Forever Bound (DigitalSiren x Staine)

[Bunny]

How long had passed? Rine had no way of knowing.. Time didn't pass the same anymore. She'd been within this house long enough to remember when the wallpaper had not curled down the walls. The stairs had been sturdy, banister not hanging on by a nail. When a thick layer of dusk had not coated the surfaces within, like a snow fall indoors. It had been a long time since anyone had lived in the house, Rine knew that much, if she couldn't mark the passage of time. There was very little that she knew to be truth. She was a ghost and she seemed unable to pass on. Even if she closed her eyes and tried to bring up the memory of her death, it was impossible to place. She remembered waking one day, it seemed like just yesterday.. Strange people in her home, who could neither see or hear her. Oh, how she had tried. Screaming at the top of her lungs until her voice felt hoarse. Funny that, that something so human would plague her. The scraping pain of glass when she breathed in to draw another breath. Dead, pain was still apart of her 'life'.

Families had come and gone, in the beginning none had been aware of her. In time, however, small things she'd notice. They'd turn, as if they could feel someone in the room with them. Shiver, if they walked through her. The uneven passage of time was hard to trace, but she seemed to get stronger the longer she existed in the limbo that seemed to be her afterlife. It started small, the movement of an object. It had been a hairbrush. Rine could vividly remember it. She didn't know what made her try endlessly to be seen.. be heard. The hairbrush had shifted, just a wiggle really. But she had moved it! Struggling day in and out, she'd managed to slowly increase what she could do. Was it normal? Being able to move things without having a corporal form? She didn't know. She was the only one like her in the house and she couldn't leave. She'd tried.

That had been one of the more painful experiences while stuck like a figment of a memory in this damned house. One she'd never dared to repeat. Shortly after waking up, of screaming herself hoarse she'd tried to flee through an open door. It was hard to recall that pain into words, though the feeling.. she'd never forget. Like fire and lightening fighting to tear her apart, down to the very atom. Rine was unsure how she knew, but that folly had lost her a good chunk of that never ending standstill of time. She'd woken up on the floor, her body stiff. She'd never tried again, never able to work up the courage to face that pain again.

Time stood still for her even as people come and gone. In that time, Rine had begun to act out, what other choice did she have? Eternity alone was boring. Moving things and hiding them. Small harmless pranks really. She knew it scared them, those people in her house. A small part of her felt guilty, but mostly it amused her to terrify them. Rine took care to never harm any of them, their own clumsiness was not her fault after all. The stronger she grew, the more she could do. In time.. people stopped moving in. The families left her, leaving her alone truly. No one to prank, to watch as they went about their lives. Nothing but silence greeting her each day.

That was until.. today.

She'd been floating in the attic, watching the clouds pass above head through the hole that had slowly appeared in the roof. Sun filtered in, making the dust in the air glitter and sparkle. The sun always made the attic feel magical. A noise startled her and she fell from the air a few feet before catching herself. Anger was the first emotion she felt. Lazily drifting toward the window she looked out of the shattered glass, to see a truck. Frowning she tilted her head, her breath fogging up the dirty glass for a moment, vanishing as the heat outside ate away the coldness. There was only one man, gazing up at her house. He seemed to take a double take, a frown on his lips. It wasn't like he had actually seen her, no one ever did. Sticking her tongue out him, she let herself float down, passing through the floors of the house. At first it had been uncomfortable, phasing through things.. but now it only tickled lightly, a fuzzy feeling like passing through cotton.

Small feet touched down on the carpet of dust, not a single speck stirring as she walked along the rotting hard wood floor. The mass of golden silk curls bouncing with each step. Zephyrine had been young when she'd left the mortal coil, a few days before turning nineteen. Forever eighteen, her body reflected that. Slender and small, she'd been a waif of a girl, with luminous blue eyes that shifted in the light from blue to quicksilver. Her hair had been like spun gold, heavy weight of her curls adding to the doll like appearance she'd had. Porcelain skin, so pale.. She couldn't remember, but she'd been treated like a little doll by her family. The frills of her dress, cream colored made no noise, where they should have rustled with each step, nothing could be heard. The front door creaked opened, fresh air disturbing the dust, sending a small cloud of it spinning. Looking up she got her first clear glimpse of him.. What are you doing in my house? A small frown played on her lips, the soft fullness of them normally quirked at the edges, as if she knew some secret joke no one else did, pulled down. Floating closer she made another face at him. It's not even livable forehead.. Just go away. Ignored, as always the man walked further in and she caught sight of the truck behind him. Tools.. She was a ghost not stupid, why would anyone bring tools to a place like her home? Anger spiked through her for a second time. Why are you here?! Panic started to build in her chest. She'd hoped.. once the house was no more.. she'd be free... Please Don't... Leave.. It was pointless he couldn't hear her. Couldn't hear that pain or fear. She'd never be free.. While she'd no way of knowing that she would have been, there had been hope that this never ending existence would cease... She'd be able to move on, cross over.. Whatever it was that came after this.

 

[Staine]

Trystan looked up from the outside of his new property. It was...at best, a mess. That was the whole point of course, why he bought these things at the price he did but it didn't change the fact that he had a lot of work ahead of him. Reaching back into the truck he had hired he pulled out his digital camera and started to take the pictures of the outside, part of his process for his own before/after journal that he liked to give to those he sold the properties on to as well as keep on his website. A few snaps of the front, the sides and the back as he walked around the property, through the expansive yet overgrown gardens and trying to get clear pics without the dead trees in the way. Back at the front and taking a few more he paused after his last shot, squinting at one of the windows. He could have sworn he had seen a face there, young and feminine, staring back out at him. He snapped a few more pictures and made a mental note to check them later, he had to have been imagining it but it had seemed pretty real and he couldn't just check right now. Placing his camera down, he started the long, gruelling process of carrying his tools and some of the temporary furniture he had brought into the house.

Toolkits first and camping bed, folding chairs, a large flat screen television to entertain himself when he wanted a break, food, drink, toiletries. All in all he was in and out of the house for the next couple of hours as he put everything away after setting up a makeshift bedroom in the rather large and expansive front room of the house. He brought in his rucksack full of clothes and then started fetching in the materials. Finally, once everything was in it's place he started to take another look around the inside. Upstairs there were four rather large bedrooms, a master one, one which looked to have been a child's room at some point, a guest room and one which had been converted into a playroom at some point in the past. He looked through each of them, checking the furniture to see what was salvageable and being pleasantly surprised, at least in the master bedroom the furniture seemed quite sturdy. He didn't need his temporary things, he could sleep in the well maintained if a little dusty bed quite comfortably, the dresser and wardrobe were in good condition, and it did turn out to be much the same in the other rooms. It was odd, actually, since this had come in a lot cheaper than other, similar properties which weren't in half as good condition on the inside and matched it on the outside.

