A Life Worth Living - Chapter 5 - The Eighth Fourth Letter
#5 of A Life Worth Living
A Life Worth Living - Chapter 5 - The Eighth Fourth Letter
"Hmmmm, what are you doing?" She said, walking out of the hallway and rubbing the drowsiness from her eyes.
"Well, I slept in about 5 hours longer than usual, so I'm in a great mood. Also, seeing as how I've just slept with you, I figured I should make you breakfast." I said, knowing full well nothing of that nature actually happened last night.
"Well aren't you the gentleman." She remarked sarcastically. "So, what are you making, pancakes?"
"Nope, grilled cheese!"
"For breakfast?"
"Normally I would have already been awake for five hours, seeing how it's eleven o'clock. That's lunch time for me, so I'm making grilled cheese."
She just rolled her eyes and plopped down face first on the couch. Over top of the couch I saw her tail idly swishing back and forth. Enchanted by it, I was focused on how smoothly and effortlessly it flicked at the end of each turn.
"Do you smell that? It smells like so something is burning."
"What?" I turned my attention to the air and the smell. Not only could I smell burnt bread, but, something like...
"Ahhhhhhh my tail!!!!!! Shit shit shit shit ouch shit shit shit!"
I had failed to realize that not only did I burn my grilled cheese, but my tail had gotten itself into the pan as well.
"Are you all right?" she asked, jumping over the couch and rushing over to me. I flipped on the sink and threw my tail under it.
"Yea, I'm ok now." I said, smiling dumbly. After I turned the water off, my attention turned to the door where the mail was just deposited. Kaynin walked over to it and picked it up when I realized one of the envelopes looked a lot like the same...
"DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT DAMN IT SHIT SHIT NO PLEASE NO GOD DAMN IT WHY!!!!!!!!! FUCKING WHY!!! FUCKING FOURTH LETTER THIS DAMN YEAR NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!" Tears began to stream down her muzzle and her knees began to buckle. She was crying so hard her body had begun to sway.
"Hey there, what's wrong?" I asked, taking her in my arms before she fell. At first she pushed and turned away, but then whipped around an hugged me so tightly I could hardly even breathe.
"So, was that..."
Through her tears she nodded and continued to whimper.
"So who was it?"
"Why do you care!?!" She yelled back in fright and anger. "My family is dying around me and you don't understand that kind of pain!!! No one does!!!"
"Four letters." I whispered.
"What do you mean?" She said, still having to fight to get each word out.
"I've received four or those letters this year. So yes, I know your pain. Qué Tú dueles, le me duelo tambien. What hurts you hurts me too. The pain hurts, but we can't just give up life for ones loss." I took a step back and opened the door.
"Come with me, please. I swear you won't regret it." Hesitantly she reached for my outstretched hand and we walked out the door. I held her close and dried her tears. We walked like this for some time before she looked up at me and asked where we were going.
"I like to call it my own little piece of paradise."
"I still don't know where we are going."
"Well, I guess you'll just have to wait and find out."
She laid her head back on my shoulder as we headed into the forest near the edge of the suburbs. Even though last time I flew, I had still traversed these woods enough to know where I am and where I'm going. We arrived at a clearing that lead to the base of a small mountain. I looked up and then look back at her, and she did the same.
"Think you can handle this?" I asked.
"Are you kidding me?" She said in a sarcastic tone. "I can do this in my sleep, buddy." With that she made a bound for the base of the bottom of the mountain and scrambled to the first ledge with amazing grace. "Race you to the top!" She shouted, regaining her happy mood. I gave her a head start before I jumped into the air and flew upwards to the ledge above her.
"Hey, that's not fair at all!!!" She said, faking and angry glare at me, which I returned with an overly exaggerated smile. I reached out my arm and pulled her up to the large ledge I was on. When she got up she stumbled over a rock and fell into my chest. She looked up into my eyes and I looked down into hers. For a moment we just stared into each other's souls, myself marveling at her deep brown eyes, and she at my soft blue. For a short time, the world had stopped. The bad in the world could not penetrate a moment such as. Ears perked up and tails swaying, these are the moment people wish they could experience. But, as all good things must end, we finally snapped back to reality. She gave an awkward chuckle and looked away while my hand ran down her hair. She looked back at me and I uttered the first words since we reached the ledge.
"Shall we continue?" She nodded her head and wrapped her arms around my chest once more. We continued our way up until we hit the stream and followed it to the top.
As we reached the view from the summit, I saw blue stripes in the shadow of the rocky outcrop.
"William, is that you?"
"Why yes indeed it is, my friend."
"Well, how long you been here?"
"Ehh, bout a day n a quarter, give or take. But that's nothing compared to what went down overseas in, well, you know what."
"All right then."
"So, who's the pretty little dingo there with you?" He asked, rising from where
he was sitting and walking towards us.
"I'm Kaynin, nice to meet you William."
"Beautiful sight, ain't it?" He asked. "Sometimes you can just lose yourself marveling in the beauty and calmness up here."
The wind was but a gentle breeze, noticeable, but not unwanted. The slight rustling of the trees, the sound of the stream, even the feel of Kaynin's heartbeat, it made me feel good to be alive.
"So, Alurx as you've heard, Cohulan is back in town, and Deltrox has a week of vacation time, so..."
"Wait" I interrupted. "Who's Deltrox?"
"You've gotta be shittin me man. Deltrox? The dragon we've known since before high school? Almost lit the art room on fire because he sneezed real bad freshman year?"
Again I felt that I knew him, but there is some sort of block not allowing me to truly see him. I took a moment and thought real hard, when it snapped and I remembered him.
"Ohh yea, now I remember him. How did I forget?"
"I don know man, but something's wrong with you. Anyways, were gettin everyone together and headin out into the woods to go camping. What do ya say? Hell, Kaynin can come with us if she's up to it."
"Well, what do you say Kaynin, wanna go camping with us?"
"Sure, why not." She said, giving my chest a quick squeeze.
"Ok. Well we have most of the stuff ready, so I guess Kaynin just needs to pack a small bag and we can head out before dinner.
"Sounds like a plan." it sure will be great to see everyone again.