REMEFORN [completed]

New Trials

Amanda slowly lowered herself into the bed as if she was falling into a dream. Luckily, the house was still in impeccable shape. Sadly, for Amanda, the members of Hardcore Caution weren't. All five corpses were found inside the house, they must have been eaten. Not so hardcore after all.

"He was right here.", Amanda obsessed. She quickly rolled over and rubbed her cheek on the silk sheets. "Daxx slept here. I can feel his presence. . .". Rox laughed, "His presence?! He's present in the hallway downstairs, at least his remains are." Amanda rolled her eyes at the fact that Rox had to ruin everything with reason. "Just let me morn.", she sighed and Eli and Rox left her.

Rox fell into the bed in a room and couple doors down from Amanda. "She is right though, these beds are amazing. I feel so, young, you know, feeling the happiness of finally getting my own bed." Eli scoffed and jumped into the bed, and in a chain reaction, pushed Rox up into the air. "What, you trying to say you didn't like sleeping with me? I'm a bad roommate?"

"You're the worst kind!", she laughed, "I mean, you snore like there's this angry little troll in your throat and not to mention our little incident.", she hinted, looking him up and down.

"Hey. . ."

"Come on, let's get something to eat; I know I'm starving. AMANDA, LUNCH!"

. . .

Eli sat in the family room late at night thinking about, well, everything. Amanda, and how he never would have thought of a crazy child like her. He felt guilty for what he was doing to them. How hard Rox worked for herself and Amanda, how they didn't deserve it. His thoughts were disrupted by Rox poking her head through the door with a bottle of wine in her hand.

She glided over and sat on the couch next to him, crossing her legs over his. "Happy Anniversary."

Eli, confused, asked, "Anniversary of what?", and Rox replied as if it were obvious, "The mutation.", she handed him the bottle. "I can't open it. I tried."

He took the bottle from her hands and with a little work, pried the cork off with a pop. Then he poured two glasses of the red wine.

"So. . .", Rox started, like everyone starts an awkward conversation, "It's like the new Christmas, for me. Well, New Years; celebrating that we made it a whole 'nother year. Does it feel like three years to you?"

"It doesn't feel like anything to me. You know, that Hardcore Caution? They seemed like they were pretty stupid boys, but they had some pretty good taste in wine.", he said taking another sip.

"Speaking of religion, you know, with Christmas and all, do you have one? A religion?", Rox asked hesitantly, not knowing if it was a touchy subject.

"I'm. . .Catholic. I mean, I don't really know if I am though, anymore, with everything that's happened. I pray seldom."

"I might have been a Christian. I don't really remember; I was really young the last time I did anything with that." It was quiet for a second until Eli took Rox's ankles in his hands and lifted them off of him and walked into the next room. "I was gonna wait to show you guys, but I guess it's a special occasion so. . .". He came back in the room holding the little back box. "Oh, a radio!", Rox cheered and they turned it to Nat King Cole.

Rox started to sway her read to Nat's voice but, stopped and winced. "What's up with your neck?", Eli asked, scooting closer to her for a better look, but he didn't see any scarring on her though.

"My neck's a little stiff from having to compromise my sleeping positions for a certain someone.", Rox hinted, punching him. It was supposed to be playful, and Eli knew that, but Rox was pretty strong so it didn't really come out that way.