In Gracie's room Akeno sat silently on Gracie's bed, left alone and all to her own thoughts. The gaze of her eyes were still on the lantern and had an otherworldly glow onto it.
Even though she was facing the direction of the lantern her eyes weren't focused on it and were elsewhere.
Akeno: "Is it… True that I cannot go back to my own world?" She muttered to herself in such a low voice which was barely audible.
"B–but how could it be real!? It sounds absurd. I shouldn't be…"
She gasped and her eyes widened as she recalled the horned rabbit and the birds she had never seen before. The ones she saw this morning right after getting outside of the cottage after her first interaction with Alina.
[Could it be possible?]
She leans forward. Now her elbows on her knees and her finger gripping her black hair. She clinched her hair tight and held it with force.
[If it is true… Would that mean I'll never meet my mom ever again?]
…
Just then she heard footsteps stopping right outside the door. It held there for a moment, the knob of the door seemed to have tilted a bit but then went back to its original angle.
Another set of footsteps came and it got more and more silent as if the footsteps were going further and further away.
Akeno was looking towards the door. It successfully pulled her out of her thoughts that had consumed her mind.
[What was that…? Gracie?]
She clinched her teeth as her gaze came dropping down back to the floor.
[Does this house always feel this sad? Or is it because of me? Yeah. I'm the one in fault here… I told them I'll leave this place once I'm able to but… If this is not my world… If… It isn't. Then where do I go?]
Her grip tightens over her hair as her eyes start getting wet and her eyes watery and blurry.
Her eyes threatened to cry out but she released her grip on her hair and came to cover her face from the tears.
Sniff
Sniff
SNIFF
[No. I can't cry right now.]
She said but her eyes felt heavier and heavier as it threatened to start crying. Her breathing started to get uneven and she started to cough.
She embraced herself, wrapping her arms around herself, she opened her arms and brought up her knees to her chest and hugged her knees.
She rests her face on her bare knees.
Sniff
[Was that the reason why the trees seemed to differ in that forest?]
She bit the skin of her left knee.
[Why did I run through that forest?]
Sniff
[I should've first gone to look for mom— No. That would've also meant that I'd still be trapped there… But that would've also meant that I could have my mom close to me…]
A single line of tears came running down from her eyes to her cheeks. Then another. And more and more starts to come and they start to damp her cheeks.
[I really lost her, didn't I? I always used to think her life would've been better if she were to be dead… And now that she may actually be dead I think—]
Her breath tightened.
[... No. I don't want to think about it.]
Her eyes itched.
"Wait. What if she gets punished for my disappearance…? I… I just made a mess, didn't I? Caused more trouble for her and I can't even go back. Cannot see her. Cannot ask for forgiveness… Not that she may forgive me."
She said in such a low voice that it sounded as if she was saying it in her head and not through her mouth.
"I don't want to be the reason for her suffering."
She tries rubbing the tears from her eyes and cheeks but they keep rushing. She no longer could breathe properly. Huffing out air she tried to breathe but was getting more and more difficult to do so as she failed to stop the tears from rushing any more.
Trying her best to cover her face with her hand. Trying to breathe properly and stop any advances of the tears.
She fell on her bed with her hands over her face, from the point of her knees her legs hung front the edge of the bed and she finally broke down. Crying.
Down stairs.
In the kitchen Gracie works by cutting vegetables, there are different types. Her hands moved and sliced by the sharp knife which basically guided through the veggies.
Still in that same clothing of the yellow sweater and black leggings she was slicing down through a half–cabbage over the cutting board made of wood. Beside the cutting down other veggies, medium in size sat over a bowl. On the other side of the cutting board was a blow of washed rice.
On the stove sat the kettle with water left to be boiled. From moment to moment Gracie glanced at the kettle. The water inside was already hot but didn't let out steam.
The kettle sat over nothing but a glowing red metal. At least it looked like metal. The red metal was a circular disk in shape and was radiating heat from it. There was a tiny lever just under the heating area. There was each one lever for each disk.
There was no visible fire, just the glowing red circular disk metal used as a source of fire and heat.
The window of the kitchen wasn't covered by the curtains, it was dark clouds outside were visible though Gracie paid no attention to them. The kitchen was bright. And yet there was no visible source of light anywhere to be seen.
Gracie: As she worked through it, she suddenly paused.
"Hm. I know what Miss Alina likes but what about Akeno?"
Her index finger came to touch her chin as she thought about something. She glanced back at the kettle and turned around.
"I should probably go and ask her."
She had started acting even before she finished her words then she suddenly stopped on her steps.
"No. Maybe not. She's probably in deep thoughts right now." she muttered to herself.
Sighs
"Is she… I just hope she gets normal and adjusted to it… Like I did."
She rubbed her temples.
"... I hope she does."
She went back to chopping veggies.
"... Tch. Can't believe I was about to walk out there without washing my hands…"
She glanced back at the kettle and noticed the steam coming out of its mouth. Gracie reached out to turn off the heat and used the lever.
With that she puts the washed rice in a clean clay pot pre–prepared for the washed rice to be boiled. After adding the rice she adds the hot water in it, analysing how much water it needs.
"It's not the usual amount, with Akeno that'll be…"
While adding the hot water into the pot a realisation struck her mind.
"Hm. Do I usually talk to myself when I'm alone…?"
Suddenly she giggled.
"Oh yeah. I had this realisation before. Hm."
She softly laughs to herself.
After filling the needed water she sets the pot over the stove and with the flick of the lever she lets the rice boil over it.
With a soft smile on her face she resumes with her veggies.
"Hm. No meat for Miss Alina, tonight."
She again giggled.