Memento Mori

01

Liesel stood looking at the small wooden cabin in front of her. She couldn't help but tilt her head with confused, green eyes. It was definitely cosy looking, and somehow she believed it was perhaps deceptively bigger than what it appeared. A small part of it looked a little creepy, what with it just being situated within a woodland space and all. However, scrutinising it, she listened to Erik quietly talk to the taxi driver behind her, before the sound of tires reached her ears. It was more the appearance of speaking German that got her. How could it not? She was a sucker for Erik speaking their native language, she always had been. She never understood his aversion to it, she reckoned it was just something from his past.

Despite all they had been through together, the two of them were still strangers in that respect. Erik had never talked about his family, although Liesel knows what happened to them. She however made it clear about her family, all but her mother. Inhaling deeply, she shook her head, wobbling a little on her crutches, she couldn't help but get deep in thought. After all, this was a new start, wasn't it? That, and, well, thinking of family made her stomach twist painfully, Gretchen. Her twin was back in America, none the wiser to Liesel now being back in their homeland. She was going to be in for it, she knew it. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but it would happen.

Frowning she squeezed her eyes shut, her mind kept drifting and it was very annoying! All she wanted to do was finish looking over this building, this house which was before her. Give it definite points for seclusion; Liesel was certain anyone else would probably be worried, if just a little bit, for being seemingly in the middle of nowhere. But Liesel actually found herself warming to this, and she hadn't even stepped foot inside. There was something natural, calming and peaceful about being surrounded by all these trees, she even looked up and flicked her gaze over the varied colours of green leaves above her. Nature was beautiful, and she couldn't wait to fully explore once her leg and other injuries had healed.

She inhaled deeply, exhaled just as such. She used to go camping, when she was young. Her father would take herself and Gretchen. This place was always going to make memories resurface. It just so happened that these surroundings in particular were doing it for her, because she'd been in surroundings like this when she was a child, before the world fell apart and she lost almost everything. Her heart hurt, like a vice was squeezing it as she stood there.

Letting out a breathless sound, she looked down at her feet. The muddy ground littered with leaves and other foliage just stared back up at her. This was the first time she'd been back in her homeland for just over ten years, give or take a few, Liesel had lost count. It felt surreal. Like she was dreaming. She'd always dreamt of coming home, of course she had, she presumed that was always natural. This was her country, despite of everything, this was her home. Erik stopped beside her, Liesel being silent was never a good thing. Years of knowing her had taught him that.

Yet, here she stood looking sad. Her usually vivid eyes simmering to a dull green as she looked around the space in front of them both. He frowned, he didn't like the thought of her being sad. Surely she couldn't be regretting coming here so soon? They'd only been back in the country for about an hour. Erik shifted his weight, his boots squelching a little in the mud, clearly they had had rain in the last twenty four hours making the ground soft and clingy. Maybe she didn't like the wooden cabin before them? Erik knew it wasn't quite Charles's manor, or her comfortable looking home with Gretchen, but this place could be like that; give the safety of the manor, yet the content feeling of homeliness with someone close. Erik for one, would protect this place with his life. He'd protect her, with his life moreover.

This place gave the solitude which Erik felt they both needed. They didn't need nosey neighbours, and they were close enough to the town, once Erik got a car at least. As for needing town trips, he could cheat; take slight liberties and glide to the outskirts before acting normally like he's just walked. "Liesel-?" Erik readjusted the hold on her bag, looking back at her as she bit her lip and looked suddenly up at the building again.