No matter, he could do it after a little cleaning tomorrow. He found one of the upstairs bathrooms of the huge house and ran himself a bath, looking over himself in the full size mirror on the back of the door. The hot water seemed to be working fine at least, so he would be able to hook up a shower tomorrow or over the weekend. Trystan was tall, a little over 6ft tall with long black hair falling half way down his back which was currently banded up into a ponytail to keep it out of his way. He was powerfully built, evidence of the physical lifestyle he led, buying up and renovating old, run down houses and cottages and fixing them up on his own before selling at a 200 or 300% mark up, minimum. His eyes were emerald green, warm and friendly, he had an easy smile and well toned, muscular body with lightly calloused fingers. It had been his Grandfather that had started this, leaving him his old home when he passed with Trystan still in college learning carpentry. He could have just sold the house but he had seen potential, made it more than it had been before he had sold it at such a mark up that he knew it was what he wanted to do from then on. It felt satisfying, an accomplishment and with the profits he was more than able to both support himself and buy another property. This was the 7th now, he was 35 years old, he had made more than enough that he didn't have to do this for a while but it wasn't just a living now, it was a passion.

He stripped off out of his black jeans and black, skin tight vest, unbuttoning them carefully before folding them up and leaving them on the side as the tub filled with hot water, stretching when finally naked and pouring in some of the bath salts he had brought with him. Climbing in to the tub he eased himself in, laying back and closing his eyes. Maybe after this one he would look for a place to actually keep, hell, maybe he would even keep this one, it would soon be more than hospitable after all.

 

[Bunny]

The panic didn't subside as he carted in his possessions, screaming and pleading would do no good, but it didn't stop her from doing so. If nothing else, the screaming at him felt good. Though in time, she quieted.. her throat raw. Leaving him as he explored the house she headed back to the attic, curling into a corner. Her mind swirled in a dizzying pattern. Before, her pranks had always been playful. Never had the aim been to scare them off in truth. Sure, it was often an end result, but she'd not cared. By that time, she was bored of them anyway. Could she scare him? Truly? The little pranks she pulled quite simple. Moving of things, maybe a chair or door creaking. A groan of the pipes drew her from her contemplation. Looking down towards the sound, she frowned. I will not allow you to stay. Her voice held conviction.

Slipping through the floor, she passed through walls. She found him in the tub, naked and soaking. If she could blush still, she would have then.. She felt heat in her cheeks at the sight of his naked body. Averting her eyes she pushed at his clothing with one small hand. Pushing it towards the water. Moving objects was always funny, she had to picture what she wanted, feel it.. That was the tricky part, when she'd not touched somethings that now existed. Jeans, the silky polyester had not existed in her lifetime. Imagination helped her. The weave of the jeans looked coarse, while the vet looked slippery. Focusing on the two items with all her might she pushed them. For a second she could feel the fabrics, the rough texture mingled with the soft almost satin feeling.

The clothing fell into the water with a gentle plop, beads of water spraying outwards as they were displaced. Giggling, she put her hands over her eyes. She didn't want to see his naked form, it was improper and even dead, she was a lady. But that didn't mean she couldn't listen to him exclaim. Floating backwards she giggled again as he cursed. Such language. Only man I have ever come close to such words, was a sailor on the docks.. TskTsk.. Vanishing she went to find more things she could mess with. The first thing she did was start hiding tools. While it might have been easier to hide them all at once, she took time hiding each one in a different place. Most of them easy for her to manipulate. Made of metal, she could pick them up and moved them. A hammer hidden under the stairs. A wrench placed on top of a rotting book case. This went on till she heard him coming down the stairs.. Only a handful of things missing..... for now.

 

[Staine]

Trystan sighed as the hot water soothed him, enjoying the way it rippled from his entry and washed up against his chest until the gentle waves stabilised. He hadn't done much work, not really, but it still felt almost as good as a hot soak after a long day, one of the pleasures he always sought to avail himself of. Tomorrow would be different, tomorrow he would have lots to do, mostly moving in materials and moving out old pieces of crap that he didn't really have much of a use for but right now he didn't even want to think about it. Instead, he was thinking of how long it had been since he just relaxed in one place for more than a few weeks after finishing up a house. Two, three weeks at the most and he would already have bought another property and be back at work, it wasn't like he had anything else in his life to distract him anyway but every now and then he felt just a little bit lonely. A splash of hot water hit him in the face as something landed near his chest and fell onto him. "What the fuck..." He said the words aloud, an exclamation of confusion as he opened his eyes and looked down to see his clothes, jeans and vest completely soaked and on top of him. His brow furrowed as he looked up at where they had been...there was no way they could have just fallen on their own, right? Nothing was there, there was no breeze coming through the open window. Maybe he hadn't put them up as securely as he had thought?

Groaning to himself he lifted them out of the tub and threw them down onto the floor, sighing as he reached for the soap. He didn't feel quite as relaxed anymore, that moment had just passed him by and now he felt a little agitated as he washed himself hurriedly, annoyed at his own mistake. The last thing he washed was his hair, washing and rinsing a few times, something he took pride in. When he was done, he climbed out of the tub, stretching and grabbing a towel to dry himself off with before wrapping it around his waist and picking up his sodden clothing. There was a radiator in the front room he could use, he hadn't checked the gas yet to make sure it was safe but that wouldn't take more than an hour. Placing the clothing on the radiator he started to search for his tools, a flashlight he could have sworn he had left by the makeshift bed didn't seem to be anywhere around and he couldn't quite find his wrench either. He could have sworn he had brought them with him, he was meticulous about this kind of thing! "For fuck's sake..." He was muttering under his breath as he found his spare flashlight and went to check the gas lines, towel around his waist the only thing he had covering him.

 

[Bunny]

She giggled softly, the sound sweet and malicious at the same time. She watched as he sought for the flashlight, finding it quick enough. Rine couldn't help but pout a little. She'd have to hide things better next time.. She followed him towards the gas lines, under the stairs, where his hammer was. She pouted more as the flashlight bounced off the metal. Muttering softly she moved towards the main room. Some glittered softly in the dying light outside, catching her attention. Beside his cot, on the dusty end table was a beautiful pocket watch. The surface was worn, but as she drifted closer she could see the detailed work. It had been a while since she ha'd seen such an item. People seemed to use their phones and before that watches on their wrist... Pocket watches like the one her father had worn. The memory rushed through her.

