Episode 6

Recap: "Would you like to be my rose princess"...

***

There stood Cohen with a blood rose in his long slender fingers. I was trying so hard not to bust out laughing, was this guy serious.

"Listen dude I'm not interested in your games so if you'll excuse me"... I try to shut the door but he sticks his foot out stopping me.

"How is it that you don't recognize me... the moment I saw you I knew you were my Astrid". I roll my eyes annoyed but when I looking at his face I could tell he was not joking.

"Look maybe you have the wrong girl... but I don't know who you are" I say candidly. I stare at his hurt expression confused although his face seemed awfully familiar...

"You may not remember now but I will make you remember... because what we had was special". I see a deep longing in his eyes and I start to feel a jittery sensation at his words.

He stares at me as one of his hands cups my heart shaped face. I don't know what to do with my body so I just stand there frozen. A heat force passes through my body and suddenly I feel... hot

It's weird I've never had this reaction before. Suddenly Cohen removes his hand from my face and I feel empty without his touch. "I will give you space for now but just so you know I will be waiting" he says before walking away.

I watch his tall lean form as he walks down the hall. I stand there for awhile before I finally shut my door... well that was a weird altercation.

My ears start to burn and leak a dark liquid. The pain is all too much and I hold onto my head willing the atrocious pain to stop. This is another effect of the dark plague.

From time to time my ears will leak this dark ashy liquid. Once the leakage stops I clean it with alcohol and I wait a while before putting my hearing aids back on.

When my hearing aids are not on the world is silent. But the vibrations underneath my feet notify me of my surroundings. The pain has dulled down a bit but I decide to take some pain medication.

Lying against my bed I stare off into another dimension. My eyes slowly start to get heavy and I decide a nap is well needed.

I drift off into a comfortable sleep...

***

"Come on Astrid keep up"! A mellow voice screams from in front of me. We are out in our favorite valley enjoying the sun.

"Cohen slow d-down" I stutter before slamming into his back due to me running fast.

Cohen grabs me into his delicate arms he pushes my brown hair behind my ear. "You lost one of your hearing aids" he frowns and starts looking for it.

I didn't even notice one was missing... whenever me and Cohen play together I just follow his vibrations. I take out the one hearing aid I still have and put it into my dress pocket.

Its silent now but the breeze and the trees remind me I am still alive. Cohen has stopped looking for my hearing aid and he places my tiny fingers against his mouth.

"My Astrid... can you feel my lips" he says and I focus on his mouth. He places light kisses on my fingertips and it feels so ticklish I let out a giggle. He sends me a gentle smile gazing at me as if I might disappear.