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Description
From the moment of Aidan’s departure, Malaya’s comfort and concentration was shattered. She couldn’t stand to be in the apartment anymore, couldn’t even think about what Aidan had meant by what he’d asked her. It was an unusually warm day following the blizzard, and the ominous feel of rain laced the air outside her window. Despite the sure sign for more bad weather, Malaya slipped a precautionary knife in her belt and took a long swallow of whiskey from the table. She relished in the burning comfort the liquor gave her as it slid down her throat.

Being in this room, this building made her feel uneasy. No, it made her feel vulnerable. She didn’t think of herself as an easy person to frighten or to fight, but Malaya knew she couldn’t win against the cold that wrapped around her bones. Slipping into her warm, black, wool trench coat and rainbow beanie, Malaya stuffed a blanket and book into a bag and left her apartment silently.

Declining to drive, for sheer paranoia of the sound, Malaya made her way through the barely paved sidewalks. A few inches of snow crunched beneath her slippers…damn, why didn’t she put on shoes? Ignoring the water that seeped in through the cotton, Malaya kept walking. She was out and just couldn’t go back, she wasn’t ready. Walking aimlessly she smiled when she saw a familiar wood trail, somehow she always ended up here.

The woods that surrounded her town were clustered with dense pine trees that lay thickly against a mountain range. Malaya walked down the trail that led away from their clustered civilization. The small plows hadn’t made it to the woods because no one but Malaya was probably crazy enough to venture out here. The snow was in six inch drifts that blew icy trickles down her socks when the wind howled through the trees. She climbed through a small thicket of frozen bushes and short trees to what she’d dubbed as “Her Clearing”,

The peacefulness of this undisturbed space settled around her. Malaya no longer worried about Aidan and his group, or the snow crowding for residence in her ratty slippers. She just didn’t care about anything expect being here, alone. Opening her bag, Malaya spread the rainbow blanket on a flat boulder that was flush against a group of pine tree. Curling up in the crook of the trees, she set her slippers on the rock to dry and buried her feet under the blanket. Her book settled automatically in her lap only to be interrupted a short time later by a coughing fit.

Tossing the book carelessly aside, Malaya leaned over the boulder. Blood and toxins frothed from her lips as the coughs ripped through her lungs. It grew worse until her vision began to waver and blur. Pushing herself up, Malaya pushed her feet into the soggy slippers and wandered to the brook to wash the blood from her mouth. Shaking the dizziness off, Malaya retrieved her book from a bush where it dangled helplessly.

A steady drizzle of rain began to wash away the snow and residue while drenching her already shaking skin. Fumbling her way up the rock, she pulled herself and her things as far under the tree’s protection as she could; muttering profanities under her breath the whole way. Fighting the drowsiness induced by the fit and dripping water from the needles above, Malaya pulled the blanket around her head and shoulders and fell in and out of sleep as she waited for the rain to pass.

Description
From the moment of Aidan’s departure, Malaya’s comfort and concentration was shattered. She couldn’t stand to be in the apartment anymore, couldn’t even think about what Aidan had meant by what he’d asked her. It was an unusually warm day following the blizzard, and the ominous feel of rain laced the air outside her window. Despite the sure sign for more bad weather, Malaya slipped a precautionary knife in her belt and took a long swallow of whiskey from the table. She relished in the burning comfort the liquor gave her as it slid down her throat.

Being in this room, this building made her feel uneasy. No, it made her feel vulnerable. She didn’t think of herself as an easy person to frighten or to fight, but Malaya knew she couldn’t win against the cold that wrapped around her bones. Slipping into her warm, black, wool trench coat and rainbow beanie, Malaya stuffed a blanket and book into a bag and left her apartment silently.

Declining to drive, for sheer paranoia of the sound, Malaya made her way through the barely paved sidewalks. A few inches of snow crunched beneath her slippers…damn, why didn’t she put on shoes? Ignoring the water that seeped in through the cotton, Malaya kept walking. She was out and just couldn’t go back, she wasn’t ready. Walking aimlessly she smiled when she saw a familiar wood trail, somehow she always ended up here.

The woods that surrounded her town were clustered with dense pine trees that lay thickly against a mountain range. Malaya walked down the trail that led away from their clustered civilization. The small plows hadn’t made it to the woods because no one but Malaya was probably crazy enough to venture out here. The snow was in six inch drifts that blew icy trickles down her socks when the wind howled through the trees. She climbed through a small thicket of frozen bushes and short trees to what she’d dubbed as “Her Clearing”,

The peacefulness of this undisturbed space settled around her. Malaya no longer worried about Aidan and his group, or the snow crowding for residence in her ratty slippers. She just didn’t care about anything expect being here, alone. Opening her bag, Malaya spread the rainbow blanket on a flat boulder that was flush against a group of pine tree. Curling up in the crook of the trees, she set her slippers on the rock to dry and buried her feet under the blanket. Her book settled automatically in her lap only to be interrupted a short time later by a coughing fit.

Tossing the book carelessly aside, Malaya leaned over the boulder. Blood and toxins frothed from her lips as the coughs ripped through her lungs. It grew worse until her vision began to waver and blur. Pushing herself up, Malaya pushed her feet into the soggy slippers and wandered to the brook to wash the blood from her mouth. Shaking the dizziness off, Malaya retrieved her book from a bush where it dangled helplessly.

A steady drizzle of rain began to wash away the snow and residue while drenching her already shaking skin. Fumbling her way up the rock, she pulled herself and her things as far under the tree’s protection as she could; muttering profanities under her breath the whole way. Fighting the drowsiness induced by the fit and dripping water from the needles above, Malaya pulled the blanket around her head and shoulders and fell in and out of sleep as she waited for the rain to pass.