The ice that coated the granite of their cave was slowly melting. Forming strange eerie patterns to show. Neither was willing to look at them, nor was they energized enough to do anything about them. They both knew what it would tell them. To be fair they didn't want to find out anymore. They were finally happy and a wall was going to tell them the next disaster. They didn't want to know at all.
Carson and Zelda had already spoken about who they were. But neither needed any more clarification of why the other one was here, or why they cried every night, or the blisters that had now developed up Zelda's arms over the 15 hours he had been asleep. Carson couldn't quite get over what she had told him that night. Every time he thought about it warm tears prickled his eyes and threatened to escape. He just bit his bottom lip and drew something that resembled Zelda happy and carefree, not in a place that was designed to remind you of your pain. So you forgot it. His hands were like the paintbrushes that painted the sky, like the pencils that inspired Adele, like the words that came from Kipling's mouth. He sketched like every single piece of paper was a god, and his ideas were his creations.
Zelda had resigned into herself yet again. Her usual form of coping with something that was too big to be coped with. Her hands were shaking constantly the blood that ran through them was cold as cold as ice the same as the rest of her body. You could not still there movement or stop the cold from escaping through her pores. Her lips were a shade of blue tinted peach and her eyes were damp with the tears that would just not stop.
They had barely spoken since that night. The usual morning and breakfast things were said. But they could not meet each other's eyes. Both on replay mode. Not able to admit they had weaknesses that someone else knew now.
Carson started up the glowing fire and took his seat around it. He stared into the flames that danced like little people were caught inside them. He went to grab a flame. Zelda jumped up and knocked his hand out of the fire.
"Are you stupid, I can't deal with you being set on fire!!!" exclaimed Zelda with a sound of hysteretic in her usually calm voice.
" So you do have feelings then, I was not burning myself I'm not like that not like you, I was just seeing if what we said last night was true, that it does feel cool and like a sea waves splashing your hands, its doesn't though" He concluded
She flung her white arms around his neck and took a seat next to him. He waited for ages until he could meet her eyes. She had removed her arms and was now sitting face down in her breakable hands. He could see he had hurt her more than he was hurting. Her body was shaking and salty water was dripping off her fingers and splashing onto the hot coals of the fire. He couldn't quite bring himself to apologize. He didn't think he had done anything wrong. But as the time passed she didn't look up, infact she looked further down. He started speaking to her.
"Zelda, Zelda, can you hear me I am sorry I didn't mean what I said, Zelda please talk, Sorry. ZELDA, ZELDA, ZELADA speak please I am so sorry" he started screaming at her, he didn't know what was wrong.
Her body was still shaking but it seemed the tears had finally ceased. He started to lift her head. She looked straight at him. Her unblinking eyes piercing his soul. Eventually she stood up. Her body weak. Her mind and soul drained.
" I'm all right," she whispered over and over again. Hoping Carson would believe her. He didn't but he couldn't question her, he wasn't in the right position to. He looked around the cave. It was empty and bare. When 100 people lived here, it felt like a home of some sort. Some had bought posters of home, bands and family whilst others music. But as their lives had perished they felt it right to remove and bury their belongings along with them. The walls of the cave were colder than Zelda's emotions but warmer than they will ever be.
She looked over at him. His eyes were a pale blue and glazed over in an eternal mode of thought. She couldn't quite read what he was thinking but an image told her it was about her. No emotions fluttered through her brain at this thought. It had all become a blur since earlier that day. The sun was now setting and both their stomachs were growling like a lion on the prowl. They hadn't eaten that day. For other more pressing circumstances seem to have got in the way.
Zelda was finally talking again. A strange type of talking. Almost babbling an incomprehendable dialect of English. Quickly and sharply. Strangely enough Carson had got to use to it. He just nodded at her pauses and stood infront of her to show that someone was here. About 10 minutes later she stopped. As quickly as it had started it was then Carson asked, " You said everything you need to then? I probably deserved what you said but can you not say it again. We are stuck together because as far as I can tell im not going to leave you to go back to my family, well what's left of it."
"Sorry, I just got so wound up with you, I can't help it. I don't want you to leave. I never have. I am so sorry" Babbled Zelda.
Carson barely nodded. He knew everything she had said she had meant. Even in some obscure way. She had trusted him with her life and she felt he had betrayed her. It was about this time he had first wished he had said something to her before. But he wasn't to know what he said would have impacted both of them in such a big way.