Vignette: A First (Aivey)
Aivey, at/around age 13
The sky was pale, not yet as old as a day. It was young, still in its infantile stage. Fiery oranges gathered at the base of the horizon; steel-blue just atop that and at the very, very top a dusky purple.
It was also very cold out. Cold enough that Aivey could feel how cold her nose was. She'd woke for no apparent reason. At first she thought there was reason behind it, and lay absolutely still...trying to discern the source of her alarm.
Outside her room, there weren't any sounds. Not the patter of feet over stone; rushed and quiet. Secretive. There wasn't the murmur of voices in conspiratorial tones, not even the crack and pop of the fire built into the hearth just outside her door.
But it had to be something.
Aivey eased into a stretch, poking her toes out at the far end of her blanket. Then she quickly scrunched back down beneath it, delving back into the warmth like it was a hot bath.
Still, nothing.
She waited for a stretch of time - at least to the count of three hundred. Sleep still didn't come, and so Aivey rose to greet the day.
She was as quiet as she could manage as she drew on heavier clothes. Layering everything precisely, she ended with a pair of Vintros' old socks. They went well past her knee, and itched like no ones business...but they were warm, and that was important.
Aivey moved soundlessly over the stone floor, stepping over the few bodies scattered about in the room and to the door. It opened with the softest of creaks, stilling her instantly.
The sleepers slept on, none the wiser. Aivey stole out into the hall, closing the door behind her. She walked the length of the room to the outer exit. The door was harder to push open, but she leaned her shoulder into it and managed.
Vintros stood outside, his arms folded over his chest as he looked out toward the rising sun. Aivey tried to sneak up on him, but long before she reached him he must have heard her.
"You should be sleeping," He commented.
Suppressing a shiver from the frigid temperature, Aivey nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I tried but I couldn't get back to sleep."
She couldn't see him smile, but she imagined he was. It sounded in his tone, light and friendly. A rare thing for the man before her. "How long now?"
She hesitated, trying to decipher his intent. "A few minutes now, maybe half an hour?"
He nodded then looked aside to her. "Come on, then."
Aivey scrambled up beside him on the low-wall. She tried to imitate the way he held himself so he remained balanced on the uneven surface. She tried not to show that she was cold - cold enough she couldn't stop shivering - she tried to impress the man.
For a long while he said nothing. She didn't speak either. She looked to where he was staring and tried to see what he was. She couldn't imagine what would hold his attention so. But as the sun finally rose and blanketed the ground in a pale light and even paler warmth, Aivey lost her chance to understand.
Vintros stepped down from the wall and turned back toward the building. He was three steps away when he turned to look back at her. He said nothing. He only looked at her like he'd looked at the sky. Aivey shivered, but it had nothing to do with the cold.
###
The following morning it happened again. This time, Aivey didn't waste time. She dressed quickly and headed outside. Vintro's back greeted her as she stepped outside. He was atop the low wall again, staring out at the sky.
Aivey walked quietly toward him. Three-quarters of the way there she stopped and Vintros said: "Come on, then."
Smiling, Aivey joined him atop the wall.
The sky was pale, not yet as old as a day. It was young, still in its infantile stage. Fiery oranges gathered at the base of the horizon; steel-blue just atop that and at the very, very top a dusky purple.
It was also very cold out. Cold enough that Aivey could feel how cold her nose was. She'd woke for no apparent reason. At first she thought there was reason behind it, and lay absolutely still...trying to discern the source of her alarm.
Outside her room, there weren't any sounds. Not the patter of feet over stone; rushed and quiet. Secretive. There wasn't the murmur of voices in conspiratorial tones, not even the crack and pop of the fire built into the hearth just outside her door.
But it had to be something.
Aivey eased into a stretch, poking her toes out at the far end of her blanket. Then she quickly scrunched back down beneath it, delving back into the warmth like it was a hot bath.
Still, nothing.
She waited for a stretch of time - at least to the count of three hundred. Sleep still didn't come, and so Aivey rose to greet the day.
She was as quiet as she could manage as she drew on heavier clothes. Layering everything precisely, she ended with a pair of Vintros' old socks. They went well past her knee, and itched like no ones business...but they were warm, and that was important.
Aivey moved soundlessly over the stone floor, stepping over the few bodies scattered about in the room and to the door. It opened with the softest of creaks, stilling her instantly.
The sleepers slept on, none the wiser. Aivey stole out into the hall, closing the door behind her. She walked the length of the room to the outer exit. The door was harder to push open, but she leaned her shoulder into it and managed.
Vintros stood outside, his arms folded over his chest as he looked out toward the rising sun. Aivey tried to sneak up on him, but long before she reached him he must have heard her.
"You should be sleeping," He commented.
Suppressing a shiver from the frigid temperature, Aivey nodded her head in acknowledgment. "I tried but I couldn't get back to sleep."
She couldn't see him smile, but she imagined he was. It sounded in his tone, light and friendly. A rare thing for the man before her. "How long now?"
She hesitated, trying to decipher his intent. "A few minutes now, maybe half an hour?"
He nodded then looked aside to her. "Come on, then."
Aivey scrambled up beside him on the low-wall. She tried to imitate the way he held himself so he remained balanced on the uneven surface. She tried not to show that she was cold - cold enough she couldn't stop shivering - she tried to impress the man.
For a long while he said nothing. She didn't speak either. She looked to where he was staring and tried to see what he was. She couldn't imagine what would hold his attention so. But as the sun finally rose and blanketed the ground in a pale light and even paler warmth, Aivey lost her chance to understand.
Vintros stepped down from the wall and turned back toward the building. He was three steps away when he turned to look back at her. He said nothing. He only looked at her like he'd looked at the sky. Aivey shivered, but it had nothing to do with the cold.
###
The following morning it happened again. This time, Aivey didn't waste time. She dressed quickly and headed outside. Vintro's back greeted her as she stepped outside. He was atop the low wall again, staring out at the sky.
Aivey walked quietly toward him. Three-quarters of the way there she stopped and Vintros said: "Come on, then."
Smiling, Aivey joined him atop the wall.