The Sleeping Citadel: Gray Magic

Alone Together

AN: Originally posted 1/1/2024. Reposted 2/29/2024.

An old, beat up car the color of a blindingly gray midday. A road equally washed up and washed out. Skin just as pale, gaze just as aimless. She slid into the shotgun seat, leaning against the door. Already inside, one hand on the wheel and one propping up her pale cheek, was another girl, dark gaze obscured by dark sunglasses and long, dark hair. Her expression was blank as she stared out the front window. The moment the shorter girl slid into the shotgun seat, however, the girl at the wheel smirked.

"Ready to go?" she asked. The shorter girl didn't respond. Instead, she only gave the taller girl, Reaper, a look.

Would I be here in the shot gun seat if I wasn't?

Reaper tossed back her head and laughed, animated, coming to life as she revved the engine of her car, foot lowering on the pedal.

The other girl, Sonorhc, threw one last little look over her shoulder, at the hotel she was leaving behind. She thought back to the last words she said to anyone on the inside, spoken to the clerk at the desk.

"I'll check in tomorrow if I don't wake up dead." Sonorhc smirked as she turned forward again, looking back at the worn, weathered road stretching out endlessly before her and her copilot, Reaper.

"Let's be alone together!" The music echoed softly from the car speakers. "We could stay young forever!" Reaper bobbed her head to the beat, occasionally casting a glance at Sonorhc, grinning any time their eyes met. "Scream it from the top of your lungs, yeah!" Even though Reaper was the only one mouthing the lyrics to the song, Sonorhc was singing it in her heart.

The Sleeping Citadel was a peaceful place, there was no doubt about that, but that was exactly what made the restlessness that plagued Sonorhc all the more unbearable and cruel. The mundanity of the town, which she should've enjoyed, sometimes was painfully drab and droll. She took off running, but with no idea where she was going. Only Reaper didn't mind picking her up at the oddest of hours, driving her away even farther and faster, even though she didn't know where they were going either.

Nyooom! Zooom! Nyooom! Reaper weaved left, right, left, straight through the traffic along the beige highway. As fast as she was driving, her movements were so small and slow that they were almost hypnotic to her, rhythmic enough for her to want to settle down for a nap. That was the sleepy haze of a day as plain as this, when the weather and sky were bright, clear, and warm, but in a heavy and sedated way. Everything passed in a haze, even the other cars, and Reaper barely had to pay attention as she passed other drivers on either side of her.

"My heart is like a stallion, they love it more when it's broken..." Again, her and Sonorhc's thoughts harmonized with the song on the radio. While Reaper was aimless and restless, Sonorhc heaved a dry, tired sigh, eyes empty, devoid of spark and devoid of tears.

I wonder, is my depression at least melancholic? Artful? Am I an Ophelia upon which to gaze and admire? She scoffed at herself, already disdainful of such an archetype, and yet she couldn't help but wonder and dream. They always said tragedy made the best artists. So, am I any good yet?

Without thinking, Reaper suddenly reached out and brushed Sonorhc's cheek with her chuckles. Sonorhc jolted on the inside, but somehow managed not to jump, but the sudden touch was electric. She inhaled sharply, brain instantly snapping out of its dreary meandering instantaneously.

"Do you wanna feel beautiful, do you wanna?" If they had to feel the tumultuous and humiliating emotions of an angsty teenager, they could at least try to find some of the fun in it as well. That was why they were doing this, after all.

Isn't this what we always do in the movies when we have young, existential crises? Sonorhc smirked sardonically as the world whizzed by outside the car window. She thought back to the night before, Reaper waiting on her doorstep, waving up at her through and from the darkness below. Hmph. That's Reaper for you. Good, old, classic, typical Reaper... You've been following me around since we were kids...

And maybe that was why Sonorhc answered Reaper's call despite disdaining Reaper for making it. Invite me so we can go back and play pretend...!

Now the highway wrapping through and around the city continued to stretch and unfurl out all around Reaper and Sonorhc. The only thing that limited them now was which road they chose to take next, but with nothing but time on their side, it was always possible to double back around and take any road they missed later on. The thought made Sonorhc smile to herself, and Reaper happened to catch the smile as she turned the car around another bend in the road. When she saw it, she began smiling too.

I don't know where we're going but I think we got room for our troubled souls. I don't know where we're going but I don't think we're coming home, and I said, "I'll check in tomorrow if I don't wake up dead!"

The road kept stretching out before them.

AN: Randomly listened to this song and got some strange sense of "melancholy" that gave me Sonorhc (and sort of Reaper) "teen angst" vibes, so here we are, LOL