T/N: Sorry for updating this late, I had a couple of things to do today so I couldn't do any earlier, but anyway here's chapter 4, please enjoy and don't forget to review :)
What is time reduced to? How do we value it?
A moment, an instant, a breath. An eternity.
We can perceive one same moment at different speeds.
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One night. How much can one night give?
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A lifetime.
~ ~0~ ~
Dear Stranger
-The night we met-
~0~
My eyes darted from one side to the other, finding the same blackness everywhere. I tried to place myself, remembering the offices, but I greatly doubted that everything was the same after the disaster. The only thing left were bricks upon bricks.
Trapped beneath the building's ruins, in the dark, feeling confused and lost, I would've been scared to death if it wasn't for Fate. Her soft voice, sweet and warm had come to me at the perfect moment, soothing my anxiety.
That girl had given me her lap as a pillow and her good hand was absently stroking my head. It was a loving and pleasant gesture. I didn't know why she was doing it. Maybe she was a mother and the gesture seemed natural to her, a habit. Perhaps she was simply confusing me with her dog. Or maybe, Fate was just as scared as me, and taking care of me was her way of fighting her own fears. Most humans tend to be braver when in the company of someone else. Maybe she needed me just as much as I needed her. Either way, I liked her touch. I closed my eyes and enjoyed it as much as the situation allowed me to.
Fate didn't talk much. I don't think she mistrusted me, it was just her nature. Besides, what could we possibly talk about in this kind of situation? The weather?
Usually, I liked to talk, but right now I preferred it this way. Part of the reason was that annoying and loud headache, which seemed to be worsening by the minute; I had trouble concentrating and the nausea would hit me from time to time. The other reason, I'm still trying to understand. I liked the serenity that emanated from Fate's silence, shy but attentive.
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out in a sigh. I didn't ask her if she knew what had happened, what had been that overwhelming explosion. I knew she was just as lost as me about it. She didn't ask either.
"Nanoha," Fate suddenly said, waking me from the sleepy trance I was falling into. "You're hurt," she said alarmed, touching my forehead with her fingers. I had to concentrate to feel through her touch, the edges of a bleeding wound. With all the filth around us and clinging to us, I hadn't realized that, in fact, half of my face and hair was soaked in a warm and sticky stuff. No wonder my head ached so much. It didn't take long for Fate to start pressing a piece of cloth over the wound. "Relax, you'll be fine. I'm sure the rescue teams are about to get here." She said as if reading a movie script. Honestly, I wasn't very concerned about my state, so I was strangely calm, I didn't think it was something worth worrying about. My consciousness came and went as if I had taken too many drinks, but I was more or less fine. I wasn't entirely sure about the rescue team coming anytime soon. What if they already thought us dead? After all, it is unusual to survive the collapse of a six-storey building.
Sensing my discouragement, Fate pressed a little harder on my head wound, it hurt a little. "We're getting out of here," she whispered. I felt her strength and hope. It sounded like a promise. I closed my eyes and smiled slightly.
Resting on that person's lap I felt safer. I could almost believe those words. "Mm," I nodded.
"Fate?" I asked to get her attention.
"Yes?" came the answer.
"Tell me about yourself," I said curious. Her reaction was what I had expected, "About myself?" I heard her confused voice unsure of the question.
"Yes, like are you tall, short, chubby, thin… how old are you? What's your hair color? What do you like to do? What do you do for a living? Those sorts of things. I'd like to know more about you. We're friend now, right?" I said in one go. "I'm curious," I told her. And indeed I was dying of curiosity. It was frustrating not to be able to see my guardian angel. Plus, it was a good way to pass time.
"Friends," Fate repeated the word so softly that I wouldn't have heard it if not for the awful silence surrounding the place. She seemed to be tasting those syllable, as if she had just discovered their existence.
"Hmm," she thought out loud how to begin, "I'm 20 years old," she started doubtfully. "Hey, me too," I couldn't help interrupting. "Really?" she was surprised. "Yep," I said happily, that coincidence made me really happy, it made me feel closer to her.
"My appearance is nothing special. I'm not too thin but I'm not fat either." She continued vaguely. You didn't need to be a genius to notice that talking about her appearance made her uncomfortable. "I'm 5'7". Blonde. Uh… I'm currently studying to get my degree in education. I want to specialize in early childhood education," she said pausing. I tried to picture her using that information. Fate really was an interesting person, and it was obvious she had a very kind heart.
"5'7"?" I interrupted again amazed, that was astonishing in this country. I moved trying to face her and the action made me groan. Fate scolded me placing my head back in a more comfortable position. I apologized laughing slightly. One thing I knew for sure, was that Fate had an adorable maternal instinct. She would be a great teacher.
"So, you like kinds?" I asked. She quickly answered "you don't?"
I frowned at the question. "Well, yeah, I like them, but I'm not sure I could raise one. I'm the youngest of three siblings; I've always been on the receiving end." I gave her some information about me as well.
"I'm sure you'd do well," came Fate's warm response. I felt my heart fill with love at the confident statement.
Suddenly I had an urge; I raised my hand awkwardly and moved it high and backwards. "Let me look at you," I whispered looking for her face. The position was not a very comfortable one, the rest of my trapped body hindered my movements. Understanding my intention, Fate let go of the cloth on my forehead and took my hand in hers carefully, then she leaned closer making it easier for me to reach and place my hand on her cheek. I felt her thin jaw and soft chin. Fate released my hand and I continued sculpting her on my own. Her cheeks were warm and her nose was small and slightly upturned. Her eyebrows relaxed into a calm expression as she gained confidence. Her lips were rather full and twisted into a shy smile when I passed over them. A chill ran through my body, something stirred inside me. The image being created in my mind, the Fate I drew from those features I had felt with my fingers, was clearer and more real than any photograph I'd ever seen and somehow, I found her to be the most sublime girl on earth.
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Then I knew.
My heart whispered to me the answer to a question I hadn't known existed, that I had forgotten about.
There was still hope living inside me, something special…
Love
- To Be Continued…