Swan Song || The Lost Boys - & The One Who Found Them...

Chapter XVI ~ ᛊ (Sōwilō) Part II - Of Frailty... & Those Who Seek To Abuse It

" Uh-oh! No touchy there! The wound is still fresh n' sensitive! "

" ... the wound? "

" You slipped & fell in the shower, Lily ~ "
It was David who answered, drawing my attention towards the door where I found him leaning against the wall, his steel-blue eyes scrutinizing me from a distance.
" ~ You hit your head on the bathroom floor & lost consciousness.

Consider yourself lucky, my dear... You missed the sink by two inches at best. "

I stared at him & he back at me, my eyes wide & clouded with so many questions, I didn't even know which one to ask first.
The corners of David's lips appeared to be twitching for the split of a second, but in my current state I couldn't trust my eyes anyway.
" I... I don't understand... What was I doing in the bathroom?? "

Paul in front of me cocked a brow.
" Uh... Showering ?? I mean... That's what I assume. You were in there for quite a long time... "

" I wasn't?! I left no more than ten minutes after I slammed the door in your face & went downstairs to look for you guys! I... I remember searching the kitchen for Michael, but instead I ran into-- "
& then I paused, planting a palm on my stomach to help ease my breathing as my eyes once again locked with those of David who - similar to a mannequin in a shop window - wordlessly returned my gaze, holding a sense of calm & indifference that completely threw me off guard.

He wouldn't actually pretend like he had no idea what I was talking about, would he??

" I ran... into you, David. In the hallway! "

Silence befell the room & everyone in it, like a transparent, weightless veil; Paul's utterly confused 'What?' almost didn't reach me as I was so focused on David's expressions & the look in his eyes. I wouldn't even blink, that's how intensely I was staring, but like so many times before the vampire leader maintained his flawless poker-face, quickly causing me to question my own memories.

" That's impossible, Lily ~ ", he whispered after what felt like an eternity.
" ~ I have neither seen nor talked to you ever since you & Dwayne went upstairs. "

The feeling of nausea from earlier returned in a heartbeat & my mouth went dry.
" ...Yes, you have..?! You told me that Michael went home &... that he left me a note. On the counter! "

Finally, a weak & barely noticeable twitch in David's brow, his eyes narrowing more with each second.
" He didn't leave you a note, Lily. In fact, he left without a word... "

" David, I remember coming out of the bathroom to look-- "

" Uhm... No offence, little flower, but... you never left the bathroom, " Paul interfered,
" And I can tell 'cause I've been sitting in the kitchen, eating one of those delicious sandwiches I took out of your fridge while keepin' an eye on the hallway the whole time. If you had come down the stairs, I would've been the first one to see it, boo ~ "

" But... But-- "

" Are you okay, precious? "
I flinched at the sound of Marko's voice right next to me, turning in my spot to see him in the armchair adjacent to the couch, an expression of empathy embedded in his young & still bruised face.

Seeing him there after the picture of his severely wounded body had burned itself into my memory helped me & my agitated mind find some peace, even if only for a moment.
" I'm... honestly not sure right now. "

" Don't beat yourself up, okay? It looks like you were only dreaming anyway... "

The cogs in my brain were screeching & screaming as my thoughts set them in motion, rearranging my thoughts over & over again in order to help me remember; the only result being even more confusion than before.