Chapter 8- Settled.

 I took my trip to the market where I had acquired my most recent meal first. I didn't have much to trade off for food, but I was able to get a case of water and a few cans of meat and vegetables with what I had. I couldn't tell which was which, the labels were too worn down, but I took a chance and trusted the man that was selling them at the stand. Next, I made my way to the Gier hound den. I had brought jars to fill with blackberries from the bushes that trailed the field. There weren't many left, it was almost mid fall now. But I got enough to fill two jars, and I'm sure I could find something to make out of them, even if it was just to flavor the water for something new. I pulled some pears and figs off the trees near the old brick house. I had been here less than a week ago, but it felt like such a long time now. I had almost forgotten about the beautiful trees. I thought about grabbing the mattress from inside the house to take back and set up in Ember's room. But the thought of her sleeping on something I had fed on made me feel gross, and I'm sure people other than me that used the house for shelter wouldn't appreciate not having a bed to rest on. 

 I kept my original plan of going to the junkyard to find her something. It was a wasteland that matched the way the world was in so many aspects. Broken down, rusty cars laid forever still. Never to be turned on again, trash and old toys were scattered in overgrown grass on the ground. Piles and piles of old furniture and various household items. No telling how old most of these things were. All the good stuff had been picked out and scavenged at the start of the war. There was hardly anything left that didn't need to be severely patched up. I remembered finding my old couch here. I had gotten lucky; it only had a broken leg that I fixed by placing a brick underneath it to keep it level and a few holes and scratches in the worn-down cushions. I loved coming here, I trailed through the vast wonderland of forgotten treasures, picking up little trinkets I liked the look of and putting them in my bag. I had almost forgotten my initial reason for coming here when I stumbled upon an old patio recliner with a broken arm and a missing seat cushion. I looked around a bit before finding an old but still somewhat springy pillow to lay at the base of the chair and sitting in it to test out the recline. It was broken in a way that made it lean too far back, and you had to get behind it to push it back into a sitting position before the gears would click and hold. But it worked out as it would substitute for both a chair and a makeshift bed when it was leaned flat. I grabbed a few more things, an old, mildewed comforter, another slightly shredded pillow and a few discarded rags that I could use for patchwork before tossing my bag over my shoulder and lifting up the chair to fly back to Ember. 

 She had been busy herself in the few hours I had been gone. When I arrived back to the library it was slightly cleaner in some rooms. She had fashioned a broom out of a string she had pulled from the sheet Ayah had left her, a few twigs and some leaves. The soot that had dusted the floor around the fireplace was gone, and the books that had fallen off of their shelves during the ritual were now back in their rightful places. I dropped the chair beside one of the bookshelves as I entered, taking off my bag and tossing it onto the couch. "You didn't have to do all this cleaning but thank you." I spoke, receiving a modest smile in return. "It's the least I could do. After you guys helped me and you going to the trouble of making sure I had a place to sleep," she said back. "You know, I feel so dumb, after all that has happened. I still haven't caught your name yet." She stated, turning to look at me after setting her broom down. My face grew hot at the realization that that with everything going on I had neglected to give myself a proper introduction to the girl I was trying to help. "It's Rainn," I told her sheepishly. "That's pretty," she complimented, and my face turned another shade of pink. I had spent so much time to myself since I had been turned, interactions and conversations felt awkward now, and I didn't know how to take compliments. "Thanks, Ember is pretty too. Like fire, it's unique." I said, sitting down on the couch and grabbing my bag to take out the food I had gotten her.

 She as especially thankful for the pears and berries, popping one into her mouth ever so often as we sat and conversated about the library and the books it held. She had picked one up while I had been away. 'Someone named Eva by Joan M. Wolf.' It was one of my favorites, a story about a young girl from another war, long forgotten now. She had been separated from half of her family by some monsters portrayed by humans. She is then forced to go by a different name, one that is more suitable to the protagonist of the story. Her struggle in the book was heartbreakingly beautiful to both me and Ember. I had to admit it was nice to share my thoughts with someone on the book. I recommended a few more for after she finished Eva. 'Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen,' 'Along came A Spider by James Patterson,' and 'Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber,' the last being a kind of ironic joke to me. We had fun talking about the different cryptids portrayed in stories and legends and how they differed from how they were known to actually be after being exposed. I made fun of her broom, and she chased me down the stairway, swatting at me with it jokingly. I hadn't actually laughed or enjoyed myself this much in a while. 

 I set up her room about three halls down from mine. We pushed her chair against the wall, and I brought in an old unused coffee table that had previously sat in what I believed to be the children's section of the library. I moved in a small empty bookshelf for her to place the works she was currently reading or wanting to read. I pulled some decorations out of my bag, a few random art pieces I had found in a pile at the junkyard, smudged canvases and broken frames with pictures of people long forgotten, just to make the room feel a bit homier. I sat her cans of food on the coffee table when we finished along with a few bottles of water before leaving her to her novels and to get some much-needed rest. I sat down in my room, opening my own book to consume myself in for the night. 

 I had been reading for a few hours when I heard my doorknob turn. Forgetting I was no longer alone I shot up, ready to defend myself against an intruder. Ember stood in the frame, tired looking. Her pale T-shirt caught in the hem of her shorts. "Are you okay?" I asked her, concerned. "Sorry, you scared me. I'm not used to having roommates," I excused myself for my reaction to her opening my door and invited her in. She came in heavy eyed and yawning. "Yeah, I just got lonely. No offense but this place is kind of creepy at night." She spoke. "I was wondering if I could sleep in here, just until I got used to being here. I don't like being alone," she asked. I silently scoffed at the fact that we couldn't be more different in that aspect. I preferred my solidarity. But if she needed my company, I could get over it and offer it to her. "Uh, sure," I replied, taking my seat back on the couch. "I hope I don't keep you up though. I don't really sleep that often. I can go get your bed, or you can take the couch, and I'll just sit by the fire to read," I told her which she shook her head slightly to. "No, that's okay. I can just share with you," she climbed up onto the couch and rested her head on my chest. It caught me off guard and I froze. I moved my book up slightly and she nuzzled her head into the back of the couch, I didn't know what to do or say, it had been so long since I had any physical contact aside from a hunt. I hated to admit I craved it a bit. So, I let her rest, being careful not to move. It didn't take her long to fall asleep against me. 

 I couldn't help but to find myself distracted by her being this close. She smelled of blackberries and vanilla. It clouded my brain, and I couldn't focus on the pages of my book. She hadn't been lying before. She was really warm. It wasn't like the fever, but it wasn't exactly normal, and it felt odd against my ice-cold skin. I caught my thoughts wandering off. Wondering yet again what type of person she really was. I hoped to get to know her more, but I didn't want her to stay here forever. This girl was a mystery, like the book in my lap, and I only wanted to turn a few pages. 

 Who are you, Ember? I thought to myself before a familiar feeling unexpectedly took over me and my eyelids drifted.