Silence

She stared back at him with eyes of ice, a cool mist escaping her skin. He stood a distance away from where she lay clinging to the floor as if afraid to move from where she had fallen. Neither of them moved. He heard his name being called and turned back into the apartment, tearing his gaze from hers. He slid the door closed behind him and walked towards the room which had beckoned him, stepping out of the way of men carrying chairs and gleaming trays. Strange smells followed close behind the trays. Tables covered with white cloth stood up against the wall where normally the settee he lay on after he came home from school sat. The men and women collected around them, noisily leaving their trays and piling plates high enough so that he could not see their tops. His slow steps towards the kitchen were interrupted by a large man in a white apron barging his way heavily towards it and disappearing through the door. Speaking as loudly as he stepped, the man made forceful noise and returned from the room with the boys mother following closely behind. The boy stepped to the side as his flustered mother told him "Ill be back in a minute", leaving him with his back pressed to the cool white wall. They strode firmly through the living room and out of sight. A sharp shatter brought his attention back to the cloth covered tables.

A woman cursed and was soon surrounded by curious and unimpressed faces as she crouched to clear the glass from the floor. She pulled a cloth from her pocket and sweeped the floor hurriedly as if to hide the sight of the noise she had caused. The people grew bored of her and moved back to their positions and set off once more on their duties. She moved round the glittering pile in her squat position, gathering the bright crystal in front of her. Legs continued to cross over his view. At times she seemed to pull her cloth towards her over empty floor only for flashes of light to appear as the pieces rolled towards her pile. Then she fell forwards having been nudged clumsily by a man on a large pair of legs, heading across the room, tray in hand. She pulled one hand back up sharply, her weight now propped on her other. She looked at her now dark hand and pulled her head up so the boy could now see her face. It was distorted into a grimace, cheeks bulging and lips drawn. She raised her gaze to meet his eyes. He took time to break his own eyes away and was met only by the girl outside the window, still and cold. He turned and walked towards her, sliding the door back open and closing the sound of gathering concern behind him.

It was cooler outside and the air still, his skin prickling on his bare arms. She lay before him on a raised platform as if her body were part of the stand. She reflected light through her body, her shape almost hidden and her hands stayed clutching the floor. Liquid ran down her bare arm and he followed it to where it fell from her finger to the floor. He looked back up to her face. Her eyes stayed open. Thick hair ran down her neck to her back where her wings were drawn in close. Mist still radiated from her statuesque features and he became aware of his own stillness. He took a step towards her and saw light dance within her and out of her eyes. Faintly behind him there was a muffled cry as if a wound were being treated. He stepped closer again. The face was open to him with smooth cheeks and full lips that hid nothing inside. He could see through her empty husk and she could see his own cherry flesh. He reached silently with his hand and touched its cheek. He held it there as water ran from between his fingers and down his paling palms. Its expression stayed rigid throughout his touch. Cold spread into his hand and sent a shiver through his body. It held still, waiting as if stealing his warmth. He stepped closer and raised his other hand to its left shoulder and pushed it away. Its weight fell backwards and it's stand with it. It did not move atop it. It did not spread its wings. Its foot touched the stone floor and shattered, tearing up through the body towards where it's face gazed to the sky. Its expression cracked and he saw her cheek roll towards his feet where he stood, arms outstretched. He turned his hands back towards him as he heard the noise behind him growing louder as the door slid further open. Anger found him out there and his mother grabbed his right wrist and pulled it up towards her face. Violently dragging his attention back to her as the colour spread back into his palm.