Hello! This is my second story and I`m hoping it will be a multi-chap this time ^^. This I will deside by the response, of course, and the quantity (or lack of, I hope) of schoolwork ahead of me. The title is taken from an english transelation of a poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi.

Hope you like it!

Nami sat on her feet in a crouched position in a cold dark alley.

Her hands were on opposite shoulders, her head was down and her abdomen, head and arms were shaking. She couldn't clearly feel herself shaking as violently as she did; only her vision proved her shattered state to her. And even that bodily function betrayed her, as her eyes blurred with fresh tears. They were silent ones, but when they hit the ground they made a noise so loud it ricocheted through her mind like a bullet. She felt herself tighten the grip she had on her shoulders. Her nails scraped at exposed skin and her blood felt burning hot on her cold arms. She gave a broken sigh she had been holding in. She held her breath and only exhaled when absolutely necessary; it hurt too much. And when she did exhale her shoulders seemed to hunch slightly more and her chest tightened further.

She wanted to stay there, as she had done for the past hours – 'how many has it been?' – She had no idea, but she knew she had to get up, up and over to her ship, to her friends. But she couldn't move from her spot on the cold asphalt. Her feet were far too numb and she knew what would happen if she so moved even an inch – a rupture of pain so excruciating would pass through her, but she would also experience something far worse. And that would be absolute proof of what had happened, the very thing she had been trying to suppress.

The alley she was in was secluded twenty-four/seven it seemed, and this she deemed herself lucky for. It was impossible to look into from the street and see anyone at this time of day – or night, she didn't know – since it was so dark. She could faintly see the sun hanging low on the sky, but this was no indication of the time, since it was a summer island and the sun was out all day. But she could tell it was late, too late. The houses on either side of her were both in a brownish color and had no doors or windows leading to this particular alley. And right now, she didn't mind the privacy.

She felt hollow and parched – partly caused by the agonizing thirst she was suffering – but her chest felt weirdly tight and her thighs and arms felt numb and heavy. This was a combination that left her lightheaded and dizzy at the same time. In other words she felt absolutely terrible.

And this terrible feeling didn't go away as she hear the clacking sound of boots hitting the ground repeatedly just by the alley. And they were getting closer.

In a normal situation she would, as all would, hold her breath and stay still. But she was already doing both, which made it difficult to do so now. It had been three minutes since she had last exhaled and she fought the urge to open her mouth. She felt blue in the face and her hand shook worse than before. Exactly on the second she heard herself shake so brutally it actually made a sound on the asphalt underneath, she made up her mind. She let out all the air he had in her slowly and just as gradually she let air back in, and then she waited. Closed her eyes, and waited.

The clacking boot sound stopped. Oh, shit! She bent almost in on herself and winced in pain and cursed the entire world as she let out a lithe wine.

The clacking continued for a second until. "Nami?"

Next chapter will be from the other persons point of view and I will start working on it very soon - it will also be longer than this one ^^.

Let me know what you thought!