Motel Hell

[avasa_edan]

She took him away. Away to protect him. Far away. Away from the terrible place. The plants, the crawling flesh. The voices. The people. So many people.

Not many people here. He feels himself trying to crawl back, he gets there more now. Can't make it yet, no, not yet.

Quiet here. Room to breathe.

She’s wrong too. Knows more than she should

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[avasa_edan]

"I know," my voice comes out as a whisper. My vision tears up as I look at her. The color draining from her body. I shouldn't be the one to make her feel this way, but I am. I know I'm hurting her and I don't know how to fix it.

Still holding on to her hand, I pull her close to me, before she has time to react I kiss her. A soft sorrowful kiss. It's not promising, it's not for the future that might have been. It's for her. Only for her. "Not for me," I whisper, pulling away from her.

[cassie_newton_]

I stumble a few steps as he pulls away. I want to keep leaning on him, but I don't. Can't. I can't remember my lines anymore. I forgot what the play was about, I can't play my part.

I feel my throat tighten and tears flow, dripping down onto the stage floorboards, leaving the scuffed wood underneath colorless. I look up at him. "I don't know what to do." I say, my voice shaking. I sound scared. I sound really really scared. "I--" I stop, rubbing at my tears. The music stopped. The lights click off. Darkness falls softly, like a blanket over everything.

At least it's a warm darkness.

[avasa_edan]

"Cassie?" I call, reaching out into the darkness. I shouldn't have done that. Shouldn't have reached when she was trying so desperately to pull away. What have I done? Why did I--?

I can't see. I need to apologize. I need to find her. She's gone.

She's lost.

[cassie_newton_]

I can hear him calling for me. I sit and have my head on my knees, sitting in a corner in this dark place. "I know what I want." I call to him, voice a little rough from crying. "You asked me before what you could do to repay me. I know what I want."

[avasa_edan]

"And what is that?" I call after her. I try to locate where she is, but the stage echoes. I can't find her.

[cassie_newton_]

I close my eyes and wish I could stop crying. I listen to my heartbeat in my ears and breathe. "When it's all over, and you're okay, and you've found your way...I want you to not see me." I say. My words aren't mine. I know what I mean, even though it's razorblades for words. They cut deep and I taste blood.

[avasa_edan]

"Why?" I reply, my voice harsher than I intended. Of course I know why. I know it all. I know things I shouldn't, things that I don't want to know. I take a few steps over to where I believe the origins of her voice are coming from, my footsteps echoing in the darkness.

[cassie_newton_]

I look up though I can't see him, a vague darker darkness of his shape. "You know why." I say. "I won't be able to play my part anymore I've forgotten all of my lines. I was only the understudy anyways." I rub tears away from my eyes. "You'll be fine. I promised you would be."

[avasa_edan]

"What about you?" I reach out for her in the darkness but fall short. She's just out of reach. "Promise me you'll be okay and I'll do as you ask."

[cassie_newton_]

I look up at him and there's light from somewhere, because I can see the look he's giving me. Why is he doing this? I think about him. I think about Sanctuary. About what's missing and what's found. I found what I was looking for, I just shouldn't have. He was looking for something and kept finding me. Sanctuary. I wonder if it's a place. I wonder if I can find it someday. Maybe if I look.

I think about him in the basement with Dawn. His words and hers. The emotion that came from the both of them, together, like a force of nature.

"I promise." I whisper.

I have to.

I've remembered my lines.