He Lies Within the Sea (eremika)

Chapter Four

And so, Mikasa got sick. She was out in the cold for a bit too long, and she managed to get a cold which lead to a fever that prevented her from being able to go to school for the rest of the week. Luckily, her parents had returned home and could care for her.

By Saturday, Mikasa was fully recovered and able to do whatever, but it wasn't like she had anything to do. Sure, she had some friends, but they didn't often see each other on the weekends. It was more like they were school friends, but that was mostly because they didn't really leave their houses so often, either.

The wind was rabid and wild in the morning, and Mikasa fell back asleep listening to it, and by the time she woke up, it was calm and the day was sunny. There was a knock at her door that startled her, but she quickly got up to see who it was. When she opened her bedroom door, her mother was standing there with a warm smile on her face.

Mikasa's mother was a tall, slender woman with pale skin and black hair, just like Mikasa. Her husband often said she had the face of a queen, and Mikasa always thought it was nice how her parents truly loved each other. She hoped that one day, she'd have a husband that would treat her that way, but she was well aware that the day she was hoping for was far, far away.

"Are you feeling better today?" she inquired with a soft, comforting voice. Her mother was always a kind woman, but she didn't know much about her other than what she saw. She knew there were things her mother did not like to speak about because she'd always make such a painful, sad smile whenever brought up, so Mikasa eventually stopped asking questions.

"I'm fine," she answered. "I think I might go for a long walk today." Often, Mikasa would walk around the town with some headphones in and her favorite songs playing, but since it was cold, she usually avoided it.

"No you're not," her mother declared, showing a worried expression. "You were just sick because of the cold, and now you're trying to take a walk on a day like this?!"

"The sun is shining, so it's not as cold. Anyways, I could always wear your winter coat which is quite warm. It's not like you ever use it anyways," she replied, trying to persuade her mother to allow her. "I was out when it was dark and colder. Please, mother." There isn't anything to do, she thought. I hope she'll be reasonable.

"I don't know..." her mother hummed, trying to decide whether it would be better to allow her or to not. Mikasa was seventeen years old, and she didn't feel right restricting her freedoms since she was nearly an adult, but she decided that she would much rather her daughter did not get sick again. She sighed. "Fine."

"Thanks mom!" Mikasa said with her lips curved into a warm, grateful smile. Her mother loved seeing a happy expression on her daughter's face since it was always so blank. She decided that it was a good decision she made. She watched as Mikasa grabbed both her iPod and headphones and left her room.

Swiftly, Mikasa stomped down the stairs to the main floor where she noticed her father was nowhere to be seen. She walked around a bit to see if he was elsewhere, but she realized he was not. He must be at the lighthouse, she thought. It's not often used since nobody really brings their boat here, but I don't know why he'd be there in broad daylight. Maybe maintenance.

She snatched her mother's winter coat from the closet and slipped into it, already feeling quite warm. It was a thick coat, and her mother only wore it once, and when she did wear it, she got overly hot and started sweating even though it was less than thirty degrees (-1 Celsius) outside that day.

On her way out of the door, she grabbed a hold of her favorite scarf and mittens. Standing on her outside porch, she looked around at the woods surrounding her house, but she saw nothing but leafless trees in her sight. Out of curiosity, she decided to check the lighthouse for her father.