(Garmau) I Have Hope

Chapter 16 |the cloth|

Aphmau's P.O.V~

The glowing lights of the village were now visible beyond the thick forest. It feels as if we have been walking for nearly an hour, but I guess that's my fault, because I'm still weak after passing out. I keep on having to stop to take a break, so I must be driving Garroth crazy. At least the weather is nice... Not too warm and not to hot... If only leaves weren't constantly falling on my head! I started to swat at the leaves stuck in my hair, only pulling on it.

"Darn it stupid leaves!" I yelled, defeated.

I got a chuckle from Garroth in response.

We continued to walk, and I managed to untangle the leaves from my hair. We entered the gate walls together, and walked up to my house.

"I guess this is goodnight," Garroth mentions, as I walk up to me purple door.

"I guess so, too," I respond, not knowing what else to say. "Goodnight Garroth!" I wave.

He nods, "g'night, Aphmau."

I walk up to my purple bed, and fall into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning~

I slowly opened my eyes, only to have bright red hair and someone right in my face.

"Gah!" I shout, startled.

My friend, Kiki, was now laughing, sitting in the edge of my bed.

"How long have you been standing there?!" I yell.

She answers, with a giggle every once in a while, "quite a while. Man you can sleep in, Aphmau. I took care of my animals, so I decided to come and chat, since it's been a while."

She was wearing a red and white shirt, and a white skirt. Her red hair matched her outfit perfectly, and it made her green eyes stand out. Kiki lives at a barn, where she also takes care of the abundance of animals she owns.

"Oh. I guess it has been a while since we talked," I tried to make conversation, but really, I just wanted to be alone after finding out about Levin. I smiled, not letting her know that I wanted to be alone.

"So what's been going on lately, Aphmau? Oh, I'm so sorry about Levin... I know that it's probably hard for you," she mentions.

Great. The one topic I was trying to avoid.

"Oh, I'm alright. Just a bit upset is all," I lied.

"Oh, well that's good. I-" she tried to say something but we heard a voice shout from downstairs,

"Kiki, I think that your cow is sick! It keeps on making weird noises!" I recognize the voice to be Zoey. I wonder how she's doing about the whole Levin-gone-and-is-most-likely-dead-scenario?

"Oh, coming!" Kiki yelled back. She looked over at me apologetically, "sorry, but I gotta go. This is important."

"Oh, no problem!" I reassured her.

She nodded, leaving. I heard Zoey leave with her as well.

Good, I'm alone.

I heard something crash downstairs.

Oh great, one of them probably forgot something and knocked something over.

I swung my legs from the bed, and walked to the door. Once I was downstairs, I looked for someone. Anyone. And I only saw nothing. Only the door was left ajar...

Who would leave my door open, after they just broke something?

I heard a window shut upstairs.

I sprinted up the steps, taking two at a time, and ran into my open bedroom. There was nothing.

Except a piece of dark gray cloth stuck in my closed window.