queen of hearts / enoch o'connor / on hiatus

viii.

*

The wind blew against my skin as Enoch drags me to someplace. He had been easily silent the whole time, making wonder if he was out to murder me or something.

"Can you tell me where we're going now?" 

"We're here." He says as I hearth waves and I realized we were near the beach.

He helps me sit down on the sand and I feel the grains rubbing against my toes.

"Now what are we going to do?" I ask since he hasn't spoken at all. "I haven't really thought about what to do when I dragged you here." 

"Are you okay? It must hurt knowing about Victor. Have you visited him yet?"

"I haven't. Why would he be so stupid as to even try and go outside. Now look what happened, he's dead and now Bronwyn doesn't have a brother." He says, voice shaking with anger and remorse. I put a hand on what I believe to be his shoulder and he surprisingly doesn't take it off.

The sound of the waves were calm and the birds rarely made noise, it was as if the world was mourning with us. As if the ocean mourned for the loss of a friend.

"I don't think I can say anything that would console you. Nothing did when I woke up to the fact that the people I treated like family was gone." I spoke up, sadness coating my words, "Everyday I live is a day I remember them. But one day it will be better I suppose. Besides, you have family here that will help you get through this."

"What was your friend like?" He asks, words slow and careful.

"She was brave and caring. Jane never left me alone, even when I lost my vision. She was quite the friend, always so willing to walk into fire to save her friends." I smile sadly, remembering the life of my dear friend. My friend who was never afraid of me, even at my lowest points.

"You lost your vision? But I thought you had it as a child. What happened?" 

"An accident. A stupid accident that left me impaired with cloth around my eyes. I probably would have been dead if it weren't for my peculiarity." I spoke bitterly, reminiscing the incident that almost took away my life and ended up taking away something much worse.

"Now I have to wear this thing so I won't scare other people." I gesture to the fabric strip covering my eyes like lady justice.

I hear him move against the sand when the cloth was suddenly taken away form my eyes.

"Enoch what have you done?" I shout, putting one hand on my face as I pat the sand for the cloth.

"What's so scary about it? There's nothing to be afraid of Frances." He says as I shake my head, trying my best to cover my non-existent eyes.

He pulls my hands away from my face despite my resistance and I look to the side, afraid of his reaction.

"Please look away." My hands were held by his tightly, preventing me from doing anything. 

"Frances I'm not afraid and so should you. I tamper with the hearts of animals, this is probably nothing." His hands loosen but I don't bring them back up to my face.

I move my face to the sound of his voice, defeated and embarrassed.

"A hollowgast..." Enoch breaks the silence and I nod slowly.

"I'm guessing you want an explanation." 

"Not if you don't want to." 

"No it's fine," I spoke quietly, "Well it happened back in my old loop..."

*