Teach Me How to See

Chapter 14: Alecia

Here is the long awaited fluff chapter that many have been waiting for! But, I must readdress… This is not, in any way shape or form, solid proof that I will pair Evan and Lanne together in the end. But I have to admit… They would be pretty cute.

By the way, while finishing this up at night I saw a giant spider in my room. It disappeared before I could kill it, so I've literally been writing this in fear. I'm usually okay around spiders…unless they're huge or in large quantities. In this case it's the former. It's still somewhere in my room…

You don't show it to the audience,

What's under the mask

Show me the true face

That you were hiding

When you're hurt, be in pain

When things get hard, scream

There's nothing shameful about it

-Pierrot, Senka

"I-It's freezing…" Lanne muttered through chattering teeth. She pulled the wool and fur lined cloak closer around her body and breathed warm air into her gloved hands. Beside her Evan chuckled, although his cheeks were equally as pink from the biting cold coming in from the open windows of the tower.

"Well, it's not like your clothes were designed for this kind of weather, Lanne." He commented and she shot him an irritated glare. Luckily she had thick leggings to slip on under her uneven pants and a long sleeve to wear under her vest, however no winter in Edelstein could have prepared her for the bitter cold of El Nath. Lanne couldn't understand how Evan was managing it. He wore no additional clothing alongside his loose robes save for swapping his shorts for pants and the wool cloaks Athena had provided for the two of them. It had been about two hours since they began their descent and Lanne was sorely tempted to take Evan's usual place in asking 'are we there yet?'

The monsters in general were relatively easy and good practice for Lanne's new skills as a Battle Mage. The spherical sentinels were slow and usually clumped together; hence they were perfect dummies to hone her Dark Chain skill. It took a while since, at first, she pushed them away instead of toward her. After some taunting from Shax and encouragement from Evan, Lanne was able to summon forth a 2 meter or so chain to pull opponents into the range of her 'blow' skills as Shax put it. At first she had only been able to combo three hits in succession by herself. Shax continued to say that he'd be able to aid in her movements and there was no need to do it by herself, but in that she was adamant. Lanne didn't mind leaving teleportation to him, but she refused to complete rely on him to attack.

Evan, unlike Shax, urged her on to improve herself and supported her decision. He took great care to buff her with magic and refilled her canteen discreetly with his water since she was going through it quickly. He used the piles of snow blowing in from outside to refill his anyway. The only difference was that his would be uncomfortably cold, but it was a small price to pay. Her growing expressions of confidence made it worth it. Lanne stared suspiciously at him when she noticed her canteen wasn't getting any lighter, but he whistled innocently while they took their occasional breaks. This tower was quite old and its stair cases were broken in many places. Travelers set up ropes and ladders to make the journey up and down, but that didn't make it any easier.

Luckily Mir was there to speed up the process parts of the way, but the icy cold made Mir slower and weaker. She didn't want to burden the dragon with her weight despite both Evan and his dragon saying she was light. Besides, her relationship with the dragon had gotten better to the point where Mir was talking to her telepathically now like he did with Evan unlike before. Gaining the dragon's trust was something Lanne didn't want to take for granted.

When they would take their breaks, Evan would occasionally scout ahead by teleporting while Mir stood guard of Lanne. She questioned just what he could do without Mir, but he simply shrugged sheepishly and said he was good at 'running away' as he put it. He usually took a couple minutes and came back, but this time he was gone for quite a while. Lanne stared at her pocket watch every now and then, and when almost twenty minutes went by she stood up to go search for him.

"Oh wait," Mir said and raised his head in attention. "He's coming back now."

Two minutes later he returned. His hood was flipped back and his hair was starting to get icy patches were snow had melted and froze again. His breath was unsteady, as if he was running, but a broad smile was on his face.

"The exit is close! We can finally leave this damned tower!"

The redhead sighed in relief before walking up to him and comically pulled him into a headlock before grinding her knuckles into his scalp. "You idiot! What took you so long?" Despite being taller than her Lanne was used to taking down larger targets. It was the first time she had given someone a noogie though now that she thought about it.

"Owwww, be gentle!" he whined and attempted to pull her arms away from his neck. When she finally released him he exaggeratedly rubbed his head in pain. "Sorry. I kinda ran outta mana and my potions froze!"

"Why didn't you send a message to Mir that you were held up then? We would have gone over to you." Lanne said.

