RockScars

Twyla remained on the window bench for the duration of the night. As she grew tired, she crawled into her bed and went to sleep just in time. The automatic shutters had closed blocking out the morning sunlight throughout the house and turning her room pitch black.
Though her world was already pitch black, the darkness would signify that it was time for the rest of the house to sleep.

All was nice a quiet. Lark was safely tucked in her purple princess bed, sound asleep with her plastic magic wand and her baby doll lying neatly beside her. Twyla lay dreaming a little dream in her own bed and Shadows…Shadows was busy…watching.

Twyla stirred in her sleep as a cool breeze washed over her. Subconsciously, she pulled the covers against her body, but even through the covers, she felt the cold chill as it passed over her again.

She sat up in her bed and yawned lightly. For some reason, Twyla felt as if she wasn’t alone. Insert evil laugh here.. She swung her legs over the side of the bed letting her feet touch the plush rug. Rubbing her arms for warmth, she stood and grabbed her robe off the knob on one of the bedpost.

Twyla sipped on her robe and tied the belt across her waist. The breeze came again and made her hair blow lightly off her shoulders. The feeling of another presence in her room was growing stronger. Slowly, she took a step forward feeling the carpet beneath her bare feet. Twyla kept a hand in front of her to feel for anything that may be in her way. She stopped to breath in the scent through her nose remembering what Shadows had taught her the night in the dark gym. She moved forward again following her instinct and when her hand touched the closet door she stopped.

She didn’t know what was waiting for her on the other side of the door, but she could feel its eyes peering at her from between the wooden slats in the door. Her hand reached for the knob and slowly she opened it and took one more step forward. With a shakey hand, she reached forward and felt the cold flesh in front of her. Her hand moved slowly up the muscular arm while the subject stood perfectly still. She felt the hard muscle all the way up to his shoulder and moved her hand up to his neck. Any normal person would have screamed by now, but then again, Twyla isn’t exactly normal is she?

Gently she moved her hand up to his cheek gliding it softly over his cheekbone and up to his eyes. Her finger moved lightly over his nose and down to his full lips. All the while he continued to remain perfectly still during her exploration. She continued the same movement with her hand on the other side of his face and then let her hand fall down to her side. She stood there for a moment perfectly still before she finally gave in.

Twyla took one more step forward and put her arms around the waist of Shadows and rested her head on his chest. “I’m scared,” she whispered on the verge of tears. “I’ve never been so scared in all my life.”

Shadows knew the breakdown would eventually come, but he had to know one thing before he gave in. “Trust me?” he whispered.

Twyla, overcome with emotion, nodded against his chest in response. “I need an answer,” he whispered.

“Yes,” she answered without hesitation and only then did he put his arms around her and comfort her.

“You found me. You have no reason to be scared, Kitten.”

“But I can’t see,” she cried.

“You can, you just need to learn how.”

“What? What do you mean?” she wiped her eyes and stepped back waiting for his answer.

“Come with me, I’ll show you.” He took her hand and walked her over to the bed. “Sit down.”

Twyla climbed onto the bed and sat down bringing her knees up to her chest. Shadows sat down on the bed in front of her. “I’ll ask again, just to be sure. Trust me?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

He moved closer so that he was sitting directly in front of her. “Touch me.”

“Touch you?” She asked uncertain of what he meant.

“Yes, just like you did when you found me in the closet.”

Twyla hesitated for a moment before sitting up on her knees in front of Shadows. She didn’t know where to begin. Her hand moved over the comforter and found his hand. Shadows lifted his hand so she could take it in hers. Twyla ran her fingers over his palm and the inside of his fingers.

“What do you feel?”

“Calluses, like you’ve been working with your hands. The top of your hand is so soft and smooth, but turn it over and it’s rough.”

“Keep going.”

Her hands moved further up his arm. While his forearm lay steady in one of her hands, her flingers slid over a protruding vein. She traced the outline of every muscle and stopped at his shoulder blade. “There’s such an amazing contrast,” she whispered.

“What do you mean?” he asked softly.

“It’s like your skin is so soft, but the muscles are so hard and well defined. Can I touch your face?”

“Go for it.”

Twyla used both hands starting at the little divot in his chin before moving up and placing one on each side of his face. “You’ve just shaved,” she whispered.

“Yes.”

Shadows closed his eyes when her fingers trailed over the lids. “I’ve never been able to picture your face clearly before.”

“And now? Can you see me clearly?”

“Yes,” she answered, “I can see you.” She covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stop her voice from cracking, but she couldn’t stop the tears that fell from her eyes. “I see you.” Twyla wiped her eyes and touched his face again. “You’re beautiful.”

Shadows smiled and took her hands in his. “See, this can be ok, if you just let your guard down and let me help you.”

“I don’t want to be weak. I’m not weak. I never had to ask anyone for help before,” she cried.

Shadows wiped the tears from her face and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You’re not weak and asking for help doesn’t make you weak either. It’s not asking for help that makes you the weakest. Want to know what I see?”

“Ok,” she nodded.

“Turn around.”

“What? Why?” she asked nervously.

“Trust me?”

Twyla didn’t answer; she simply turned around so her back was facing him. “Can you take off your robe?”

She was nervous, but she untied the belt and slipped the robe off her shoulders. All she was left with was a white wife beater and gray sweat shorts. From behind her, Shadows let his hand rest on hers. Twyla stayed perfectly still while he trailed his fingers over hers. Gently his hand moved over her wrist and up the side of her arm in a caressing sweep. “Soft,” he whispered and continued to trace her arm with a single finger. “A little rough around the edges, but so soft.”

Twyla sighed not even realizing she did it; which only reinforced the smile on the face of Shadows. He slid a finger lightly over her collarbone. “Deceiving. At first glance, she looks like she’s so tough nothing could bring her down. Take a closer look and I can see a girl who grew up too fast and missed out on her whole childhood.” He tapped lightly on her collarbone. “In here, if you really look beyond the hard exterior, you can see that little girl who cries alone. Too scared to let anyone see her real feelings, because she’s afraid if she lets anyone know how she really feels, she’s only going to be disappointed in the end.”

There were stray tears falling down Twyla’s cheeks while he continued his exploration of her. His hand moved up her neck and he stroked her chin with his thumb. “Stubborn,” he whispered in her ear. “Oh so stubborn. Almost like a horse that hasn’t been broken in yet. She wants to push me away, I can feel it.” Shadows put his arms around her and pulled her back against him as gently as he could. “But deep down, she just wants to be held and told that everything is going to be ok.”

Twyla sobbed softly as she relaxed against him. Shadows turned his head to the side and kissed her temple. “I promise you, everything will be just fine and I don’t break a promise once I make it. So, if you think you’re all alone in this fight, all you have to do is look behind you. I’m right here, I got your back.”

She wiped her eyes and turned a little to rest her head in the crook of his neck. “Sleep now,” he told her softly.

“Stay,” she whispered just before Shadows last touch made her fall asleep. He held her like that for a few minutes grateful that the worst part was finally over and now he could begin working with her. He knew that when the night fell and she awoke, there would be questions that needed to be asked and answers that had to be given. For now, he just wanted to give her what she really needed, but was too afraid to ask for. That being a shoulder to cry on, someone to hold her while she cried and the knowledge that she wasn’t being judged for her tears. Her wall hadn’t come crumbling down yet, but it now had a huge hole the middle.

Shadows gently placed Twyla down on her pillow and pulled the blanket up over her. As she asked him to, he stayed beside her while she slept watching her until his own eyes gave up and closed.