Wren
The moment snapped without resolution.
The man left in a confused, wounded huff, his expression still stricken as he turned away. A pale, horned Ancient girl hurried after him, calling his name, her voice thin against the swell of festival noise. Wren--Jesse--Wren--watched them go, her stomach knotted tight, the unanswered questions they left behind rattling in her ribs like loose stones.
His eyes were her eyes.
She swallowed hard and dragged her gaze away, but the echo of it lingered, crawling under her skin. Around them the festival surged back into focus too quickly—too bright, too loud—like nothing strange had happened at all. Sohalia stepped towards her and she shook her head slightly, blinking and trying to force a smile. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." She could feel her head start to throb, the scar beneath her thick hair tingling. "I, uh, that probably happens to a lot of people." She tried to laugh, but it came out shaky and full of breath.
More people filtered in, drawn by Zavien and Sohalia. Wren shrank a fraction without meaning to, shoulders folding inward, even though she remembered the soldier from the skyport docks. The circle tightened and she felt herself grasping for breath in the overwhelming heat. A slow burn crept up her neck. She tugged at her lock of hair she had been fiddling with.
"I think -- I’m going to find something to eat." she said, unsure if Zavien or anyone else even heard her through the overlap of talk. The words felt flimsy. She needed movement. A task. Something simple and immediate that didn’t involve names she didn’t remember and faces that looked at her like they did.
Food was safe. Food was normal.
He had her eyes.
The man left in a confused, wounded huff, his expression still stricken as he turned away. A pale, horned Ancient girl hurried after him, calling his name, her voice thin against the swell of festival noise. Wren--Jesse--Wren--watched them go, her stomach knotted tight, the unanswered questions they left behind rattling in her ribs like loose stones.
His eyes were her eyes.
She swallowed hard and dragged her gaze away, but the echo of it lingered, crawling under her skin. Around them the festival surged back into focus too quickly—too bright, too loud—like nothing strange had happened at all. Sohalia stepped towards her and she shook her head slightly, blinking and trying to force a smile. "Yeah, yeah, it's fine." She could feel her head start to throb, the scar beneath her thick hair tingling. "I, uh, that probably happens to a lot of people." She tried to laugh, but it came out shaky and full of breath.
More people filtered in, drawn by Zavien and Sohalia. Wren shrank a fraction without meaning to, shoulders folding inward, even though she remembered the soldier from the skyport docks. The circle tightened and she felt herself grasping for breath in the overwhelming heat. A slow burn crept up her neck. She tugged at her lock of hair she had been fiddling with.
"I think -- I’m going to find something to eat." she said, unsure if Zavien or anyone else even heard her through the overlap of talk. The words felt flimsy. She needed movement. A task. Something simple and immediate that didn’t involve names she didn’t remember and faces that looked at her like they did.
Food was safe. Food was normal.
He had her eyes.
Here I am, a rabbit hearted girl
Frozen in the headlights
Frozen in the headlights