"Yeah, well…uh…"

She raised a brow at his excuse. It was very difficult to freeze potions in the first place (she's had experiments of trying to make ice pop potions for the hot summer with little success), but Lanne shook her head. Maybe El Nath was cold enough? Her potions her fine though… "Well, lead the way! The sooner we can get to an inn, the sooner we can get warm."

"You know… If you're cold we can cuddle!" he nudged her with a playful grin. He got an elbow to the ribs in response. "Gah, it was a joke! A joke!"

"It's funny how I'm not laughing." She retorted but then allowed a tiny smile when he wasn't looking. The two of them got on Mir again, who glided down about halfway before letting them down near a long ladder. "Sorry, Mir." The dragon tilted his head in question. "The cold is hard on you, right? And yet you're carrying both me and Evan. Really, thank you." She offered the dragon a small grin that only he could see and she also scratched him behind the horn. Mir tilted his head slightly and growled in pleasure.

"It's fine. But truth be told… I'm a bit worried about my master." The dragon's eyes grew sad as he turned to Evan, who was checking out the stability of the rope. "Back when he didn't send a message…he didn't reply to mine either. He always does, regardless of if he's out of mana or tired…"

"So, something might be wrong? He seems alright…" Lanne frowned and cupped her chin with her index finger and thumb. The mage stood back up from crouching low to check to rope and grinned widely, easily communicating that the ladder was safe in his usual goofy manner. "At least in terms of being 'Evan,' that is."

"I don't know about that…" Mir replied, but said nothing after. Lanne sighed and the two of them decided to descend down the final obstacle of the tower… Or so they hoped.

As soon as the heavy wooden door of the tower opened, both Evan's and Lanne's eyes grimaced at the bright light. The landscape was covered in pure white and the trees looked like they were liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar. Unexpectedly, the winds did not howl like they seemed to be doing while they were up in the tower. Instead of pondering this odd fact, Evan sprinted forward and kicked up some snow like a gleeful child. Lanne placed a hand on her hips and tilted her head in a tired manner.

"Aren't you tired, Evan? Shouldn't we try to find the town before celebrating?"

"C'mon Lanne! Haven't you had fun in the snow before?" Evan laughed and opened his mouth to catch falling snowflakes on his tongue. "I know there had to be at least snow in Edelstein if there wasn't a beach!"

"It did snow," she replied but did not share in his playful antics with the frozen water. What came to mind, she wondered. Lanne shivered, but this one wasn't from the cold. She peered up to the sky with a neutral expression and then shrugged. "I just never found it that interesting."

"No snowball fights? No sledding?" he asked. "Christmas? New Years?"

She shrugged again and looked down. Her foot absently moved a bit of snow into a pile. "Oh there were snowball fights… But let's just say those 'fights' were one-sided." Lanne looked back up at him and smiled, albeit with a touch of loneliness. "And quite honestly, I haven't really been able to celebrate the holidays much, since Brighton and the others were usually busy." Evan blinked in confusion before it hit him and he plopped back into the snow. "Evan?"

"I'm sorry. I'm such a jerk, aren't I?" he groaned as he continued lying in the snow. Both Mir and Lanne looked down at him from above with curious looks. He hid his face behind the sleeve of his arm. There was a moment of pause. Evan played with the thought of making a joke to cheer the both of them up, but an icy projectile hit him square in the stomach. Shortly after, a wave of cold covered his face that was not protected by the warm wool of his cloak. "ACK! COLD!" The dragon master sat up and glared at the seemingly innocent two that both had ice coating their limbs (Or to be exact in Mir's case, his wing).

"You guys…" he growled and grabbed his wand menacingly. "PREPARE YOURSELVES!" Evan shouted dramatically and started towards them with a large bundle of snow in his hands. Mir hid behind the redhead, who put her gloved hands up in defense.

"N-Now now, Evan! It was all good fun right?" she emphasized the word fun. His eyes had a mischievous glint in them as he came towards the two. When he was directly in front of her she shut her eyes, expecting a handful of snow in her face, or worse.

'Thump'

The sound of crushed snow alerted her ears. Lanne quickly reopened her eyes and felt her heart leap out of her chest when Evan had fallen forward in the snow just a foot or two away from her. At first she thought he was playing a joke on her, but when she noticed his sharp intakes of breath and pained expression she panicked.

"Evan? Evan, get a hold of yourself!" She knelt down and tried to turn him over on his back. She pulled him up so that his head at some of his upper back lay on her small lap. His face was flushed and his breath came out in quick pants. "What in the…" Beside her, Mir whined and stopped flying. He too had a pained glint in his gold eyes. "Mir? What's going on?"