Her father sitting in his study, pulling out his pocket watch, checking the time, the soft click as it closed and he said her name. His handsome face, kind. A smile curling on his lips. The memory literally rocked her, and she reached out for the shiny trinket before she could stop herself. The metal felt cool to the touch and she held it to her breast. Looking up she pushed up off the floor floating, toward the ceiling. Once level with the stairs she took her new treasure up to the attic, the floorboards creaking under her phantom steps. This she hid very very well. She couldn't have explained why she needed it. This thing that brought back a memory to her. But it was hers now.

Hidden she made sure to firmly secure the attic. No one but she could get in. Unless he was a ghost too. Floating back down she went back to her mischief, hiding a few more small things. She also pushed his clothing onto the floor humphing in his direction. Yawning she curled up on the dilapidated sofa, eyes following his movements. Waiting to see his new response to his clothing.

 

[Staine]

Using the flashlight to guide his way, it didn't take long for Trystan to find the gas meter and the connecting pipes, checking to make sure everything was good and safe. It had clearly been turned off safely by the seller but within just a few minutes he managed to get it all up and running again, the pipes were in good condition, clearly having been worked on and modernised at some point in the last decade or so. It made him wonder why the property wasn't selling? The agent hadn't told him much about it, not that he had expected it, but had there been a murder or something? He had checked for murders in the last few years in the area but nothing linked to the house, that didn't mean it couldn't be off the books though, or perhaps a suicide. Focused on his task, he didn't see his hammer, or at least recognise it as his. With everything sorted in around ten minutes, he checked the electricity while he was there before he left to go back to the front room.

Entering, he frowned. His clothes were on the damn floor again. Picking them up, he made sure they were completely secure this time and then turned on the radiator, smiling as he heard it rather than felt it start to work, knowing it would heat up in just a few minutes. After that, he unpacked the food he had brought with him, half a leftover ham sandwich from lunch and sat down next to his makeshift bed. As he ate he looked around...sure, the house was being a pain in the arse right now but with any luck he could really fix it up nicely, and he liked the area at the very least. Looking down, that's when his blood froze. His pocket watch was gone.

It had been his grandfather's, something passed down through the family. It wasn't super expensive, though it wasn't cheap either, the important thing was that it was pretty much all he had left of him now. It was a precious keepsake, he always kept it by his bed and he had done the same here, he knew he had placed it down earlier. He put down the rest of his sandwich and started to search for it, first calmly, assuming he had just knocked it off before more frantic searching began. "Fuck...god damn it where is it...what's wrong with this fucking house...?" He was growing more panicked by the second, he hadn't ever lost it before and he could feel himself starting to go white. What if there had been a burglar? The place wasn't very well secured, was there somebody here? He stood and looked around for any signs that somebody had been in, besides the things falling, and his tools being moved around...

"Who's there? Whoever you are, this isn't funny...I just want my watch back, nothing more okay? I'll even pay you, please..."

 

[Bunny]

A pang of guilt slid through her at the tone in his voice. Looking up toward the attic she frowned, as if she could see the little trinket she'd stolen. Eyes slid back to him and she frowned shaking her head. I will give it back when you leave... frowning softly she hugged herself. She'd not expected this sort of reaction from him. Rising from the couch she decided to leave him alone for the night. She didn't like the feeling in her stomach, the guilt she felt. She just wanted him to leave. The house was hers and she wanted so badly to be let go. I am sorry... The words were whispered as she slipped past him, like the sighing of the wind.

As Rine walked away, the floorboards creaked underneath her ghostly feat, the sound clear. Someone walking away. She didn't pay it much mind, why would she? Floating upwards she found her small little hidey hole in the attic. Her old bed still could hold her small form, the curtains once luscious and full now moth eaten and grayer under a layer of dust. Small little trinkets lay near the edges of the bed.. things she'd taken. Nothing that had ever elicited such a response in the past however. A small strand of beads, a sea shell.. A small little bunny stuffed animal.

---

A week later, though to her it was the next day she 'woke' from her sleep. yawning she rubbed at her eyes and sat up. Looking around she wondered if she'd just imagined the man fixing her home.. The rattle of a handle made her back straighten. Floating closer to the door she leaned through to see him trying to force the door open. Head tipped over his, a wealth of silvery blonde curls falling over him like a curtain as she floated through the worn door. She made a soft sound in her throat. Never going to get through it like that...

 

[Staine]

There was no answer, just near silence as he looked around. Trystan didn't quite know what he was expecting really, that the thief, if there was one, would just step out from around a corner and offer him back the watch? That was a crazy thought, of course what wasn't going to happen but he couldn't just not hope, he was desperate. While he waited he was still looking around, a floorboard creaked beside him and he turned to it but nothing was there. "I am sorry..." It could have been the wind it was so feint but he heard it, his eyes fixated on the empty space the voice had come from. Nothing...nothing else happened. The rest of his night passed with him first looking around to see if he had dropped and kicked it somewhere, knowing full well he hadn't but unable to not look before he fell asleep exhausted and anxious. The next day he didn't feel much better, and that began almost an entire week of just searching. He did a little renovation work, a little cleaning incidentally as he looked for the watch but nothing turned up anyway. It was gone. He'd lost it.

It was almost a full week later that he found himself trying to open a door on the second floor. He had the house plans, it looked to lead up to the attic and was indeed the only way to get there but there was no way to open it. He had tried all the keys he had been given but they didn't turn in the lock, he didn't know what half of them went to anyway but he was sure that none of them went to this one now, he'd tried them all at least 3 times. The door felt cold...colder than the rest of the house, strangely so, and when he tried to kick it in, it didn't even budge despite how old it was, which was another odd thing. A lot of the doors were antiques by this point, they were sturdy and didn't need replacing but they showed their wear and tear. This door looked to be equally as old, but it wasn't worn, it was like it had just been installed but he knew that wasn't the case. He had managed to locate some of his lost tools at least, they had been turning up in the strangest of places but he had rationalised it as him forgetting he had moved them, but now he came to the door armed.

