Fractured

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

I woke to a movement over my neck.  I tried letting my tiredness take me back under; after all, I need a lot of energy to go to school with Ramper tomorrow.  I wanted sleep.  Yet, that movement over my neck wasn't a fuzzy haze in my head anymore.  I realized it must really be happening....  Putting that against my body's want to go under, I wont lie, it was a tough choice. 

I figured it was Luke after a moment of conscious thought filtered through my head.  But as I laid there, and wake slightly more from the movement, I felt the details of the feeling.  It lapped at my neck and my chin, over and over, licking me.  And conscious enough at this point, I can tell you this relationship is going to take a hard turn if Luke thinks I would be fond of him slobbering all over my neck.  Of course, when I opened my eyes to a fuzzy vision, I started to figure out that this wasn't Luke.  Thank god.

Blinking slightly, waking up a little more, I noticed that with me laying on my side, I could perfectly see down to my little friend next to me.  Licking at my neck.  In the dark, I could see Jack's outline - along with the movement of his playful wagging tail.  Groaning at now realizing it was Jack, I moved my head back and tried burying it away from him in my pillows.  "No, Jack," I groaned.  Only a second later, he inched up more to my pillow until I couldn't get away from his licking.  His moist little tongue at it again, I felt my agitation rise in me because I was tired.  "Jack," I hissed. "Stop it." 

When he finally did though, and moved back down to lay next to me, it was too late.  I was up, even if just barely.  But I was awake enough to be able to take in my surroundings - at least a little bit.  And one thing I realized as my eyes looked over to the other side of the bed was that Luke was gone.

Sitting up in bed, blinking the sleep out of my eyes even more, I focused on where he would be and to make sure my blurry eyes weren't betraying me in the dark, I reached over only to feel the ruffled sheets and covers, not him. I figured he went to the bathroom or something and would be back.  Of course, after a few minutes, I became curious.  Glancing over to the clock, I noticed it was 4:00.  Great.  In a few hours, I'm going to have to get up for school.  Ugh.  Why me...?  Of course, I got up.

By the time I opened the door quietly, not wanting to even think about waking Clare up, I started slowly down the hall.  I started down the stairs quietly, figuring he was down here.  And as I moved down the steps, I became a little more worried.  Was he okay?  What was he doing up?  Yawning slightly under my breath, my eyes were now adjusted to the darkness besides the few night lights around the house.  Of course, even though it was this early in the morning, the sky in the winter held enough snowy light to still illuminate slightly through the windows - which I saw when I came into the living room.  The couches, the table, TV... all scattered shadows to me.  I could see the floor light up from the reflecting light on the window.  And that dim light in the darkness also offered enough light in to cast upon a man who was standing in front of the front window, looking outside almost mindlessly.   

He didn't even realize I was standing there at the end of the staircase behind him a couple yards.  It was surprising because usually, he would be able to feel it or hear someone in the room, sense it in a way.  But he didn't move.  I took him in at an angle.  Most of his back facing me, I also took in his side.  With one hand slack at his side and with the other furthest from me resting against his forehead.  He was leaning forward, resting his head into his arm propped on the side of the window.  I saw his eyes just enough with his almost slack looking body leaning against the wall and looking out the window.  They peered outside, staring into the light grey sky and the snow that was slowly falling from it.  His gaze... seemed distant.  Lost, from what I could see.  And with a shadow caressing his neck, I just saw enough of his face to see his lips flat with his eyebrows dipped in conflict.