The dragon looked at her. "I don't know. I only started to feel his pain when he collapsed. He must have been holding it in for a while and used quite a bit of mana to hide it from me... To be honest I didn't think it was possible."

"You both get affected when he gets sick?"

Mir shook his head. "No, this feels different… It's like something is messing with his mana slow internally. We are linked by spirit and the spirit runs through the natural flow of the body. I can explain more later but first we need to get him looked at!"

"Didn't feel this bad before... I figured it was because of my ribs…" Evan grunted and he fought to reopen his eyes. When he saw her worries and concern for him laid bare he grinned weakly and brought his abnormally hot hand up to her cold cheek. "Don't look so worried. I'll be…fine." He scrunched his face into a grimace. His chest ached and the light reflected against the pure white background gave him headaches. A groan reluctantly escaped him and he heard her quick intake of breath. When he managed to focus a bit more on her blurring visage, he got a glimpse of Lanne's face. Her brows were curved in concern, but her eyes were softened to the point where she once again looked like a young child. Her chapped lips parted ever so slightly and her cheeks were red from the biting cold. And were those…tears? No, Lanne wouldn't cry over something like this. She was strong—far stronger than he would ever be…

"Mir, can you move with him on you? I think we're close enough to a town."

Her pocket watch glowed as Shax piped in. "But what if the Black Wings or Ars Noctis are there?"

"He won't last long out here. Even if they are here they won't kill us. We're far too valuable for them to do that right away." She reasoned and grunted when she tried to lift him. Mir crawled over and fanned out his wings to act as a ramp to pull his master up. "We have the books, hence we have the leverage. Worst comes to worst we'll have to go back to Orbis. The trip up the tower might be too dangerous though."

"I'll use…the scroll." Evan panted and began to take it out from his bag. He untied the leather strap keeping it in shape and closed his eyes. His hands glowed a weak blue for a few seconds before it died down and the scroll slipped through his fingertips. His face was flushed and his pants were coming even more erratically. Lanne put a hand to his forehead and frowned deeply.

"Shit. At this rate…" she bit her lip. Her mind raced with ways to try to alleviate his pain. "The fever powder!" She quickly took out a small pouch and a bottle of water she kept separate from her canteen. Lanne threw the amount of medicine in and gently tried to coax it to his lips. "It'll be bitter but bear with it, Evan. It'll reduce your fever until we get to town." He parted his lips and made a face when the bitter fluid hit his tongue. Nevertheless like a good patient he drank with little complaint. It would start working in about 10 minutes, but at least his temperature wouldn't get any higher. His breaths were still uneven, but his fever wouldn't kill him. Hopefully.

A chill ran down her spine and she turned her head up towards the sky. The ones clear sky was beginning to become blanketed by dark clouds. The temperature began to drop even further than before, and yet Evan's heat continued to unnerve her.

"C'mon, Mir. Let's go."

The wind blew harshly against Chase and he brought the white and grey mottled scarf closer to his face. His matching cloak flapped at the mercy of the coming storm and he cursed his luck. The one time he decided to visit an old friend in El Nath, he gets news of some trouble going down. He couldn't just change his plans now. Besides, he owed quite the favor to his friend so abandoning them to danger just didn't cut it. Despite being a thief, he cursed at how chivalrous he could be sometimes.

Chase shivered. He disliked the cold. It reminded him too much of old memories he preferred to be buried away and frozen for the rest of his life, however long or short that may be. He felt warmth from his dagger sheath and smiled a little. "Don't worry, Val. I'm not kicking the bucket yet."

"You would be wise not to." Came a reply from the dark blade at his waist. "Now, can we please proceed to the town? I would prefer that you die from something grander than frostbite."

"That hurts! C'mon," he chuckled. Chase looked up to the darkening clouds as the snow began to fall in fat flakes. A storm was coming any moment now. And a big one at that. "This is how it all began. My life. Our bond. It was all beneath the ice. I'll be damned if it ends the same way."

"Hello? Please let us in!" Lanne shouted over the howling winds outside as she knocked on the tenth door already. "We have a sick person! Please!" She had forsaken her warm wool cloak to cover Evan in another layer and settled for the sweater she wore underneath. Despite the dim lights seen through the window there was no answer to be heard. She cursed and turned around. There had to be some place willing to take them in!

