressions that she displays when she becomes more aware of herself and her surroundings. She tilts her head, trying to adjust to the room She looks at Lola again, then she looks at Christoper, and her stare is long, like she would like to remember, and he looks at her like she's unreal.

"Venus?" He says after the pregnant silence between them and Lola in the background fading, watching them two, it's been forever.

"W-who?" She sounds like an owl, her voice barely there, confusion written on her face, you can see it in her eyebrows and the way that they frown and point upward tilt of her head.

The silence drags and it kind of sets in slowly and there's a rush and it really sits inside of him when he looks back at her, he sees the girl that he fell in love with countless times over again but she have no memory of him or the things they've done or who she was it was written vicariously in the way that she held herself and the way that she really looked at him and such disarray, so familiar so close but very much so distant from who she used to be the last time that they were together in one place connecting as one.

Christopher feels a sting in the corner of his eyes, but he pulls himself together, and Lola Cuts in and says, "You must be thirsty." She says that she tries to move the conversation along by changing topics all together. She pulls Christopher into the kitchen and looks at him with a look of, really, he kind of just looks at her and lonely growls underneath his breath, frustrated.

"I told you she didn't remember; all you're going to do is confuse her." She whispers in a strict tone to him.

"Tread very lightly, Lola, she's my wife, do not treat me as if I'm a child. You do not tell me what is best I do concerning her." He says as he looks her in the eyes, daring her to challenge him and say another word.

Lola looks slightly shocked when the words wife cross his lips, but she keeps herself together. He has not referred to her as his wife in a long time.

"All I'm trying to do is help; it will take time for her to remember who she once was." Lola says, trying to reason with him, she knew deep down he was just afraid of what could happen in the future. The truth tells of the unknown.

"Focus on finding out what the demon deer hybrid wants in exchange for her service, because nothing Lola is for free. Even in this magical land." He ignores everything she said before, so focused on his way of things.

She just cuts her eyes at him and pours the pitcher of water. August comes through the front door yelling, "Christopher, this tantrum is getting out of ha-" But the last word is caught in his throat. His eyes lay on the girl on the couch, and he's shocked.

"Starlight?" He questions, not really trusting himself, because the girl he once knew was here, alive, and breathing. She wasn't just a memory or a sense of nostalgia anymore.

The fox jumps into her lap, in a protective stance, and Venus's hand caresses around the smaller animal. Her eyes matched his eyes, her mind working overtime, trying to remember.

Trying to place him from where she knew him from. Christoper and Lola looked out from the kitchen.

Chris's eyes glowed and flashed at Fox and August, too. Venus's eyes warmed when she recalled, "A-August." Venus says, unsure, Lola looks more surprised when Venus recalls August.

Christoper's eyes flashed again, August's eyes widened as she knew his name. Chris breathed heavily, irritated, taking the backdoor to get some air. It snapped the moment. Lola grabs the glass and walks out of the kitchen quickly.

Venus's eyes followed where Chris had gone out the door, even though she didn't know who he was, she still felt a need to look over at the noise.

"Don't mind him, he's just being a lot of himself." Lola dismisses Chris's behavior. August finds her eyes wanting to know what is going on, Venus takes the water and drinks it, giving a thankful smile to Lola. The fox doesn't move from her lap.