UNSPOKEN: Undone Realms Book 3

Ch. 1: What Remains the Same

(293 days after Nolan's crossing)

Nolan's head rests on Clara's thigh.  Together they watch filigrees of sunlight trickle through the limbs of swimming tourists.  The flickering light is a soundless cacophony. 

As they rest together on the pool's bottom, Clara absentmindedly strokes Nolan's hair. It flows like the fine tentacles of an anemone: in and out, as her hand directs it.

The days of summer revelry will be drawing to a close again soon.  It has been over a year since she first met Nolan. Before long they will mark the anniversary of Nolan's inexplicable passage into Clara's plane.  Nolan mentions nothing, but Clara has sensed something odd in recent days.  Is something wrong with him?  He's as loving to her as ever—no problem there—but... but what? 

Clara can't place her finger on it.  He walks the same, "talks" the same, smiles the same.  It isn't so much Nolan as it is something from the outside pressing in on him—on them both, really.  Their world feels smaller than usual, and that's saying something considering how small it is to begin with.  She can't put these thoughts to rest.  The sky is blue, but it feels like rain.

And then there is this nagging sensation that they're being watched. She eyes the hotel guests suspiciously, wondering if one of them is able to glimpse into her world the way Nolan could.  She jumps up and down, waving her hands in front of everyone at the hotel—the staff, the guests, even the mailman.  No one acknowledges her.

Clara is truly worried for the first time since Nolan, her Nolan, chose to stay here, trapped with her at this hotel so that she would not be alone.

A twinge of guilt hits her right in her gut.  As though he can feel it, Nolan twists around and reaches for Clara's hand as he pushes up towards the pool's surface.  They emerge, climb out of the pool's deep end, and sit on its edge with their legs dangling.

What is it? Nolan mouths to her.  Water drips from his long lashes onto his cheeks.

Clara shakes her head.  How can she say?  She doesn't even know what the problem is, or if there even is a problem.

Do you think there's anything else, Nolan?  She raises a hand and limply gestures to the hotel with its flaking grey paint and omnipresent contingent of pigeons.

Of course.  Nolan smiles.  I'm from out there, remember?  There's a whole world.

She shakes her head again.  That's not what she means.  Not really.  For us, Nolan.  Is there anything for us?  Will there be anything, ever, besides this?

Nolan puts his arm around her, drawing her close.  Do we need anything else?  She can't see his lips move, but she knows this is what he's said.  It's the same response he's given her many times over the past year.

He doesn't want anything else.  He's happy with her.  Content.  She pushes away just a bit so that he can see her speak.  It's hard for me to understand how you can be content.  It's hard for me not to feel guilty.  It's my fault you're stuck here.

No, I made the decision, Clara.  I chose this life.  And you.  There's nothing else to it.

Clara isn't so sure about that, but she says nothing.  She lets her head rest on his chest again, runs her fingers over his smooth bare skin. Maybe this unsettled feeling of hers has nothing to do with Nolan. He loves her, after all—that hasn't changed.  The hotel hasn't changed.  The pool, the flow of guests.  The day manager is as crabby as ever, and Arby is still manning the desk each night. 

Nothing has changed, she tells herself. 

If she says this often enough, does that make it true?

A/N: Clara and Nolan seem okay...but are they?  Is Clara right to feel something might be off, or will it be nothing but sunshine and lollypops from now on?

At long last, here it is, Chapter one of UNSPOKEN, bk. 3 of the Fold series!  This is a Clara chapter.  In general, when we are looking at the story from her POV, expect shorter, somewhat sparser chapters, in keeping with her "voice" in UNSEEN.  Chapters from other POVs will be longer, usually.  In other words, I'll be mixing things up in order to bring everyone's story-lines together in what I hope is a cohesive and engaging way.

Let me know what you think!  I had a tremendous amount of fun discussing chapters of UNHEEDED with all of you and I hope very much to continue that trend throughout this story.  Thanks for showing your support and making my Wattpad experience so awesome!

Today's dedicatee is @Joflower is a wonderful and dedicated writer who also happens to have a sequel coming out today.  SHADOWS is the highly anticipated sequel to ZARA'S WOLF (which begins featuring in just a few days).  If you haven't hopped on board this werewolf series, now's the time!

Media image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons (Askmyname).