Sometimes when she closed her eyes she could still feel how warm the blood felt on her hands as she knelt down on the cement floor of that parking garage. It was the only trace of Delphine that they were able to uncover when she disappeared. Every lead turned into a dead end, and with the body count quickly rising around them, their focus turned to Top Side. Everyone's attention except Cosima's who couldn't let go of the ethereal imprint that Delphine had left on her.
But it's in my roots, in my veins
It's in my blood and I stain every heart that I use to heal the pain
Oh, It's in my roots, in my veins…
The lyrics blared from Cosima's phone as she rolled over bleary eyed trying to stop her alarm from waking her up entirely. As she groped around toward the unwelcome song, she managed to knock her cell phone to the floor and lay back in defeat cursing jet lag and Adele.
She squeezed her eyes shut as the lyrics echoed throughout the tiny hostel room, sunlight streaming brightly through stiff red curtains. It was small and plain, not giving a hint as to what country it was in. She could keep her eyes closed and imagine she was anywhere. But as the second verse of the song bounced around the room she took a deep breath and decided it was time to get up.
Cosima blinked against the blinding sun as she opened the curtains and took in the silhouette of the Paris skyline. The breath she took was a mix of anxiety and relief. She had felt drawn to France ever since the disappearance of Delphine but hadn't the slightest clue of what she was looking for. On a whim she had booked her ticket in desperation of satiating the phantom feeling. All the dust had settled from Top Side and now was a good a time as any.
As she gathered her dreads into a neat bun, Cosima surveyed the buildings and life before her. Maybe she was just curious as to the life that Delphine had led before meeting her. Or still craved insight into the woman who so effortlessly had stolen her heart and then had in the same fashion disappeared.
Before she could overthink the situation properly her stomach growled loudly bringing her back into the present. Cosima smiled to herself as she patted her stomach knowingly, agreeing that coffee and the ever infamous crepes would be in order. No good thinking was ever done on an empty stomach.
The cobble stones felt off balance and strained Cosima's walking as she made her way through narrow walkways while Siri guided her to an exceptionally rated café known for their coffee. Mornings were never her thing, but adding jet lag on top of it made for a lethal combination to anyone around her attempting conversation. Caffeine was always a priority in the morning followed by food, and as she exited the crowded café cradling the warm cup filled with an exquisite latte she couldn't help but feel victorious. Now on to the next quest of these crepes she's been hearing about for years.
Cosima found that between her limited beginners French and exaggerated hand gestures she could basically get what she wanted from most places, as was evident while walking down the streets with chocolate painting both sides of her face. The infamous crepes she had been hearing about were no joke and had lived up to their name, Cosima moaned in agreement as she took another bite, a dollop of whipped cream now sitting on her upper lip. Completely enamored with the delicacy in hand, Cosima let her feet carry her aimlessly through street after street in a small town in France. She was enjoying the fresh air and new scenery while turning a corner that seemed to lead to an open market full of fresh produce and hand crafted novelties. Chewing the last bite of her crepe Cosima made her way to the center of the market, looking around to pick a good place to start shopping. The French language was heavy in the air as the sun shone brightly down upon the crowded square. New color schemes and foreign objects were thrust in her eye line as she slowly descended into the thick of the market. While looking at a particularly colorful glass made necklace she got a whiff of it. Her perfume. Delphine's. Cosima had held on to an old jacket of Delphine's that smelled like her until there was no trace of it anymore after she had gone. The glass beaded necklace slipped through her fingers as she tumbled back and blinked in confusion, very much lost in the crowd around her. She was immediately transported back to their first meeting in the hallway, the way they ran through the campus with their stolen bottles of wine, the first time they kissed, woke up together, all the times they argued and poured over hopeless research, and more jarringly so the last time they had seen each other, wet kisses exchanged as tears slid down her cheeks. The air escaped from her lungs as the vendor glared at her accusingly, bending down to pick up the lost necklace left carelessly on the walkway. Cosima had been used to not being able to catch her breath before they had found a cure, but nothing compared to the ache that took her breath away and slammed her up against a brick building. The fabric of her shirt was clenched between her fist and her eyes squeezed tight as the memories flitted through her mind like a silent movie in fast forward.
