Your Heart

Chapter Six

I left the tent and immediately went to my own, sitting down. Her face seemed shallow like her emotions only came in waves, seeming to only have a constant, overhanging dread on her. I zipped up my tent, and laid down on my back, staring at the ceiling. She must have been confused by what I said. I close my eyes, sighing. What did she see in my eyes? I noticed she kept staring at them. I guess I was just as bad, though, since I was doing the exact same thing. Her eyes looked like winter snow, falling onto an iced over lake. They seemed to cry out as if she was longing something.

I told myself that eventually, I'd have to go back to the city, but I wonder if she will accompany me. I need to keep an eye on her, since she survived the war, and there was something about her...

I zipped open my own tent, looking towards hers. The lantern illuminated the walls of her tent, casting shadows that seemed to dance. I got up and slowly walked towards her structure. I hesitated, then lightly knocked on the metal foundation of the tent, but there was no reply. I gave up, slowly walking back to my own tent. I flopped down on my sleeping bag, closing my eyes. The sound of a stick breaking caused me to sit up, and look out of my still open tent entrance. Phoenix was sitting outside the doorway, staring at me with her icy eyes shooting daggers at me.

"What are you doing here," I say, smiling at her.

"Why do you think I'm here?" She questioned.

My face twists and I put on a mask of complete confusion. "What?" I reply, and my face eases. "Just tell me what you wanna say, okay?"

"Maybe I just wanted to sit with you in silence." She whispers, staring at me even more attentively.

"How about we talk about something..." I said thoughtfully. "How about our family?"

"Okay.. well, since I was a child, it was hard to vocalize emotions, since I didn't feel them. I was never introduced to communication skills," She says, using her arms to hug her waist. "My mother was kind, but I never felt like I was close to anyone in my family. I had an older brother, but he was so much older than me he didn't live with us anymore. But I'm unsure if anyone in my family survived."

I sit there, unsure what to do, so I put an arm on her shoulder, and she scooted away a little. "It's okay, Phoenix. I was only 7 when that happened, is that how old you were too?"

"Sorta," She says. "I was 6"

"Oh," I mutter. "So you're a year younger than me.."

"What?" she questions, looking up to me.

"We should go to the nearby city and figure out what to do from there. I think we get jobs and try to maybe make a living?" He says, looking down to her before resting his chin on her head.

"Where would we live, though?" She says, worried. "We couldn't pay for two living spaces, right?"

I smile. She's adorable. "We could always live together, yeah?"

"That does seem like the most logical choice." She says in that strange, cute way she does.

"It will be fine, we just have to find a two-bedroom apartment, you know?" I say, looking out the open door into the origin of the fire. I look into her eyes, but she's avoiding looking into mine.

"I don't know if I'm ready now, but I'll say the word when I am." She whispers.