The Marble Tower

-32-

Aaly woke up with heavy eyes and a foggy mind, like she had just woken up from a dream, but couldn't quite remember what had happened, or if it where a dream at all. She propped her self up one one elbow and reached over to light a candle on her nightstand. Her hand met dirt.

A vague memory popped into her mind.

Those girls.

She pushed herself up and attempted to stand up. Falling back down she crawled out of the tent, a hint of red on her cheeks.

She had always assumed that it would be easy to get used to walking around and standing on her two feet. But in reality it was a lot harder than that. Her legs still burned as she, again, tried pushing herself onto her feet. She had just started walking yesterday, if you could call it that, and she had gone on doing it for most of the early morning. Though this time she managed to stand up.

It was dark out. Thee moon shining brightly above beginning it's waning. The stars burned bright and the crickets chirped cheerfully. But there was also a warm glow coming from her right. She turned to see a dying fire and three figures huddled around it.

She stepped closer, trying her best to silence her footsteps as to not to disturb anyone who was sleeping in the any number of tents around her. The soft snoring of one of them came quietly through the air.

She was in front of another tent when she heard a voice, "Hey, what are you doing up?"

Aaliyah opened her mouth to reply but found that she had no real reason to be out of bed. None at all. And without a good excuse coming to mind she just whispered back, feeling kind of silly as she did, "I'm not really sure."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes." she answered, "A little confused but I'm fine."

"You're not tired at all?"

Aaly shook her head. Then realizing that it must be hard for the other girl to see too she replied, "Not really."

"Well that's a shame, you'll be asleep all day if yous tay up much longer."

"Did I wake you?" Aaly asked.

"Me? No, I was already a wake when you came by.

"Oh."

"A silence grew over them, it wasn't uncomfortable, but it felt like it needed to be broken. Maybe it was because she was scared, or she didn't know anybody, but she ended up asking into the night air, "Who are you?"

A sigh came from the tent. "Mira, now go to sleep, the fire will be put out soon and it will be harder to find your tent and we can't have you sleeping tomorrow."

Aaly, not seeing anything wrong with when she was asleep or awake, asked, "What are we doing tomorrow?"

"Going home."