Lost Sanctuary

Chapter 6

The blackened grass crunched beneath her feet as she stepped into the clearing. A sickly, cloying smell hung in the air, curling through what was left of the trees and into her lungs as she inhaled a shaky breath. It was utterly silent. Nina's hands began shaking at her sides as her eyes scanned the oblivion before her. The well had crumbled, stones tumbling into the pool below. A thin layer of ash obscured any reflection it might offer. The only thing that remained standing was the altar. Blackened and ravaged by flame, it's chalk markings erased, the altar seemed to sway as if dazed, in the gentle breeze that heaved through the space. Not an ember remained of the fire that had all too clearly razed her sanctuary to the ground. The golden light from the late afternoon sun and the clear blue sky above made a mockery of the paradise this space had once represented. Nina made her way toward the altar, between those two tall willows, and laid her palm flat in the centre of the crowning stone. The stone was warm to her touch. She pulled her hand away and it curled into a fist as she stepped away from the altar and toward the road behind her. As she stepped out onto the street and the sounds of the city invaded her senses, she felt the calm that had settled in her over the last week unravel. She groped helplessly for the loosening threads as she came apart, finding no purchase with which to salvage her sense of security.

The feeling of panic that rose in her was familiar and unbidden. In the face of her dependence, the knowledge that the grove was gone was unbearable. Nina didn't even know how to find it, let alone recover it or the peace it had offered. It dawned on her that the nervous, jittery sensation that was twisting its way up her throat was the same sensation that had brought her to the grove not a week ago, except now she had nowhere to go. She half-ran home. Fumbling her keys as her vision blurred, Nina flung open her door and hurled herself into the flat falling to her knees with a thud. The door closed with a snick; the lock sliding shut. A sob tore out of her piercing the stillness of her home and her shoulders shook violently. Gasping for air she slumped against the wall by the door.

That's how Omar found her, curled in on herself, crying into her folded arms. He dropped his bags and knelt down beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

'Hey, hey, what's up? What's going on?' She only shook her head, her hair whispering against her back where it dragged across the fabric of her shirt. 'Look at me, Nina.' He curled a finger under her chin and tilted her face to make her look at him. She closed her eyes as the tears rolled down her face. Nina's brows furrowed against the headache that had taken residence behind her eyes. Omar sat down beside her, resting his head against the wall and exhaling sharply through his nose. She didn't turn to watch him. They sat there for what felt like an hour. Eventually, her hiccupping sobs ebbed, and silence returned. Omar didn't move, his shoulder pressed firmly against hers.

'What're you doing?' She asked as the minutes passed.

'If you can sit in the middle of the entrance then so can I. It's as good a place as any for my daily meditation', he shrugged. Her mind cleared fractionally at the humour, but she only stared blankly at him. His gaze softened when he found her watching him. Nina closed her eyes again. Every muscle in her body was sore as she stretched her legs out and rolled her head back, letting it thump against the wall. A long breath hissed from between her teeth as she turned her face to look up at the ceiling.

'What's your plan for dinner?' She spoke quietly into the space between them.

'I was going to make salmon and fried rice', Omar hefted a shopping bag onto his lap, patting it gently.

'Is there enough for me to eat some too?'

'Of course. You know I always plan for feeding you.' Her head lolled onto his shoulder as she sighed. He continued quietly, 'you don't have to tell me what's going on but I'm always ready to listen.'