Sky Dust

Chapter 24

He stared out of the window. The village was peaceful, which calmed him down. Now all he had to do was wait for Vivia to wake up.

She didn't take long. When he turned around, she was already sitting on the bed and rubbing her eyes, simultaneously blinking away the sleep. Spencer remembered Rudy. He seemed eager to talk yesterday.

Spencer found his way into the living room, where Rudy was drinking something. He raised his hand as a greeting, and Spencer hurried to the table. There was a plate of cookies and a cup of what was probably the same drink as the one in Rudy's glass.

"Our tea must taste weird to you," Rudy pointed out.

"That's tea?"

"It is."

Spencer took a sip. It tasted good, but indeed strange.

As he picked up a donut, he turned his glance to Vivia. She ate in silence, but raised her eyes at him and grinned through the donut she was packing herself with.

He returned to his conversation with Rudy.

"I haven't eaten for a long time, you know."

"A day," Vivia finally spoke. "We haven't eaten for a day."

"A day, huh? Must be hard for a human," Rudy assumed. That made Spencer feel uncomfortable, like an exotic animal. He was being treated as if he were something special. Something lesser, even.

He finished the meal as soon as he could and left the table.

"Sure you don't want anything else?" Rudy asked. Spencer nodded and stared at Vivia, who put down the donut.

"I think I'll also go," she stood up. "We have to be fast. Stay safe, please."

"You stay safe," Rudy smiled as Spencer tugged on Vivia's shoulder. They simply left, and were outside in a minute.

"You find him difficult to talk to," Vivia announced simply. Not knowing what to say, Spencer nodded.

"He treats me like some endangered animal. As if I were a spectacle," he explained as he turned his face at the glittering snow. The sun was shining, and there were no trees, so he had to cover his eyes up somehow.

Something red sparked on the surface as he left the village. He kept his gaze on the spot to see if it would spark again. It did, more brightly than before, but the pace of the walk caused him to take his eyes away. At the new spot, he saw a whole bunch of red sparks. Now he noticed its precise color; it was blood red, and glittering.

Spencer stopped.

"What's there?" Vivia approached.

"See that red bunch?"

"No..."

Spencer leaned in to touch it.