II.
Unnatural Selection
The smile drifts on Sophie's face, smoke and water, mirror and glass. She puts down one hat, picks up another – laughter drifts in from outside, low voices, feet running, and she stills. The water falls out of the glass; the mirror breaks.
She considers herself, then breaks off from such terrible contemplation – she makes her way out of the shop, into the street, and once she is there she stands for a moment, merely being. Outside, for a while. Her feet begin to move without her noticing, carrying her away from home and shop and out into the surging tide of people, across one road and down another.
Soldiers. She sees them and turns to avoid them – sees more and turns to avoid those too. She is guided, gently, slowly, unaware that this is so, until she comes to a dark dead end and turns abruptly, wondering, confused.
When she turns, meaning to go back, he is before her, has come out of nowhere, with not even a breath of displaced air.
She knows him, though she has never seen him before – knows him before he speaks.
Heart-eater.
Howl.
A/N: Lost my internet for a bit there, horrible. However, this fic is complete, so more...very soon!