Feather on the Water - Part 2 Feather on the Water
By Chustang Sundust

~Part 2~
Remind

It was soulful and entirely the blues. At first, after she had fallen asleep, sitting on the beams under the bridge, it was just a comforting hum in the cold night air. Now, wavering like a cry of heartbreak, it became louder. Aisha blinked at the music, and lifted herself from the cement, cautiously flickering her ears. The person playing it had soft footsteps and was slowly approaching the bridge. She was terrified and tried to slink back into the darkness of the bridge. Yet, she didn't stop listening.
A harmonica? Yeah, that's what it was. The Ctarl-Ctarl blinked, then quickly realized that she still had tears on her face and rubbed them off. Aisha listened breathlessly and drew her knees up so the person, whoever it was, wouldn't find her. But she never expected it… to be Jim.
The soulful playing suddenly cut off and she heard him sigh heavily. There were a few more light footsteps to add to the suspense, when she saw a familiar pair of feet swing over the bridge rail and heard him call, "Aisha? Are you here?" She gulped at this, going pale with fear. A wave of sick dread and hot tension washed over her in an undeniable ocean.
"Jim?" she whispered cautiously. Suddenly, the feet disappeared; there was the rustling of clothing, and a familiar blonde head popped over the edge. Jim's blue eyes were focusing on her, and he squinted until they adjusted to the light. He looked silly, with his hair falling out in all directions and blowing in the wind.
"Um… can I come in?"
Aisha was surprised. She had expected to be drowned in a pressing sea of questions after such an awkward moment between her and … him. But it didn't lessen her gratitude; she let a sad smile slip and held back more tears. "Sure Jim," she reassured, patting the cement beside her. Her large blue eyes watched with amusement as the human tried to reposition himself and began to clumsily reach for the nearest cement bar with his feet. And the Ctarl-Ctarl could help a snicker, seeing him sticking his tongue as he stretched his foot out toward one. "Hey, be careful there! Too bad you're not Ctarl, otherwise this would be easier than… uh, what do you call them?" She tried to seem cheerful, yet he looked at her with cynical eyes, piercing straight through the act.
Jim slipped onto the cement and sat breathlessly, recovering his wind from being up so high and in an uncomfortable position. Once recovered from the fright, he said, "Do you mean monkey bars?"
"Yeah!"
Jim laughed to himself, then climbed over to her perch and sat down beside her. The blonde shook his head, with a nearly permanent grin, and looked up to her. "Aisha, you must be crazy or something," he murmured happily, glancing out to the river, where the daisy had paused on the black, still water.
There was a sudden bolt of uncertainty that flickered through her, and Aisha didn't quiet know what to say. She turned her eyes out to the river with his, and bit her lip, reminded by the flower on the water. Silence fell thickly between them, like snow. Every few seconds, she'd look back to his pocket, where the harmonica sat, shining where the moonlight caught it.
Jim noticed her looking back toward him, and his eyes snapped up to her, curious with a misty nervous tone. She saw the relentless questions fuming deep in him, and she knew it wouldn't be long before the events of the day were brought up. Aisha didn't want to be flooded with them, so she summed up the courage to ask it first.
"I know you came here to ask me… just what happened, so… go ahead and ask," she encouraged nervously, casting her gaze shamefully away.
But instead, she felt the small body lean against her and wrap her up in a hug. She went rigid with shock, but the comforting of Jim calmed her down strangely, and she soon had slung her arm around his thin shoulders. With his cheek resting against her arm, he said suddenly in their embrace, "Aisha… what's that in your pocket?"
"An engagement ring," Aisha muttered in a burst of courage, and looked away from his astounded blue eyes, answering the question she knew was coming. The Ctarl-Ctarl teen shivered in the cold, gulped, then whispered, "For Gene."