trying to escape the weirdness that she knew was already jingling around her wrist. Trying to escape the violence that had occurred, the violence that could have occurred, fleeing into the mists that closed tightly behind her and followed after her, muffling her footsteps and sealing her from sight. But most of all, she was running to try to get away from the part that had thrilled in the adventure of it, and wanted to find out more.
She managed to run all the way to her apartment complex. The mist disappeared as she fiddled with the stuck lock, feeling about ready to scream as she nervously worked with it until finally the door clicked open. Nameless bounded in through the door quickly, avoiding her feet and leading her up the stairs to her apartment.
She was so glad that she had forgotten to open up the window, because right now she didn't want to deal with cold. She dialed up the heat and stripped out of her clothes, hurrying into the shower.
The water was warm, soothing, cleansing. She stayed under the hot water until her fingers started to prune and she worried the steam would set off the fire alarm. The water sluiced off her, stealing away the nervousness, stealing away the stress, until the adrenaline finally wore off and the exhaustion that took over drove out everything else from her mind.
She stepped out of the shower into the steam-filled bathroom, wrapping one towel around her hair, and using the second, larger towel to dry off the rest of her. The charm bracelet was lying in a metallic heap on the corner of the counter, glinting teasingly at her. She glared at it fiercely.
“I'll figure you out later,” she muttered sullenly. “I am not ready for this tonight. I need a good night's sleep.”
She curled up in her bed, pulled the blankets over her, and let out a deep sigh as she tried to go to sleep. She let out a small smile as Nameless curled up on the pillow next to her, one tiny paw resting on Tracy's shoulder, as every other night. “I'm so glad you're here,” she murmured to the cat. “Something normal and peaceful.”
She thought it'd take a long time to fall asleep, but the exhaustion kicked her quickly into a fitful slumber.
“Poor thing,” said Nameless softly, standing up to lick her face lightly as she slept. “But you'll be all right.”
Chapter 3: Learning
Tracy slowly stirred from her slumber with the impression that it had been a very long night. She had vague memories of waking up and going back to sleep, uncertain how much of it was real, and how much of it was the terribly frustrating dream of being awake and trying to sleep.
Her nose wrinkled as a truly foul stench insinuated itself upon her consciousness, the coughing fit bringing her to struggle with her tightly wrapped blankets as she came fully awake. Something, somewhere, was scorched, and her brain relegated the latter part of last night to the same realm that dreams go, ignoring it for the moment to remind her that in her distraction, she had never taken the pot of soup off the stove.
Half falling out of bed, Tracy stumbled a moment before her body caught up with her intent, her knees slow to support her weight. She caught herself with a hand on the corner of her dresser as Nameless let out an annoyed yowl and hiss. Recovering quickly, she ignored Nameless and hurried to the kitchen, finding the soup to be completely ruined. It had reduced itself to a brown-orange goo taking up half as much pot as it should have, the higher sides of the pot caked with burnt remains of the soup as it had receded and simmered away over the night.
“Oh, come on !” Tracy cried in frustration, the minor mistake and wasted food just heightening the stress she had been feeling last night. Besides, that was a good recipe, and had come out nicely. Sighing, she turned off the stove to let the 'soup' cool a bit, pulling out a pair of paper grocery bags and three plastic grocery bags, lining
She managed to run all the way to her apartment complex. The mist disappeared as she fiddled with the stuck lock, feeling about ready to scream as she nervously worked with it until finally the door clicked open. Nameless bounded in through the door quickly, avoiding her feet and leading her up the stairs to her apartment.
She was so glad that she had forgotten to open up the window, because right now she didn't want to deal with cold. She dialed up the heat and stripped out of her clothes, hurrying into the shower.
The water was warm, soothing, cleansing. She stayed under the hot water until her fingers started to prune and she worried the steam would set off the fire alarm. The water sluiced off her, stealing away the nervousness, stealing away the stress, until the adrenaline finally wore off and the exhaustion that took over drove out everything else from her mind.
She stepped out of the shower into the steam-filled bathroom, wrapping one towel around her hair, and using the second, larger towel to dry off the rest of her. The charm bracelet was lying in a metallic heap on the corner of the counter, glinting teasingly at her. She glared at it fiercely.
“I'll figure you out later,” she muttered sullenly. “I am not ready for this tonight. I need a good night's sleep.”
She curled up in her bed, pulled the blankets over her, and let out a deep sigh as she tried to go to sleep. She let out a small smile as Nameless curled up on the pillow next to her, one tiny paw resting on Tracy's shoulder, as every other night. “I'm so glad you're here,” she murmured to the cat. “Something normal and peaceful.”
She thought it'd take a long time to fall asleep, but the exhaustion kicked her quickly into a fitful slumber.
“Poor thing,” said Nameless softly, standing up to lick her face lightly as she slept. “But you'll be all right.”
Chapter 3: Learning
Tracy slowly stirred from her slumber with the impression that it had been a very long night. She had vague memories of waking up and going back to sleep, uncertain how much of it was real, and how much of it was the terribly frustrating dream of being awake and trying to sleep.
Her nose wrinkled as a truly foul stench insinuated itself upon her consciousness, the coughing fit bringing her to struggle with her tightly wrapped blankets as she came fully awake. Something, somewhere, was scorched, and her brain relegated the latter part of last night to the same realm that dreams go, ignoring it for the moment to remind her that in her distraction, she had never taken the pot of soup off the stove.
Half falling out of bed, Tracy stumbled a moment before her body caught up with her intent, her knees slow to support her weight. She caught herself with a hand on the corner of her dresser as Nameless let out an annoyed yowl and hiss. Recovering quickly, she ignored Nameless and hurried to the kitchen, finding the soup to be completely ruined. It had reduced itself to a brown-orange goo taking up half as much pot as it should have, the higher sides of the pot caked with burnt remains of the soup as it had receded and simmered away over the night.
“Oh, come on !” Tracy cried in frustration, the minor mistake and wasted food just heightening the stress she had been feeling last night. Besides, that was a good recipe, and had come out nicely. Sighing, she turned off the stove to let the 'soup' cool a bit, pulling out a pair of paper grocery bags and three plastic grocery bags, lining
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