I need to remember—
But a wall slams down, cutting off the noise.
Not safe.
And I sense that presence again, on the other side of the bars. Silent, and watchful.
Keeping me safe.
I’m safe in here.
But I’m alone.
Always alone.
That… hurts. Pokes at something that makes me flinch back, away from the bars.
But—
Those eyes. Those words.
Those scents.
They linger. I can feel them against my skin, wrapping around me. Keeping me warm.
Slowly, I uncurl myself from the floor. My fingers wrap around the bars as I strain to look through the darkness.
My hand pushes through the bars. Testing.
And my fingertips brush something in the pitch black. Something rough, and warm, and soft. I yank them back, rubbing them together. They feel… damp.
My chest aches again. And it doesn’t go away.
I need—
Need something. Something that isn’there.
Carefully, I pull at the bars beneath my hands. Testing.
They… move. Just a little.
Not enough to get through. But I keep testing. Keep pushing. Trying to reach them—
They’re calling me.
Who?
Not yet.
***
They’re here all the time now.
I can feel them. Sometimes I hear them talking to me. I cling to those moments, try to keep them with me even as they slip away.
Cautiously, I pull on the bars again. They bend a little more.
I need to know. It’s important.
