lucidity, part three.
Main Characters: Aprile, Juli and Noembelu
Word Count: 527
With a loud thud, Noembelu woke up to find herself sprawled out on the floor.
"Noembelu! Are you okay?" Aprile's head popped out from the side of the top bunk, worry etched onto her features as the young Mexican groaned.
"I'm fine." She said, slowly getting up. Aprile hopped down from the top bunk, offering a hand to her sister as she rubbed her forehead. "I guess I was dreaming a little too hard. I was imagining what my home was from what Thunder Hawk described to me." Noembelu smiled, "I can't wait to see it for myself."
"Why didn't you go home with him?"
"Because…it wouldn't be fair," she replied, taking a seat onto the bottom bunk, "No one else knows their families, or where they came from…it just wouldn't feel right."
"Is that why you don't like being called 'Little Eagle'?"
Noembelu nodded, "It's just not fair for everyone. It doesn't feel like my name, and I'd feel left out, you know?"
Aprile nodded, giving her sister a small smile, "Would you believe me if I said I think I've seen my family?"
"Really? Where?"
The Italian let out a chuckle as she took a seat beside her sister, "Well, it was just in my dreams, but I'm pretty sure it's my family. I keep seeing a little boy with red hair, and he's always telling me to chase him. When I finally catch him, he disappears…then he says he's bored of playing hide and seek, and that it's time for dinner."
The two began to giggle, before they stopped, hearing a quiet shuffle on the bed beside theirs. Turning slightly, their eyes fell on the sleeping figure of Juli, straight-backed and expressionless beneath the thick comforter.
Immediately the mood in the room dampened, as Noembelu let out a small sigh.
"Aprile," she began in a whisper, "Do you think she dreams?"
The redhead stood up and walked over to the other bed, brushing a strand of hair away from Juli's face, "Considering the things we dream about…I hope she doesn't."
Noembelu let out an exasperated sigh, running her hand through her unbraided hair, "Why…why won't she get better?"
"She just needs some time," was the hushed reply, "Something must've happened to her that didn't happen to us." Aprile looked at her Noembelu, "I know you and Juni would be relieved to hear her speak again."
"I just…I hope she does get better. When Hawk saw her, I could feel it." She looked at her sister, "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so sad before."
"I wouldn't worry about Juli," Aprile tried to reassure her with a small, yet genuine smile, "She's a tough one; she'll overcome this."
The younger Mexican was about to add something when the two saw a light coming out from the small space beneath their door. Glancing at each other, they slowly approached the door, peeking it open to see who would turn the hallway lights on at three-thirty in the morning.
"Was that Enero and Février?"
"What are they up to?"
"Want to go follow them?"
"Fine, but you're the one getting Juli out of bed today."
"…dammit."
/to be continued