Glitch (The Write Awards 2013 Winner)

Glitch - Chapter 16

“Freya…” The sound of Bryn’s voice lulled her out of her sleep with the gentle push of a baritone murmur. Slipping back into reality, she aligned her senses to determine her location. The sheets itched against her skin with the crisp grate of a bed never been slept in. It didn’t posses the comfort of home or the luxury of Satis. Her thoughts tumbled into place as she determined her location to be the impossible ghost-village. A breathy sigh dragged along the throat as she failed to predict an immediate future where the bed she woke up to retained an instant familiarity. For now she remained constantly trapped in a labyrinth of insecurity.

Through the window snatched verses of bird song reached her ears to gently paint the picture of morning. But the light outside was still dim on further inspection. The night lingered in the sky as a grey permeated through suggesting to Freya that the hour was extremely early and that the day had yet to begin.

 She focused her eyes on the sight of Bryn’s face occupied by a gentle upward tilt of the lips from where he had perched himself on the edge of the bed. Wrapped in a blurry confusion she mumbled an incoherent string of syllables while propping herself up against the pillows. It suddenly occurred to her that a wake up call this early hinted at the delivery of bad news. She made an effort to sit herself upright; into a position to better receive yet another dose of misery, but Bryn’s hand gently guided her back down to the pillows.

“No, don’t worry. Sorry to wake you so early. It’s just that I have something planned and if we want to make it you’ll have to get up now,” he explained. Too early for Freya’s mind to question or dispute she made the effort of a slight nod of the head.

“Alright… I’ll be down soon.” Her voice possessed the creak of disuse through the night. She cleared her throat and spent a moment attempting to haul her brain into its normal state of function. It took a few forceful blinks in order to properly fix her gaze onto Bryn. She offered him a brief smile to illustrate her cooperation. Her acceptance of his plans prompted a reaction from Bryn. Out of the corner of her eye she captured the flinching movement of his hand stretching for hers. The contact of their hands only lasted for a moment. Unable to catch up her hand remained limp beneath his. With a clearing of his throat he retracted his touch and rose to his feet.

“I’ll leave you to it then.” At that he exited the room leaving Freya to stumble through a morning routine.

It was only as she descended the stairs that her mind began to fully question the cause behind her early morning wake up. A frown wound into her expressions as she edged open the door to the living room. Adding another puzzle to the rising questions her eyes landed on Mat and Andie also waiting for her arrival. Mat however, was not meeting her eye. Her presence in the room appeared to drag his gaze into something of pressing importance in the corner. The dipped head indicated at least some form of regret; that appeased Freya for the time being. She had refused to give him the same satisfaction and had spent a good few moments in front of the mirror scrubbing away the ghost of tears that she noticed had clung to the area beneath her eyes through the night.

“Would anyone like to tell me what’s happening?” she asked; purposely fixing her voice into a competent stream of unmoved nonchalance.

“We’re giving you permission for a short trip out the village,” Andie replied. Freya nodded in understanding without bothering to question the reason. It would have only served the purpose of painting her the fool.

“If you’re ready we should get going.” Bryn’s words prompted the room into movement.

First Bryn then Andie passed where Freya had positioned herself; lingering by the frame of the door. Still wrapped up in the consideration of the corner, Mat did not immediately follow suit. Eventually he released a sigh of held breath and then got to his feet. Freya resolutely stood her ground as Mat came to pass. His eyes remained fixed onto an unknown point of interest away from her gaze. He angled his body to fit the space between Freya and the opposite door frame, however a miscalculation on his part caused his arm to lightly graze hers. Freya’s attention fixated onto the motivation behind the movement. Intentional or accidental? Her stare burning into the back of his neck presented no discernable answer as he moved on without acknowledgement. A hand in the small of her back prevented her from dwelling on the thoughts. Bryn had begun to gently prompt her to take steps towards the door.