She held him while he slept. Fearing the day he might leave her, if he remembers.
…
Sam's eyes glazed upon the elder as he made his way out of space. The literary space that made up the room. He saw it twisted and bent, forming something close to that of a whirlpool—a burl.
'What?' Sam thought as he saw the elder. He was hulking, his hair was pitch black, his jaw chiseled, with eyes like stone.
"You see… There was once a man who believed that words held power. And to him, it was," the elder said, his voice had a presence that commanded.
Sam's hair stood on edge. The pure aura that came off the elder was threatening. It was already hard to breathe, my body drenched the floor in sweat. "Who was it?"
The Elder looked at Sam for a moment before laughing. " HA! Samuel…" he sighed. "The man has no power now… he is a shell of his authority."
Sam's eyes met the ground as he heard his name. 'Samuel,' he thought… "Elder… Do names fall under his power?"
"Names…" he took a moment. Contemplating the answer, as he stroked his beard. "Yes, they do. But in the face of force, it's meaningless."
He questioned the elders' words—"Meaningless, huh?..." Why does he sound bitter? "Elder… What happened to him?"
For some reason, that question hit the Elder like a whip. He growled— "Leave!"
Even in the face of the Elders' might, Sam did not stand down.
"Why should I? Weren't you the one who said words had no power in the face of force?"
He stepped closer to the elder, facing the hulk of a man. And with a mocking tone, he asked— "What changed now?"
"Boy… stand down."
"What you gonna do, you old fuck?!"
In the exact second that the Elder was about to speak, the man from before intersected, placing his arm around Sam, and he asked the Elder for forgiveness. "Could you please forgive him?" He forced Sam to tilt his head to the ground as the Elder gazed upon them.
"he's a head, you see, plus…" he paused and shot the Elder a venomous smile. One that could bite, "What does the word say?"
"Mhmm… fine." The elder said and walked away, forcing space once more, disappearing.
The man let out a long and heavy sigh. "You're a fool on the divine level, you know?"
"What was that about!?" Sam asked, frustrated about the man's interfacing. "He had yet to answer my Question!!"
"How about you shut it? You put a hole in my chest, I saved you, now you shout after me, jeezzz."
"You're disgusting."
He went and licked Sam's ear, asking, "Want me to show you?"
Sam looked at the man with disgust and walked off.
"What!? Don't you like it?"
"Fuck off!!"
…
She awoke to the blinding light of the sun, which was gray now.
As her eyes slowly adjusted to it, she saw that she was covered by a thick white blanket… the one Azzy loved.
"Huh?.." In her dizziness, she looked for Azzy. Her guilt from the day before had now filled her with dread. She bit her lip, drawing blood. "Why did he have to remember that woman!?..."
She walked to the window, draping herself across its frame.
The door then opened with a loud creak. Its old frame fell off its hinge, as it dragged against the floor.
Without turning, Cery asked. "Do you still remember?"
"Yes, I do." His voice was steady, cold, and empty when he answered. But a smile was still dragged across his face.
"What are you going to do now? You can't control me anymore, and you know that. So are you scared?" Azzy spoke with malice, but his smile did not falter.
Cery glazed up, admiring the sky and its gray hue today.
"I made a mistake… And to answer your questions… I don't know what to do now. I'm scared, I feel as if I'm going to get stabbed," she cried, but she did not turn to look at him. After all, she doesn't have the right to that anymore.
"I loved you, Azzy. And I still do…"
He shrugged and replied with three simple words, ones he said with utter joy— " I hate you."
She turned to look at him; instead of his red eyes that had a little life, she was met with eyes as dark and cold as the night. His smile radiates an uncanny glow.
"And I hope that we never, ever cross paths again."
"Wait! Az–" But her words meant nothing as he shushed her. He did not speak; only his thoughts answered her plea.
'In another life or maybe another world…but for now, bye, Cery.'
The place they once stood had now turned to sand and blew away. Leaving only a place of emptiness…
not white… nor black, but the beginning of where Cery was trapped… Nowhere, in nothing…
In her isolation, she couldn't help but laugh and scream. After all she had done, those were the only things she had the right to.
She isolated him, humiliated him, gaslighted him, and lied. She deserved it.
She screamed then ... Cery woke up, drenched in sweat. Her suffering lay on her lap.
She grasps his white shirt. The one he wore since the first day and cried into his back like a child, as he slept.
"I'm sorry, I'm so so soryy"