S a l e t é I I

XI - Yeux - Dix

Following the moment in which her weakness had become obvious, Uliana had taken Cassie upstairs to the room with all the blankets and mattresses, where no one else was currently present, in order to try and make her physically comfortable. Cassie had gone with her willingly - she didn't really care what was happening anymore - and she'd sat down without a fuss, on the blankets closest to the far side of the area, near the corner.

Normally, she might have been mindful of such a makeshift setting
Her ability to care about trivial matters was currently a cadaver in comparison to what it may have usually been.

"Stay here for a minute, I'll be right back."

Uliana sounded confident in that, and Cassie laid down in the meantime, bringing up her knees slightly as she hugged Polina close, shutting her eyes in another bid to block out the world. It didn't quite work, and she could still hear the muttering of voices elsewhere in the building on occasion. To her dismay, each time she opened her eyes, she hadn't magically appeared back home, or woken up from this ridiculous dream.

Here she was, hiding in some strange room. Was she a coward...? She felt like one... And yet that didn't stop her from hiding.

The space she was in now was quiet, the voices in the distance not prevalent by any means, and - despite the simple nature of the arrangements within - it was decent enough. An effort had been made to keep things tidy and warm, and it was an effort that she now appreciated as she continued her waiting.

Waiting for what? For the earth to swallow her? For some sort of change that wasn't going to occur?

What time was it...?

There was no way of telling - she'd seen no clocks, of any kind, anywhere in the building during her tour. Monet had said something about it being night, hadn't she? Her memory of smaller details was hazy already, as the spectres in her head left no room for such things.

Time... It felt as if time wasn't moving, as if everything had just... Stopped. It wasn't a sensation that brought her any sort of peace. Instead, it reinforced the idea that she had ended up in some form of purgatory.

Eventually, after what was either a few minutes, or an eternity - it was difficult to tell - the door to the room opened again, and she heard that gentle voice.

"Cassia?"

She was able to sit up, not wanting to appear even weaker or more useless than she'd most likely already made herself out to be as Uliana returned, the girl closing the door behind her by leaning back against it. She came over, sitting nearby, though she was sure to give Cassie some space.

"Here, Monet told me to give these back to you."

Cassie's intrigue rose again, just a bit, as Uliana presented her with something that was genuinely familiar, wonderfully so - her beret, given to her by Roslindis. She accepted it, holding it in both hands, making sure to alleviate any creases, something that might have been an attempt at a smile coming to her face.

Uliana wasn't finished, however, as she handed Cassie something else - again familiar. This time, it was something that she'd made an effort to keep with her on most days, wherever she went, and she was especially happy to see it, even if she was unable to really show such a feeling.

"Thank you..." She managed to say, pushing herself to express her gratitude, as she took the small notebook from the girl. She observed the cover, simple and dark, brushing a few fingertips over it, as if it was a fragment of home.

They all were, in a way. Fragments. Polina, her beret, her book...

She opened it, but the sight that awaited her was one she wasn't prepared for, despite how it was one she'd witnessed countless times before now; notes on etiquette, written by Roslindis, filling the inside pages, her handwriting neat and tidy.