"Miss Alina"
…
"Miss Alina, may I. Come in?"
…
"Come in." A voice came from the inside as the door opened on its own.
The room of Alina was otherworldly. In all senses. The feeling, the scent, the shine, warmth and the illuminations of everything, was all strange as well as breath taking.
The room felt soothing. There was no source that could provide the illuminations to the room yet it was bright.
She was wearing the red sweater of Gracie as well as her blue skirt that she had torn a bit. Wearing red slippers and snocks.
Inside Alina was seated on her chair by the table engrossed in writing something on a notebook. Or… she was scrubbing on it… The dark ink made patterns on the page. Though Gracie wasn't sure what she was drawing.
Meanwhile Alina seemed to be deeply engrossed in whatever stuff she was writing. The thin stick, a pen she used to draw what she was doing had symbols on it.
The stick was of a dark brown color with the end of it had a red wax art of the letter 'A' while the tip of the pen, where the ink stick had a very tiny feather sticking out of it.
Gracie: She approached Alina, stood beside her and tried to peek in on what she was doing. A drawing. Alina was drawing a cartoon in her notebook.
The cartoon drawing had people, boxes, spheres... one figure, drawn in stark black ink, seemed to be falling through a series of strange, wobbly boxes.
[Huh? What is she doing?]
Gracie continued silently watching Alina draw whatever she was drawing.
"Um, Miss Alina. What are you doing?"
Alina: The moment Gracie asked that Alina's hand stopped and she closed the notebook even though the ink still seemed to be wet.
She turned her head to Gracie with a soft smile on her face.
"What is it, dear?"
Gracie: By instinct she was about to cup her neck but before that she met Alina's eyes.
[I hope she's in a good mood. I… I mistakenly looked into her eyes.]
Gracie cupped her neck.
Alina: Her smile didn't disappear, instead it widened. Her lips pressed into one another and the gaze of those deep blue eyes of her didn't leave Gracie. It was indeed a mistake looking into her eyes.
"Gracie dear. Aren't you gonna say something?"
Gracie: She sighs internally.
[Pheww, she seems to be in a good mood. Or, it is that her personality again changed, or maybe the whole person—]
She forcefully coughed pulling herself out of her thoughts.
"Okay so, I ah. Told something to that girl. Akeno."
Alina: "Oh!"
Her eyes shine with a glint of interest as she shifts on the chair. Then positions herself and the chair to properly face Gracie and to what else she's about to her. Dragging the chair on the floor.
"Okay, now tell me. What did you say to her?"
Alina crossed her legs.
Gracie: Standing still in front of Alina Gracie glanced at the notebook on which Alina was drawing just a moment ago then turned back to her but couldn't dare to meet the gaze of her eyes.
"Um, I—I told her the fact about how both her and I aren't from this world…—"
The words after her sudden stuttering came rushing out only to freeze and start considering her next words.
Alina: She spoke suddenly, not allowing Gracie's mind to rest after her sudden confession of what she did just moments ago.
"Ohh, is that so? Hmm, you got braver?"
Gracie was silent and hearing that made her stiff. Her eyes wander around constantly glancing back and forth as if looking for an escape from Alina's gaze.
"Dear. Why are you so silent? Hm…? Tell me. Did that girl say something in return?"
Gracie: She shook her head to deny.
"N–no, she was quiet. No, words. It… It seemed she was in shock. That is justified seeing how strange this concept is. Anyway I will feel it. It is unreal."
Alina: Hearing what Gracie just said Alina bursts out giggling, covering her mouth by her palm yet doesn't stop the soft giggles.
Gracie: She flinched when Alina started giggling and her fingers formed a tight fist and so did her breathing. It hardened and got heavier.
[It's normal. Though it seems she's not neutral for now and is still what I'd seen earlier… I wonder what she's gonna say next. I came here to inform and ask what she wants to eat. Not this…]
Alina: While giggling she suddenly sneezed.
"Aaah—choo—"
It was rather cute. As well as unsettling seeing someone as her sneeze… Another.
"Aaa–ahh–chah"
She tried to hold it in and failed.
Gracie: Still standing beside Alina, her fist clinched tighter.
[Is she still feeling cold…? Why tough. She's all cozed up in the warmth of this room and… My clothing… Did she force the sneeze? Or was it real…? Can't tell.]
Alina: Rubbing her nose their eyes again met and Gracie flinched slightly.
"Well, it seems she had the same reaction as you. Well, kinda."
Gracie: Gracie had a sudden and instant internal reaction to Alina's words. Her thoughts didn't come out as words nor as asking for any confirmation.
[My past reaction? I… I can't recall what it was, but… Miss Alina just said it was the same as Akeno. Really…? Should I ask about it?]
Alina: No, she didn't need to. Even before Gracie asked it herself Alina continued with a pause as if she wanted Gracie to be in a deep thought… That's what Gracie had guessed.
"Haa. You too were really surprised and speechless. You'd forgotten how to talk. In fact. If it weren't for that necklace we wouldn't have been able to communicate with each other…"
Alina taps on the red sweater right above the middle spot over her chest. For a moment she just stared into Gracie's eye.
"Would I be the only one talking?"
Hearing that Gracie flinched but before she could say anything. Alina leaned forward and her arm reached out to put her right hand index finger on Gracie's lip.
"Shh. I sometimes like it when I'm the only one talking." She says while grinning. She rests her left cheek on her left fist.
"Haah. You know. That day. No, not the exact day I found you but maybe. After day one… N–no–no. That exact day you were crying out, quietly."
Grinning wider she points her right hand index finger at Gracie.
"Sobbing silently while I try to comfort you and you wet my shoulder with tears… Oh yeah. You two would also be the same age. You said you were fourteen when I found you, right?"
She again paused, still grinning to herself.
Gracie: [Really? Was I really crying…? I can't recall.]
Another moment of silence went by until Alina again spoke and broke the silence.
Alina: She leaned back again on the chair as her cheek lifted off of her fist and both hands rested on the arm rest of the chair. The grin disappears and is replaced by a soft, warming smile.
"My dear Gracie~"
Alina tilts her head.
"You've grown so much… I mean. 2 years a lot you know. You no longer cry… You aren't right, like… Going to bed and sobbing on the pillow. And when it gets too wet you turn it over and sleep on the other side of the pillow. Huh?"
Saying that she again giggled as the grin returned on her face. And Gracie just shakes her head.
"Haah. Good. My pretty girl. Hmmm… I can't remember the rest. I'll like to tell you more when I recall more moments. Umm. Something else happened with that new girl?"
Gracie: Gracie's lips are apart and she shakes her head.
"No. Nothing else… Miss Alina."
Alina: "Yeah?"
Gracie: "I wanted to ask about the dinner. What would you like to eat?"
Alina: "Why ask. I'd be satisfied by anything you make."
Gracie: She nods "If that's so, okay then… I'll go ahead, for preparation." She muttered the last sentence in a very low voice. Barely audible.
With that Gracie turns to walk to the door and it opens on its own. She walked out, before the door closed on its own she was about to turn back and look back at Alina, but stopped herself from doing so…
And instead of closing, the door remained open even though Gracie was already standing outside…
…
She didn't dare look behind her.
…
The door finally closed.