Chapter 3: Motel
Though I didn't know it when I was boarding that plane, I hated flying. Before then, I'd been on three other planes, the one we'd been on to get to Australia, and when I was maybe twelve, my dad took Beatrice, Olin and I to Florida for a week and we took a plane there, and one back. So my total flying experience, totaled to flights that were no more then two to three hours. The flight from Australia to Retchin was, at the very least, fourteen hours. And I can definitely say it was not pleasant.
In the interest of being discreet and staying off the radar, we were on a flight hosted by a crappy, little-known airline called Aeronautical Expedition. Aeronautical Expedition flew all over the world, but they were little known because they were crappy, and because they had a bad reputation for allowing illegal substances on planes.
Anyways, Cyric and I boarded, me still grumbling about the pill he'd forced down my throat and, though he didn't say anything, I was pretty sure he was amused. The lady checking passports, and tickets looked up. "I'm sorry," She said to me. "You're Fred?" she asked.
"Um," I said. "No, he's Fred," I answered, faking a smile I really hoped was convincing.
"Oh, so you're Alex," She said, giving me a slightly confused smile. I nodded. "May I see your passports?" She asked, going through standard protocol. Cyric nudged my arm and gave me a weak smile. I glared at him, immediately understanding and hating it.
"Oh, um, you don't need our passports, but, everything else is in order," I said, glaring at Cyric as I spoke. He shot me a grin as the lady blinked and then smiled.
"You may board," She said. Cyric wound his arm around my waist and I crossed my arms.
"Take your hands off of me," I told him as we walked down the hall to where the plane met the side of the building.
"I still don't get why you needed to steal the tickets," He replied, ignoring my comment.
"You're really getting on my nerves," I informed him.
"That may be the medicine I gave you, not sure how well it works," He said. I turned on him.
"I'm sorry, did you just say you're not sure how it works?" I asked, jabbing a finger at his chest. "You forced me to take a pill that could've... could've... I dunno! Killed me or something!" I exclaimed.
"Voice down," He said. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms again.
"You're insufferable," I told him. He grinned and walked onto the plane. Moodily, I followed him.
~*~
We were seated in 'economy' class, although, I admit that there didn't seem to be a big difference between economy and business. I was in the window seat and Cyric was on my left, next to him was a seat that was yet to be filled although I was sure someone would show up soon. I hit my palms against my knees in anticipation, already getting nervous. "When is this thing going to take off?" I muttered. I ran a hand through my hair.
"Nervous?" Cyric asked.
"No, not at all," I replied, as casually as I could. He gave me a disbelieving look but didn't say anything. Someone came and sat down next to Cyric, a young man who was scribbling in a notebook. The plane started moving down the landing strip, gaining speed before takeoff. I gripped the arm rest so tightly that my knuckles turned white and squeezed my eyes shut.
After what felt like eternity, I heard Cyric's voice. "We're up in the air, Rosalyn," He whispered to me. Slowly I opened my eyes. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked.
"Not awful," I muttered, ignoring his grin. I glanced out the window. It was incredibly weird to think that we were up in the sky. But it was also beautiful, pure, undiluted blue, mixed with scraps of white cloud, more then scraps at times.
"Here," Cyric said, tapping my arm and tearing my gaze from the sky. In his hand was yet another pill, this one was baby blue. I looked at it warily before putting my hand over my mouth. He gave a low chuckle, obviously amused by my precaution.
"What does it do?" I demanded, my voice only slightly muffled by my hand.
"It's a sleeping pill," He answered. I shook my head.
"No thanks," His eyebrows rose but he didn't say anything.
That flight seemed to take forever. I didn't sleep, I refused to let myself sleep and because of it, I was exhausted. I'm not sure if Cyric did, I know he had his eyes closed for a while but I have no idea whether he was sleeping or meditating or something like that. But when they announced that the plane was taking it's descent, I started stressing again. I forced myself to take calming breaths. I was fine. I couldn't find anything to calm myself down, although, I admit that when Cyric slipped his hand into mine, I was vaguely reassured. When we had finally landed and gotten into the tiny airport, it was raining.
"On a scale of one to ten, how awful was that?" Cyric asked me as we got off the plane. I thought.
"Overall, a five," I decided, checking the pocket in my backpack as discreetly as I could to make sure the gun was still there. Thankfully, it was. I rubbed at my eyes, trying to keep them open.
"Are you tired?" Cyric asked, concerned.
"No," I replied, stifling a yawn. It was clear he didn't believe me. I didn't really care. We headed out into the rain, staying under the airport's stone awning. Cyric hailed a cab and I let him, too tired to really care. We got in and I didn't even pay attention to where Cyric told the driver to go.
