The Wolverine & The Black Cat

13 // How the World Ends

C H A P T E R   13 :   H O W   T H E   W O R L D   E N D S

I couldn't sleep that night, so I went into the maze. It didn't make much sense to me the reason as to why the school would have one, but when I had asked Logan he simply shrugged it off with a "Charles must have his reasons". And I responded with "And here I was thinking you were training us to become Maze Runners." It amused me, their lack of knowledge of non-mutant culture.

I wasn't scared of getting lost, so I walked in and let myself be immersed inbetween the tall, pruned hedges. It would be a good exercise to use my senses, so I allowed them to guide me. The moonlight and my eyes were enough to orient me, and my mind quickly drifted towards everything that had happened. Talking to Logan had helped me in ways I didn't know one could be helped, but I knew I had a long way to go until I could become that Demon-winner he mentioned. There was a lot I needed to move on from, a lot of healing and fixing to do and it all seemed so damn slow. I needed recovery now.

I needed to know what it was like to feel alive.

Once I was already deep inside the maze, my nose caught the smell of smoke. It wasn't the same scent I always felt around Logan, though. It was smoke coming from a cigarette, not a cigar.

Unconsciously I followed the direction of the scent, like a lost traveller moving towards a bonfire, perhaps into a trap. At the center of the maze there was a bench. Sitting on it was Lewis Thompson, eyes closed and cigarette in his hand.

I sneaked closer to him without making a sound. I could hear in his breathing he wasn't asleep, but still I snatched the cigarette from his hand and put it out with my fingers. I felt a slight ache that quickly dissipated, and Lewis opened up one eye.

"Thief." He said simply, opening up his other eye and straightening himself.

I smirked. "I'm just preventing you from causing a damn fire."

"It surely wouldn't be the first time." Lewis stated, reaching for the pocket in his jacket to take another cigarette from the pack. I snatched the pack too. He just stared me wide-eyed.

"Also, smoking isn't good for your health."

Lewis laughed.

"I can control fire, girl. Do you think a cigarette will do any damage to me?"

"Now that you aren't alone anymore, you don't smoke." I grinned. "Simple as that."

Lewis rolled his dark brown eyes. "I didn't ask for your company."

"I don't recall asking for yours either." I smirked. In such a gloomy setting Lewis seemed even more mysterious, the faint light not enough to erase the shadows his hair created on his face. I could hear the calls of owls in the forest, but I doubted he could. I couldn't help but wonder if Logan managed to have some rest with so many noises always surrounding us. I knew how hard it was for me.

"Aren't you the girl that trains with Logan?"

I noticed how he didn't bother to treat Logan with a title. For some reason, that pleased me, but still I frowned and pursed my lips at the quick change of subject.

"What has that to do with anything?"

"Well, he's always with a cigar, you know. Does the scent bother you then?"

This time, he smirked. A smug smile of someone who knew had won the battle.

I crossed my arms over my chest and sat next to him. I looked up at the sky, into the stars. They mocked me for how distant they were too my problems. For how insignificant they showed me to be. And I loved them for always being there no matter where and how I was.