Blind [SLOW]

Mutuality

'Breathe...Breathe...Katya.' I still needed to get used to calling myself that. It wasn't natural. I couldn't look suspicious when Nicholis and Adyson came back.

This was the second time someone I had quickly come to trust stabbed me in the back.

Speaking of, the door pushed open, and shortly after slammed shut. The door to the room I was in opened. Nicholis and Adyson stepped in, and I heard it close.

"Hey," Adyson said. She seemed much less peppy than she had coming in here.

'I wonder why...' I thought ruefully.

Adyson snapped suddenly, "Stop looking at me like that, Nicholis!"

Nicholis said, "You've got something to say, don't you Adyson?"

That sounded like an accusation to me.

"Nope." Adyson said.

'Rude.' I thought, 'Talk bad about me behind my back, but can't say it to my face.'

Nicholis sighed.

I must've been pale from keeping my secrets because Nicholis said, "Katya? Are you okay? You look a little...pale..."

"I'm...I'm..." I couldn't answer. I felt light-headed.

Adyson seemed nervous for some reason, "Maybe--Maybe we should take her outside for air?"

"I got it." Nicholis said, "You stay here."

I wasn't sure if I could walk. I was leaning against the wall for support again. My side was killing me again. I put my hand to my forehead.

Suddenly, Nicholis picked me up bridal-style.

It was a familiar hold, and I realized Nicholis had save me earlier. Maybe that was when Grace died. I heard a girl's scream that wasn't mine, or Adyson's...

I could picture the scene:

A huge creature with long, knotted fur swung its claws at me while I was on the ground. It hit my side, but nothing more before a girl leaped into the way, taking the blow to her chest. The cuts were deep and the girl collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain. There was no saving her in time. She was dead practically.

I screamed too, and Nicholis grabbed me from the ground, carrying me to safety with Adyson running at his side. Adyson kept glancing back, tears in her eyes. Adyson needed Grace.

Nicholis set me down on my feet back outside. I breathed deeply. Fresh air made me feel a lot less light-headed, but I still leaned against the wall for support.

"I'm assuming you know what Adyson said already?" Nicholis asked suddenly.

"What--? I don't-- I don't know what you're talking about." I said as confidently as I could.

"I heard you feeling around our living room." Nicholis said.

"Fine, you caught me." I admitted, "But what kind of ears do you have to hear something like that?"

"Dog ones."

"What?" Was I asking in shock? Possibly. But I didn't know what dog ears looked like, either.

"I lived there too, Katya."

I paused for a moment when he called me that. I wanted to tell him my real name, but I know he'd recognize it, and I didn't want to be treated differently because of it. I also didn't want to be backstabbed again.

"I figured as much. But that's not what I meant."

"When I was born, I was born outside the walls. But I was different, so I was hunted down. I have dog ears on my head."

"Why are you telling me this? Just a minute ago you wouldn't say more than two words around me."

"Well, I now feel like I can trust you. Can I?"

"Yeah. You can trust me."