We Watched the City Burn

Chapter 11

I've never been so confused in my entire life. My brain was firing off all of these orders, run, talk, do something, anything! But, my body couldn't seem to move, even Ferdinand was stone still, his eyes wide and fixed on the girl next to us.

Aurora  was kicking her feet in the dirt, mixing up a cloud of dust and sending rocks flying. I couldn't see her face, her red hair was a shield, keeping her expression from me. But the way she was hunched, her hands just sort of hanging on the chains, she looked...lost. Lost and sad. If I had any control over my body, I like to think I would have put my hand on her shoulder, spoken some comforting words, the perfect thing that would make her look at me. Smile at me, and break light across this dark playground. 

But I just stared rudely, for sure, but I just stared. Watched her swing a little as she kicked, hunched in the swing. Like a broken little girl with no friends, no one to take her hand and show her what friendship was. 

She looked as alone as I felt.

Finally, my body thawed, and I faced forward, and took a deep breath. Without thinking about what would happen, without worry about Aurora hearing my speak for the first time, I opened my mouth, and sang. 

"See the stars from a million places

Porcelain skin puts our faces entwined in time

Never lost my way for you

Felt it all around me

Never gonna stop

Never stop anything at all

Repeat all that we do

Let's start from the beginning

The times we've lost can be repaired

So be prepared

The moments we burned into our minds

Yeah we'll be fine

We say our goodbyes

Let's bring it tonight

The story's building as we live on through this night

Representation to approve the words we bind

The city never pulls through once we all are doomed

Never gonna stop

Never stop anything at all

Remember what we do

Re-live the lives we put in the sky

The times we've lost can be repaired

So be prepared

The moments we burned into our minds

 Yeah we'll be fine"

It was one of my favorite songs, A City on the Edge of Forever, by A Skylit Drive. Up until that moment, I didn't realize that I had started to associate it with Aurora. But, the further and further I got into the song, the clearer it became.

I could still hear my soft voice reaching up to the sky, not quite reaching the trees on the edge of the playground. I was so used to whispering, that getting my voice loud enough to carry was almost impossible. I tightened my grip on the chains, waiting for her to get up and leave, while I was waiting, I noticed that at some point during my song, she had stopped kicking.

 Oddly, I wasn't ashamed, I wasn't afraid of anyone lashing out at me for using my voice, at most, maybe she'd tell me I couldn't sing, which I already knew. I guess, I just wanted her to think about something else besides whatever was making her so sad. I couldn't tell if it worked, though. I was still staring straight ahead, listening to the crickets chirp. 

"I always knew you could talk," Aurora murmured. There was a teasing tone to her voice, friendly, warm. Warm like her freckles, hair and smile. It was a little raspy, but it was perfect, in it's own way, perfect for the body is was held in.

I shrugged, still not feeling the need to look at her. She wasn't looking at me yet, so when she did, then I turn my attention to her. I'd more than likely be shocked into paralysis again, hopefully she was patient enough for me to overcome that.  

 "Why don't you? Talk, I mean. Are you shy?" she was looking at me now, studying my face, drinking in everything she saw with her brown eyes. Even though I was covered, the bruises hidden under both a long sleeve shirt, and my hoodie, I felt like she could see them anyway. 

I bit my lip, shook my head. She'd keep guessing, but that was fine. I doubted she'd guess that my father was an abusive monster who beat me every time I opened my mouth. Hell, he beat me every time the wind blew. But she didn't ever need to know that. No one did.

"Not shy. Hmm. You don't strike me as the snob type. You look too afraid for that. So, I guess that leaves silent by choice," she didn't say this as a question, just a simple statement.

I wasn't bothered by the 'afraid' comment. It was true after all, and I was sure everyone could see it on my face; my mother used to call me her open book.  

"What brings you here, Matt? Leisure, or are you escaping too?" Aurora started to swing, pumping her legs a bit, rising higher and higher. I felt like she was getting away from me, so I started work my legs until we were level.

I nodded, glancing at her from the corner of my eye. Her hair was blowing out behind her, her eyes bright and wild. She looked so beautiful. It was almost unreal.

"I wonder what Matt Crowley has to escape from, a public speaking engagement perhaps? Karaoke? Uhhm. It could be anything. Just tell me, is it something good?"

I shake my head. Not good in the least. As far from good as you can get.

"It's bad. What kind of bad? Do I get a hint?" This was meant to be playful, but it stung a little. How was I supposed to hint at this? What kind of words did someone use to describe my life?

I squared my jaw and stopped pumping, letting my swing slowly return to Earth.