S a l e t é I I

XXI - Estomac - Treize

The corners of the warehouse had always harboured darkness, the light cast by any fire they had burning mingling with it in a constantly shifting dance. Light, dark. Shadows flickered as they were touched by the glow, their forms warped across the beams of the building, across every forgotten container, each one a metal casket waiting for nothing.

Even when she and Zisel had offered more fuel to the flames, each broken chunk of wood slowly disintegrating in the heat - segments of things that had once been crafted for a purpose now reduced to useless scraps, fit only to be burned - that darkness didn't appear to diminish by all that much.

The soft snapping of fire consuming what had been consigned to it, along with Taya's chatter as she continued to wander in her own little world were the only sounds in the warehouse now, both lingering within echoes carried by the structure. Together, they were oddly serene, almost uncomfortably so, attempting to lull Cassia into a frame of mind where everything was okay.

Maybe, for that moment alone, everything really was fine. Taya was content and playing away, the fire was warm, steady, their needs hadn't reached the point of urgency... 

If only they hadn't been teetering on the verge of desperation. Maybe then she would have been able to relax?

The sound of the metal sheet that concealed the entrance to their hideout definitively marked the end of the day's first outing, Cassia rising to greet the returning trio as Zisel's turned to face the direction that the scraping had come from. Monet led the way inside, Uliana allowing Klavdiya to follow her in, after which she closed the route behind them.

None of them appeared especially pleased.

Cassia had always used Uliana's expression to gauge how a venture had gone, whenever the girl had been included in one and she hadn't. If she wasn't looking hopeful, then the chances were proceedings had not been smooth. The sight of her this time did little to drum up any optimism, Cassie almost hesitating before she asked the unavoidable question.

"Any luck?"

Monet took off her backpack, placing it atop one of the smaller containers resting near the storeroom door, Cassia moving to her side as she opened it up. Uliana took it upon herself to fetch the key in the meantime, whilst Klavdiya waited nearby, sitting down with visible relief.

The teenager produced one bottle from her bag, holding it out for Cassia to take, the younger girl holding it in both hands as she began her inspection.

She couldn't imagine a time where she would fail to appreciate the sight of glass tinted red.

"Have half, and make sure that Zisel has the other." Monet told her, speaking fairly quietly.

"Is this...?"

Cassia realised what Monet was now implying, the small, slow nod that she received serving as a particularly unkind confirmation.

One bottle. She'd never expected to look upon one with both relief and fear. Relief because it was something, fear because it was entirely alone.

Cassia drank her half slowly, making sure to savour the delicate fizz that her lessened haste ensured, and - whilst even half a portion was quite refreshing - the instance was horribly undermined by the knowledge that Monet still had nothing for herself. 

She hadn't insisted that Monet be the one to drink half, as much as she'd wanted to, as she knew full well that she would have been wasting her time.

Zisel, on the other hand, exercised a stubborn streak when Cassia handed what was left to her.

"Has Monet had any?"