The thin screwdriver and mallet were all it would take, he reckoned. He'd noticed the hinges were on this side of the door, so he positioned the tip of the screwdriver and smacked the bottom a few times with the wooden mallet he usually used for chiselling work. It resisted, more than expected, but with a little more force the pin started to raise, and before long one of the hinges was disconnected. Another few minutes and he had the second one off too, then the last. Placing down the tools he grabbed a slender crowbar and eased it into the side with the hinges and slowly worked the door free of the frame. The moment it came free a strong breeze shot through, chilling him as it washed over him, his long hair dancing behind him in the icy wind. Behind the door was just a simple staircase leading up to the attic. Dressed in his blue jeans and an old green T-shirt full of holes which he used to renovate with, clothes he didn't much care about being damaged, he placed his tools back down and started to climb the staircase. He was still pissed about his watch but this distraction was just what he needed.

 

[Bunny]

He stalked off and she frowned, watching as he gathered tools, a small little wave of panic settling in yet again. He seemed to have the effect on her. The attic had always been hers, since she woke. No one had been able to breach it, though they had tried. Whatever power she had, letting her seal it off. None had been quite so tenacious either. Her lips pulled into a frown, head shaking. She had faith she could hold the door, the attic her sanctum.. This is mine.. I will not let you in. And for a small time she did, but each hit of the hammer against the chisel made her flinch in pain as he fought her for access. Hinges slowly popped up and if she could still sweat she would have from the effort to hold them in place. As the second one hit the floor she whimper, the seal fracturing. As the door opened she could feel her seal stretching paper thing and then she felt a pop slice through her form. No! The magic she wielded evaporating with a gust of wind.

The stairs like the door were in good condition, though covered in a thick layer of dust. As was the delicate railing that lead up the steep stairs. Once breaching the landing he'd find the room neatly organized, though some of it was in worse condition than others. Books, boxes, dress mannequins.. all sorts of of odds and ends. There was a definite maze that wound through the attic, the sun filtering in through the roof. Like the day he'd fist come, it set the dust alight like glitter in the air. Two large pictures leaned against an old wardrobe cover in a sheet. Both old, clearly. In the first a handsome man, a pretty young wife of fair hair and a baby sat, all three smiling. The second was more somber. The man was still within, but the child had clearly grown. A wealth of pale hair that echo'd the woman from the first. Delicate features and form, dressed in a pretty dress. Though now she stood apart from the man and the shrewd wapish looking woman. Her face was all hard angles, nothing soft in face or body. The girl in the picture was forlorn, her large eyes haunting.

In the far corner tucked in the back of the attic her bed could be found. The wood was dusty and perhaps a little worn. Ornately carved, with a little polish could easily be restored. The moth eaten lace curtains veiled the interior but only just. The mattress itself had seen better days and upon it were her treasures. A bunny stuffed animal, a string of pearls.. A shell with a blushing pink interior. Each small treasure was laid at the corner of the bed. Like everything else the bed was covered in a layer of dust, all but the stuffed animal seemed to be. Rine had taken good care of the stuffie, expelling power to keep it and it alone dust free. It was well worn, it's fur matted and the stuffing a little squished. Clearly a beloved toy.

The panic wasn't easing as he made his way toward the start of the maze. This place is mine! Stop! She tugged at the back of his shirt trying to stop his progress, letting go as he stumbled toward the wardrobe and the large picture frames, his foot catching in the sheet, ripping it from the pictures. The well worn wooden frames thudding together from the impact of his body. Gasping she floated backwards, looking at her own image long ago captured when photos were still rare, only for the elite. She couldn't recall the first, for she'd been a babe but she could remember looking at it.. though the second one pulled at her heart in a way she didn't under stand a small cry leaving her, the sound anguished.

 

[Staine]

The chill in the attic was biting, much deeper than anywhere else in the house which quite frankly spooked him out a little. Trystan wasn't wearing a thick coat or anything, why would he inside on a day like this, yet he felt he needed to go put on a jumper or something. Up the stairs he went, taking his time in case they were rotting away, not wanting to break his ankle in a fall for what was seemingly nothing. When he reached the top, he paused, frowning as he looked around. Something was strange about this, something that just didn't add up and it took him a while to realise what it was.

It looked lived in. It was mostly storage, maybe, but parts of it were far newer than others, some of the things in here were even modern despite the door clearly not having been opened in quite some time. Dust was settled on most of the surfaces and in the air, causing him to cough a little as he looked around. Stepping carefully through the maze of possessions he was making his way towards the bed where he could see just one thing not covered in dust while also looking at the strange things. There was an old mobile phone here, not new enough to be recent but definitely out of place. Comic books from only a couple of decades ago, toys...there were some huge things covered in a sheet, possibly paintings? He froze as he heard a single word on the wind, it couldn't be real of course because despite the chill there was no wind....but he heard it anyway. Stop. He turned towards where it had come from, squinting. Was somebody actually living here, perhaps? Was that what had been happening? Was his pocket watch in here? He felt a little sick, that somebody could be living in here with him this entire week but also excited at the idea of recovering his keepsake. "Is there somebody in here? Come out now and I won't call the police...it's your only warning." He spoke quietly as he moved towards the bed.

He was moving closer, looking at the little stuffed bunny that seemed to be devoid of dust, immune to the passage of time despite looking like it was an old one. Something touched him! He felt something grab at him and he tugged against it, stumbling towards the wardrobe, reaching out to steady himself and catching the sheets as he landed on his ass. The sheets came down and with them a soft cry of misery and anguish. He looked towards the noise and saw a flicker, like the ghostly image of a young girl and his eyes went wide. Where she was floating, a foot or two off the ground, he could see she was the same one in one of the pictures, the old paintings he had uncovered. "Y...you!" It was all he could manage...was she a ghost? A trick of his mind? He aimed his torch towards her and the light passed through before she vanished from sight along with it, shimmering in the air. He knew he had seen her, he had heard her...he'd never considered ghosts could be real though. His heart raced as he started to climb to his feet and looked back down towards the bed he was now standing besides, reaching out for the bunny.

 

[Bunny]

She stared at him as he he looked right at her, his eyes wide. Could.. he see her? No one had ever been able to see her before. She looked toward the pictures again before a feeling of pure exhaustion took over. Had he been able to see her still he would have seen her fall from the air and land against the floorboards. The toll of trying to keep him out, of pulling at him to keep him away from her treasures too much. She'd never passed out like that before, like a stone falling, lights out. When she woke again it was night time. Slowly she lifted herself from the floor, feeling uneasy. The memory of what had occurred coming back to her in a rush. Looking around the panic started anew, choking her as she saw her sanctum in a state of disarray.

