Elira's POV
My eyes are blurry with tears and sleep, my mind raging with memories that threaten to tear me apart. I'm curled up in my bed, contemplating my stupid life, when I hear them. Taps against the glass window. Plonk-plonk. Plo-plo-plonk.
Shut the hell up, I think, then roll over and close my eyes.
And open them again.
Because nothing living could've made that sound. Nothing in the City is alive except me. At least, that's what I always thought.
I rub my eyes and roll out of bed, immediately stubbing my toe against the foot of the bed. Shit, that hurts.
"Ugh," I moan, and amble to the window.
I pull apart the blue curtains.
And scream.
Zander's POV
They told me she'd be broken. Hurt. Used.
But I definitely wasn't expecting this.
A scar mars her face, and her green eyes, flecked with teal and gold, look distraught and hopeless. Her shoulders slump, and she hold's herself limply, as if she hangs onto the world only by threads. Her delicate, slender figure seems malnourished.
I think, This is a Desolate for sure.
When she screams, I put a finger to my mouth to signal silence. I mean, do I really look that bad? She glares at me and draws the curtains.
I wait.
The curtains are pushed aside again and she slides the window open. And the first thing she says to me is, "Who the hell are you?"
And my answer is something really intelligent, like "Uh..."
She smirks. "Someone 's very eloquent today."
I shrug. "So you're Elira?"
She looks at me. "What the fuck? You know my name!"
"Yeah, you probably have a million questions. Now let's go."
"No way! Do you think I'd honestly just go traipsing off with some stranger that inexplicably knows my name and looks like a zombie?"
I grimace. "Ouch."
"Sorry. But that black stuff--face paint, right? Makes you look grotesque. Now good night--"
"Wait. C'mon, just trust me."
"What is this, Aladdin? No!"
"I'm not allowed to tell you unless you come."
"Who are you? You never answered, you know."
"Zander Chase."
She squints. "Yeah, like that's supposed to mean something to me?"
"No, but you asked--"
"You know, just shut up. I'll come. But if you turn up to be some sort of serial killer, you'd be very disappointing as the first person I've ever met."
She doesn't seem surprised that after sixteen years of solitude, she's finally met a person.
"Okay. Um. Okay." I didn't expect it to be this easy to convince her to come. "Yeah, um."
"You have a way with words," she deadpans.
"Yeah, I noticed. It's one of my best qualities."
"You don't have any good qualities."
"Whatever. Listen, we need to wait for transport. It's scheduled to come any minute."
She snorts. "Okay."
An awkward silence follows, and then Elira tells me she's getting dressed and pulls the curtains together.
And I'm left alone in the cold night air.
Sry this was a sucky chapter but things are changing for Elira! She doesnt have a very animated reaction bc at this point, she doesn't care so yeah, that's just to clarify...
tyasssssm for picking Isolate to read. Pls comment and vote!
xx,
luke-the-penguin
