Weeping Dream

Two: Don't Come Home Til' He's Safe

Aoki

I'd never been one to be swallowed by silence, but it was as if Winter stole my words and guarded them. All I could do was look at him and smile. He didn't really smile back, which I had sort of expected.

But I made my way outside, somehow. Through the front door, down the dirt path, over the arched bridge looming above the river, and into the town that got louder as the spaces between the houses shrank.

The dusty paths turned to a hard stone, and the houses into a twisting, black metal fence. I approached the most elaborate structure in the kingdom, taller than the supplies center, and probably the royal castle itself.

I entered the school with its tall, light gray walls, making my way down the entrance hall. Room 103. I turned right and entered a large auditorium, wide stone platforms going up to the back of the room with a ramp sliding up the middle.

It was nearly empty. I was almost always early.

There was, however, a girl with long, dusty blonde hair, sitting in the very top row, face looming over a large, brown textbook. I made my way towards her.

"Good morning," I chirped, sitting down next to my friend, and placing my bag down at my side. I smiled at her and turned to grab my ink and pen from my pack. I watched her look up at me, one eye, bright blue, one light green, both studying me with affectionate annoyance.

"Wow. That's it? You're done talking?"

"Nothing's interesting right now, really," I flung my bangs back and forth. Nothing, that diamond-ring word tossed around like a sack of potatoes. "It's... um, morning," I finally managed, trying to hide any suspicion.

"There- everything is interesting to you, Kiki." Closing the cover of her book, she turned to face me more directly. "Hm. This is about a person, isn't it? They haven't told you everything yet, have they? What's their name?"

Surprise filled me. "Wow, you're good–Hey, no! Stop guessing!"

"And they're not from around here. You rescued them from drowning last night by the East Bridge." Satisfied, she tilted her head. "Heh. I'm right, aren't I?"

My eyes widened. "You got all of that from 'It's, um, morning?'"

"Duh, no, what do you think I am, a wizard? There's a rumor going around town. Spooky mysterious person who fell in the river and was rescued by some brave hero. They didn't, you know, specify that you were the rescuer. That was totally just a guess on my part." She added with a laugh, "but you're not subtle at all, you know. A first-year student could see right through you. So? Tell me everything.''

"Well, he-"

"He's not from Green River, is he?"

"Was that... in the rumor?"

"No, that's another guess. How much do you know about him?"

I shook my head. "Well- I know he's... His name is Winter."

"Last name?"

I shrugged.

"Oh, a fugitive, maybe. Probably. Most likely from a kingdom with--"

"Eloise! He's not a fugitive. He's just a bit lost, and I'm giving him food and a place to stay because he needs it."

She seemed defensive, her eyebrows raising. "I just want you to be careful, is all. I think you should report him to the higher-ups as a precaution."

That didn't feel right. "I... can't do that. He needs help. I know he's not a fugitive, but I don't think he wants people to know where he is. I think he's hiding."