Clair de Lune

17. Cold

It was later that night, the sun beginning to set over the horizon and casting shadows onto the house through the trees. I was standing in the kitchen and washing the plates we'd been using throughout the day, thinking about how my life was going to be different from now on. Different seemed like a good option though, seeing as different was what I'd been wanting for years.

Just thinking about it I lifted my hand in the air, watching as the water evaporated instantly from my skin and it became engulfed in flames. The wavering warmth that radiated from the orange energy made me feel safe, like I could actually defend myself from any danger I was faced with. I'd never felt this powerful before, or even in control of my own life. It may not have gone exactly the way I'd wanted it to, but in a way, I got the freedom I'd been longing for. It may not have been on the west coast, but it was more homey than anything I'd known before.

"Hey, how are you doing in here?"

"Oh, hey." I smiled, turning around to see Necro walk in. "I'm just about done, how's everything with Marshall?"

"Well, we've got the basic outline for a plan going." He leaned against the edge of the counter, crossing his arms in front of his chest while he spoke. "We'll go in through the same way we came out, using the garden hatch this time instead of the vent."

"At least we'll be using the more reasonable route, not to mention I don't think Marshall could fit in the vent with shoulders like his." I chortled, earning a smile from him. "When will we be going?"

"Sometime next week probably, we need time to figure the rest of the plan out and get the supplies we need. Luckily Marshall's a good shoplifter."

"So was Nolan," I laughed to myself, "too bad we didn't grab my bag before we ran, I had five grand stashed in there."

"Five grand?!"

We both turned to look at the other end of the kitchen where the rotting dining table sat. There was a hole in the ceiling that must've led into the master bedroom, because suddenly Marshall's head poked through, his eyes wide in shock as he stared me down. I pursed my lips and put my hands on my hips, my eyebrow arching dramatically in question.

"Yes, five grand." I told him. "We can get it when we go back, I'm sure they won't have touched anything of mine."

"You're utterly useless, you know that?" He scowled, and I grabbed ahold of a steak knife, throwing it at his head. The sheer terror in his eyes as the blade stopped only centimeters from his forehead was absolutely precious.

"Do you want your meals cooked for you in the future or is that just not one of my uses?" I purred, watching as he nodded numbly. The knife dropped to the ground with a clatter and I grinned deviously, "good."

"You are somethin' else, sweetheart."

He pulled himself back up into his room before I could throw another knife at him, this one landing in the wall adjacent and cutting through where his cranium would've been only moments before. Necro was snickering in the corner the whole time, walking forward just to pull the knife from the wall and hand it back to me.

"Thank you." I huffed.

"You're not useless," he dropped his voice, his tone surprising me, "don't listen to him. You've been more help than I ever could've asked for."

"I've heard worse from my family," I laughed darkly, "but thank you Necro. It feels nice to be appreciated for once."

"Any time Hellfire."

I was left to my own devices as he left the room, and I decided I wanted to go take a breath of fresh air. The screen door pushed open easily and I stepped out into the slightly muddied grass, my shoes having finally dried enough to wear. There was a garden that looked like it had just been used recently, rows of seeds planted and hiding from the sunshine. Soon little flowers, you'll sprout. I smiled and patted the damp earth before straightening up again and taking a look into the woods around me.

Everything was absolutely cascaded in green and drizzled in chocolate, the decaying leaves from the fall before scattered beneath the reaching limbs. I'd never appreciated the wilderness before now, but being thrown into it so suddenly gave me a completely different view altogether. I'd be living here and I'd learn to love it, but I was looking forward to it.

The sun finally set on the other side of the forest and the sky was slowly fading to a navy blue, casting everything in shadows and growing starlight. I walked back into the house and locked the door, moving out into the front room to do the same. Necro was lying on the couch with a blanket, having already gotten ready for bed seeing as the sun was running on summer time and was going to be setting later and later every day. I wasn't feeling quite tired yet so I picked up something I'd found earlier that day and trotted up the stairs. The book was slightly dampened and warped, but it was still legible and I was excited to read it. The Catcher in the Rye was one of those books that Mrs. Walker knew was banned so she refused to let us even own a copy, let alone take a peek inside its covers. I snuggled into the blankets and opened it up, using a fire from my free hand to illuminate the lettering.

A noise on the stairs distracted me, and the fire extinguished just as there was a knock on my door. I gave the usual permission to come inside and I saw Necro poke his head through the door, his white orbs practically glowing in the darkness. I could almost smell the fear coming off of him, and while I was curious as to what it was for, I knew it was best not to ask for the moment.

"What's up?" I asked, concerned for him.

"I uh, I really hate saying this, but it's really cold downstairs and I was having bad dreams because of it." He laughed uneasily. "Would it be okay if I stayed up here and just talked for a while? Like we did at PASCI?"

"Of course, come here." I patted the bed space beside me, giving him a big smile when he came and sat down beside me. He was shirtless and wearing slightly thicker sweats than the ones PASCI had issued us.

"Thank you," Necro laughed, somewhat embarrassed, "I hate sleeping, honestly."

"What do you dream about?" I asked curiously, and his face darkened.

"Voices. They're all over the place, begging me to bring them back and pleading for their lives." He huffed to himself quietly. "I don't know what they want from me, I can't do anything to help. I don't even know who they are."

"I'm sorry." I reached out, placing my hand on his shoulder like he'd done for me so many times. Necro leaned into my touch and I smiled, scooting closer to him.

"It's okay, one day they'll quiet down and I'll be able to think clearly." He chuckled, turning his head in an attempt to make it seem like he was looking at me. "Do you ever dream about things like that?"

"I dream about losing the people I love and burning to death in the fires inside my mind," I said gently, a lilt to my voice, "other times I don't dream at all."

"I wish I could be dream-free." Necro shivered, and I felt myself scowl slightly.

"Come here."

He paused, unsure of what I was wanting before he finally scooted up against my side. I didn't hesitate to throw the blankets over him and pull his arm over my shoulders, snuggling into his side while he leaned back against the headboard. It was strange when there was a sound I wasn't expecting, that of utter silence from within his chest. I rested my head there and enjoyed the feeling of his ice cold skin more than I'd liked to admit.

"You're so warm," he whispered, his lips brushing against my hair.

I would've replied, but before I could I realized he was nodding off. I couldn't escape his grasp now, and we laid there, cradled against each other for a long while. I stared up at him, taking in his features and putting them all to memory. I felt like I hadn't done that enough before the fire, I took everyone's faces for granted because I got to see them every day. Here though, things could be ripped from your grasp without even a moment's notice, and I didn't want to let my memories of now go to waste just because I hadn't paid enough attention.

I started to grow drowsy as well, feeling my eyelids grow heavy and eventually falling to cover my eyes gently. It was nice to fall asleep wrapped up in someone's arms, their touch having chased away the threat of a gut-wrenching nightmare. The safety was still here, and I used it to my advantage. I fell asleep with a smile on my face yet again.