Topic: The End Of Ethereal

Shai Vevea

Date: 2013-10-26 09:14 EST
The road rolled away from him, he could still feel that pull behind him though. That dire need that kept him moving when he wanted to collapse nagged at him. When had it changed? When had he? The silence of the road couldn?t manage to drown out the ringing of the hammer in his head. How long since he had been back? Days at least but then what was new about that? Kruger had spent more time away these days than at the house. He worked, it was true, day and night towards a goal, though the goals changed, and laid themselves on his anvil one by one before him. How long now? A week, or was it two?

Belglade spread out before him, the leaves dropping with those reds and browns that said autumn was nearly done. Already across the fields he spotted trees barren of their leaves and scratching at the air with bared branches. Kruger?s fingers wrapped the ironwork of the gate that crossed the entry to Abri nan silal, his haven in the clouds. The mason?s children weren?t playing as usual, the front yard was empty. The gardens planted to bloom year round were without admirers, and the smith knocked on his own front door.

He couldn?t say why he needed to, the place didn?t feel like his anymore. Nothing felt like it belonged to him anymore, including the pair of faces that were there to greet him with smiles that turned funny before his eyes. He stood on the stoop, unable to speak or move despite how inviting the parlor, or warm the company within. He looked on those pieces of the place he had built or helped to build. He remembered the work, the love that went into it. He remembered laughter and chasing dreams through the manor room by room. He could recall making love at all hours with one of those who looked on him now.

Kruger?s mouth worked a few times, still he didn?t move forward. Rochelle, ever the faithful l servant to his wife, had grown quiet. His gaze went to Shai his breath coming hard from the weight of what he carried inside. He closed his eyes and swallowed down whatever had him unable to speak. His stare burned into her still unable to take his eyes away. Maybe she saw, maybe they both did. His expression may hold a thousand words, but they all had the same meaning. His tongue dampened lips cracking from the cold and those wheat colored eyes closed one last time as the words finally came to him.

?I?can?t come in?I can?t stay.? His voice dropped in volume when the last words were uttered. ?I won?t be back.?

(tbc)

Shai Vevea

Date: 2013-10-26 09:15 EST
The happiness that was felt since the moment the Doctor had left, was suddenly thrown to the four winds as if it had never been in the first place. Shai and Rochelle had been waiting on Kruger to give him the good news. The child was near term and healthy by all indication's. His birth would be soon.

Yes, it was true, the Blacksmith worked such strange hour's over the last month, rare it was to catch a glimpse of him. But, it was understood. He was doing what he loved. Creating what impassioned him and tied the threads that made him an even better man. His craft the crux of that.

But now here he stood and Shai could feel the ground beneath them begin to move.

Had something happened? Was he injured..? Did he take a mighty blow to his head that rendered him without memory...? But he was there. He had no injuries from what could be seen. His eyes were blank, no longer holding the shimmer she had long since become accustomed to in the reading of his state of mind.

Blank.

"Rochelle, leave us...." Word's spoken just above that of a whisper, Shai's gaze never once faltering away from Kruger. The old woman did as was requested, her own insides twisting painfully as she glanced over a shoulder on her way up the stairs to spy them, so close, but so far away from one another. Everything began to crumble.

"What do you mean you won't be back, Kruger? What is this about?" Did Shai truly want to know what it was that was driving him? Absolutely, even if it was staggering her to the very core. "Tell me, mon amour...are you ill, are you injured? What has happened?"

(tbc)

Shai Vevea

Date: 2013-10-26 09:16 EST
Kruger backed from the doorway, on her words he knew more, her words, they should comfort or sting. He shook his head slowly. ?Injured? No, and ill I haven't been. This is wrong Shai and you don't deserve it and I can't explain it.? He tried to recall what had changed and couldn't seem to find any one thing. Just him, everything had changed to him. ?If I pretend to be what you need I will only make you hurt. This place and everything inside, you, I wanted to be this man and I just can't.? He found himself out on the ground as the rain began to fall and seep into his clothing.
?
?I remember every twist of the metal that started us. I remember each night alone with you. I remember love. I'm dead inside though love seems like such a strange concept just always to be out of my grasp.? He was grateful there was just the two of them. Doing this in front of the others would have been more difficult. ?I remember our first night together, I was happy, I thought maybe I was meant to be happy. I can't remember anymore what it feels like to feel?anything.?
?
He was still back pedaling down the path, still trying to find what he had lost or at least remember where it had gone to. ?I'm sorry.? The gate was coming up fast despite his lingering steps. His heart was pounding as his back struck the ironwork. He felt trapped here, imprisoned within a husk of goodness that he just couldn't wear anymore. ?I'm just so sorry?I wanted to be?more.?

(tbc)

Shai Vevea

Date: 2013-10-26 09:19 EST
Final

In all of?her year's,?Shai had never been rendered speechless. She was bred and educated to avoid that. To avoid uncomfortable silence's. To always be on the ready with an intelligent response, a proper or improper rebuttal.

At that moment, the Greek's heart stopped and all went silent in the universe of her own making. She was speechless and could only stare, positively wide eyed?at Kruger.
?
He was her husband. He was her lover. He was her best friend and confidante. The twin to her own soul. He was her strength, as well her weakness. He was the father of their unborn child. He was her very world.

He was still ALL of those thing's to her.

But she was no longer all of those things to him, as she had assumed she would always be.
?
She had never been those thing's as he had essentially admitted.
?
He had said, "Pretend to be....Will only make you hurt...." Did he think this was not hurting her? He had pretended?

They had been through the pits of hell and always had each other, which made their coming out on the other side, only possible. Their love was so beyond the definition, it was mind tingling, mind altering. But had it all been a dream? Was she still within the entrapment of Venice? The Courtesan, winding her way through the politics of enchantment and lusty breath? NO! It had all been left behind for a new life. New possibility. What was this?
?
It had been a lie? All of it....a lie? How?
?
She couldn't speak. It was as if she was back in those woods again, only this time, it was him beating her half to death and raping her senses, that were always so close to the surface. What had she done? He was just walking away? Just....walking away? There was not one part of her that understood any of this. Not one....single....part. It made absolutely no sense.
?
She could only watch him leave.
?
The iron gate rattled closed and Shai fell to her knees there in the doorway. He just walked....away.
?
She could only hope this was some horrid nightmare and suddenly?came to the realization that her swollen belly was tightening painfully, dreadfully so?and the world began to spin.