the waking from a weary night of fevers unto truth and light
(she lives)
Esfir has never been a slow waker. Sleep lightly, wake quickly; unconscious to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to fightfleefly in three seconds as roommate had once said.
This is no different.
cantbreathecantbreathecantbreathe and her eyes flare open as she gasps, half pushing herself up. Then it’s a faint gasp of pain and slowly, slowly, she eases herself back down into the bed. Her chest aches, her throat aches, her toes-
(she kicked and kicked and her toes had cracked on solid bronze)
Slowly, her hand goes to the dogtags around her neck.
He had strangled her.
He had drowned her.
He had killed her with the chain from her dogtags and her heart is still beating.
The last time she had felt like this, she'd been alive.
(her hand around her tags brushes against metal
smooth metal, same temperature as her skin-
IT'S IN HER SKIN)
It takes her a while to get out of bed.
She is wearing new clothes - simple, stylish; snug white pants and a peach blouse. Bare feet, and she can see that three toes on her right foot are swollen. She's dizzy, but ignores it. She has to see.
(she remembers fighting him but she also
remembers being unable to breathe and
the order makes no sense)
Slowly, she unbuttons her blouse and opens the wardrobe door. Swings it wide open and there.
It'd be hard to lose.
Impossible, even.
And it's...
(she reaches out and slowly traces the rune's reflection)
Well, it's...
She doesn't know.
Esfir has never been a slow waker. Sleep lightly, wake quickly; unconscious to bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and ready to fightfleefly in three seconds as roommate had once said.
This is no different.
cantbreathecantbreathecantbreathe and her eyes flare open as she gasps, half pushing herself up. Then it’s a faint gasp of pain and slowly, slowly, she eases herself back down into the bed. Her chest aches, her throat aches, her toes-
(she kicked and kicked and her toes had cracked on solid bronze)
Slowly, her hand goes to the dogtags around her neck.
He had strangled her.
He had drowned her.
He had killed her with the chain from her dogtags and her heart is still beating.
The last time she had felt like this, she'd been alive.
(her hand around her tags brushes against metal
smooth metal, same temperature as her skin-
IT'S IN HER SKIN)
It takes her a while to get out of bed.
She is wearing new clothes - simple, stylish; snug white pants and a peach blouse. Bare feet, and she can see that three toes on her right foot are swollen. She's dizzy, but ignores it. She has to see.
(she remembers fighting him but she also
remembers being unable to breathe and
the order makes no sense)
Slowly, she unbuttons her blouse and opens the wardrobe door. Swings it wide open and there.
It'd be hard to lose.
Impossible, even.
And it's...
(she reaches out and slowly traces the rune's reflection)
Well, it's...
She doesn't know.