I was only this tired because I hadn't slept in so long. At H.O., I had been given the same serum that was supposed to give me magical powers but had so far only made me cough and/or vomit up my own blood. I hadn't slept that night, I think I blacked out once or twice, but I never went to sleep. Then, the next day, I had escaped, for better or for worse, with Lara and the help of Adrian, Cyric, and Gwin, Adrian's little sister who left shortly after. After that, I had several awkward, more then awkward, conversations with Cyric and now we're at a bit of a stalemate on the whole relationship thing. I want him around, but, I know I shouldn't for a whole slew of reasons so I refuse to be with him. And that ended with me falling off a cliff into the ocean where I talked to my mom's ghost and then blacked out, and that night I stayed up with Lara and we tried to run, but Cyric and Adrian stopped us and changed our plans which is, of course how I ended up here with Cyric. Overall, I had blacked out a few times, but I hadn't actually slept in two days. It was something of a miracle I was still on my feet.
When we got to wherever Cyric told the cabbie to take us, he helped me out and then payed the man. After stumbling through the rain, we got into... a motel. The woman, who had badly applied makeup and looked like she hated her job, her life, and herself, looked at us in surprise. It took me a second to realize it was because of the time difference, it must be only like five pm here, but near Australia, where we had been, we'd left at something like two in the afternoon and after a very long flight, it was still on five o'clock here because of the time change. "Can I help you?" The woman asked.
"Yes, can we have a room?" Cyric asked. I shot him a glare. We could still be out, moving closer to Helena. But secretly, all I wanted to do was lie down. The woman clicked agonizingly slowly through her computer.
"So it's you and your...?" She trailed off.
"Girlfriend," Cyric said, lying seamlessly. The woman nodded once or twice and finally handed Cyric a key. He smiled fakely and payed her before we left to go find our room.
~*~
"Shit," I swore. Our room had one king bed. I turned to face Cyric. "Please tell me you didn't ask for this," I said, dropping my bag on the floor and running a hand through my slightly tangled hair.
"I didn't, in fact, I wasn't specific at all, I said you were my girlfriend and the woman must've assumed," He said. I rolled my eyes. I wanted to go to sleep. But I couldn't risk reliving Olin's death.
"Fine," I answered. "I'm going to go take a shower," I said. I felt gross from our trip already and if I couldn't sleep, I might as well be clean. Besides, it wasn't like I had anything else to do. I made sure there was a towel for me when I finished and stripped down before getting in the shower. The hot water was a blessing, rhythmically pounded every inch of my body. I didn't think, I just let the water burn away the day's grime.
And then it hit me.
Suddenly, uncontrollably.
A flash of green hair.
The click of an unlocked safety lock on a gun, pointed at us.
A trigger pulled.
I screamed and ducked automatically, my mind flashing back to the shower and then back to that day and my arms circling my knees.
More bullets, retreating footsteps, running away, like cowards.
Every time I heard the shots in my head, I screamed.
My brother's hand, in my own, warm, sweaty even. Uneven breathing, getting really fast, and then stopping.
I screamed again. I realized I was sobbing into my knees, the shower head still stinging my skin with burning water. "Rosalyn!" Came a voice and suddenly I realized Cyric had been screaming my name for at least a full minute at that point., but I hadn't noticed until the bathroom door opened. I whimpered, still seeing her, uncaring on the outside, shooting a little kid. "What's wrong?" Cyric asked. There was just a shower curtain dividing us, I could see his shadow on the other side of it. I couldn't speak, just sob. He was unsure of what to do, I could tell. He knew he shouldn't open the shower curtain, but he felt he couldn't just leave me here. "Rosalyn?" He asked, more softly. I managed to stumble out a sound, letting him know I wasn't dead, as if the sobbing wasn't obvious enough. "Rosalyn, I'm going to turn off the water, okay?" He asked. When I didn't answer, his hand groped it's way along the wall, searching for the mechanism. Finally, he found it and shut off the water. "Rosalyn?" He asked. I made a choking sound in the back of my throat as her voice, her words entered my head. Scathingly smug and cold, as if murdering a child in cold blood was no big deal. There was shuffling on the other side of the curtain and then Cyric dropped the towel in, half on me, half on the floor of the tub/shower. I pulled it around my self, under my armpits so it made a short little makeshift towel-dress. "You have to get up," Cyric said softly. I shook my head, not that he could see. He sighed. "Do you have the towel on?" He asked.
"Yeah," I managed to croak out, my tears almost completely having stopped. He pulled back the shower curtain.
"C'mon," He said, extending a hand. Like a child, I took it, and let him help me up and pull me into a hug, though I didn't hug him back.
