The weather was woefully oppressive. It was still mid-afternoon, yet
the sky was blanketed with a dark rolling smog that engulfed the helpless
sun. Helena looked up through the tinted windows of her car. The outside
seemed to affect her mood. She didn't want it to, but just looking outside
made her depressed. Wanting to get rid of the feeling, she turned her
attention to the man beside her.
Hayate had been with her for a more than couple of weeks. At first he just stayed in her house to recover from his wounds, but after a few days, he had been up and about already, helping here and there around her property. Although she didn't really take notice of it, he had slowly become integrated into her daily surroundings. He was still in the process of recovering, of course, but not in such grave a condition that he had withdrawn from physical activities. On the contrary, he had somehow taken it up upon himself to serve as some sort protector to her, always worrying about her safety. It was not at all unfounded, of course, as they had met during an attempt at her life.
Although she could take herself in hand to hand combat situation, she had no inkling of an idea on how to protect herself from a killer hiding in a distance. So, after only a token objection, she gradually accepted his attempt at her protection. She, of course, eventually offered to pay him for his help, but he adamantly refused monetary payment, stating that having a place to stay and some food to eat while he recovered from his injuries were, in of itself, payment enough.
Despite the incident at their meeting though, she had not been attacked again. She had hoped that Hayate's efforts were somehow responsible for this, but she knew better. Though she still remained amazingly calm after the incident, inside she had became as paranoid as the man seated next to her.
She studies his profile for a second. Even when he was absorbed in his self-appointed responsibility, he always had a troubled look on his face. In relatively peaceful moments like these, that he had troubled thoughts were clearly evident. During the past few days, she had wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't want to pry, and she figured that he would come out to talk to her about it only when he was ready to.
All the while she had stared at him, she did not speak a word. She was sure that he had felt her stare by now, and wondered how long he could continue to ignore her. It was only when she returned her attention back outside that she could hear him shift his head towards her. Now it was her turn to ignore his inspecting eyes. She was going to glance back at him once again and meet his stare, but after only about a minute, he had turned his head forward again.
Outside, the most of the trees had already been stripped bare of their colorful leaves. All that was left were the worn, black, skeletal branches. Some of the trees, she noticed, took shapes men. When she was young, she used to call them "the tree people". The way their "bodies" were positioned always suggested to her imagination that they were suffering and in pain of burden. Some were contorted in a way that made them seem not human, but also not wholly physically improbable that she wouldn't wince at the thought of them becoming real. The pain that they must go through.
The car made a sharp turn, and then proceeded to a slowly ascending hill. From her window, Helena could see the stone garden that populated the area. She guessed that the hill itself had become hollow by now, with all the memories buried and then forgotten. When the car made a full stop, Hayate exited from it first and she waited for him to decide it was alright to come out. She kept her gaze forward and didn't look up even when her car door opened and the cold gust of wind collided with her skin.
Hurriedly, she took out a pair of sunglasses from her purse and put them on. She stepped outside to a waiting Hayate who, by excuse of duty, decided to occupy himself with the surrounding scenery. He followed her as she made her way across a plethora of shriveled flowers and headstones, of angels and crosses, of dead leaves. From behind them, she could hear the sound of her car's engine still running, as the driver had decided to stay inside with the heater on. In front of them, she could see no one else.
She looked back to see Hayate looking down around them, with a somber sort of grimness that she had come to associate with him. She then smiled and spoke up "Cheer up Hayate, it's not good to be depressed when you're in the cemetery." She turned back once again to see Hayate looking at her in surprise. "Love lies here still." She added, "Somewhere."
The man behind her looked at the expanse of seemingly endless rows of graves. "So love is dead?"
"Yes." Helena kept her stride until before them was a stark and imposing headstone. Her companion inspected it subtly, but she could tell he was uneasy. There was no sign of love here. No dying flowers were laid bare before it. The cold letters engraved stared blankly at her. They held no meaning. She was looking for it though. As the time passed by like always, neither in a hurry nor slowing down, she searched hard to find it.
