Scrawl

Hibernate (story 25)

: )

Bee peeked around the corner and surveyed the little room with more caution than they did most things. A dust-coated endtable, an armchair shrouded in cobwebs, a few other unloved things, but still not quite they were looking—aha! There!

They hid back behind the corner, turning to the two keeping them company.

"Yep, he's here."
"Called it" Elias mumbled, just barely loud enough for Bee and Annabell to hear. Bee shot him a sharp look for his troubles as they rose to their feet. Lighting a tiny flame on his fingertips, he led the way into the dim room.

Lewis sat on the floor, curled up in a tight ball beside the aforementioned dusty endtable. He studied every chip and crack on the floorboards and attempted to process the odd mixture of familiarity and confusion it sent swirling through his head.
A creak called out from his left, drawing his gaze to the doorway he'd passed through a million times (but he'd never been here before, so how could that be?). His friends entered, the soft glow of the flame reflected on their faces.
He turned away again, back to the puzzle that was the floor as the trio cautiously approached.

They kneeled down to his level, and for a minute nobody said a word, to busy searching for an opener.
Annabell was the first to gather her courage, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.
Lewis flinched slightly as she ran her hand back and forth over his shoulder..

"Hey."

He didn't look.

"Are you ok?"

He refused to acknowledge her beyond tightening his grip around his legs.
The three shared a worried look.
Elias spoke next, his free hand combing slowly through Lew's tangled hair.

"What you did, it was not your fault."

He couldn't look.

"He was going to...you did a bad thing for a good reason."

The floors looked almost pretty in this lighting, Lewis noted.
Bee placed a hand on his, rubbing their thumb over his knuckles.

"You didn't have a choice, Lewis."

He refused to look.

"We just want to help."

He couldn't, he shouldn't.
Annabell piped up.

"Please look at us."

He caved.

Staring back at him were three pairs of eyes, all familiar, but not puzzling.
Kindness swam in green.
concern swirled in brown
Sympathy rippled in blue.

Lew's vision blurred as water drops stained the antiquated floorboards before him.

Warmth curled around him in a tight group embrace as the fire flickered out.

Thanks for reading!