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fracture the 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 ...
RIA LAY ON her back, her fingers grazing over the soft tufts of grass which settled beneath her body. The girl's eyes were closed as she focused on her breathing, the way her chest rose and fell in a gentle yet consistent pattern and the calm steadiness of it.
She was under the huge, gnarled apple tree that was located in the south-east area of the Glade. Ria liked the way it's twisted branches hung over her, bearing it's gifts of fruit. It was as if it was shielding her from the world outside it's thick canopy of leaves. She hadn't dreamt at all last night and it had irritated her. Ria needed another glimpse into what could've been her past.
"Hey, Ria. Can I sit?"
Ria opened her eyes, lifting her head. Her eyes were met with Chuck's who was stood above her, an untroubled grin on his lips.
"Hey, Chuck. 'Course you can." Ria responded, sitting up so her back rested against the rough but sturdy trunk of the tree. She scooted over to make space for the boy next to her. He collapsed beside her, letting out a huff as he did so. They sat in silence for a while. Not an empty silence, but the kind of silence where the world seemed to stop. A silence that enveloped the wind in a blissful serenity. It was Ria's favourite type of silence.
Eventually, she broke the quietude and turned to Chuck. "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing, actually," he shook his head, dark curls bouncing wildly. "It's nice to not be thinking sometimes."
Ria thought about this carefully. "You're right, you know? I think I've done enough of that to last me a lifetime." An odd contentment settled over her and she embraced it, almost accepting her new life. It felt good.
Chuck laughed, uprooting a few tufts of grass. "So, are we friends now?"
"Of course we are, I wouldn't have it any other way."
Impossibly, the boy's smile grew. "Good. How's your hand?" he motioned to the plaster covering her cut. Whatever Clint had done, it seemed to have worked. Ria only felt the slightest tinge of pain whenever she moved it. She tested it again by extending her hand in front of her eyes, flexing her fingers slowly.
"It's much better, thanks." Ria paused. "How come Clint has all that medical knowledge, you know? It can't just be an odd coincidence that he knows all of that? I thought nobody could remember anything apart from their names."