"Leave me alone," I whispered. I was embarrassed. Cyric pulled away and looked at me, almost pityingly so. After a very long moment, he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I sat on the edge of the tub and buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking with tears that didn't come. Hadn't the whole point of the shower been to not relive Olin's death? Not have nightmares? And yet, all I saw was him dying, that damn gun, held by the stupid blond-streaked-with-green haired woman.
I don't know when, but eventually, I got dressed and left the safety of the bathroom. Cyric was sitting on the bed. "Rosalyn,-" He started.
"Please, don't," I said. I didn't want him to bring it up. He held his hands up in silent surrender and we accepted the awkward silence that followed. I fiddled with things in my backpack for a few minutes before I realized I was really, extremely tired. I just wanted to go to sleep. But despite everything, I was still scared about the nightmares. I tried to mask a yawn but Cyric saw it.
"Rosalyn? Are you tired?" Cyric asked.
"No," I lied, waving it away.
"You didn't sleep on the plane at all, are you sure you don't want to sleep?" He asked.
"I'm fine," I said, putting a little force on the words unintentionally.
"Rosalyn, you should go to sleep," He repeated.
"I am not a little kid. Just because I broke down crying doesn't make me a little kid. Stop telling me what I can and can't do! Stop telling me what I should do!" I yelled, standing up. I was overreacting. I knew that. Some incredibly annoying little part of my brain told me it was from lack of sleep but I didn't care.
"Rosalyn," Cyric said, keeping his voice calm and level but I could tell he was pissed. "Do whatever the hell you want," he said, and he walked right out the door. Three seconds after it slammed shut I realized what a bitch I'd just been. He must hate me. I hated me. I swore and leaned against the wall for a moment. And then I got back up and went outside. Cyric hadn't gone far, he was leaning against the wooden pole. It was dark out, and cold. I'd forgotten how much colder it'd be here. I could see my breath in the air. Cyric was just a silhouette.
"I'm sorry," I said. I knew Cyric knew I was there, he would've heard the door open and close. He didn't turn around. I sat down and leaned against he pole opposite his. "You've been really patient with me, if I were you, I probably would've already killed me," I continued. He was still silent. "Are you going to say anything?" I asked, running a hand through my wet hair. Finally, Cyric turned to me.
"I'm not giving up," He said. And then he turned around and went back inside.
~*~
I didn't ask him what he meant by that. I stayed outside for as long as I could bear but there were ice crystals forming in my wet hair and I was freezing. Cyric was sitting on the bed when I came in. He got up off the bed as I shut the door. "You should take the bed," He told me. "We should probably sleep in watches anyways," I thought it was kind of silly to do so but I guess it was imprinted in his brain to always beware of your enemies.
"I'll take first watch," I said, solving my problem of sleep for a little longer.
"It's fine," He said.
"No, I can take it," I replied immediately. I didn't plan on sleeping. He looked at me. His anger from before seemed completely gone. So was mine.
"You don't want to go to sleep, do you?"
"Not at all," I replied. "Take the bed, I'll be fine with first watch,"
"Scared of the nightmares?" He asked, verbalizing my thoughts. I stayed calm.
"Only a little,"
"Lie down," Cyric told me, gesturing towards the bed.
"I'm serious, I'll take first watch," I repeated.
"Humor me," he replied and I sighed, sitting down. "Lie down," He repeated.
"I'm good," I told him.
"Rosalyn," He said, his voice held a note of authority. I knew that, unlikely as it was, he could choose to just pin me down if all he wanted was me to lie down.
"Why?" I asked. He laughed.
"You are impossible," He said and I grinned. He sat down next to me. And then he moved backwards so that he was leaning against the backboard. I shook my head in amusement but moved to sit next to him anyways. "Now will you lie down?" Cyric asked.
"No," I replied, highly amused. He got off the bed and shut off the light in the room before coming to sit next to me again. We weren't in total darkness, but close to it. "What now?" I asked.
"Lie down," He said again. "this time, I'm not asking, I'm demanding." I grinned in the dark even though he couldn't see me. I lay down on my side anyways. He moved as well but I didn't realize what he was doing until he took my hand in his. I tensed up, we weren't a couple anymore. His voice came from right next to my ear. "Sometimes it's easier to sleep if you can hear another person's heartbeat," He whispered, his voice was slightly nervous, as if he thought I'd push him away. With my head against his chest, I could hear his heart, almost in sync with mine. I didn't push him away.
And that's how I fell asleep that night.
N/A
Well then, isn't that vaguely awkwardly cute? Next update.... Before next Sunday? Hopefully? I don't know I'll probably be on Death's Angel at that point but I'll try. Anyone know which of the things, besides compeller, popped up in this chapter? (Transporter, speaker, healer, viewer, bystander, telekinetic, self-shifters, shifters, or searchers) Thanks for reading and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote and comment. -Jodi