Into The Void
By Molly Meyers
I stumbled around in the neighboring woods for the castle. My fingers were stiff and I could see my breath in the air. When I approached it, I knew it was too cold for me to climb up. I gazed up at it from the meadow.
“What did you find out?” Maddox said from behind me. I would’ve jumped if my body wasn’t frozen.
“That I don’t have a family. It’s just me. It’s always been just me.”
“Sweetheart, you’re only as lonely as everyone else, but they have people with them. You, my dear, are truly alone. We aren’t alone together, either, we’re alone by ourselves.”
“I’ve never felt alone,” I said.
He reached up and brushed his thumbs under my eyes to wipe away tears. “Then why are you crying. That’s the thing that makes us different than them. They’re alone in their mind while we’re alone in our souls. You don’t even know you’re lonely, Honey.”
I didn’t realize I was crying but because he mentioned it I could feel the sobs began to wrack my body. I held them down and changed my depression to aggression. He tried to pull me into a hug, but I jerked away. He didn’t relent, but I didn’t either. He held my shoulders to make sure I couldn’t back out. I pounded on his chest with my fist, desperate to find a way to leave his embrace. My nails scraped the skin on the inside of my palm and I clenched my teeth so hard my teeth could’ve cracked. He didn’t let up, and I wore myself out, destined to fall into him. The tears decided to release themselves and I let them fall. I cried out into his shoulder. I really cried. It felt like all of the emotions I held in over the course of the job were draining out of me. The stress, anxiety, and pressure seeped away and was replaced with warmth, both physically and mentally. He held me until I settled, but didn’t let go. His touch, his presence, his smell; everything about him was comforting. I felt calm, and I didn’t want to leave his arms.
“Why do you stay with me? Why do you believe me? Why aren’t you running away?” I asked, sniffling.
“That’s like running away from myself. You’re a monster. I’m a creature. The only difference is how we use our teeth. We’re the same in every other way.”
I let go of him and sat in the unbroken snow. He followed my lead and had his back against mine. A breeze brushed flakes against my skin, sending chills across my body. I noticed the snow storm blew over and the sun was setting.
“I’m different. I’m not normal. I can’t take it. We’re not the same,” I said, staring off into the trees, the falling sun casting an eerie shadow across the white meadow.
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