Pride and Ashes: A werewolf Story

Chapter 17: In Which I Drown

You spent so long 

wondering

and asking

"How can anyone love me?"

and you counted your flaws

but didn't have any fingers left

for strengths

and when someone finally 

said they loved you 

all you could ask 

was "Why?"

instead of telling them

that you loved then, too. 

- AKR 

The sound of water pounding on flesh could be heard from the next room.

Lizzy and Jane sat quietly together, for once the pair silent and lost in thought. 

The silence was broken however by Jane's quick movement up from the bed. 

"We need to help her," Jane said.

Lizzy blinked her eyes owlishly at her, trying to regain focus on reality. She had been so lost in thoughts of the past. 

"How?" Lizzy whispered. She seemed to have curled up into herself, with eyes that were far away from the problem at hand. Jane knew what she was thinking of, and quickly gave Lizzy's shoulder a shake. 

"We are focusing on Fayette right now Lizzy. Focus." 

Lizzy nodded and her eyes cleared up. Whatever train of thought she was traveling, quickly abandoned her as she got up from the coach and followed Jane to the bathroom door. 

"It's my fault," Lizzy whispered, as both girls leaned their heads in to hear better what was going on. "I told her to dance. To have fun. And now this happened." 

Jane shuffled closer to Lizzy and rubbed their shoulders together. "Fayette is in charge of the choices she chooses to make." 

Both girls looked into each other's eyes and gave a small nod. Slowly, Lizzy opened the door. 

Steam clouded up the small room making it thick and moist. Lizzy left the door open as she and Jane traveled to the shower. 

Drawing back the curtain, they saw a girl huddled in the middle, sitting down with her legs drawn up to her chest, as water beated onto her back. 

She had been in there for almost an hour now. 

They had put her there after the Ceremony, not knowing what else to do. 

"FAYETTE!" Lizzy had screamed. Jane and her watched with eyes full of excitement. 

Fayette, however, looked flustered and dazed after having run up the flights of stairs to reach the booth that controlled the lighting and music.