1084. Blooming relations, 1
(Armylè)
Prume had run outside in a moment of shy panic. She had enjoyed winning, but less being put under the limelight so suddenly.
She went out of breath toward the garden side of the school park. She felt too warm, and soon a little dizzy.
She sat on a bench under a tree shade to rest.
Elyne arrived soon after, carrying drinks she had picked up along the way.
She found Prume already asleep over the bench, slovenly. She was just asleep, nothing else thankfully.
Elyne moved her into a more comfortable posture and sat beside her to drink her juice.
E - Prume? It looks like it really exhausted you this moment... Can I read it again?
Prume was really elsewhere for a moment of shutdown. Eyes shut, lips slightly parted to breathe.
Elyne pulled out the sheets of paper that her sister had been clinging onto. She had heard the stories before, but now wanted to read it again, while waiting for her awakening.
Prume’s handwriting was very regularly drawn. Her cursive writing was quite fluid.
Elyne read the story entirely again. It was a little different reading it on paper then than hearing it before.
Prume spoke of the angels, but never of the flying translucent snakes. Elyne too had an intuition about them being connected. Even though she hadn’t seen them either in quite some time. She was pretty sure she had not imagined them, even though things like that weren’t known to her to really exist.
She asked Prume perhaps, who didn’t reply.
The day was cheerful but they were resting in a remote corner a little more peaceful. Elyne had a sigh.
She looked at other little children playing with balls further away. She was a little absent for a moment. She sat there next to her resting sister for a while.
Even to her now or already, looking at younger children than her, she had her first experience of nostalgia. It felt strange to her. Maybe she realised she didn’t have much chances to play like that with Prume at their age.
Even though the one who meant the world was right next to her, there was a hint of loneliness in her heart.
~
On this fateful day, she appeared before them.
A younger red haired girl, dressed in girly pinks and magentas.
Elyne looked at her approaching straight toward them.
She was very young thought Elyne. She hadn’t been one to play much with girly dolls, but even she could tell this child’s clothes were very princess like in a slightly extravagant way. All pinks from head to toes, both her sandals and the ribbon in her hair sharing these colours.
The girl walked head low, her hair bangs hiding her gaze.
As she got closer, Elyne began feeling uneasy. As if something was off with her, but she couldn’t quite figure out what. Maybe it was the unusual detail that she was not smiling at all. That was odd, in town, on this day furthermore. Something was bizarre.
She stopped near them. Elyne was sitting on an end of the bench and Prume took the rest of it sleeping.
Before Elyne could react to make her some room, the little girl had begun sitting on the ground against the bench. She sat her bunny plush next to her.
Elyne stood up and kneeled before the little girl to talk to her.
E - Hello there. What’s your name? I’m...
N - Elyne Gains.
Her voice was sharp and cold Elyne would tell me. She wasn’t feeling happy, and her voice reflected it.
But Elyne was surprised most of all.
N - My grandma told me about you. And... You’re easy to recognise.
Elyne smiled at the obvious statement the little girl had made. She wasn’t about to deny that they were.
E - So, what’s your name?
N - Néphéline...
E - Is everything alright Néphéline?
The little girl raised her head, her gaze meeting Elyne. They both felt a kind of electric shock. Elyne’s odd-eyed gaze could be frightening sometimes, while Néphéline’s irises were the palest of mint greens, giving her also an unsettling glare. Their eyes met, and they felt an uneasy shiver along their spines.
Elyne’s surprise was innocent to her, but for Néphéline it was a little more painful. She lowered back her head, hiding her eyes behind her red hair, feeling embarrassed and scared.
N - Don’t look at me like that!
E - Sorry...
Now Elyne heard the sadness behind. She felt sympathy for her and wondered further about her.
The girl was curling up. Elyne brought the stuffed bunny closer to her to reassure her a little. Néphéline didn’t touch it. Elyne wasn’t sure what to do anymore.
E - Do you want a juice? I’ll go get more.
N - No...
E - Well, I’ll get one for myself. Watch over my sister for me okay?
Elyne was puzzled and left them for the moment.
~
Néphéline stood up. She eventually went to take the empty sit on the bench now that Elyne was gone.
She sat near the sleepy one, looking at her with curiosity, most likely. She didn’t often play with children older than she was.
Néphéline must have brushed Prume’s skin or hair for a moment, with a trembling hand.
