𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 𝕿𝖜𝖔
𝔖𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: From trolls to dragons to foreign princesses, Astraea Aphelion grows stronger as she
continues to navigate medieval Britain using her wit and heart, standing unshaken beside Merlin and Arthur as they face every threa...
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📍 San Antonio, Texas
⏳October, 2023
[warning: death]
I leaned against the white oak fence of Dallas's paddock, using my uninjured arm as support in between sips of coffee, while I watched my horse restlessly canter up and down the fence line, neighing constantly. I don't think I've ever seen him look so uneasy. During my time away, my family sold the other two horses that used to live with him, since none of them had time to give them the attention they deserved; which means that my beloved horse is now completely alone.
The sight of the layer of sweat that was starting to form on his chest caused my stomach to churn.
"Dal, you're okay," I said weakly. Even with my third cup of coffee of the day in my hand, I still didn't feel energetic enough to speak louder. I haven't slept at all in the past four days, you see.
My words had no effect and I let out a frustrated sigh. I might have to get another horse to keep him company... I might have to get a job... I miss my job with the horses. I miss Tequila, Cinderella, Chilaquil–
No. Shut up, stupid brain. It's better this way.
In any case, I wouldn't be able to do anything right now, considering my broken arm. Yeah, that's right. As it turns out, I sustained a fracture that required a cast and painkillers. It made me realise that I've been underrating modern medicine. It's unlikely that I would've recovered properly with only Gaius's ointment.
The image of his cosy apartment flashed through my mind and I dropped my head onto the fence, a tad too harshly, in an attempt to knock the memories out of my brain. I have to move on and forget about everything.
"Hey, Star." I jumped at the unexpected sound of Sage's voice and turned around to find her walking towards me. "Oliver's here to take us to the hospital. You comin'?"
I bit down on my bottom lip and turned back to look at Dallas, finding that he had calmed down slightly and was now grazing. "Sure," I breathed out and followed my cousin to the car.
The ride to the hospital was mostly silent, other than the radio playing the latest country hits (which I'm obviously unfamiliar with), so I busied myself with looking out the window as we left the countryside and entered the city.
Everything looks so artificial to me. Like it's made of cardboard or plastic. The metallic, cubic, monotonous buildings hold no charm – on the contrary, they are cold and lifeless. The people in the streets walk straight ahead, almost always sporting wireless earbuds that disconnect them from the environment. They dress in plain suits or similar colourless attires that make them all look the same. Their faces are serious, stoic. No one exchanges glances or smiles. Each person is locked inside their own little virtual bubble, immune to those around.
