#dubovoye

rest stops on highways -- for charles mayhaps?

Ask Meme : Liminal Spaces -- @dubovoye

Hands jammed into his pockets as he watched the distant traffic going by. Some rest stops had the benefit of being surrounded by a small city, a generic gas station in the middle of some quiet streets with perhaps a fast food restaurant nearby. This rest stop like so many others of its kind, stood isolated on the side of the road, a thin off ramp and a thin on ramp connecting back to the interstate with otherwise nothing else around it. Sure the building itself was nice enough, and the surrounding picnic tables and small were almost pleasant, but the building still felt distinctly abandoned, if only because it was completely surrounded by cornfields and nothing else.

THIS  TIME,  luke thinks  as  the  silver  blade  slashes  millimeters from  his  stomach, opening  a  gash  in  his  shirt,  but  not  his  skin.  this time,  luke  thinks, eyeing  the  drops  of  sweat  rolling  down  his  friend’s features,  pink  with  exertion.  he  knows  charles does  not  see  him  and  there  is  nothing  but rage  blinding  his  eyes  cracked  open  and  pouring from  his  soul,  but  he  swears  if  he  looks  close  enough he  can  see  flickers  of  charles  bleeding though.  perhaps  it  is  only  his  imagination, but  it  is  enough  to  convince  him  he  is  getting  closer. this  time—  

a  wild  lunge  of  the  sword,  and  he  sees  it  almost in  slow  motion. luke  is  not  quite  quick  enough  to  evade  the  tip  that  he  watches, wide  eyed,  as  it  sinks  into  his  stomach.  searing pain  springs  from  the  wound, and  he  does  not  scream like  he  used  to  but  feels  a  crushing  sadness and  disappointment.  the  sword  withdraws, and  luke’s  knees  hit  the  dirt  still  wet  with  blood.  

there  are  familiar arms  around  him  as  he  grows  weaker, and  he  grasps them  tightly  with  shaking  hands  as  he  bleeds.  reassurances fall  from  his  lips,  labored whispers  that  it  is  okay, that  they  will  try  again.

“  next  time. ”

an  evening  sky  yawns  above  him  where  he  lies  at  the  base  of  a  hill,  red  and  pink  and  laced  with  the  same  clouds  as  last  time.  the  sun  sits  in  the  same  seat  as  before,  smiling at  him,  waiting for  him  to  try  again. he  draws  a  breath.  there  is  no time  for  rest.  luke  gets  to  his  feet,  tying  back  wavy  locks  in  a  quick  ponytail,  and  climbs  the  hill.  

Andrei would be an advantageous study partner, Hauvomil has assessed. The work ethic, the intellect, the complete lack of any presumptive, over-friendly behaviors — these all commend Andrei to Hauvomil, who is packing up his effects from the seat next to Andrei, tossing glances his way, and who is also, in fact, in need of a new studying arrangement after a falling out has rocked his underdeveloped social circle and rendered his own study group uninhabitable.

        “i don’t think i need to tell you that they can’t be   trusted anymore.”  if he ever really trusted his godly parent in the first place.  she surely didn’t, and she wasn’t sure she could say that she ever did.  nemesis only visited her once before and it was clearly because she learned of her special ability, not out of genuine motherly concern or the like — she just wanted to see how much of her own mother was in her.  yuna once hoped she’d see her again but that wishful thinking has been non-existent for a little over a decade now.  it wouldn’t be a happy reunion if  ( when )  they saw each other again.  “i guess the only useful advice i can give is... try to stay alive,”  she says with a weak smile.