| harshfire | 03-28-2006 01:11 AM |
Act 2.
Khira slowly opened her eyes, the bright light blinding her. She attempted to role over to her side, but was met with a staggering pain in her right leg and her side. Every movement felt as if her body was being mangled, stabbed with a flaming, white-hot knife. She finally managed to tilt her head, and her eyes met with Roger's coal black ones. His hands were folded together in front of his face, elbows resting on his knees.
"Why?" he asked softly.
Khira groaned. "Why what?" she replied.
"Why did you save me like that?" he asked again.
She let out another noise. "Well, you know...instinct. I saw you. I saw the car. I saw you and the car, you know...instinct. So I pushed you," she grunted. "Just needed to do it."
"You shouldn't have done that."
Khira blinked, the blurry images becoming crisp and clear once more. "Why do you say that?" she questioned curiously. "It wasn't really about you, you know."
"What?"
"I saved you because you actually have people who care about you," the girl continued. "People who would cry for your death. People who actually love you. People who would scold you for every stupid mistake you made."
She let out a sigh and let her head drop down to the soft pillow. Roger stared blankly at her.
"Where are your parents? What about your family? People would cry for you, wouldn't they?" Roger asked.
"I thought Dastun told you I was an orphan."
Oh, that's right. I forgot he did.
Khira closed her eyes slowly and inhaled deeply. She could distinctly smell Roger's cologne. It smelled bittersweet, like her father's. She could remember her father's smell.
"Where do you live, kid?" Roger asked Khira, standing.
"The name's Khira. I live in the dorms of Paradigm Boarding School," she snapped at him.
Roger crossed his arms and stared at her for a moment. "Why are you living there?"
"'Cause it's the only place I've got!"
The older man stared at Khira for a few minutes, making her feel slightly uneasy. After sizing her up, he nodded.
"Well, they release you tomorrow, and I don't expect you to go to school. Would you..." he hesitated, before holding out his hand. "Would you like to come live with me?"
<TBC>
Khira slowly opened her eyes, the bright light blinding her. She attempted to role over to her side, but was met with a staggering pain in her right leg and her side. Every movement felt as if her body was being mangled, stabbed with a flaming, white-hot knife. She finally managed to tilt her head, and her eyes met with Roger's coal black ones. His hands were folded together in front of his face, elbows resting on his knees.
"Why?" he asked softly.
Khira groaned. "Why what?" she replied.
"Why did you save me like that?" he asked again.
She let out another noise. "Well, you know...instinct. I saw you. I saw the car. I saw you and the car, you know...instinct. So I pushed you," she grunted. "Just needed to do it."
"You shouldn't have done that."
Khira blinked, the blurry images becoming crisp and clear once more. "Why do you say that?" she questioned curiously. "It wasn't really about you, you know."
"What?"
"I saved you because you actually have people who care about you," the girl continued. "People who would cry for your death. People who actually love you. People who would scold you for every stupid mistake you made."
She let out a sigh and let her head drop down to the soft pillow. Roger stared blankly at her.
"Where are your parents? What about your family? People would cry for you, wouldn't they?" Roger asked.
"I thought Dastun told you I was an orphan."
Oh, that's right. I forgot he did.
Khira closed her eyes slowly and inhaled deeply. She could distinctly smell Roger's cologne. It smelled bittersweet, like her father's. She could remember her father's smell.
"Where do you live, kid?" Roger asked Khira, standing.
"The name's Khira. I live in the dorms of Paradigm Boarding School," she snapped at him.
Roger crossed his arms and stared at her for a moment. "Why are you living there?"
"'Cause it's the only place I've got!"
The older man stared at Khira for a few minutes, making her feel slightly uneasy. After sizing her up, he nodded.
"Well, they release you tomorrow, and I don't expect you to go to school. Would you..." he hesitated, before holding out his hand. "Would you like to come live with me?"
<TBC>