Boxes say further back, drawers had clearly been gone through.. If she'd had a beating heart it might be racing. The dust had been swept, the roof patched. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she moved closer to the bed. Her stuffie was gone, Sir Shadow Snuggles. She gave an outraged scream, power pouring from her. The lights of the house flickered and the windows rattled in their frames from the wave of pure anger that radiated from her. Furious he dared touch what was hers she spun as she heard the door open. Her eyes narrowed and she flickered into reality, unknowingly. Lifting the vase that was just beside her she chucked it at his head with all her might. The porcelain shattered pieces flying. Give me Sir Shadow back! Flickering back out she glared at him, trembling with anger. She stalked closer, the temperature around him dropping. I don't care that you cleaned, or moved things... Or if you fix this house trapping me here.. I want him back.. Her voice broke ...Please..

 

[Staine]

It had been 3 days since he stumbled in the attic and saw her. The apparition. Trystan wasn't a religious man, he wasn't crazy, he didn't believe in the supernatural but he also didn't think he was hallucinating. Things had been happening in this house, and while it wasn't entirely rational a ghost would explain a lot and what had he seen, if not a ghost or a figment of his imagination? Pushing aside that he might just be going insane, he had instead shook it off and done a little research on ghosts in case he ever saw it again, while deciding not to commit himself to a fools errand just yet. No psychics to search the house, he didn't need to call the Ghostbusters and apart from buying a ouija board and a book he didn't delve too far into the occult just yet. Leaving it in it's packaging next to his bed, in the master bedroom of the house, he had instead decided to fix up the attic first. He had removed the cute, pristine stuffed bunny he had found on the bed, the only thing untouched by time and dust and sat it on his own bed after cleaning up the master bedroom. The thing was still serviceable, a huge four poster that had no doubt been in the house since the very beginning. After that, the attic. First, the roof had to be patched, it was a temporary job with boards and sealant but it was one that was needed, to prevent water damage to anything in here...which struck him as curious. There was no water damage in here. The roof had a hole in it for what he presumed was years, maybe a decade, and nothing? No damp, no rot?

Next he had been sorting out all the junk, packing away clothing, searching chests and drawers for trinkets of any value...everything in here technically belonged to him anyway and he made some interesting finds, an ivory backed hairbrush, solid and still in good condition, some old clothes, drawings and a journal. He hadn't read the journal yet, it felt somehow wrong but at the same time, the owner wasn't going to use it and perhaps it would provide some insight? He knew what he was really hoping for, his pocket watch, but he didn't find a trace of it. He was on his way back up the stairs to the attic when everything in his world began to shake. Windows rattled and he heard the screeching of a female voice in pain. A sound like pottery shattering right beside his head made him duck and the air grew freezing cold again as he looked up, eyes wide once more as he saw the girl again. She was more vivid now, less translucent, walking closer towards him, shaking. She looked angry...furious, and for a moment he was terrified, afraid his life might end...but then her voice broke. Please. It had been the same thing he had said, when talking to nobody...maybe it had been her, but his watch. "Sir Shadow?" His voice was shakey, not from anger like hers had been but fear, something he had to fight just to stay there. "The rabbit? Is he yours?" He couldn't see her anymore, she had vanished at some point as she moved towards him after throwing the vase but he could hear her. He could feel her presence. "He's in my room, downstairs...he isn't harmed. He's safe...who...who are you?" He felt he was going quite mad now, he was actually talking to nobody but he knew what he had seen. The girl was here. "Did you take my watch? Was that you? And my tools?"

She didn't answer. Frowning, he could still feel the chill, but maybe she couldn't? He didn't know how it worked. He left the attic, not even bothering to close the door as he went to his room and unwrapped the ouija board. It was just more insanity, but he had already lost the plot anyway, so as he placed it down in front of him sitting cross legged on the bed, looked down at it. As an afterthought, he grabbed the bunny too, sitting him in his lap. "Sir Shadow, I presume? Girl...spook, are you here? Tell me your name?"

 

[Bunny]

It was puzzling that he could see her, no one else had ever come close to seeing her. Was she more powerful.. Or was it something else? Yes, he is mine, give him back! She looked down toward the room he'd claimed as if she could see where he spoke of. Frowning she looked up as his tone changed, she wasn't the only one angry. It's not yours.. It belong to my papa.. And what if I messed with them? This house is mine! He couldn't hear her again and one small foot gave an angry stamp and a loud exasperated sigh of frustration. Why could he both see and hear her, but only sometimes! For so little... Would I be correct in thinking that you can neither see nor hear me, yet again? Then I'd like to tell you that you smell like a beggar, you look like the wrong end of a dog. And I swear if I don't get my shadow back just as he was, I'll make your life a living hell!

She watched him leave and stalked down the stairs after him still fuming. She watched him as he opened the ouiji board, frowning. Watching him sit on the bed she crossed her arms, her frown growing as he picked up her stuffie. She made to grab for it, but her hand passed through him. Never since she'd be able ot move things had she'd been unable to touch him. Now I can't even touch him! Stop making things worse!!!!!! Stomping her foot again she gave a small huff. You can't hear me, why ask a question I can't answer forehead? Rine never seen an ouiji board before, but looked down at it. Letters.. yes and no.. numbers. She looked back up at him. You really are an idiot, aren't you? She poked at the board and frowned. Climbing onto the bed, she looked down at it frowning. With one finger she gave the planchette a little poke, watching as it wiggled. Sighing yet again she pushed the planchette towards yes, before slowly spelled out her name. Z-e-p-h-y-r-i-n-e

 

[Staine]

On his bed, Trystan didn't know exactly how to do this, the Ouija board did come with instructions but he hadn't opened it before, didn't know anything beyond what he had seen in horror movies and cheesy tv shows. Still, it didn't look hard to figure out. He didn't quite feel silly enough to put his fingertips on the heart shaped piece of wood with the glass circle in the middle of it but he did place it on the board, and waited. He waited a few minutes before anything happened, he didn't actually expect anything right up until it wiggled slightly. He froze, not even breathing as he watched it move towards the 'yes' on the board. This was it...he's suspected a ghost while at the same time knowing that no such thing could possibly exist and yet here it was, the thing was moving on it's own, spelling out a word. He watched, his eyes a little widened as it moved from letter to letter with a life of it's own until it finally stopped.

