Turning Away Warm Bodies

Chapter Seventeen: Kantedara Jibha

[Rose Amalia]

      Trust is a very intimate thing to give. It symbolizes a tie that while you may not always see, you believe it's always there. For all you know, they could be fraying the ends, yet all you see is the held together structure. With every cut, the bond weakens, yet it remains until it snaps through, breaking the knot and leaving whatever relationship there was broken.

       Though sometimes, breaking the knot is not enough for their knife, so it continues to travel until it cuts you, wounding you and the life you lead. All that's left for them is to walk away, leaving you to watch as the knot and your blood fall towards the ground.

~

       Where is she?! my mind fumbles for what is before me.

       "Angela!" I call out again, making my way into the middle of the room, spinning around nervously.

       What the Hell is going on here?!

       "Angela!!" I sprint over to the closet, throwing the wooden doors open. The clothes on the inside remained clean and untouched, showing no sign of life within them.

       Why does everything feel so dead and... still?

       I throw my head around, lost on where to look next. "Angela!" I cry out in desperation, falling to my knees.

       Where the Hell could she have gone?!

       It's then my eyes reach the window that rests still with a pillow leaned up against it. It was Angela's nest, her reading nook, her meditation circle, her everything. I remember her telling me how relaxed she felt when she rested her back against the wall and gazed endlessly out the window; how easy it was for her to float among the clouds just beyond the window pane.

       Yet even though the window sits untouched, closed, and perfectly clear of finger prints, just glancing at it let my body to know exactly where I needed to start my search.

       Immediately, I rolled onto my feet and began sprinting down the stairs, my path leading me straight out the front door.

       Angela had always loved nature. She was a child of the woods and felt calm whenever in its grasp. Thinking about it now, it makes sense why her heart feels more at ease when gazing out at the world outside of her window. Being so close to the branches, if she just bent her body out and to the left, she could cup the leaves in her hands and feel a wave of calm sprout through her from her fingertips.

       I didn't waste a single second and turned, sprinting down the sidewalk at full speed. The homes, bystanders, bushes, they all blurred together as I bolted down the street towards the center of the town.

       Yet I was halted in my hunting when one of the bystanders stood out in the distance, the only clear figure in a world of fuzz. Not a full ten meters away stood Jake, waiting by an intersection, patiently searching for an opportunity to cross.

       I noticed him immediately, my heart fluttering slightly as I ran up to meet him. "Hey Jake, long time no see!" I greet playfully, stopping beside him.

       He glances over at me in reaction to my voice, nodding in acknowledgement. "Oh hey..." he comments automatically, turning back to eyeing the road. I give him a moment to process my voice and within seconds he's doing a double take, his eyes wide with surprised delight. "Rose? What are you doing here?!" he remarks, a slight smile on his face. I can't help but let out a joyous giggle as he pulls me into a hug. "I just saw you about thirty minutes ago, did I forget something?" he inquires as he pulls his body away from mine.