Riana
Riana didn't see Azter until next week. It was after her time at the graveyard that morning. She had pulled herself into the hollowed hole in the tree and sat waiting for Midnight. She waited. And waited...
And waited..
The crow didn't come. She climbed out of the tree. Riana kicked the gravel path as she left the cemetery, scuffing her converse. Stupid crow. She thought to herself.
Rianas anger about the crow not showing up quickly faded to sadness. The crow didn't always come. It was fine. No big deal. Lonely. The word echoed in her mind. She was lonely, but would never admit it.
Riana walked into the school building and scanned the halls for Azter as she had every day since they'd met. But rather than the other times, this time she saw him.
As if realizing she was looking at him he glanced up. Az smiled at Riana. She smiled back and started walking towards him. He closed his locker greeting her. "Hello"
"Hey" she replied. She kept her eyes busy looking at her feet. Her shoes were a little scuffed up... She felt a hand lift her chin. It was Az. He was forcing her gaze on his. Riana leaned slightly forward. Here it comes. She thought. He's going to kiss me. And with that he let his hand fall to the side.
"I'm sorry" he said instead. Riana looked down again but quickly looked back up. "I-it's fine. I wouldn't kiss you anyway, we just met" She scoffed. There was an awkward pause. Then Az asked suddenly, "Do you wanna Ditch with me" Riana looked up at a smiling Azter. She quirked an eyebrow. "Ditch with you?" she repeated. "Yea" He shrugged, "Why not?" "Why?" Riana countered."There's something I want to show you" He had stopped smiling his expression turning serious. "Alright" she agreed. What am I doing? "I'll ditch with you."
Azter led Riana out the school doors and down the familiar gravel path to the graveyard. The smell of roses grew stronger as they came closer. And that sweet tang. What was that smell? Then it hit her. Death. The sweet tang that changed as the seasons passed. Changed into a rotten tang, turned to a smell that you couldn't barley stand to inhale. Riana grew uneasy. She glanced at Az. He looked unfazed.
"So..." he started "what do you like to do?" Riana looked down at her feet as she walked. One foot in front of the other. "Not much" She stated. Az glanced at her nervously. "Isn't there anything you like to do? You find fun?" He asks. "Anything that makes you happy?" You. She almost said but stopped herself. You don't know him! She scolded herself. "I like to write" she gestured slightly to the graveyard in front of them. "Here" She pointed to the big tree. "Interesting" he replied, and smiled knowingly. Riana smiled back. The uneasy feeling she had before, vanishing completely.
Az walked right up to her tree. "Here we are" he said, pulling himself up and into the hollow of the tree. "What are we doing here?" Riana asked. She stood on her toes peering in to look at Az. "You'll see. Now get up here." He laughed slightly. Riana hesitated. But scrambled in after him. Az was running his hand over the wood inside the tree. It was dark. Whatever he's looking for he's not gonna find it. She thought, rolling her eyes. The only light was the light pouring in through the hole that Riana had just climbed through. And she was blocking most of it.
Az reached a knot in the tree and stopped moving his hand. He glanced back at Riana. Pushing down on the knot, the wood beneath him seemed to crumble away as he fell in and was gone. Riana cried out searching the inside of the hollow for signs of a hole he could've fell in. Nothing. Before she could think betterof it, (or think at all) Riana pulled the knot, and let herself fall into the darkness.
