Dusk: A Handmaid's Tale Story

Chapter 5

My cheek was not against the wooden floor.

A soft, white fabric lay beneath my head. As I opened my eyes slowly, I could make out sunlight streaming from a semi-opened window. 

Semi-opened...?! Where the hell was I?! 

I shot up instantly and regretted it as a wave of slight dizziness swept through me. 

"Easy now." A male voice said from somewhere. 

Eyes adjusting, hazel clashed with blue. 

"Where am I." I said more than asked. 

Ezra shook his head slightly with a sigh. He kind of  looked like shit; clothes wrinkled, sleeves rolled up, hair tousled, and shoulders portraying exhaustion. 

"You're welcome." He said as he made his way over to me with a glass of water. 

I looked up him confused, taking the glass carefully. 

"You collapsed by the stairs. You're in my room." He said eyeing me carefully. 

His sheets were a grey color and soft to the touch also, I observed as I greedily drank the water; I was thirstier than I remembered being in a while. 

"Lena checked you over. Says you'll be okay. Don't worry, no one else knows." He said referring to a bucket of water by the bed and rags. Some tinted slightly red. 

I swallowed deeply, realizing what he meant and now knew occurred. "Oh."

He seemed just as uncomfortable and was being uncharacteristically quiet for what I knew him to be.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you both." I said quietly. 

He looked at me, carefully again. "You know you can say whatever you want right? If I was going to snitch, I'd have done it already." 

I paused, taking in what he said...and what he was offering me. Was it really safe? Was it okay? Maybe he felt bad given the circumstances... 

I felt hot tears of relief and overwhelming emotions pool my eyes and blinked them away. 

"Thank you. And Thank you for you know, helping me out." I said looking into his eyes honestly. 

He seemed taken aback by my sincere gaze for once. His crystal eyes observed my face, trying to find words. 

"You have a shit ton of freckles you know?" He said. 

Not what I expected.

"Genetics will do that you. You're, well, you're not too far off yourself." I said back gesturing to his freckled nose.

He smirked, his jaw pronounced more. "We got through two sentences without trying to kill each other. Call me impressed." 

"Hopefully it doesn't take me fainting outside your door for that to happen again." I said back without thinking. 

He paused mid-smirk. "No. Let's hope that doesn't have to ever happen again." He said with deep emotion and bite behind it; anger even.  

As I drank more water and gazed around him, I found myself more and more perplexed at the boy in front of me. 

This boy, nearly a man, who I had pegged for a massive cocky asshole, had helped me. He had no reason to do so, yet he did. To take me into his own room and shield me from any prying eyes or ears. To get me help and stay until I was awake. To speak to me like I was a human being. 

"Who are you?" I said without realizing I said it out loud. 

He smiled softly now, "My name is Ezra. What's yours?" He asked me carefully. 

My name. No one had asked me my name in so long now. I hadn't heard it said out loud. It hadn't been used or called out to me. It was gone. Forbidden. 

He must have noticed my uncertainty before he spoke again, "I did say you could say whatever you wanted. You may not have much reason to trust me, but I meant that... if you wanted." 

I considered his words and mainly his actions. Ezra who had helped me out after I had insulted him, undressed him mentally, and beyond. That Ezra. 

"M-My name is... Serenity." 

He looked at me deeply again, taking in what I had just said. He let out a relief-filled chuckle. 

"It's nice to meet you... Serenity." 

"It's nice to really meet you... Ezra." 

And I meant it.