Secrets are often hidden and shady, or they may contain emotions, love, hate, and memories.
The reason why Liora asked Auriel if she knew her was not really because she thought she might know her, but because the strangeness and fear in her mind made her too curious about the origin of the girl in front of her, hoping to hear more information from Auriel.
Over a day, Liora was particularly surprised by Auriel's intimate actions towards her.
Whether it was a sudden hug, a sudden appearance at home, or a sudden lying on the bed.
That "secret" made her even more curious. Why was the acquaintance between her and her a secret? What was the reason for the past life that could not be pried into? What happened between her and her? All of this was tempting like a magnet. She went closer. Even so, the first method she thought of was to hide.
"Okay, fine, since it's a secret, I won't ask anymore. Where are you sleeping tonight?" Liora came back to her senses and looked at Auriel who seemed to be sleeping next to her. She wanted to use a delaying strategy. But why does she feel a little inexplicably nervous at the moment when she asks? She seemed... quite cute when she was sleeping.
"...Where do you want me to sleep?" Auriel's eyes did not open but there was a smile on the corner of her mouth.
"Sleep...sleep, didn't my mother tell you where to sleep?" Liora asked hesitantly. Auriel's seductive words made Liora's heart suddenly twitch.
"Auntie asked me to sleep with you." Auriel said softly and calmly.
"No... that... I only have one bed. Do you want me to sleep on the floor? That's crazy! I'm going to clean up the next room. My mother is really like that." Liora sat up after chattering, then got up to clean the room next door.
Auriel waited for Liora to leave with a bright smile on her lips, "Liora, your mother didn't let me sleep with you, but seeing your anxious look, you are still the same as before, and you haven't changed at all."
Auriel touched the corners of her mouth. The muscles in this part of her mouth seemed to have not been raised for a long time.
Recalling the days when she was alone, the time was long and difficult to pass, and the memory of Liora was pieced together like fragments. Auriel was so afraid that one day her memory would be taken away, afraid of forgetting her appearance, and how she wished to touch her. hair, cheeks, and nose, how she wished she could hug and kiss her, how she wished she could stay by her side and talk to her, how she wished she could see her. Today's dream seems to have come true, like strong support, allowing her to have enough confidence to move firmly into the future.
Ⅱ
It suddenly started to snow heavily in AL City at night. Snow is rare in this city and usually only happens once every seven years, so Liora cherishes the time when it snows.
Marie once said that Liora was first snowfall's child. It snowed lightly in AL City the year she was born. Marie held the little Liora in her arms. Liora was biting her right little finger and pointing her left hand out the window. Marie saw the first snow outside the window, which was like a gift from little Liora, and hugged her tighter. Seeing Marie looking out the window, little Liora started to laugh, as if saying, "Mom, first snow is my gift to you."
Liora was still not idle at night, even though she was in her third year of high school, but there was no study in her mind at all. There were only questions in her mind: "Who is she?" "Why do I know her?" and "What does she want to do?"
Liora rubbed her short hair vigorously with her left and right hands. Her irritation seemed to be entangled with her, rolling her into a ball like a tornado, and entangling her like a tangle, making it impossible for her to calm down.
"Damn it! Just go to sleep."
After saying that, she angrily covered her head with a quilt and forced herself to sleep.
After a while...
"I can't sleep at all." Liora lifted the quilt, stood up, and walked to the window.
"The snow hasn't stopped yet." Liora's index finger was in contact with the window. Fortunately, it's not too late. The window was opened, and Liora stretched out her hand out of the window. The cold wind blew towards her cheek without emotion, but she remained unmoved, counting one, two, and catching them.
The snow melted after falling into the warm palm and finally turned into a puddle of water. Her hands gradually turned red from the cold. Liora closed the window with satisfaction. She took a long breath and looked at the window next door. Is Auriel cold? Liora patted her head, what was she thinking?
Immediately, the bed curved down, and Liora fell asleep.
After Liora fell asleep, she slept deeply and occasionally dream. Today, she may have exercised too much during the day and started to dream.
In this dream, she was lying as she was now, and suddenly a pair of warm hands held her wrist. In the dream, she didn't resist.
The warm body was close to hers, and the material of the clothes was slightly cool. The distance was gradually closed to zero. The person skillfully wrapped her left hand around her waist and retracted her cheek into the crook of her neck.
"Liora, I'm so cold." Her body was relieved of all defenses due to this cry. In her dream, she turned around, lifted the person in front of her by her neck, hugged her tightly with both hands and stroked her head. The mouth is close to the person's ear.
"Is it... still cold?" The person in front of him shivered due to the heat, and her index finger gradually slid towards the skin of her abdomen like sliding piano keys.
Lower abdomen, navel, ribs, and finally that soft area.
"Liora, I love you..."
When she touched the soft clouds, Liora couldn't help but hum. Her hands were uncontrollably preparing to occupy the soft territory beside her.
Her hands are empty...
A burst of sourness eroded the heart that was pounding in the dream like a black worm, clenching tightly and causing the heart to feel severe discomfort.
The intense sadness woke Liora in reality. The water droplets falling from his face soaked the pillow, and a coldness filled his whole body.
"What…the strange…"
"Liora, what's wrong with you? Are you having a nightmare?"
Liora hugged the person in front of her as if grasping a life-saving straw. She was more afraid of losing than anyone else, afraid of the feeling of suddenly missing something, afraid of the feeling of holding on to nothing, afraid of the feeling of dreams and reality being mutually exclusive, She understands that dreams are often illusory, but for her who has been without support for a long time, the disappearing warmth is more terrifying than falling into the darkness, and she is not afraid of falling into the darkness, because after being violated as a child, she felt that there would be nothing better than this. Darker things too.
"Don't be afraid... I am here." Auriel stroked Liora's head with her right hand and comforted her. Liora's tears in her arms soaked Auriel's shirt uncontrollably. Auriel didn't care. At this time, she felt like she was in the clouds, light and buoyant, immersed in the joy that she hugged me.
After hugging Liora, she found that Liora in her arms had stopped talking and started snoring.
"It's still the same as before." Auriel smiled and put Liora back on the pillow, then lay on the carpet and fell asleep.