Long Distance

Part 7

Alone again.

Kai had stayed a week, and then he had gone back, leaving Cinder alone again. The others that had joined her, Scarlet and Wolf, Cress and Thorne had all gone home too.

Iko placed her hand on Cinder's shoulder, and Winter smiled at her.

They said nothing as they left her chambers, Jacin shutting the door behind them. Cinder heard the tap of Kinney's boots as he took his station by her door.

When everything had fallen silent, when the whole world seemed to be holding its breath, Cinder leaned over.

She reached underneath her bed and pulled out a gift, wrapped in red paper and topped with a golden bow.

Her birthday present from Kai.

She was careful to pick apart the present, pulling the gold ribbon loose, peeling off each piece of tape one at a time.

She folded the paper away from the box inside. It was white, unblemished, and a canvas, handwritten card was on top of it.

Hope you like this gift, it said, it was near impossible and a little uncomfortable to get, but I hope it reminds you that the ones who leave us are never really gone

Kai

Cinder's smile was small and sad as she set aside the card and opened the white box. Resting in a bed of the same color tissue paper, was a picture.

A young girl, eleven years old, stood on the right. Her smile was nervous and hesitant, like she didn't know if she should have been smiling at all. Another girl, next to the first one, seemed the complete opposite. She was nine. Her arm was around the other, and her grin was beautiful, otherworldly, impossible to describe.

Her curls were chestnut, her eyes not yet glazed over like a corpse, her skin clean and fresh, not blotted with purple spots.

Cinder's hands tightened around the picture as a headache formed in her head.

Peony.

Cinder hadn't thought of how she'd never had a picture of her, not really. She hugged the frame to her chest, falling back on the bed. How had Kai gotten this? She didn't even remember when it was taken.

She wished she did, now that Peony was gone.

Cinder stood and rounded her bed, setting the picture down on her nightstand.

She took one last look at it before slipping into bed, memories of smiles and screams flitting through her mind.