FALLOUT [Index One - Part Two]

Chapter One

Elle awoke in bed, too exhausted to move.

Her mother sat to her right, a worried look on her face. "Ellie, baby, can you hear me?" she asked softly.

She groaned, trying to sit up but stopped by a hand on her left shoulder. "You need to rest," a voice said. She tried to focus, seeing a blurry image of Arinoi swimming before her. "You just dove into a hell of a lot of magic, it's a miracle you're even alive right now."

Elle blinked, leaning back and feeling waves of sleep ebb over her as her eyes fluttered shut. "Nadia," she murmured quietly before blacking out once more.

She shot up in bed an undeterminable about of time later, panting and fully awake. Her clothes clung to her body, drenched in sweat as a blanket piled up about her waist. Rubbing her eyes, she kicked it off and tried to stand, slightly dizzy.

She kept against the wall, managing to escape from her room as she brushed her hair away from her face, slowly making her way downstairs. 

The kitchen table was covered with candy and cards, to her confusion. She wondered if she'd been out for so long that it was her birthday.

Sitting down in a chair, she opened one of the cards and scanned it quickly.

A get-well-soon card from the guy that sat across from her in English. 

She thumbed through a few more, seeing the rest followed suit. The candy, she soon determined, was sent by her close friends and neighbors. 

She grabbed a bar of chocolate, realizing that she was starving. Before she could open it, however, her mom entered the room.

"Elle! Darling, you scared me," she admitted after jumping a bit. "How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

She set down the bar. "I'm sort of hungry," she said. 

"What are you feeling?" she asked, leaning down and kissing the top of her head. 

Elle shrugged. "I dunno. Pasta's sounding really good right now."

A while later, she was on the couch, having changed out of the sweaty hoodie and shorts into something fresher, and tying back her hair. A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders as she ate noodles with her mom beside her.

Both had been avoiding the topic until that moment. "I know you want to ask," Elle muttered.

"I don't have to-"

"Please just do it," she sighed.

"...Why didn't you tell me?" her mother said, setting down her plate. 

She shrugged. "I didn't really plan on it, you know?"

"Elle, honey," she said, starting to cry. "I could have lost you. And I never would have known-"

"I'm fine now."

"Please never do that again. Tell me where you go." She shook her head. "If it wasn't for that friend of yours - what's her name?"

"Kate?"

"No, the other one. Shorter hair."

"Arinoi."

"Yes, her." She paused for a second. "If she hadn't told me about it, I would have felt so guilty."

"I know, Mom." She paused. "I'm sorry."

"I love you so much, Ellie."

She smiled at the old nickname her dad used to use for her before he passed. "I love you too, mom," she answered.

The two embraced on the couch, completely ignoring the show they'd been watching.