Zephyrine? He thought a few moments on how it would be pronounced, Zeff-err-eye-n or Zeff-err-een both came to mind. He tried the latter out. "Zephyrine? I...is that your name, ghostie? Wow, okay, you really are a ghost, or this is the most elaborate prank I've ever seen..." He was feeling a little nervous...usually confident and masculine but how confident could one be upon finding out he is being haunted? He touched his fingers to the planchette, pulling it back to the center and leaving them there. "Okay Zephyrine, tell me why you're haunting me! Do you have my watch? I have your rabbit here, don't worry, Sir Shadow is safe and quite comfortable, he has been keeping me company." He frowned a little, looking sad. "I don't mean you any harm...I know this is probably your house, and you want me out but...I bought this place...and that watch was my grandfathers. It's all I have left of him..." He ached when he thought of never seeing it again, just like he was sure the ghost would about her rabbit...that was if she wasn't some homicidal poltergeist hell bent on murdering him the first chance she got.

 

[Bunny]

Sighing softly she nodded and moved the little wooden planchette towards the yes again. Lifting her hand off it she looked up at him, frowning. I am not a prank.. As he asked his next few questions her eyes narrowed. It's not yours! It was my papa's... And you cannot have it back! She didn't question that it belong to his grandfather, the information not sinking in. Her fingers touched the planchette across from his. She moved it, slowly spelling out her answer. This house is mine, butthead. She paused and spelled out something else. Give me back my stuffie. Looking up she could see the sadness in his eyes and she frowned. It wasn't his, she was sure of this.. Rine wanted to be angry but found the anger leaking away. Grand..father?

Looking up towards the attic, she recalled the picture from before. Surely her papa had been wearing it for one, if not both pictures? In the attic.. Picture.. look closely. She was pretty sure he'd be wearing it.. Her memory of her life was fuzzy, but she recalled that her mother had given it to him. He'd be wearing it. She looked at Trystan closer, squinting some. Grandfather.. All he had left of him. Go look.. I'll be here. In truth she was hoping that he'd go look, and leave Sir Shadow here. She wanted to cuddle him. Needing the comfort he could provide.

 

[Staine]

Trystan waited expectantly for the planchette to start moving again, wondering if he had always been so insane as to talk to ghosts or if he was just going mental now that he was in his thirties. It was hard to tell, really, but eventually it did actually begin to move, first towards the yes. He looked to where he thought she would be and smiled softly. "Wow, okay, a ghost. This is kind of huge, I never really believed in ghosts but I think I saw you, Zephyrine. Does that happen often? I...I'm sorry for your loss." He didn't know what else to say as it started to move again, frowning a little at the words. "The house...I bought the house. I'm sorry you feel it's yours but...I did pay for it. Are you trapped here?" He was starting to feel sorry for her, even using the ouija board she seemed childish, young and it was sad to realise her life must have been taken from her so soon. His hand went down to the stuffie she mentioned, the rabbit she had called Sir Shadow, resting on his head. "He's safe, I'm not taking him anywhere. Can't we share? The house I mean...I'm not trying to get rid of you or take him from you." He pushed the little rabbit towards her as a peace offering.

He didn't know how well that would work, weren't spirits meant to be angry, destructive? She had thrown that thing at him too. He saw it start to move again and spelled out the words. "The attic? Ah, yeah, there were pictures of you, I remember. Okay, okay...I won't be gone long. My name is Trystan, by the way." He slid down from the bed, petting Sir Shadow on the head one last time before he headed up to the attic, climbing the stairs to the room and looking at the two large photographs. There was the girl he had seen, Zephyrine with a man that looked to be her father, but what was he looking for? It took him a minute or two before his eyes found it, the pocket watch. It was the same kind his grandfather had given him, exactly the same in fact. Looking closely, it just didn't make sense, he swore it had been a custom piece, the design with the wolf. Confused, he headed down the stairs and back to the room, sitting on the bed right behind Sir Shadow. "The watch...was it your fathers? Does this make us related?" He felt a little lost, but it was the only thing that made sense. "I'm sorry...but it means a lot to me too. It's all I have left from my granddad, I'd love to see it again." He sighed, was talking with a ghost meant to be so sad?

 

[Bunny]

Watching him leave she looked at the silly board they were using to talk. He seemed surprised she was real, but he had a way to talk with ghosts? Frowning she was still staring at it when he came back, the things he had said playing through her mind. He bought the house.. Which made it is. Trapped.. Yes she was, but she always had been. Long as she could remember... She had been alive once, she knew that. The painting was proof.. but she couldn't recall her life. Share the house.. It was all reasonable, which made her pout. He was trying to meet her halfway and a very large portion of Rine just wanted him gone. To be alone again. It was.. easier to be alone, with just Sir Shadow to keep her company.

It wasn't until the bed shifted again that she reached out and pulled Sir Shadow towards her. This time when she touched him she didn't phase through him. She was able to pull him to her chest, hugging him close. Her small form flitting into view. The small blonde haired female curled around her stuffed animal. The wealth of pale blonde hair almost hiding her slender form and Sir Shadow, had she not been a ghostly apparition. Her dress was a pale cream color, almost golden like her hair. Slowly opening her eyes, the shocking blue of her eyes perhaps seen before she vanished again, tears in her eyes. Sir Shadow still floated in the air, clear that she was still there with him.

Looking down at the board before them, she reached out with one hand and pushed the planchette. Slowly spelling out. I guess so.. My mama gave my Papa that watch.. She didn't know why she knew that, but she did. She could recall that her papa had told her a story about it. Though the story itself eluded her like most of her memories. Looking up at him she frowned and offered him Sir Shadow. When he took it she let herself float up. Finding the glittering gold pocket watch where she had left it. Cradling it in her hands she came back the stairs slowly. Holding it close to her breasts, she flitted back. Large innocent eyes stared at him as one small hand held the pocket watch to him in the center of her small palm. Sorry.. She even sounded a little sorry, that ghostly voice. Very much childish in nature, though she was no child. Forever fifteen. Her life stolen from her.

