Chapter Two:
Release

The woman opened the door of the house and motioned for the dazed girl to walk in. The house was as dark and dank as the night outside, dimly lit by candles as the night was aglow from the radiant moon. Directly in front of her was a staircase that lead straight up, the wood again seemed half rotten and exuded that same soft smell of decay. The room they were in now was mostly bare; there was a crimson colored couch over in a dark corner of the room and a table beside it with a few candles that kept it from being completely dark.

The woman walked halfway to the couch and then, looking behind her, noticing the girl was not following, said, "Come, sit." She was still very much in shock of what was going on, and at first it was hard to make her feet move of her own will, but she began to walk forward and the woman turned and walked the rest of the way to the couch and sat carefully, crossing one leg over the other, arranging her dress which seemed to be made of the night around her. The girl watched the woman sit and stood there for a moment examining the couch and her host before she too sat. Her eyes were immediately drawn to those of the woman, with the same feeling of how her eyes had been drawn to the moon. “What is your name?“ The woman asked with comforting tone that subdued her anxiety. She just sat there, gazing into the eyes of this should be stranger that seemed as if she had known all of her life. The woman moved her hand to rest on her young company’s shoulder, “ My name is Diana, what is your name, dear?“ The girl’s eyes blinked, “Amaya.“ She said, her voice trailing off as her eyes posed a question to the woman without speaking a word. Even if she had wanted to speak, there were no words to express what she conveyed to the woman through the connection of their eyes.

"You were calling out to me, and I could not let you continue to suffer." She moved closer to the girl now, placing her hand on Amaya’s knee and leaning closer to her face. "I could sense your pain, your suffering. Don't be afraid, you don't have to hurt anymore." The girl closed her eyes tightly to the touch of the woman. In just the contact of her hand on her knee, she felt such a connection. She felt as if she were no longer the only inhabitant of her mind and soul. She could feel this woman inside of her, and she was comforted by it. She felt completely not alone for the first time in her life. She opened her eyes and looks into those of the Diana again, and then in a flash, she burst into tears. Then, simultaneously, the woman began to pull her close into her bosom as the girl sought comfort in her welcome arms. She buried herself in her, sobbing out all the pain. She felt it all leaving her, all the sorrow that had built up inside of her, she could feel it all draining out. And in it's place she felt Diana's arms around her. She felt her eyes looking kindly down upon her. She felt her presence all around her. Diana pulled her closer, pulling the delicate little being into her lap and pulling her into herself. She could feel her soul caressed by the woman's as well as her body caressed by her gentle hands. She had never known such comfort in her life. The sobs that were shaking Amaya slowed, and finally with a few sniffles, she was done. She opened her eyes, and suddenly she could feel the woman retract from her and she could no longer feel the presence of her inside of her being. The woman reached down and gently pulled her chin to where her eyes were again looking into hers. She leaned her face down and kissed just below her eyes where the tears had been and wiped them away with her fingertips.

"Better now?" She asked, with a warm smile cast down upon the girl. She nodded, and then her eyes turned to questioning again. "I'm sure there is much you wish to know, but it is best for it not to be revealed just yet. You see, things have changed for you; nothing will ever be the same as it was again. We must take this slowly." Amaya’s eyes were just more confused by what she said, "Take what slowly?" She said, the words seeming awkward to her as she spoke them. "Shh, you will know soon enough. But now, you need rest. I promise, whatever questions you have will be answered, but now you must rest." She gently nudged for her to stand up, and stood as well, taking the girl's hand in her own. She walked toward the staircase, and began up the steps, never letting go of the Amaya's hand. She follows behind her, not thinking of home, not thinking of all the things that had plagued her mind before. They walked up the stairs and turned to the left at the top. It was completely dark, but the woman walked on ahead, sure of her destination. She opened a door and they walked into another dimly lit room. There was a window overlooking the yard, a bed with black sheets and pillows, a nightstand beside the bed with a few candles on it, a dresser in the corner opposite the bed with a wooden jewelry box on top of it and a vase of dead roses that looked exactly like the ones in her room. Only, they didn’t look so lonely here. She looked to the woman and began to ask, "How did you --" before the woman placing her fingertip on the girl's lips, stops her. " Not yet." The woman walks over to the bed and pulls the sheets back, "Come, you need your rest." The girl walked over to the bed and sat, she did feel drained, and sleep was welcome. The woman walked over to the window and looked out. She stood, gazing at the moon with a loving smile. She seemed to feel the same connection with the moon as had Amaya, and she whispered softly “Goodnight“ as she turned back toward Amaya. She walked over the bed, then sat beside her. She gently pushed the girl to lie down. She leaned over her to blow out the candle in the room, brushing against Amaya and sending a warm sensation throughout her body. She then laid her head on the pillow beside her and pulled the girl into her chest, wrapping her arms around her. Both pairs of eyes close, as the two fall into sleep.

On to Chapter Three ~~>


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