"It's always the same, the fear, no way out."
"Sam."
I hear a whisper as Avi slowly crawls beside me, coming shoulder to shoulder with me. I feel her warmth, but it's worse than usual. She's burning up from the inside.
I don't even bother to ask if she's okay, since I know what answer I'll get. She rests her forehead against my shoulder. Her breath is hot against my arm, uneven gasps. She's not okay, and she'll never be okay again.
I've become somewhat close to her in these past weeks. It's a painful and strange process, but we're here, so we should make the most of it. Really, Avi is the only girl I've ever gotten close to.
Avi reaches over to take my hand gently, her newly-healed skin smooth against mine. That's the problem with us: we heal, so we're the perfect ones for torture.
To be honest, I've never learned Avi's power. I guess it's not that strong, seeing as we're still in this godforsaken place. But maybe she doesn't have one at all. Maybe she's just a little bit normal.
"Sam," she whispers. Her voice is hoarse, but still sounds like chiming bells. "Will you sing?"
I think for a moment. Then, after an awkward hesitation, put my arm around her shoulders, part my lips, and sing her to sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment