บท 2: Chapter 2
The closed pine wood that covered the ceiling was Cinder's only entertainment, she stared at it, in her mind she meticulously unpacked each strand of wood, as if it were a book, one that told the story of those trees that were used to creating that hidden abode in the middle of the mountain, the persistent smell of forest trees had permeated her nose, it was not unpleasant but it made her feel uncomfortable to an extent that she did not understand.
Outside that room she could hear a jazz tune from the fifties, something soft but cheerfuly classical, it was likely that that girl Tessa was listening to it while she finished preparing the soup that she had mentioned before. Just thinking about that freshly made meal made Cinder's stomach clench, hunger was eating away at her, she didn't know how long she had been unconscious but her body was already demanding that vital food for survival, but she couldn't do it. Nothing more than to wait. It was humiliating. The weakness of her body prevented her from moving, that feeling of helplessness and inferiority of hers disgusted her, she hated having to be like this.
Her mind was cloudier than it usually was, and the situation was very confusing and uncomfortable for her, she should be dead and if she wasn't dead she should be looking for little red and her team to finish them off, instead she was helpless in the house of a complete stranger, Cinder knew that if she had had a little more strength she would have killed her, she would have finished her off without even knowing her name, that also bothered her, but she didn't know why. Was it because she didn't have the strength? Enough to kill her? Or was it the fact that she had killed her without any qualms? Impotence? Remorse? Cinder was tired of trying to figure out what was wrong with her.
The door to the room opened, taking her out of her murky thoughts. She guided her gaze until she found the blushing and happy face of the woman who rescued her. For a couple of seconds, she felt her heart beat faster than normal. What did she know? Do you suppose what that feeling meant?
" Look, the soup is ready " Cinder looked at the bowl between that woman's hands, she felt the smell invade her nostrils and her stomach croaked, betraying her poker face, the black-haired woman only looked away in annoyance without saying a word, she felt humiliated.
Tessa sat next to her without losing that smile, Cinder looked at her quickly and looked away again. "I'm not leaving here until you eat," she said, making the other woman wrinkle her face with obvious displeasure. She brought the spoon loaded with Soup to the face but the black-haired woman did not turn her face, showing how much the action bothered her.
"You have to stop making that face"
"Which face? "
"The same face you have right now... I already told you before that I won't do you any harm, I just want to help you " Didn't I want to hurt her? