Abyss

Chapter 2

A groan left Sierra's slightly parted lips as she woke once more, bright sunlight glaring into her glass lenses, blinding her as she tried to open her eyes. They squeezed immediately shut again, and she turned on her side, her arms sore from sleeping wrong.

Shit... I conked out before I even had the chance to take off my glasses... I hope they're not broken. I must have been up real late.

Sierra worried to herself as she sat up on the edge of the bed, and she stretched both arms above her head, trying to rid herself of the pins and needles. Standing up, the petite girl waltzed over to the mirror she had propped up against a wall on the floor of the loft to check her appearance. She didn't feel like putting any effort in, so she just smoothed out some stray hairs before sliding right down the ladder to the floor below.

Checking the thermometer on the wall by her front door, it looked like it was going to be warmer today. Sierra groaned, climbing back up to the loft to uncoil her scarf and drop it lazily onto the bed. She quickly exchanged her beige knit sweater for a loose, white button up shirt, and slid down the ladder once again. Momentarily, the dazed girl forgot what she was going to do.

I was up too late last night... I know Mikah told me not to... what was I—oh, Mikah.

Sierra ran through her thoughts again, and managed to find the motive she'd been looking for. Without another moment's time, she was out the door, hurrying herself along to visit her longtime friend.

As Sierra ambled across one of the many creaky bridges along the river, she found herself frozen in place. She looked in the direction of the sun for but a moment, and then turned herself so it cast a soft, warm glow on her face. The girl faced South, and zoned out, just taking in the scenery and remembering what she'd heard from the pair of travelers in the previous day. Her heart fluttered at the thought of experiencing legend, running to the abyss with no thoughts of home, only to fly as free as the birds that dotted the land and the skies.

I wish I could just fly away...

For a moment, as she squinted hard, Sierra swore she could see a pair of eyes through the trees, but she knew she must be dreaming. There isn't any way she could see that far, she knew that much for sure.

Sierra took a deep breath, and turned abruptly to continue her short journey to Mikah's place. This was no time to daydream about what could be. The trek was swift, and the rosy girl made it to her longtime friend in no time at all.

"Mikah!" Sierra called into the house as she burst through the door, not bothering to knock. The two had become close enough that it wasn't necessary to announce their arrival with formalities. The lean guy was seen lounging across a handmade couch, a book's pages threaded between his hands. He closed it carefully, folding a page over to mark his spot.

"Hey, you're earlier than usual." He smiled warmly, and as he noticed Sierra coming closer, he noticed her messy appearance, and chuckled at it. "And it looks like you just crawled out of a rabbit hole."

Sierra's expression flattened immediately, turning into a deadpan scowl. She retracted into what would be her scarf, tilting her nose downward, until she remembered she left it at home. For a moment, she felt exposed without it.

"Says your smelly ass." The petite girl crossed her arms over her chest like she did whenever she got teased.

"Hey, one of us has to work hard." Mikah shrugs, sitting up with a smug smile on his face. He motions for Sierra to come sit by him, which she reluctantly obliged after an exaggerated eye roll.

"You got any paint here?" Sierra bounced into a wooden chair, already letting go of the teasing, as it was a common occurrence between the two young adults, and it never really meant much.