She didn't know how long she had been frozen against the wall for when suddenly the sun seemed to pierce her reverie, bringing her slowly back into the busy marketplace. It was hot and the air felt thick against her skin. Cosima was covered in sweat and tears as it seemed, the sun shining high in the sky. She blinked fiercely against the blaze and willed her heart to slow down, it's rapid beat throbbing in her head. Cosima pushed herself away from the wall allowing herself to get swept away in the current of the crowd.
Everything was a blur. The sounds and smells that were once enchanting and exotic blended together in a haze that breezed by Cosima as she walked aimlessly through the market. Her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as vendor after vendor unsuccessfully called out their bidding toward the American tourist. A sigh of relief escaped her as she realized she had found herself in a quieter section of the market that resided in the shade of two ornate buildings which exuded their long history in every brick. It was still crowded but emitted more elbow room than before, and the patrons that milled about between each table elicited a much calmer demeanor. Feeling more at ease and with a clearer head, Cosima was once again enjoying herself. Delicately crafted jewelry and soft leather bags caught her eye, colorful money easily being exchanged while shouldering her new find. Pushing up her glasses, she squinted at a table across from her, leisurely running her hand over florid coin purses and hand made wallets.
Turning over a particularly vibrant coin bag, a toothy grin spread slowly on her face as she eyed the maker and decided to take her chances at haggling. Her canines flashed in perfection while the many bracelets dawning her wrists jingled and glimmered as her hands flew through the air in quick and fluid motions. In a final wild gesture in hopes of emphasizing her point and making up for the communication barrier she finally rested her hands in front of her instantly creating a sort of quiet waiting. It was during this moment of calm that she heard it. Heard her.
It's the voice that haunted her dreams, the one that accompanied the shadow ever lurking behind her every step. Delphine's. Her hands lay limply at her sides as she stared blankly at the vendor who seemed to be talking but no words were reaching her ears. He looked sort of like a mime gesturing and exaggerating his facial expressions in response to her elaborate charade. The vendor stood still eyeing Cosima when all the noise of the world came rushing back in at full force. Blinking rapidly she took a step back towards the middle of the alley, urging her ears to filter through and find that voice again. There seemed to be more people crowding the small space than before and in a bout of frustration she found herself spinning slowly, instinctively looking for blonde hair. There seemed to be a large group of people blocking the other entrance into the market, all centering around a particular booth that had an enticingly savory smell wafting from it. Small wisps of smoke rose lazily above the crowd. Cosima's heart was pounding in her chest, her ears still ringing. She took several deep breathes, trying to rationalize what she had heard. Shaking her head she decided to see if the food was worth all the hype and try to forget the echo of ghostly voices.
Her eyes darted throughout the crowd until they landed on a particularly delicious vision of food piled high on a plate, it's owner grinning wildly as they retreated back into the sun and out of the alley. Licking her lips Cosima felt her adrenaline give way to excitement as she quickly took her place in line. Bouncing on the balls of her feet she hastily made her way up to the front of the line, too distracted to notice the familiar perfume that faintly hung in the air once again.
Warmth spread throughout Cosima's palm as she giddily walked away from the table with her full plate. Too impatient to wait she plunged the plastic fork into the foreign delicacy. She would never taste it though. Blonde curls caught the sunlight and gleamed into Cosima's eyes as they bounced steadily through the crowd, the fork and food long forgotten before they even clattered to the ground. The melodic voice carried behind the flash of golden waves leaving Cosima entranced as she desperately clamored toward them. Delphine. The name caught in her throat as she struggled to get through the crowd. It had to be her. Every neuron in her body had awakened and screamed it. For a split second the bodies parted illuminating the silhouette Cosima had been longing for since that day she had last seen her. With a particularly rough push she passed a brute man haggling with the last vendor on the corner.
Sun blinded her as she turned the corner out of the market place and into a bright square complete with a majestic fountain. Cosima shielded her eyes against the sudden blaze and waited for her eyes to focus, only to find no trace of Delphine.
Thanks for reading! This story should only be a few chapters.
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