Run Away With Me

Chapter 42: Your penultimate words.

Different scenarios play in my head, of blood and peace, of the most improbable situations to those who are more likely. My fingers part the pages as I memorize them, having the scenes play in my head to make the task much easier.

Fifteen hours on this task and yet I am not even half done. It's maybe because whenever I finish memorizing a page I go back and read it over and over again, to make sure what I've memorized isn't wrong. You would doubt yourself, too, if you were to read even a fifth of this nonsense.

Nonsense.

That's what I've been calling it since I've started.

The notebook that Nao handed me isn't just something he was busy scribbling on or a simple plan he conjured. It is much, much, more. A two year plan maybe, but considering I'm only at the half, maybe a five year plan.

Detailed scenarios of what may happen intersecting into different ones, making me read back and forth between option 145A, B, C or D and 146A, B, C, D, E, F or G. it's making my head hurt. But I'm determined to finish this in less than two days.

I part another page and begin reading, following the lines to the actions that must be taken to contain the damage. I've read and memorized about half a million different scenarios and I still can't get over how bizarre some of them are or how Nao even managed to think of them.

My body slides forward and I stop myself with my legs, wriggling so I can reposition myself in my previous position. The train lurches and stops and I take this time to read the page over again.

Okay, I've memorized 148A and B, but 149A is similar to B, what's the difference? Oh, right, the following consequences. Okay, imagine the scene and memorize it, then go back and go over the other thousands of scenes you have in your head.

Ugh!

"Want to take a break?" Nao asks.

I ignore him, crawling into myself and focusing on my imagination. He pokes my cheek and I turn away from him, crunching up into the corner of our train seat and pulling my blanket over my head.

A staggering weight presses against my back and I huff, annoyed.

"What?" I snap, turning and having him fall onto the seat. He remains laid, looking up at me with those startling bright eyes. I huff again and cock my eyebrow, annoyed now for a different reason. "Move." He doesn't twitch a muscle at my request, remaining sprawled over our seat.

I huff again and turn, sitting down on the seat opposite us, where Jamaica and Yaya are twisted into each other, asleep. You may call it bad parenting, but I'm no parent, and I'm sure Nao isn't either.

I move Jamaica's head a bit and sit on the tiny space, diving back into the notebook and concentrating. From my peripheral view, I see Nao sit up, placing me with a look. I ignore him, but I'm not concentrating anymore.

He crosses his arms and the simple action ticks me off.

"What?" I ask again. He doesn't reply, only scowls. "What's your problem?" He diverts his eyes and stares out the window, watching the train station. I turn to look and notice the blanket of snow falling. It isn't supposed to be winter in the south at this time of year, but the more south we go, the more white I see.

And it makes me anxious, so I bury myself in this notebook and try to imagine these scenes that will keep my mind from it.

The train lurches again and begins moving. I slide forward and stop myself by pressing my foot against the opposite seat. I mutter an apology when I see that I've braced myself on Nao's knee instead.