Kyno: Shadows

3 | Touch

Nora POV

I toyed with the gem hanging from my neck by a small string. I remember when my grandma gave it to me. I remember my grandma...

•••

The coffin stood in front of me. I was dressed in black, even though it wasn't really my color. Dad sobbed nearby while mom handed him kleenexes, although it should've been the other way around since mom was grandma's child.

Everyone at the funeral stood in groups, talking about my late grandmother's happy memories. It felt like my throat was knotted, and someone is continuously punching my stomach. When you have lost someone you have lost, and you were close, it feels like falling through darkness, helpless, with no-one around you. You want to shut yourself in your room, sit in the highest place possible, and grieve.

My grandma had always watched over me when I was small, so she must be watching me now. We had spent so much time together. Eating pie, telling stories by a warm fire, having fiddle lessons... it was great. Yet now she was gone.

Open casket only made it worse. I stared at her cold, lifeless face. I kissed two of my fingers and placed them on her forehead.

"Goodbye," I choked out, and turned away.

•••

My hand brushed my necklace as I remembered the funeral. Prune-hill, or whatever her name was, sat next to me, face blank.

I glanced over at her, observing her style. She wore a dark dress, and her black leather boots were zipped up neatly, not a speck of other color on it. I'll get a chance to talk to her, I thought.

Later that day, I found her at locker 13, staring into it as if it was beckoning her to curl up inside it. The lock was broken, so anyone could have opened it without putting in a series of codes.

"Hello!" I smiled at her, but Burny-bill or whatever her name was didn't even glance at me.

"Hello..." she paused, and finally looked at me. "Nora."

"Bunoven- I mean....? What's your name again?"

"Brunhild."

"Babechild?"

"Brunhild."

"...Hillprune."

She sighed. "Brunhild."

"Brun... Bun... Bunny!"

She groaned at me, and continued looking into her locker for whatever reason. "Sure.... Nora..." For the first time, I noticed she had a more... colorful bracelet on her wrist. I can't believe I haven't noticed it before! Yet it not only stood out against her goth style, something seemed familiar about it. I couldn't quite place my finger on it...

The bell rang, interrupting my thoughts. Bunny closed her locker carefully, and began to walk away.

"Wait!" I said, then blushed. I barely knew her, and she barely knew me. "Want to hang out?"

She stared at me, purple eyes unblinking. "You have a lot of friends already. Why me?" She turned, and I reached out.

"Please?" I asked, then grabbed her shoulder.

•••

If only I hadn't done that. If only I hadn't sat next to her, or gone to that school. My life would be regular. That day changed everything. Even the bonds with my family. Even the bonds with my twin, Henry. If only I knew...