“I’ll keep you safe.” with Antci :eyes:
She kept trying to calm herself- kept taking little breathsto clear her head to clear her throat. On her dorm bed was a small bag of---she couldn’t decide what to bring.
She tried socks, outfits, pictures- she tried her phone buttossed it, maybe a notebook- maybe an old stuffed animal, but she couldn’tdecide- couldn’t bring her thoughts together, could consider for more than amoment this huge decision placed before her.
A knock on her door momentarily frazzled the rest of hercornered thoughts, and a jolt of fear brought her back to the present. Shewould be afraid to face Elsa. She would be afraid to face anyone, and tellthem- or perhaps, not to tell themwhat would be happening.
The knock happened again, and Traci gripped her own arms,grounding herself, and forced her body to its feet. Approaching the door, shecould somehow tell who was on the other side. With a sigh of relief (?), shelet Jack in.
Well, no, now she knew it wasn’t Jack, but it was weirdcalling him Anti. It was weird knowing that someone you thought you loved was someoneelse after all- but this clearly wasn’t Jack. The way he spoke, the way he heldhimself, the way the darkness in his eyes would swallow her whole, it was notJack. Definitely not.
“You’re not ready yet?” He hadn’t said it in a particularlyangry way, but she would never know. In the same way he could make her feelstronger than she could ever be by herself, he could make her feel weak andstupid- more insignificant than the smallest speck or dirt, and he wouldn’t haveto do a thing. Or maybe, it was her doing that, at this point it was hard to tell.
“I’m trying.” Her voice was dry, and shook as if she wasspeaking to a hundred angry people. “I’m just scared.”
“Scared of what?” Now his tone was challenging. “What do youhave to be afraid of?”
A lot, but nothing she was willing to admit. “I’m sorry.”She emptied her bookbag, and tried again. Notebook. An outfit. Her… camera? No,maybe not-
Hands landed on her shoulders, a simple action that sent electricityup her spine and shooting sparks though her head. She took a breath, butstopped her movements. She waited. She was curious, she was scared. Contactslid from her shoulders as he stepped besides her, and took a hold of her chinto face her face towards his.
“I’ll keep you safe.”
Traci blinked her eyes before closing them for just amoment. If there was nothing else she could believe in- not even herself, shecould believe in his words. She nodded slowly, and turned around to face him,gently holding one of his hands. “Okay.” It was obscene how calm she was, howokay she was with this. She had never been more sure about something in herlife, which made this somehow even scarier.
Somehow, by saying nothing else, He had told her exactlywhat to do, exactly what to bring, and within five minutes, Traci was pullingon her small backpack and shoes. She gripped onto her bookbag straps tightlyand followed him down the hallway, down the stairs, and right out of the girlsdorm, into the night.
“Take a look.” He said, though he hadn’t done so himself,keeping his back turned to Asagao Academy as he headed down at a leisurely pacetowards the train station. “One more look, and lets go.”
Traci glanced back at the school, thinking to itsclassrooms, its clubs, its dorms, its students- all of which she’d never seeagain, and she felt nothing. She felt no sadness, no contempt, no feelings ofrevenge or violence or victory. Traci glanced on with empty eyes and an emptyheart for mere seconds before turning and jogging to catch up to the other.