Date

Russ peered deeply into the eyes of the girl that sat across from him on the blanket. After Ona had them make a pit stop at their current base, the two members of Silent Voice found their way to a field on the outskirts of the city. 

When they stopped by the base, Ona had told Russ to stay outside, so he assumed that she had to use the bathroom... and maybe she did, but he was surprised when she returned with a large picnic basket. 'Didn't know we had one of those.' He had thought to himself. But, once she returned, Ona took him by the hand once more and brought him to the field that they were now in. 

The sun was setting, creating a painted amber sky with clouds the color of the yellow mineral billowing throughout the sky. In a field on the outskirts of the village, a blanket tamped down the tall grass, while the wind created a wave of grass around it. On the blanket was a large basket and two people sitting in silence, hearing and feeling the wind and rustling grass. One man and one woman, sat face to face hand in hand. As much as their hands met, so did their eyes. Without making a sound, they said more than a thousand words. One of them didn't understand why they were there, but he didn't care. As far as he was concerned he was there for the girl that sat across from him, any other reason would be extraneous. As far as the other person was concerned... her motives were clouded, although one thing made itself abundantly clear: she wanted. She yearned. Not even she could say what exactly it was for. Each was present for the other, still, quiet and supportive.

Enough time passed that the sun was barely peaking over the horizon and onlookers started to wonder if the couple wasn't a new statue that had been erected before any movement was made. Ona was the one to break the moment. She pulled one of her hands away and raised it into the air, and for the first time that Russ had seen, she purposely opened her mouth as if she were about to speak. Russ waited with bated breath, unsure of what was about to unfold. Though, it was almost as soon as she opened her mouth that she closed it. She pulled her hand to her chin and looked unsure. Russ then opened his mouth, but thought to close it before saying anything, deciding rather to give her time to think. Instead of words, her moved his free hand to his other, taking her one hand in both of his. The edges of her lips curled slightly in response. There was sadness in her eyes, and the dying light cast shadows, giving her an ominous, almost haunting look.

She took a deep breath and opened her mouth once more, this time there was a glint of determination in her eyes. It amounted to nothing in the end. She only shook her head as if scolding herself. Russ couldn't stand being in the dark anymore.

"What?" He whispered. "What's wrong?"

She looked abashed at his question, like she had been caught doing something she shouldn't have been doing. She dropped her gaze to the blanket that lay in between them and gave a slow shrug.

"No." Russ said, quietly but firmly. "I won't accept that as an answer. I can feel it. I know that you want something. That there is something that your heart wants so bad that it hurts. I can feel it when we touch. I can see it in your eyes. What is it?"

With this, Ona withdrew her other hand and cradled her head in her hands. Her breathing was heavier than usual and she swayed back and forth ever so slightly. 

Russ bit his lip, watching the girl, wishing that he could understand. As he watched, her shoulders started to quiver, and she gasped shakily. Her body was wracked with silent sobbing.

Russ clenched his fists and quickly moved to sit beside the tortured girl. He placed his arm around her, pulling her into a sideways embrace. He was shocked by how insignificant she felt. She was thin and her shaking body made her seem so frail. The feeling pulsated off her skin as well. She felt that way about herself. 

Russ stared at the edge of the blanket, with his jaw clenched in determination. "You want a voice." He said softly. She stiffened, surprised by his words. 

He continued, "For whatever reason, you don't have a voice. But that clearly makes you unhappy, so that means you must want a voice."

Pulling her head away from her hands, Ona brought her big brown eyes to look at the man saying such peculiar things. Her eyes were red from tears. 

"If it's a voice that you need, then I have one. Let my voice be yours. Don't let me speak only on your behalf, but let me let you speak through me. Let me be your voice." He said, passionately. 

Ona stared at him, stunned by his bold words. Even in the fading light, Russ could see that her cheeks were bright red. His words didn't have the effect that he hoped they would, however. Her bottom lip quivered and she pulled away from him, falling sideways onto the blanket and burying her face in it. Her shoulders once more heaving in soundless crying. Russ watched her in a near despondent state, his mind not being able to find any sort of solution to the situation. He cursed himself for his inability to even discover the problem at hand. He was sure that he could fight the problem once he knew what it was, but the task of finding out seemed impossible. He had just wanted to help this girl that seemed lost and scared, but a sense of helplessness set in when he realized that... maybe he couldn't help.