Strings - Camp NaNoWriMo 2017

«Castle in the Woods - 6»

Aurel awoke in a daze of colors. Everything seemed distorted, too bright, too large, too loud. She lifted her head, trying not to take in too much at once.

Selphie was sitting beside her, cradling something in her hands. Aurel sat up farther.

"He's dead," Selphie said, shattering the fragile silence. She turned towards Aurel. Her eyes held no remorse, so sadness. Just an empty, emotionless stare.

Aurel blinked. In Selphie's cupped hands lay the limp body of her pet lizard. Its wings were crumpled and unkempt, its tiny eyes closed, never to open again.

Aurel reached out a still-unsteady hand, stroking the little animal's back. "Biscuit..."

Selphie stood up abruptly. "It was the wings," she said, showing no sign of any sadness. "They grew into his system, weaving themselves in until in the end, they hit something vital." Selphie took a small wooden box off a shelf and sat back down on the bed.

She was silent for a long while after that, staring at the ground. Aurel looked down at her feet. She knew she ought to be feeling something, but for some reason... she didn't. Just a hollow patch in her heart where her compassion should have been.

Gently, Aurel scooped the body of the animal from Selphie's hands. She began to pick off leaves from the vines that grew at her feet and fill the box with them. Once her work was done she lay Biscuit into the makeshift bed and turned back to Selphie. She was still quiet, staring at nothing.

"The wings don't work," she finally uttered flatly. "They kill you."

Aurel placed a tentative hand on Selphie's shoulder, unsure of what exactly to do. Selphie didn't look up. She was lost in her own world.

"I just wanted..." she started. She paused to take a shaky breath. "I just wanted... for him to fly."

"He did fly," said Aurel softly, finding her voice.

"I know," said Selphie solemnly. "I know."

Minutes passed them by in silence, neither of them daring to speak the first words. Finally Aurel stood up and placed the lid upon the wooden box. She took a few tentative steps outside, waiting to see if Selphie would follow her. She didn't.

Aurel made her way into their makeshift backyard. After a quick glance around she located a shovel, and got to work. The hole didn't need to be big, and the soil was soft and mailable. In a few minutes, she was done.

Aurel stepped back to inspect her work, scooping up the box in her hands. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but didn't turn around. She knew who it was.

The air was still, the evening cool. Selphie hummed a low song as Aurel placed the box into the hole and replaced the layer of dirt. Still, she felt nothing.

The last note cut off. The last scoop of soil was placed. Selphie and Aurel began to walk back inside.

No words were exchanged. None were needed. The death of Biscuit hadn't been a mere loss of a pet. It had disrupted Selphie's entire project, placed a unjust price on her practices.

"Aurel," she finally said once thy ha made it back into the room. Aurel perked up. "Come here."

Aurel stood, weaving through the clutter on the floor.

"It's time you knew."

Selphie touched two fingers to Aurel's forehead. She felt a prickling sensation, a pulse of electricity as their skin made contact. When Selphie pulled back, her lips were drawn into a small, sad smile.

Aurel blinked slowly. She reached a hand to her back, her fingers inching down as far as they could. Suddenly they reached something. Something hard. Metal.

Aurel frowned, uncomprehending, tracing the foreign object.  The metal rod led to gears, the gears to a joint, the joint to more rods. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until she finally had to exhale, her breath catching. Down reached her other hand, groping, trying to make sense of it all.

Selphie watched her, expressionless. Then she reached up and grabbed the end of a dust-covered sheet and tugged it down. It fell to the ground in a cascade of dust, revealing a clouded mirror.

All at once, Aurel's hands fell away. She gazed at her reflection, mesmerized by what she saw.

A pair of spectacular wings, bronze clockwork laced with genuine feathers, protruded from her back. Gone were the scars of the knife cuts, replaced by neatly sewn skin, cleaned, healed.

Aurel couldn't find the words. "You-"

"Yeah." Selphie's eyes seemed to almost get some of their shine back. She sighed. "They're so beautiful." The she tore her gaze away, remembering. "But..."

Aurel merely started, unsure of what to feel.

"Aurel," continued Selphie. "This is what I love. This is what I live to do. It's my passion." She took Aurel's hands in hers, staring into her eyes. "I'm just sad that we won't be together forever like I said we would be." She gave Aurel's hands a squeeze. "I'm sorry."

Aurel stared back, unable to from a response. "I..."

Selphie pulled Aurel closer, anxious.

"I understand," finished Aurel.

"You do?" breathed Selphie, eyes alight.

"I... do." Aurel frowned. Wrong. Wrong. The word kept appearing in her swirling thoughts, standing out against the clutter. But somehow, at the same time, it was as if Selphie's thoughts were linked to hers. She could understand her passion, her sorrow, that flutter of hope inside her that willed Aurel to stay.

Wrong.

Aurel simply shook her head. How could something like this possibly be bad?

Selphie began tracing the wings with a delicate touch, oblivious to the raging conflict. "They're not done yet," she said slowly. "There's still more that I have to do."

"Oh."

"I'll finish in no time." Then Selphie smiled, really, genuinely. "It might be short-lived, but-" She stepped behind Aurel, sliding her arms between the clockwork wings and around her neck, embracing her as she leaned close to her ear. Her next words came a out a sweet, soft whisper.

"You'll fly."

{End of Story One}