 

[Staine]

Sir Shadow rose into the air, abandoning Trystan and floating away to the other side of the ouija board. He watched, his eyes widening a little as he witnessed it, even knowing there was a ghost on the bed with him didn't really seem to prepare him all that well for seeing the actual effects of said ghost. Watching the rabbit float away, he started to see something, first the outline then a little more solid, flickering into life for a few seconds he could see the girl, Zephyrine. She was...for a ghost...pretty. She looked to be a teenager, maybe eighteen, blonde, small, Victorian style clothing if he wasn't mistaken. She was pretty cute, though he could see through her a little bit and it didn't help that she flickered away, only to reappear a few seconds later. He didn't say anything, just watched open mouthed as she started to move the planchette again. Looking down at the words he chuckled. "I see...so you're my great great grandaughter or something? Wait, that can't be right, reverse that..." He shook his head. He didn't like that train of thought, she was younger than him in his eyes even though she had clearly been around a while she was just a little girl, a little spook.

He looked up as he saw more movement, she had reappeared again and was holding out Sir Shadow to him. Wordlessly he took him and held him in his lap while she floated upwards, if she had been paying attention she would have noticed his eyes following her as she passed through the ceiling. When she returned, she was holding something to her chest and staring at him. He waited until she handed it to him, taking hold of his pocket watch and smiling softly, offering Sir Shadow back to her. He just wanted to pick her up in his arms, just wanted to scoop her up and make her less...sad. "Thank you Zephyrine...hey, you don't have to be sorry, it was yours too right? How about I leave it on the side so we can both share it?" He was looking directly into her eyes now, not where she had been, she was still flickering away but it didn't last long before she would reappear into view. "You're cute when you're not angry, but I don't think sadness suits you either, you know." Trystan knew he should be running but for some reason he wasn't scared. He didn't want this ghost to go away, he felt something for her, and they were family, right? She brought something out of him, he just wanted to protect her. "Do you have another name you like to go by? Zephyrine is a little long to say. Do...I bother you, being here? Do you really want me to go?"

 

[Bunny]

She had no idea he could see her, or that she was flickering in and out of view. At leas not until he met her eyes. Her own blue eyes widened in shock. Can you see me? Her mouth pulled into a frown. Could he hear her too? His own eyes gazed into hers steadily. She backed up from him some. Was it because they were family? The idea made her pull a face She didn't want to be his great aunt or something... The idea of making her feel odd. She'd never borne children.. she was sure of that, looking down at her own ghostly form, she couldn't have said how she knew. But Rine knew for a fact she'd never given birth.

Watching him with owlish eyes, she gave a small nod finally to his questions and then frowned. She lifted her hand some, reaching out she booped his nose gently, she pictured what his skin would feel like, the soft cartilaginous feeling under her finger giving slightly. A small smile curling on her lips. She had seen the way his eyes tracked her finger as it had neared his face. You can see me! The excitement in her face clear. Can you.. hear me? She was still unsure.. It didn't seem like he could. She focused on it, on her voice being heard. Her face showed the concentration clearly, like a kitten trying to work out how to get to a bug just out of reach.. Rine, my papa called me Rine She gazed at him, head tilting in question. Had it worked? His secondary question answered with a small shake of her head. The frothy mass of blonde curls swaying. She had, wanted him to go.. but now? No.. I don't

 

[Staine]

The moment her eyes widened Trystan realised that she had no idea she was visible, meaning she didn't have control over it. He hadn't actually considered that, why would he? He had assumed that she had appeared before, and on the previous day a week ago, specifically to try and scare him out of the house but if she didn't realise it then that would explain a few things. He chuckled at her frown and he nodded when she exclaimed at him. "Yes, I can see you, and I can hear you. Am I not supposed to?" He followed her finger with his eyes, laughing as she booped his nose. He didn't know how long she had been here but she was still very childlike, like her appearance would suggest. "Rine...Rine is a pretty name, do you mind if I use it?" It felt strange, obviously, to be talking to a ghost but also trying to be as courteous and polite as he possibly could too, but she seemed so...delicate. She seemed like she needed a soft hand right now to stop her from freaking out and something inside him made him want to help her, hell, it made him want to just hold her and tell her it was okay...except it clearly wasn't. She was dead. He frowned a little.

He opened the watch in his hand, looking away to gather his thoughts and sitting down on the bed. Inside was a picture of his grandfather, Stephen, and he showed it to her. "My grandfather. He does look a little like your dad did. Maybe we are related, probably an aunt or something but...you're definitely younger than me." He smiled up at her and offered her Sir Shadow while patting the space on the bed next to him. "So I'd feel weird calling you that. Do you think that's why I can see you?" He had so many questions, how long had she been here? What had happened to her? He had a feeling they wouldn't go down well though so he held himself back. "Anyway, Trystan, remember? I don't want to go anyway, so...do you mind if I stay in your home with you a little while? I promise I won't try to ruin it or break anything, and...we can share the watch. It will be nice having somebody to talk to." His protective nature was being dragged out of him, a side of him he didn't know he had, he wasn't used to feeling like he should be looking after this girl but the pull was irresistible, like the tide.

 

[Bunny]

No one else had ever shown that they could see or hear her. Was it because they were family? She didn't know honestly, it's like being a ghost came with instructions. She knew nothing expect things she'd learned through trial and error. "No one has been able to before" She still focused on speaking, to be sure he could hear her, though she wondered why he could see her at all if she wan't focusing on it. That voice was sweet and oh so very shy. His question caused her to look up at him. A tiny shake of her head given. "No, you can use it if you like" A smile curled on her lips, matching the shy words.

Looking down at the watch, she tiled her head to one side, her curls rushing in the motion of her head like a silken flood of gold. "Suppose.." Taking her stuffie back, she cuddled him to her chest and moved to sit beside him on the bed. Even dead her feet didn't touch the floor, instead the kicked lightly a good distance above the wooden floors and her face contorted into one of distaste. She clearly didn't like the idea of being his 'aunt'. Shrugging she nodded to the watch. "I do know that was my papa's.. I don't 'member much.. but that I do" looking away from him she gave a small little nod. "Okay.." Her tone suggested there was more she had to say, but she fell silent after the one word.

It would be nice, to have someone to talk to, she could agree.. But.. He'd die eventually and she'd be alone again. What if the next person to own the house couldn't see her or talk to her? Was the blip in time, where she'd have company be worth knowing it was possible and being unable to obtain it again? Hugging Sir Shadow tighter she sniffled softly, fighting the tears that threatened to fall. Alone longer, stuck in a house she couldn't leave.. It didn't seem worth it. Her small form vanished, but it was clear she was still there, Sir Shadow still in her arms. Her sadness and worry slowly overwhelming her. Wasn't worth it, he'd leave her. They all had. He'd take something more with him when he left her.. Tears fell down her cheeks slowly. One dropping on the satin ribbon around Sir Shadow's neck, the faded purple darkening from the tear.