And something hard to put into words happened.
She felt, the relief.
As if instantly, a collection of heavy and looming shades that had haunted her forever, vanished.
The weight over her back and shoulders was extinguished by the invisible spark their contact had created.
In an instant, Néphéline had lost an immeasurable amount of anguish and pain, banished by something invisible that Prume had made.
A lot of darkness was abruptly gone and the little girl was left speechless and dizzy. She wasn’t sure of what had just happened to her, but she had felt a shock, and then immense relief taking over the empty space like a flood in her. She heard herself sigh, breathing again. Her eyes were enjoying the mundane daily light as if it was the first time following a very long night as well.
From outside, nothing had happened at all on that bench where children sat or lied.
But for her, without words, something incredible had just happened.
She felt herself breathing freely like she never had. Now she could even realise how much she had been suffocating all her life...
First struck, then surprised, then sighing oddly her dizzy relief, she felt tears swelling up in her eyes. She had swollen emotions taking over the relief flood now. It had been so sudden and unexpected, it was all too much for her.
Maybe because she had felt something akin to the electric shock as well, Prume began to stir and wake up from her nap. Her too had been shaken a little too much before, and her body had shut down in response. But now she was feeling better.
The girl rubbing her eyes and tears away suddenly met a sitting Prume near to her.
N - Oh! Hello, Prume.
P - Hello?
The voice was now full of nicer emotions, much clearer. Prume however was a little confused.
Néphéline recomposed herself. Their gazes met as well. Prume’s deep indigo eyes could be impressive in their own way as well. She had beautiful irises, bigger than mine. Néphéline’s almost lonely pupils in her clear eyes were still looking sharp and somewhat aggressive, but now less strained. Her face was milder.
P - Who are you?
N - I... want to be your friend.
Néphéline was blushing, feeling a new form of confusion for her. She offered in present the only thing she had, the stuffed bunny she had with her.
Prume wasn’t sure how to react to the sudden display of affection by the younger child. She took the plush that was handed to her, examining it. She smiled at the comical face.
Néphéline’s gaze behind was locked onto her, unwavering, between plea and blush.
P - That’s cute...
N - It’s for you.
P - A gift? For me? But...
N - Yes!
P - I...
Prume too could be shy, and was unsure what to say anymore. She looked around but saw neither me nor her sister unfortunately. Elyne was coming back, but still some distance away. Meanwhile something in Prume’s head was getting blurry and confused. Some of her thoughts were getting scrambled.
P - But... What’s your name?
N - It’s... very different from you. I’m Néphéline Wolframite.
P - That sounds nice though. You don’t like it?
N - It sounds weird to me...
Elyne was returning, finding her sister chatting with the weird child.
As Elyne appeared in her line of sight, Néphéline turned shy or haughty again, her face returning to something uneasy, if ever so slightly.
E - You okay sis? I brought you another juice.
P - Hm, thanks Elyne.
Prume began drinking from the cup handed to her. Elyne handed another one to Néphéline.
Who nodded negatively all too sharply. She was curling up again, hiding her gaze below her hair. Elyne felt excluded, which wasn’t a nice feeling. Prume didn’t know what to do.
P - Néphéline, you don’t like my sister?
N - No. She’s not the same.
E - What’s that not the same?
They wouldn’t get a good reply. Elyne had felt insulted again, although realised the girl had probably not meant to really. The sisters were feeling uneasy and not sure what to do with her who seemed alone.
Margaret had been looking for her around the fair. She was the one who found her around that time.
The twins saw a tall lady looking around for someone, then noticing Néphéline and getting closer.
A thin woman of older age, with tall and good posture, almost haughty as well. She was old but very elegant in how she looked and behaved. Her too, my little loved ones had never met someone like that.
M - My dear, there you are. We should be on our way. Please excuse us my ladies... Oh. You must be the daughters of my dear lady Gains.
P - Yes madam...
Margaret shook their hand to each of them, quite amiably. She had her face full of wrinkles, but she still had a fair smile.
M - Enchantée... I am Margarette Wolframite. I’m happy you’ve already met my sweet Néphéline.
P - All the pleasure...
The old lady and my girl smiled at each other. They exchanged some goodbyes, and Margarette gave her hand for Néphéline to take as they would head away.
The little girl stood up without joy and left without a word. The tall lady and the small girl went away.
~
