âYouâre GwenaĂ«lâs brother?â For a moment she breathed a sigh of relief. GwenaĂ«l had stepped out for just a moment, she was surprised to see someone entirely different knock on the door. The relief quickly switched to an excited smile âOh, come inside! Iâm sure heâll be back in just a few minutes. I can make you some tea if youâd like!â She left the door open and made a run for the kitchen. âMy name is Gretchen! Whatâs yours?â She called back from the sink. (For Etienne đ)
   TRUTH BE told, he wasnât expecting his brother to have any guests. While far from being an hermit of sorts, it was also true that living in the middle of the woods cut off a lot of chances for social interactions - so when he heard the door creak open and a young voice address him he couldnât entirely hide his surprise. A light sparkled deep inside his eyes, then was quickly swallowed as he offered her a friendly smile. A young girl, even. Truly had him wonder what GwenaĂ«l was up to that he had missed.
   âIâm in noârush. I donât mind sitting here aâwhile and waiting forâhim." A light chuckle followed him as he stepped inside the house and headed to the kitchen without faltering. In such a familiar place only a closer look wouldâve revealed the veil before his eyes, but judging by the noises she was making itâd be a long time before she noticed. Fingers brushed against the surface of the table, ran into an empty cup, which clinked on its saucepan with a squeak-like sound. Outside the cottage all was silent. The sunset painted the room vivid shades of orange and red - and for a moment, for the briefest of moments the crimson on Sinâs fingers resembled blood that was still fresh.
   âMineâsâEtienne. Truly aâpleasure to meet you.â He dragged the chair on the floor, moving it away from the table so he could sit down. Even that simple noise felt oddly out of tune, too loud and too slow to feel right. His gaze never left the corner of the room where Gretchenâs voice had come from. âItâs rare for myâbrother to have any sort ofâguests. Just who areâyou, my dear?â A voice so sweet, a tone so soft, no one would have mistaken his question for an offense.


















