Blank Slates

Chapter 21

She sat up from where she was lying on the floor when she heard the door creak open. Peering into the darkness, she could discern a figure peeping in and motioning her to come over. Rising to her feet, she quickly crossed the room to the door, scurrying on her toes before coming to a halt right at the doorway. Her heart was racing in her chest, screaming at her to stop in her tracks and tell him that she didn't want to go. Every rational, logical fiber in her being warned her to stay in the room and not take the risk, but she shoved those thoughts deep deep down and locked them away, ignoring them until only after the deed was done. His offer was extremely enticing and she figured that if she declined, he wouldn't offer ever again. She had no idea why he even asked in the first place, but hoped he would tell her eventually. Her hands gripped the edge of her shirt as uncertainty began to trickle in. Could she really trust him? The offer seemed too good to be true. What reason did he have to be taking a risk like this? It couldn't just be because he wanted to do something nice for her.

"You ready for this?" Kairo asked, pushing the door open a bit wider.

She fidgeted. "Wait...Kairo..."

He paused. "Yes?"

"You..." she stuttered, peering up at him. "You really mean what you said? That you'd just take me outside? Nothing else?"

He tilted his head. "What else were you expecting?"

She hesitated. "I don't know...is it just gonna be us out there?"

"Well, my best buddy Calix is coming too."

She stomach twisted and her grip on her shirt tightened. "Oh."

He frowned, noticing her growing discomfort. "Are we still on? Because if you don't want to, you can stay here and I'll just go with Calix."

"No, no I do want to go but..."

"You're nervous?"

"Yes."

"That's normal," he assured. "After all, we technically shouldn't be doing this." She nodded, but he could tell that she still had reservations. "Look, I don't mean to push you if you're really unsure."

She bit her lip, contemplating whether or not she should ask about what was bothering her. It wasn't a useless worry, was it? No, she was only being cautious. But would he lie if she did ask? It took him a moment, but then he understood her nervousness without her even having to say a word. "You know I'd never hurt you. Neither of us. I swear on my life."

She looked up at him, surprised. "Kairo I..."

"Hey, this takes trust from both of us. How do I know that you're not gonna try to run off?"

"That wouldn't be wise on my part," she said quietly. "You'd easily catch me and I have no idea where I'd even go."

"But even if you wandered too far and got lost or injured yourself somehow, I'd be the one to get into trouble."

She pursed her lips. "Why are you even doing this?"

"Why does it matter?" he glanced around. "We have to hurry. Are you in or out?"

Her eyes fixed on him, studying his features intently. "I'm in," she spoke quickly before she could doubt herself further.

Seeing a small smile appear on his face, he stepped aside so that she could slide out before quietly shutting the door behind them. At that sound, she knew there was no turning back anymore and she looked to Kairo in the dark expectantly, her bare toes curling on the cold floor. He held his hand out to her and she tentatively placed hers in his, essentially placing her life in his hands. She could feel the rough callouses on his palm and fingers, but he kept his hold on her gentle. Slowly but with urgency, he lead the way, raising his hand from time to time to indicate they were approaching stairs. There was a lift, but he reasoned that it would draw too much attention. She stayed close to him, her eyes darting around at every sound she heard, every creak, every groan, every scratch. Her heart hadn't stopped racing since she left the room and she felt almost on the verge of passing out. She stumbled a couple of times, and he quickly steadied her, placing a strong hand on her waist. As they approached the top room, she felt her fear slowly disperse to be replaced by bubbling excitement. It felt almost as if she was trapped underwater and was so close to reaching the surface to take a breath of air. Her pace sped up, and he chuckled slightly at her enthusiasm. The sound of a loud clatter resounding above them caused them both to stop in their tracks. To her surprise, Kairo grabbed onto her tightly and hustled her into the closest room. A small squeak escaped her lips as she landed on the floor roughly and she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, staring at him wide eyed. He placed a finger to his lips to tell her to remain silent as he peered out the crack of the door. They could hear a low voice muttering from the other side paired with heavy footsteps, pacing around just outside the door. She felt herself holding her breath, hoping whoever it was would just leave. She watched Kairo shrink back, still keeping his eyes on the crack, his posture tense. After what felt like hours, they heard the footsteps fade away, only to be replaced by deafening silence. Kairo exhaled slowly before turning his eyes back to her.