Behind her she could hear a heavy wood door creak open. A hooded figure peered outside and beckoned them over. "Child! Hurry inside before you catch your death!" She sighed in relief and guided Mir over. He too was growing weary from strain and had to walk on his limbs. His wings had no more energy left to flap. They fought against the wind and as soon as they entered the warmth of the building the door shut close. Lanne gasped for air on all fours before falling to her side, shivering and curling up into a damp mess. The figure knelt down next to her and gently put her hands on her arms to rub some warmth into her skin. "What were you thinking? Only wearing this sweater… You wouldn't have lasted an hour more!" It was a female voice, stern and hard, and yet it held a hint of warmth. It reminded her a bit of Claudine. Once Lanne's shivering began to die down the figure stood back up and regarded the dragon with its covered load. "Dragon… Interesting." She turned away and made her way to the fire where a kettle was hung on an iron rod. "I was just heating some herbal tea. I hope you don't mind the bitterness. I ran out of sugar a while ago."

Lanne managed to sit back up and looked around cautiously. Although this stranger allowed them into her home, there was no telling if this person meant good or ill. The room was quaint. The walls were made up of thick cobblestone and a special mixture of mud to keep it insulated. The floors were made up of dark stained birch wood as were much of the furniture. But what surprised her most were the numerous shelves lined with bottles of various extracts of plants, as well as samples of flowers and other such herbs. Piping lined the ceiling and led into another room.

The woman noticed her study of the room. "This is the back of the general store here, although we mainly excel in medicine rather than food. The door you just knocked on was the baker." She motioned to the pipes. "These carry water that has been specially purified for medicinal use. Although…we've been running a bit low as of late." Lanne wanted to ask about that but her stomach growled and the snow on her clothes melted from the heat, so the shivers came once more. "Oh dear, I apologize, child. Here, I'll run a bath for you. Drink some tea while you wait."

"I can't," she stood up on shaky legs and walked over to Mir. She pulled the cloak cover and sighed in relief when it looked like Evan was more or less dry (at least compared to her). His eyes were closed and his face was flushed red. "Please… If it's payment you need I'll give it. But we just need to rest here for a little bit. Just until he gets better!"

She came over to study Evan's red flush and shortness of breath. "How long has he been like this?"

"He suddenly collapsed about an hour ago, but I think he was hiding he was sick for a while. We started going down the tower from Orbis a few hours ago."

"Did either of you use the snow to refill your canteens? Or swallowed any of it?"

Lanne furrowed her brows in confusion. "No… Wait!" She vaguely remembered Evan playing in the snow and letting some flakes dance on his tongue. "I think he swallowed some snow. But it wasn't a lot." While she spoke, the woman began to move. She gently took hold of his wrist and pulled his sleeves up. On his skin were dark, oval-like patches that almost seemed to swirl. "What is this?"

"It's as I feared. What about you? Have you felt light headed? Feverish? Short of breath?"

"No, I'm fine."

The hooded woman was silent for a moment before hooking her arms under Evan and picking him up with relative ease. "I'll take him and his dragon somewhere more comfortable. I'm sorry but I have to leave you to the bath. It's upstairs, second door to the left. When you finish you can set your things down in the room across from the bathroom. There's also some fresh clothes in there as well." Lanne thanked the woman greatly before bowing and hurrying upstairs. She paused for a moment and turned to stare back at Evan and the woman with hesitation before continuing up. The woman set Evan down on the couch and set a fur blanket over him. His eyes opened slightly and he looked in her direction, but it looked like he was looking right through her.

"Lanne…?"

"Shh… She's nearby. Just rest."

"La…nne…" he mumbled and closed his tired eyes again. "Lanne…"

"Hush…" she whispered and moved some of his brown bangs away from his sweaty visage. "It'll only last for a short while more."

Lanne slipped her body in the hot water and sighed in bliss as the heat enveloped her. Although they were only out for a day, the bitter cold made it feel like forever. Winters never got this cold in Edelstein, and if they ever did she typically spent them indoors or underground (as per usual). She tilted her head back and sunk deeper into the water.

This journey was so confusing. Would it even be worth it in the end? There was no real guarantee that the answer they sought was even in the books they searched for to begin with.

Lanne stretched her left arm out in front of her and stared at the pitch black marking on her hand. Shax once explained that it was a mark of sealing—a process much different from making a contract. Quite often, the price for sealing is much greater than the normal method of attaining a demon. Lanne wondered what price had to be paid for this so called Glasya Labolas to be sealed away in her body. She wondered who did it. But most of all, she wondered why?

