It's surprising what human beings can accomplish when death is staring them right in the face. When things began plummeting, few knew how to react. Most were confused, seeking guidance from the very foundations and institutions that, once meant to h...
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It's been three days since I had the dream. Mostly, I've split my time between training sessions with Declan and painting. Without The Bode, I needed another routine to keep my hands busy and my mind occupied. But soon visions from the nightmare covered the pages of my sketchbook.
I kept drawing floating eyes with wispy lashes over and over again. Then, a girl suspended in empty space with an aura of light emitting from her body and, most vividly, an old woman with long braided hair and a feather-lined dressing gown would invade my creative vision. I switched to painting landscapes when I began obsessively outlining two figures holding a baby floating above cracking ice.
Looking at the landscape in front of me now, I swear the trees and mountains I'm painting are turning into the skyline from my nightmare too. I can almost pinpoint the exact place where the chimney smoke was coming from between the two mountains.
I sigh and whip my paint-stained brush at the canvas in frustration. I slump back, ready to implode from this feeling that I have the answer to make all of this make sense at the tip of my tongue or in the back of my mind and I can't for the life of me spit it out.
Remy has come by everyday to check in on me and make sure I don't become a recluse since I told her I needed to hide from the world for a couple of days. She's covering for me with the Director and even brought me "get well soon" peanut butter cookies from Ms. Judy. She promises she's being nicer to Asher in an attempt to gather more intel on Lawton, but Lawton hasn't really said much about anything, not even to the doctors, who have come in hordes to examine his miraculous recovery.
I guess Asher introduced them officially she tells me as she nods her head obnoxiously and makes her famous face of approval. I just rolled my eyes when she said, "oh yeah, he's definitely hot, you know, under all those bandages."
Asher also asked about me, but Remy didn't know how much Lawton had filled him in so she played his questions off and said something about a book convention I was attending with my aunt. She wouldn't tell Asher anything anyways. I was happy to hear Lawton was stabilizing more everyday and looking better still.
I gaze up at the clouds with a small smile on my face before shaking my thoughts away from him. Declan comes up behind my chair on the balcony and I hear him let out a small breath. I turn around to see him slightly shiver and shake loose some water droplets from his damp hair.
"Jeez, it's freezing out here Ad, come back inside will ya?"
"I'm coming," I say, "I just wanted to clear my head and finish this painting."
"And how's that going so far," he responds, eyeing the messy streaks left behind by the brush I threw at the canvas.
"Oh, great. I was going for a Monnet on an acid trip type of vibe...you don't like?" He scoffs at my lame, outdated joke.
"It's definitely open to interpretation," he says staring down at his feet. I follow his eyes and notice he has his snow boots on.
"Hey listen, I noticed during our workouts that you're still shaken up about the nightmare and probably overwhelmed with everything. I know I am and I got the info secondhand." He glances up briefly then continues to study the ground. "To be honest, I've been obsessing over this capsulegram since you mentioned it and it's not healthy either. So I was wondering if you wanted to come with me somewhere I go when I get overwhelmed?" He leans against the doorframe and scratches the back of his neck waiting for my response.
