worrying about me.” Nina said casually as she breezed by him and into her room, not shivering in the least. “Great job on the carpet, but you know you really should leave before my dad gets home and does--” Nina paused as tears began to fall again, and she slid to the ground and started to hyperventilate.
“Shit! I don’t know anything about humans!” Uri said as he knelt beside Nina and waved his hands back and forth. “Tell me what to do Nina? What can I do?” Nina heard Uri ramble.
You can’t break down again, Nina. You need to get up, get dressed, and get out, her subconscious told her in a no-nonsense tone, forcing Nina to build up her will. You’re stronger than this. Get. Up!
It took a few more minute, but Nina was able to calm herself, return to herself and draw on the internal strength. Everything in her world was falling down, but she would not crumble with it. She would keep moving; keep surviving, just like she’d done after her mother passed away.
Slowly Nina forced her body up, her knees shaking badly as she stood, but still she forced herself to walk to the bed, ignoring the pain in her stomach. She had to face this and overcome it. No matter what the future held, she had to face it.
“I’m just hungry, Uri. It happens to humans,” Nina lied, trying to assuage his worry.
“I know when humans are hungry, and they don’t act like you just did!” Uri said vehemently, turning his back as Nina slipped on her clothes.
“Uri?” Nina asked when she had finished dressing.
“Yeah?” He didn’t turn around.
“Will you take a walk with me?” she asked suddenly, surprising herself and Uri.
Slowly he turned around and then nodded his head, as if he thought it was some kind of trap. Smiling, Nina packed a small bag with some essential stuff like her wallet, computer, passport and driver’s license. In the back of her mind she knew that, no matter what, she wasn’t coming back here.
Grim had told her that no one could outrun their death, and that it was inevitable. But I’ll be damned if I die in this Godforsaken place. Nina thought vehemently, a practiced smile still in place as she cautiously walked down the stairs and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. She opened the door and let Uri out first before exiting and turning to lock the door out of habit.
***
Slowly they began to walk together, side by side with unspoken questions floating in the air between them. “Where are we going?” Uri asked finally breaking the silence.
“The chapel,” Nina answered immediately, adjusting her back pack.
“Why? Isn’t it sectioned off because of the murder?” Uri asked, surprising Nina. He knows where the chapel is and that there was a murder. He’s not surprised at all. Curious.
“To make sure it’s the same smell,” Nina answered vaguely, turning up the street that led to the chapel.
As if on a tether, Uri stopped, but unlike her reaction with Grim she kept going, until she finally noticed he wasn’t going to follow. Cocking her head back at him, Nina raised a brow, giving Uri a questioning look and watching as he slowly walked to catch up with her. Deja vu?
“What smell, Nina?” Uri asked quietly, placing his hand on her arm to keep her from continuing her walk.
“You know exactly what smell,” Nina accused, her voice sounding like a sharpened blade cutting through the darkness. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice? That after all the signs, I would somehow choose to avoid it?” Nina said harshly, advancing on him with the wild passion of a woman whose world had been completely torn to pieces.
“I don’t know what you--” Uri began as he put his hands up defensively, his eyes darting to the side.
“My father is a murderer,” Nina whispered harshly, spitting the words out like they had a bad taste. “What is he? The Sweetheart Killer too? Is he going to kill me? Is that my fate? To be
“Shit! I don’t know anything about humans!” Uri said as he knelt beside Nina and waved his hands back and forth. “Tell me what to do Nina? What can I do?” Nina heard Uri ramble.
You can’t break down again, Nina. You need to get up, get dressed, and get out, her subconscious told her in a no-nonsense tone, forcing Nina to build up her will. You’re stronger than this. Get. Up!
It took a few more minute, but Nina was able to calm herself, return to herself and draw on the internal strength. Everything in her world was falling down, but she would not crumble with it. She would keep moving; keep surviving, just like she’d done after her mother passed away.
Slowly Nina forced her body up, her knees shaking badly as she stood, but still she forced herself to walk to the bed, ignoring the pain in her stomach. She had to face this and overcome it. No matter what the future held, she had to face it.
“I’m just hungry, Uri. It happens to humans,” Nina lied, trying to assuage his worry.
“I know when humans are hungry, and they don’t act like you just did!” Uri said vehemently, turning his back as Nina slipped on her clothes.
“Uri?” Nina asked when she had finished dressing.
“Yeah?” He didn’t turn around.
“Will you take a walk with me?” she asked suddenly, surprising herself and Uri.
Slowly he turned around and then nodded his head, as if he thought it was some kind of trap. Smiling, Nina packed a small bag with some essential stuff like her wallet, computer, passport and driver’s license. In the back of her mind she knew that, no matter what, she wasn’t coming back here.
Grim had told her that no one could outrun their death, and that it was inevitable. But I’ll be damned if I die in this Godforsaken place. Nina thought vehemently, a practiced smile still in place as she cautiously walked down the stairs and slipped on a pair of tennis shoes. She opened the door and let Uri out first before exiting and turning to lock the door out of habit.
***
Slowly they began to walk together, side by side with unspoken questions floating in the air between them. “Where are we going?” Uri asked finally breaking the silence.
“The chapel,” Nina answered immediately, adjusting her back pack.
“Why? Isn’t it sectioned off because of the murder?” Uri asked, surprising Nina. He knows where the chapel is and that there was a murder. He’s not surprised at all. Curious.
“To make sure it’s the same smell,” Nina answered vaguely, turning up the street that led to the chapel.
As if on a tether, Uri stopped, but unlike her reaction with Grim she kept going, until she finally noticed he wasn’t going to follow. Cocking her head back at him, Nina raised a brow, giving Uri a questioning look and watching as he slowly walked to catch up with her. Deja vu?
“What smell, Nina?” Uri asked quietly, placing his hand on her arm to keep her from continuing her walk.
“You know exactly what smell,” Nina accused, her voice sounding like a sharpened blade cutting through the darkness. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice? That after all the signs, I would somehow choose to avoid it?” Nina said harshly, advancing on him with the wild passion of a woman whose world had been completely torn to pieces.
“I don’t know what you--” Uri began as he put his hands up defensively, his eyes darting to the side.
“My father is a murderer,” Nina whispered harshly, spitting the words out like they had a bad taste. “What is he? The Sweetheart Killer too? Is he going to kill me? Is that my fate? To be
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