When she noticed that the water felt lukewarm she quickly stood up and hurried to get herself dry. Lanne scolded herself for enjoying that bath for far longer than she should have. She didn't care that her hair was still dripping wet from the bath when she came downstairs to check on Evan. The only people she saw was Mir, who was basking in the warmth by the fireplace, and the woman that helped them cooking by the stove. She was void of the brown cloak she wore before, so Lanne was able to note her features. Her hair was styled in black curls. She looked to be in her late thirties or so. The youth hadn't left her face entirely, but she could see the beginning of wrinkles around her grey eyes. A delicious aroma wafted to her and she swallowed thickly.

"E-Excuse me…" Lanne began and looked around the room.

The woman simply smiled and tilted her head towards another door. "He's fast asleep in the guest room. Now, sit down at the table. I'll have supper out in a moment."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, dear. It's quite alright. The table is already set and I've already seen to your friend."

"Alright…" she replied meekly and sat down. Despite the gratitude she felt for the woman, she disliked leaving Evan for very long. It reminded her of the past she so badly wished to forget. The meal that smelled so good quickly turned bitter in her mouth, but she put up her front again and nodded in appreciation. "Thank you very much…"

The woman nodded and gestured to the door she mentioned earlier. "I know you're worried. Feel free to visit him now that you've gotten some warm food in you. He should still be sleeping, but he's been asking for you in his sleep." Lanne thanked her once more and left after washing her dishes.

"Excuse the intrusion…" Lanne muttered and entered the room.

Inside, Evan was covered in a colorful quilt with a cool cloth over his forehead. His bags were on the dresser, as was his weapon and headband. She sat down on a wooden chair that was by the bet and folded her hands in her lap. His breathing was still uneven, but it wasn't as bad. The pained look in his expression was absent, but she assumed that was because he was lost in the oblivion that was sleep.

"You're really an idiot, you know? Not saying anything. Not even to Mir. Think of how your actions could have affected this journey!" she spoke in a voice louder than she wanted to. Even so, he refused to stir. "Can you even hear me?" Lanne frowned at this lack of response. "You're supposed to say something. You always do." Still no answer.

The silence was familiar to her. She was used to it back in her days in Edelstein, before everything went to hell. Sure, life there wasn't easy, but it was bearable. And now she's stuck on a journey that she still doesn't quite understand and everything she's known is flipped. With the exception of the Orbis incident, no one stares at her in hatred. No one openly calls her Lilith. No one scorns her existence. It's a strange experience. Scary, even, if she had to truthfully admit it. But through it all, Evan had been with her. They've had their ups and downs and close calls, but they've survived until now.

Was Lilith's 'curse' going to take him too?

She felt a cold hand of fear grip her heart and she willed the uncomfortable feeling to go away. She was overreacting. He was stronger than this. There was no way this kind of thing would be the end of the dragon master. He'd wake up earlier than her like usual. He'd try waking her up and oppose her stoic expression with a goofy grin. He would tell her stories of his past that she always failed to give in return.

"…You wanted to learn more about me, right?" She looked up at the ceiling in thought before nodding to herself. "There isn't much that really stood out in my childhood to mention, and the ones that do you already know. Like how I took care of the jaguars that the Wild Hunters used and that I was raised by the job masters. Oh, here's something. I helped deliver the mail. Can you imagine me delivering mail? Brighton and the others hoped that it would be a way to get to know everyone in town since I practically lived underground if I couldn't help it." The redhead chuckled a little and fiddled with her thumbs. "I didn't have many friends my age or even to begin with." She paused for a moment in thought. "Actually… There was one girl. It was a long, long time ago. I think I was seven or so when I met her. Back then, no one knew me as Lilith." Lanne looked down at her hands and willed them not to tremble as they normally did when she spoke of such a topic aloud. She didn't know exactly why she was even bringing it up, let alone continuing.

"Her name was Alecia. She was everything I wasn't. She wore pretty outfits as opposed to my tomboyish ones. Her hair was curly while mine was straight. She had a mother and father while I had none. But most of all, a lot of people loved her. You can imagine my surprise when she wanted to get to know me." Lanne smiled a little as she thought back to those precious, albeit painful days. A part of her wondered why she ever stopped thinking about the girl, but at the same time she dreaded going too far into her memories—into that day that she so willed herself to forget but couldn't. "When we became close, I brought her to my favorite places, like a lake hidden in the forest, or the cliff near the town. That one especially was our favorite. In exchange, occasionally she'd bring treats for us to share as we watched the sun set. But the thing I enjoyed her bringing the most were stories. Her father was a librarian and her mother taught at the local school, so she was well read. I'd listen to them in wonder as she told them without a single stutter."

