1000 YEARS - Book 1 - Awakening

10. Grim Reapers*

Grim Reapers*

DAY 8: — April 8th, Year 784

Despite a restless night, haunted by disjointed dreams and the choked voices of her newfound friends, she had awoken eager for the day.
Today marked the seventh day of her coming out of her coma. One week. Well, eight days technically, if you counted the few moments of consciousness on her very first awakening. She had come out of her 'coma' — or whatever this oblivion truly might have been? ...After the prior day's discoveries of probable death experiences she did not feel comfortable delving too deeply into that subject yet — and had awoken into this bizarre environment she neither recognized nor fully understood, with no identity or memories of her own — and initially barely been able to move. Now, one week later, she was back on her feet, feeling energetic. She had a quasi-identity and was no longer completely alone; and she felt ready to tackle the mysteries of this perplexing existence she and her newfound friends shared in this alien place. — Things were definitely looking up! ...she noted with satisfaction.

Seth had brought her breakfast and she had made an explicit point to concede that it had not been wise to decline his gracious offer of a massage the night before.
"If it's agreeable to you, and ...if you it isn't too much to ask?" she had hesitated and cringed lightly at the thought of troubling him," I would be very grateful for another massage from you. ...Tonight? ...or any other night that might be convenient for your work schedule?" she had shyly proposed.
— Seth had positively lit up.
She had wondered, then, whether she was just getting better at reading his eyes, or whether his countenance was indeed becoming more expressive? — She remembered the easy laughter of the Avatar-Seth. — Her Seth was nowhere near as demonstrative yet, but the slight upward curls at the corners of his mouth and the brightening of his eyes showed definite beginnings of a smile. It had made her morning and she had felt almost cheery.

After breakfast she had gone back into her simulator journey, this time though she had sought out a scene with her Avatar. — It was the moment when Avatar-Seth had rescued her from her near-tumble off the suspension bridge and had held her tightly against him. By lunchtime she had finished the large pencil sketch and had started coloring it when Seth brought in her meal tray.
Seth had been transfixed by the large drawing lying half-finished on the chaise longue. He had approached it — almost reverently, and reached for it, but his hand had pulled back at the last moment, not daring to touch.
"This has meaning to you?" he had said in hushed tones, incredulously hovering his fingers over the contours of the couple, standing in awkward embrace on the jungle rope bridge.

"Of course it has meaning to me!" she had smiled at him. "You, — I mean, the avatar of you, saved me on that bridge."
"But I, ...the avatar ...is not part of your past!?"
"I don't have a past," she had countered gravely, "— at least not yet. — And you were the one who protected me and gave me comfort."
She had held her smile but he had looked at her strangely, so her face had fallen, and she had felt awkward.

They had agreed to delay her dinnertime until eight this evening, followed by her massage right after. Purportedly so she could 'capture the evening light' for her drawing. — But really, she had wanted more time for Patil and her to visit Sochi, and then review with Patil how to proceed further.
After lunch she had waited for an appropriate amount of time, so that lunch rounds to her neighbors would have long been completed. And now she was ready to rejoin them, her friends, her fellow — well, what were they all really? ...Housemates? ...Cohorts? ...Partners in crime?
A light smirk had passed across her features. She was looking forward to her companionate afternoon — and if she were honest, she was also rather excited about her planned time with Seth this evening. Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she leaned into the door for a quick cursory soundcheck just to confirm that the coast was clear. Then she swished the door open and skipped into the hall.