Translucent (Solangelo AU)

12. Numbers in Cursive

The bed was empty when I woke up. I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep, or let alone that I had slept at all. A crisp draft flowed into the room, making the blinds flap senselessly against the wall. I registered the low tapping immediately, finding it all the while strange that it stood out so prominently. I stayed in bed, fidgety, pulling my white comforter so high that it engulfed my entire head, hoping that it could somehow drown out the noise.

Tap tap tap. My cocoon couldn't save me.

It earned an award-winning groan. Reluctantly, I shoved all of my blankets in a ball at the foot of my bed and rolled onto the carpeted floor, urging my legs to lift and carry me away. I was still rather disappointed that I couldn't fly. I did, however, close the window, and provoked the destruction of everything around me...or so I thought. The room was dead silent, all signs of life ripped away by the sudden absence of gateway to the real world. No shifts, no sirens or people or birds. Just—silence. And a shiver ran up my spine. I tried to ignore it.

The quiet made the pounding in my head much more apparent, the anthem beating rhythmically to replace the loss of sound around the room and I clenched my teeth, fighting against it. Fighting did nothing; I could squeeze my eyes shut and ball my fists and bite my lip but it wouldn't come close to blocking out the beast that was caged inside my head. A whirlwind indeed. I wondered what the Creators would think of that; they must be eager to have me back in their possession. The perfect tragedy.

I went to the bathroom in hopes of freshening up, seeing that I may as well since I had no idea what I was to be doing. It was light outside, but I felt like I had slept all day. I splashed cold water on my face (it dampened my shirt more than it woke me up) and ran slightly shaking fingers through my mess of a hair. Without warning, my eye caught onto my reflexion in the mirror above the sink. I nearly flinched; I could hardly recognize myself. I was still pale and ghostly, but my features had become less sharp, more plump. Already the couple days I had been at the manor were making a difference in the way I ate, adding more thickness between my skin and bones.

I let out a breath, picking up my toothbrush and watermelon toothpaste and letting the taste wash over my tongue and throughout my mouth. Even afterwards, the air seemed bitter. My eyelids were heavy, but I couldn't sleep. There was no point; I didn't even know what time it was.

No matter, as much as I would like to give up and crawl back into bed, life must go on. (Or so my dad would tell me. I wasn't so sure). I threw on some sweatpants and a plain black shirt, and let the door swing shut behind me.

I had no idea where I was going, let alone what I was looking for. The hallways were completely void of people, but I couldn't tell if that was supposed to worry me or not. The place was still unfamiliar to me; I could only assume I was going the right way. Well, as right a way could be when you were wandering around aimlessly, no goal or set destination.

The manor was emptier than usual. I could only imagine people were still recuperating from the big bash the night before (I could barely walk properly), but there were still people in the shops or just hanging out in the common rooms and outdoor fields. I didn't really know any of them and hadn't really felt inclined to introduce myself, so I shoved my hands in my pockets and carried on my way. It was nice in a way, just to get out and walk, considering a few days ago I thought I would never get a whiff of fresh air again. Plus, it gave me an excuse to further explore the manor on my own, especially since I had no idea where Will or Wren or anyone else could possibly be.

I eventually made my way down to the main library (apparently there were three). Somehow, I still managed to be impressed by the grandiose size of it, taking in every intricately carved shelf that was easily stacked with piles of books. I had never been much of a reader really, that was mostly Bianca, but I couldn't help feeling a pleasant calm as I swept the aisles, taking in foreign titles of so many different genres. I didn't know where to start.