Lanne remembered each one. She remembered the one about a giant bean stalk. She remembered the one about the girl covered in soot and cinders who managed to meet prince charming at a ball. She remembered the one about a man and woman who were not supposed to fall in love but did.

"There was one time when I got bullied so badly that I confided in her. Hah, man I was a real mess that day. The local girls kept tugging at my hair and splashed paint all over my things. When they finally left me alone, I managed to put myself back together so that Brighton and the others wouldn't worry. It wasn't until we met up again at the cliff that the mask broke. As soon as we met she went 'What's wrong?' Everything just...came out after that. I told her how scared and angry I was. I told her how I was thinking about dropping out of school just to escape it all. I said all of this while crying my eyes out. I bet nothing I said made sense." The memories kept flowing back in in near perfect clarity. "And you know what she did next? She took my face in her hands and said 'A magic spell for the crybaby, and another one for tears. Smile with the same face as me, I'll take away your doubts and fears'!" Lanne found herself giggling softly at the dumb rhyme her friend said. "She had the stupidest grin on her face at the time. Now that I think about it, it kind of reminds me of yours, Evan."

The redhead studied his face for a reaction. His eyes fluttered once, but made no other indication that he was conscious or not. Lanne's face fell as she continued.

"A few weeks later her father died in a mineshaft accident. No one really knows how it happened, but some people think the support beams wore out or a spark lit some coal dust alight. I wasn't allowed to view the funeral, but seeing her expression the next day, I knew she cried her eyes out. That was the only time both of us sat in silence as we watched the sun disappear. It was like being next to a stranger, but I couldn't bring myself to leave her like that. The next day, she turned back into her normal, cheerful self. I didn't even ask why at first. If anything, I felt like this brought us closer. She lost a father, and I never had one. I was…happy. I had my friend, my best friend, back. I didn't even realize that she became my best friend until that moment. But…"

Lanne leaned forward and placed her head in her hands while she rested her elbows on the bed. Her face contorted in pain and she shut her eyes tightly. Telling this story felt draining. Simply thinking back on it was taxing. So why? Why was she telling Evan this story of all things? But she couldn't stop. She thanked whatever god that mocked her since he was still asleep, albeit from sickness. Lanne reopened her eyes and studied Evan's face again. It was like a child's face. He still didn't look 18. She released her grip on her head and tentatively touched his hand. It was hot and slightly sweaty, but oddly enough it gave her a sense of comfort. Like she wasn't going through hell alone.

"Alecia…got sick one day. I don't know how, but it was bad. Before she used to be able to catch up to me on our trips to the cliffs, but gradually she needed to take more breaks. Soon, we couldn't even make it halfway and she had to stay in her bed at home. I wasn't allowed to meet her since people were still wary around me, but I still managed to sneak over to keep her company. She had a tree by her windowsill so I would climb it whenever her mom was gone or busy. Alecia had to take some expensive medicine and that eventually made her family broke. Her mother's salary couldn't keep up with the rising demands of the medicine since more and more people were coming down with the sickness. Funny thing though. She didn't die from the sickness like so many others." A bitter smile touched her lips before she sighed and shifted forward to that her body was halfway on the bed in a resting position. Her arms folded to act as a pillow for her head. Lanne closed her eyes. She felt sleepy as the activities of the day caught up with her at last. But just before she lost consciousness, she had to at least finish her story. Finish it while he still couldn't hear or remember the 'sin' she committed.

"I was the one who killed her."

A/N: SO…this took longer than expected. I decided I'm gonna stop putting "expect the next chapter out soon!" because I tend to break those promises. SORRY GUYS! But yeah, we finally learn more about Lanne's and Alecia's (the girl who I usually mention in flashbacks) relationship more, albeit it's more of a rehash of what the flashbacks were. The main thing is that she's talking to Evan about it, albeit he's kinda a deadweight in the bed right now, haha. The next chapter is still gonna have fluff since I'm gonna stop this one at about 6.1k words. I couldn't fit the next part very well in one chapter, haha.

By the way, I'm taking creative writing next semester, so hopefully that will help me write more interesting stuff that flows better.