It wasn't in the ground, so she looked up at the sky. The clouds gathered up along with the blowing of the wind. Without looking back, she stared down the horizon as traces of the sun finally began to set. "Let's go Hayate, before winter comes."
Hayate had been with her for a more than couple of weeks. At first he just stayed in her house to recover from his wounds, but after a few days, he had been up and about already, helping here and there around her property. Although she didn't really take notice of it, he had slowly become integrated into her daily surroundings. He was still in the process of recovering, of course, but not in such grave a condition that he had withdrawn from physical activities. On the contrary, he had somehow taken it up upon himself to serve as some sort protector to her, always worrying about her safety. It was not at all unfounded, of course, as they had met during an attempt at her life.
Although she could take herself in hand to hand combat situation, she had no inkling of an idea on how to protect herself from a killer hiding in a distance. So, after only a token objection, she gradually accepted his attempt at her protection. She, of course, eventually offered to pay him for his help, but he adamantly refused monetary payment, stating that having a place to stay and some food to eat while he recovered from his injuries were, in of itself, payment enough.
Despite the incident at their meeting though, she had not been attacked again. She had hoped that Hayate's efforts were somehow responsible for this, but she knew better. Though she still remained amazingly calm after the incident, inside she had became as paranoid as the man seated next to her.
She studies his profile for a second. Even when he was absorbed in his self-appointed responsibility, he always had a troubled look on his face. In relatively peaceful moments like these, that he had troubled thoughts were clearly evident. During the past few days, she had wanted to ask him about it, but she didn't want to pry, and she figured that he would come out to talk to her about it only when he was ready to.
All the while she had stared at him, she did not speak a word. She was sure that he had felt her stare by now, and wondered how long he could continue to ignore her. It was only when she returned her attention back outside that she could hear him shift his head towards her. Now it was her turn to ignore his inspecting eyes. She was going to glance back at him once again and meet his stare, but after only about a minute, he had turned his head forward again.
Outside, the most of the trees had already been stripped bare of their colorful leaves. All that was left were the worn, black, skeletal branches. Some of the trees, she noticed, took shapes men. When she was young, she used to call them "the tree people". The way their "bodies" were positioned always suggested to her imagination that they were suffering and in pain of burden. Some were contorted in a way that made them seem not human, but also not wholly physically improbable that she wouldn't wince at the thought of them becoming real. The pain that they must go through.
The car made a sharp turn, and then proceeded to a slowly ascending hill. From her window, Helena could see the stone garden that populated the area. She guessed that the hill itself had become hollow by now, with all the memories buried and then forgotten. When the car made a full stop, Hayate exited from it first and she waited for him to decide it was alright to come out. She kept her gaze forward and didn't look up even when her car door opened and the cold gust of wind collided with her skin.
Hurriedly, she took out a pair of sunglasses from her purse and put them on. She stepped outside to a waiting Hayate who, by excuse of duty, decided to occupy himself with the surrounding scenery. He followed her as she made her way across a plethora of shriveled flowers and headstones, of angels and crosses, of dead leaves. From behind them, she could hear the sound of her car's engine still running, as the driver had decided to stay inside with the heater on. In front of them, she could see no one else.
She looked back to see Hayate looking down around them, with a somber sort of grimness that she had come to associate with him. She then smiled and spoke up "Cheer up Hayate, it's not good to be depressed when you're in the cemetery." She turned back once again to see Hayate looking at her in surprise. "Love lies here still." She added, "Somewhere."
The man behind her looked at the expanse of seemingly endless rows of graves. "So love is dead?"
"Yes." Helena kept her stride until before them was a stark and imposing headstone. Her companion inspected it subtly, but she could tell he was uneasy. There was no sign of love here. No dying flowers were laid bare before it. The cold letters engraved stared blankly at her. They held no meaning. She was looking for it though. As the time passed by like always, neither in a hurry nor slowing down, she searched hard to find it.
It wasn't in the ground, so she looked up at the sky. The clouds gathered up along with the blowing of the wind. Without looking back, she stared down the horizon as traces of the sun finally began to set. "Let's go Hayate, before winter comes."