Desolation [h.s]

Chapter 4

Seraphina Amor

Darkness. We associate it with evil. That concept has been ingrained for years. Dark equals bad; good equals light. It's a stupid stereotype and quite frankly, it isn't correct. Rather, I think it's the opposite. The world's natural state is in total and utter darkness; light is an intruder, changing the way the world looks. It's normalized this false sense of what reality seems to be, but truly isn't.

I've always found the dark comforting, even as a child. It was like a security blanket almost. It brought about the reassurance that for a few hours I would get peace before the world around me spun so fast, throwing me to the floor.

I never understood those who were afraid of the dark; there was nothing scary about it. However, I think it was rather the fear of not being alone in the dark that was the issue. That fear of not being able to see anything surrounding you, your sight completely useless to you now. That fear of uncertainty is rooted in it.

Nighttime, therefore, was always my favorite part of the day. The quietness and stillness that the world seemed to take on was settling, like a wave of relief. It signified that a new day was starting, a blank canvas for you to draw away on. Whether or not you made something out of it depended on you.

Glancing over to the clock to my right, the bright letters shone brightly in the room.

2:31 am.

A shiver travels down my spine and I pull the sheet closer up to my chest, trying to cover my naked top. My head falls limply to face the left, my eyes met with strands of ginger hair sprawled across the pillow. A soft smile spreads across my lips as my finger reaches out to touch the soft strands delicately, feeling like pieces of silk between my fingers. Rosemary shuffles on her side of the bed and I halt my movements. She stills, her face now resting against the pillow facing me, her cheek squished up.

Once I can hear her steady breathing again, I return back to my movements, combing through her hair gently. Her lips release a satisfied sigh and her body sinks deeper into the mattress.

"That feels nice," she mumbles, her words barely heard as they get trapped into her pillow. My hand stops its movements and she lets out a soft whine. "No, keep going."

Her eyes are still closed, the long length of her lashes curling against her upper cheek. Despite it being dark in the room, I can still see the tiny freckles on her face and I bring my free hand up to trace them.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I say to her, my voice hushed and barely over a whisper. Rosemary nods her head mindlessly, her brain still overcome with sleep to register what I'm even saying.

"It's alright. I was kind of awake anyway." Her right eye slides open, locking with my own. I send her a gentle smile and the edges of her lips twitch. "Y'know, that was probably the best sex I've had in a while."

I let out a soft laugh, keeping my eyes locked on the red hair tangled between my fingers. "Good to know I didn't lose my touch. It's been a while since I've been with a woman," I mumble to her. Her sleepy smile spreads wider as she lets out a quiet hum.

"Did you enjoy it?" Rosemary asks, peeking up at me with a smug look. "Definitely sounded like you did." Her tone is teasing and it sends a shiver down my spine. I roll my eyes at her but nod my head.

"Mhm, definitely enjoyed it."

It goes silent between us again, the only sound being our soft breathing and the faint hum of Rosemary's air conditioner. My eyes start drooping, exhaustion taking over my body once again. Just as I'm about to doze off, Rosemary's voice cuts through the small space between our bodies once more.