A Time to Heal

[ibn_al_xuff]

It is difficult to spiritually cleanse a room where so many souls have passed through; some have suffered before passing the veil. He pours the fresh water into his silver bowl and mixes the salt until it becomes diluted and the water clears. This is not ordinary table salt. It was mined in a very sacred place in India. It will soak in the

Comments

[amelia_z]

"But you always let dad take it out on you!" That wasn't meant to come out like that. She actually recoils a little. After a second, she sends an overturned milk crate sliding across the floor to him with her foot.

"This really dumb, pointless thing happens, and so you spend your life dodging and taking punches in my name. When I woke up, I couldn't ask that of you, Caleb. You would've said yes without blinking and unconsciously resented me for the rest of your life. And with Corrine, it all looked like some-- [I don't know]-- masochistic guilt complex.

"I kept thinking you'd taken enough punches for me in my life. Then I found out who and what she was. I went on a bender and freaked out and called Tara in this stupid, drunk tizzy," she chuckles a little. "I stopped sleeping. I stopped eating. I mean if I couldn't even keep you alive, what the hell good was I? I couldn't look in dad's face someday, and give him the pleasure to smile about you like he was right. If he was right about you, then he was right about me, too, he just had a better word for ignoring it. He's not ever gonna be fucking right. We're not animals."

She bites a nail and spits it onto the concrete floor, shrugging. "It all got fucked up. Demon, dream-time, on my death bed or in perfect health, whatever-- let's just call it even already. Stop being so damn guilty."

[caleb_z]

Caleb plants himself on the carton, and attentively listens to everything she has to say. It's an insight into Bird that he's lacked for years now, and it helps things to fall into place in his head.

He rubs his hand through his hair, a familiar nervous tick indicative of deep thought.

He smiles mischievously, and gives her a coy 'come here' gesture.

[amelia_z]

"Uh-uh! Nyet! That's the 'I'm going to smack you, bird' look."

[caleb_z]

He theatrically presses his hand into his chest, feigning insult. After a moment of such theatrics he nods in acceptance of her conclusion, and lets it go.

He continues with a tone akin to pride in the accomplishment: "You know, that, uh ... The way you took Tefe out back on the island. That was brilliant. It took me a bit to catch up to your logic there, but wow. Resourceful."

That has to be the most heartfelt smile he's worn in a long, long time. "I never said that, of course. I don't think they'd understand."