uncontrollable (completed)

pink nails

Dan POV:

When I opened my eyes, the haze in my vision clearing, I stared at my familiar ceiling. The late afternoon sunlight was pouring in from the windows, and for a moment, I thought I was alone, until I noticed the weight on my chest.

I looked down to see Mara's arm slung over my ribcage, chipped bubblegum-pink fingernails, my sweater's sleeve ending at her wrist. The pink nails were the only fanciful part of her. She was beautiful, yes, but in the same way the night sky was. A dark, lonely sort of beautiful. Mara's beauty was the kind that had been crafted from the darkness between stars.

I'd almost forgotten that she was wearing my sweatshirt too, she'd been wearing it the whole time. She was fast asleep, pressed into my side and stretched out on her front, one arm draped over me.

My mind flashed, and I remembered her slumping against me suddenly. She had been leaning on me, but gently, and then suddenly she went limp, nearly falling into my lap. The shock of her just passing out, not waking up even when I shook her and called her name was terrifying. What was worse, was the feeling of horror and helplessness when she screamed in her sleep, a bloodcurdling sound that made heads turn.

It felt strange having her lying on my bed beside me. My little brother used to climb into bed with me when he had nightmares- and I'd find him rolled over and snoring the next morning. This was Mara though- a new... friend? More than friend? I didn't know what to call her, but I knew I liked her a lot, and maybe more than I should like 'just a friend.' I wished everything was easier for her. Seeing Mara's arm slung so casually across mine made me want to smile, I knew she'd be quick to remove it when she woke up. I didn't want her to wake up just yet though. Her leg was pressed up against mine, squashing it a little bit. When I looked at her, she looked fragile compared to me. Breakable, even.

Mara was still wearing her outfit from last night, her shoulder heavy on my arm, pinning it to the bed. I was pretty much stuck, unless I want to risk waking her up. I didn't though, it was obvious she needed to sleep as much as possible, and I knew she must avoid it due to her nightmares. I turned my head slowly, to see if she looked like she would wake up any time soon. She didn't, she was sound asleep, taking long breaths with her face turned towards me.

I'd never seen Mara this close to me. It was strange to see her at such close range, but interesting too. I could see details I had never noticed before. The way her hair, in the late afternoon sunlight had some streaks of a dark auburn color in it. I could see how her extremely long eyelashes cast shadows onto her delicate face. I could even distinguish the individual hairs on her eyebrows. Her skin was smooth, almost translucent, the only mark a faint scar on her shoulder, a permanent reminder of whatever it was that happened to her.

Mara stirred in her sleep, her arm sliding up my ribcage, when a sudden noise jostled her. I knew that when an ambulance passed in the street below, the silence was loud enough to rouse Phil from his sleep, who claimed he could sleep through an elephant stampede. It was no surprise to feel her arm tense, and watch as her eyes flew open.

For a long moment, she just stared at me sleepily, her gold colored irises flecked with green, her face very still. Then her expression changed.

"How long were we asleep?" She asked, sitting up, her ink-black hair wavy and tangled from sleep.

"I don't know." I answered honestly. "But I fell asleep a little after you, at around one thirty." I added. She looked around my room, and held her gaze on the window

"it's got to be late afternoon by now..." Mara mumbled, more to herself than me. She sighed, and turned to me. "Sorry for just crashing in your room." She apologized, starting to get up and stretch.

"It's fine." I replied, and it was. I would much prefer her to steal my bed and sleep here than be in a bad state from her flashback.

"I think I'm going to go home now," She said, sounding like a voice mail recording. "I've intruded enough." Her voice was flat, like she had used the same excuse a thousand times before, and she probably had. I realized, suddenly, that she was trying to push me away, whether she realized it or not.

"Yeah." She said, rising from my bed and stretching. "I'm gonna go."

I didn't want her to leave, but I didn't know what to say, so I just watched as she slowly walked out of my room, stopping in the door frame to wave goodbye.

"Bye Mara." I said, smiling weakly at her.

"Bye Dan." She echoed, and then she was out of my room. I heard the door slam downstairs, and then the only sign she had been here was the soft vanilla scent clinging to my bedsheets.