X. PEACE

Contentment, Calmness

It had been a year like no other. A year spent completely in peace, with no men in white coats, no drugs, and most importantly, no Bob. Just me and Elle, and occasionally Noah. Every day we'd wake up and have breakfast together, sitting next to the grate so we didn't have to yell. She must have showered while I was still sleeping that day, because when we ate breakfast I could smell the slightest hint of soap.

Today was pancakes, a meal I actually enjoyed. Lightly, I spread on some butter, before proceeding to eat. I could see her plate, though obstructed, through the grate. She was drowning her pancakes in syrup. She always did like sweet things, I suppose. Mostly, we just talked, not really about anything in particular. It was just nice for the both of us to hear each other's voice.

By the time noon rolled around, I'd have gotten myself in and out of the shower. This was the time when I'd play with the rubber ball Noah had given to me, and Elle would proceed to tell me about whatever book she was reading or the latest gossip from a tabloid magazine she'd been gifted. None of it really made sense to me, I didn't know the people, but that didn't really matter. Just listening to her speaking, feeling her passion, was enough to spark a tingly feeling in my stomach. It wasn't a bad feeling, it was actually quite the contrary. I wanted it to keep happening. I wanted to feel like I was floating when I looked at her, and I wanted to lose all my dreams to her. She was enough to make me happy, even in when locked away in some godforsaken prison.

I hoped I was the same kind of savior to her.

That day flew by, and finally, it became night. The lights were slowly dimmed until it was pitch black inside the rooms. The only light was what filtered in from the hallway. Elle and I both retreated to our beds, slipping under the covers. As of late, I'd been falling asleep straight away, but that wasn't to be tonight. I lied awake in my bed, staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity. It was silent besides my occasional movements and consistent breathing, until an odd sound reached my ears. It took minutes for me to finally realize what it was.

Elle was crying.

I rolled out of my bed, the cold air of the room unforgiving as I hurried over to the vent. "Elle!" I spoke in a quiet voice, only to receive no response. I stood, peering through the glass. She was still in bed, the light reflected off her golden hair. "Elle!" I tried again, louder this time, but still no reply. She had to be sleeping, which meant I had to wake her up. Returning to the vent, I yelled her name in a voice loud enough that I knew it would wake her. She sat straight up in bed, the whimpering and crying replaced by a deep breathing. I watched her dry her face off on the sheets before wrapping them around herself and walking up to the glass. Even with such little light, I could tell she was a mess.

"Sorry, did I wake you up?" Her voice cracked when she spoke, and I quickly shook my head. "No, I was already awake. Are you alright?" Elle smiled at me ever so slightly. "I'm okay, it was just a nightmare. You ever have them?" I rolled my eyes. "I'm not an alien, Elle. I have them too. Anything you wanna talk about?" One thing I was consistent about with her was that I was always there if she needed to talk. I was a stone, and nothing could crack me. I would always be there, I would always be loyal. I was everything she needed, whenever she needed it.

"Not really, I think I'm just going to go back to sleep. Try and get some rest, alright? I don't want you falling asleep during our lively activities tomorrow." The sarcasm a relief, we both returned to our beds, and I was asleep within moments.

When I woke that morning it was to something nice.

The lights had been turned on around waking time, though they'd failed to get me up and going for the day. Instead, I slept in, and Elle must have too because she was in the shower as I shook grogginess from my mind. The sound of the running water was comforting, and although the steam filled her room and fogged the window, I could hear a pleasant sound.

She was singing.

I didn't recognize the song, but she had a beautiful voice. It was a shame I'd never heard it before, I was always asleep. Instead of getting up, I stayed in bed, the sweet sound of song threatening to return me to sleep despite the intensity of the light. This was special, something she only did when she thought no one else was around to hear. If all the others things hadn't already proved that she was a goddess, this did. When I heard the singing stop and the water turn off, I got out of bed, walking up to the glass.

It was only a minute before she walked up to the glass and wiped some of the steam off, allowing me to see her and her to see me once more. She was wrapped simply in a towel, I suppose she didn't expect me to be up. Despite the fact that she'd dried off, droplets of water dripped from her hair onto her shoulders, the same drops rolling across her collarbone and into the towel. A blush tinted her cheeks, I could see it through the remaining moisture on the glass. I smiled, putting the emotions raging in me forward as best I could.

She smiled back.