Sometimes It's Even Darker

Chapter 3 - Wake Up Dreaming Black

The night has already come when Aethernia finally can sit on the wooden chair and rest for a while. She wore some comfortable clothes and dried her black hair and now she has nothing to do but looking at Tobi. He lies silently on her bed, she can plainly hear his calm breath and see every detail of his face. She appraises the effect of her work as „good", maybe she would even rate it as „excellent" if only she wasn't so frightened. Freshly washed hair looks fluffy and soft (fortunately, she managed to save it), his face is calm and relaxed. She dressed his wounds and gave him some dry clothes and a red scarf, then wrapped him up in a warmest blanket she had. About an hour ago she finally eased his temperature with a cold compress and now she has nothing to do but observing.
He looks so defensless and cute as a little child, lying so calmly on her bed. It scares her as much as everything in him: his soft lips, rough skin on his chin and a birthmark on his left cheek. It scares her mainly because she realises she likes it all.
„No. He is a HUMAN BEING. He is as frightening as other people", she thinks and stands up. She hates this feeling of being in danger and for the first time in her life she feels a need to escape from her own house.
But instead of doing it she adds some more slivers to her stove. The water is boiling so she brews previously dried hyperitum. This times she prepares two tinny mugs. She stands one of them on a chair next to Tobi's bed.
The brew is steaming and Aethernia escapes to the next room.
She leaves the door opened.
***
Tobi wakes up in pain. He feels throbbing ache in his temples and the glaring light firstly forces him to close his eyes again. He waits a few seconds and tries again. This time he succeeds. He sees bumpy bars on the ceiling and the silent music reaches his ears. Someone is singing and playing an instrument, probably banjo, but Tobi isn't sure. He lies in a warm bed, wrapped up in a blanket, in a house he doesn't know at all.
„What the fuck happened with me?", he thinks and tries to sit up. He manages, although every bone in his body hurts as if he fell from heights.
„Oh God", he thinks again, when everything appears in his memory again „I remember. I was going on a trip on my motorcycle. And it happened while I was crossing this sick, dark forest somewhere in Poland. The pouring rain came and then... I don't know, I remember only rain..."
Suddenly he realises the music disappeared in silence, so he decides to break it:
-Hello? Is anyone here?
Nothing happens and everything remains as silent as before. So he tries again:
-Where am I?
This time he hears a silent voice coming from the next room. It belongs to a woman, he's sure about it.
-You are safe.
Nothing more. The voice is very cold and the irrepressible shiver comes down Tobi's spine.
-Did you save me? - he asks again, still not knowing who's the owner of this scary voice. And again he gets the cold respond:
-Sort of. Drink the brew. It stands next to your bed.
Tobi grasps the mug. He's full of doubt, but the thirst wins and he quaffs the drink. It's not hot anymore, but it's still warm in a nice way.
-Thank you - he says, putting down the empty mug - Can I know your name? Or just see a face of my saviour?
-I'm Aethernia- she answers with the same cold tone.
-Nice to meet you. I'm Tobi.
-I know- says Aethernia and suddenly he hears a sobbing, full of fear and helplessness. The door closes truculently and Tobi faces loneliness again.