 

[Staine]

"I must be special then!" Chuckling, Trystan was trying to stay somewhat cheery around the little spook. He didn't like that she seemed to have such a...sad life. Dead so young, alone all this time, it had to take it's toll on her and he was despite appearances a very caring person. In particular, he had a lot of empathy and he really felt for the girl. "I'd like that, Rine. It's a very pretty name." She cuddled Sir Shadow and didn't seem to like being thought of as his great aunt but that was fine by him anyway, he didn't like that either. Already he felt like he should be the one caring for her if she was here, he just wanted to throw his arms around her and hold her but he was unsure of how she would react. Why did he feel so strongly about that? "It must have been passed on down the family then, until I got it...and we must have moved at some point because I didn't grow up in this town. I'm here now though...small world, huh?" He smiled, trying not to frown at her reaction to the idea of him staying there with her, talking to her. He didn't have any long term plans but it did seem like she had something on her mind.

And then she vanished.

He could still see Sir Shadow in the air, he could even hear a soft sniffling and his heart melted...was she crying? "Rine, are you okay? Did I upset you?" His voice was soft, steady and even as he tentatively started to reach to where he thought she would be, trying to find a shoulder. If he could still touch her he could reassure her, comfort her. Missing a couple of times, he threw caution to the wind and leaned towards where she was sitting, both arms around where Sir Shadow was and pulling inwards to cuddle her towards him. His eyes were closed, not using vision to determine where she was but he felt her, felt her being pulled in towards him. When she was against his chest he squeezed a little tighter, she was cold to the touch, a little chilly, but he didn't mind, he had warmth enough for both of them. "Hey, hey, I have you okay? Whatever I said, I'm, sorry, I don't want to upset you...please don't cry, little spook, everything will be okay, we can share this house, if you like. Share everything. Won't that be nice?"

 

[Bunny]

Rine had no idea she had vanished from sight, her head turned from him it was a shock when she felt warm arms slide around her, pulling her into him. A soft gasp leaving her, the tears instantly halted, if for a moment. The face that turned toward him was shimmery with tears, blue eyes wide. He was too nice. He could touch her. The sob bubbled from her throat, but rather than pull away from him she curled into him, sobbing into his neck. Her tears were icy cold as they hit his warm skin and Rine's small body trembled with the force of her tears.

It was all too much. Family, talking to one another as if she wasn't dead. He was being so kind and all she had done this far was be vaguely hostile. Slowly she cried herself out, until she was left hiccuping against his shoulder gently. Sniffling she rubbed at her cheeks. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out how to tell him the problems.. there were so many. She didn't know if either option was better than the other. She could say she wanted him to leave and maybe the memory of the day would fade in time.. Even as she thought it she knew it was so unlikely.. But if he stayed when he passed on, or moved away.. or any other number of things.. She'd be alone again.

Sniffling still, she didn't move away. It was selfish but she didn't want to leave the warmth of his arms. Finally she spoke. "Sorry.." The sorry seemed to bear so much on those five little letters. Even as it left her mouth it seemed heavy, miserable. Taking a slow breath she slowly pulled away from him, feeling silly for her meltdown. "No, you didn't upset me" She wouldn't meet his eyes though, instead her eyes seem focused on Sir Shadow, her fingers curling around on of his paws.

 

[Staine]

There was no chance he was going to let her go. As she sobbed and curled into him Trystan only held her tighter, determined to ride it out, to have her let it all out how she was feeling while he just held her. When was the last time she had even been held? It had to have been so long, since she had been held, been talked to, had any contact at all with other people. The more he thought about it the more it had to have been such a struggle for her, and for it to happen so young too. He held tighter still as she sobbed into him, his hand coming up to glide his fingers through her hair while she reappeared, holding her head to his shoulder. "There there, I have you Rine, I won't let go. Let it all out, it's okay now, I'm here, you're not alone anymore." He couldn't be sure that's what it was, but it had to be, didn't it? He knew he would have broken from that and he wasn't a sociable person, not really, most of his time spent alone. When she finally spoke, the word captured it all really. Sorry...and it broke his heart. It sounded so heavy and weighted, but he couldn't think of a reason she should feel sorry.

She pulled away from him and he smiled sadly down at her. His fingers reached out, curling around the back of her neck while his thumb was beneath her chin, lifting her gaze up from Sir Shadow and back up to meet his own eyes. Tear filled and sad, he knew he had to combat it with kindness if he wanted to make her feel any better. "Hey now, don't be sorry. You haven't done anything wrong...it must have been so hard for you here, and nobody could talk to you?" He leaned in, and his lips found the top of her head, a soft kiss as he pulled back. "I don't know if I could have done that and stayed sane, but...you can talk to me now? I'm here, I won't go anywhere...I promise, Rine. Would that be okay? If I stayed in this house with you for a while, if we shared? Would you keep me company so I don't get lonely?" He felt it would be better for her if he asked her to stay for him rather than the other way around. "I have been pretty lonely, so it would be nice to have somebody cute and friendly to talk to, like you." His free hand moved down and found hers, fitting over the top of it as she fidgeted with her stuffed rabbit toy.

 

[Bunny]

He had her. No one else had ever said that to her, had they? Maybe whens he was alive, but it didn't seem like that was true. His words, his arms.. It was hard for her to pull back from him. Safe? He was safe? He tilted her head up, the pressure of his thumb gentle as made her look at him. His next question was answered with a small nod. The brush of his lips against her forehead made her eyes close. Slowly her eyes opened. "I didn't have much of a choice.." There wasn't anger or bitterness behind her words, just fact. She hadn't had one. Looked at him she bit her lower lip, studying his face. He did look like her papa a little.. The eyes and his mouth. "You.. say different things" She frowned softly. "Not going anywhere and stay for a while, are not the same thing"

She seemed suspicious of him, he was the first person she'd had contact with, been able to touch and be touched by. To be heard and seen by. Her eyes averted from his face, but she didn't pull out of his hand or move her chin away from his thumb. She sighed gently. "You don't understand.. Eventually, you will leave." She slowly looked back up at him. "And I will be alone again.." She did know she didn't want him to go, and though her eyes shone with tears again, lower lip trembling. "I don't want to be alone.." He'd called her cute, she hadn't missed it, but it wasn't her focus at the moment. her eyes lowered to his hand over hers. Slowly her thick lacy lashes lifted and she blue eyes found his again.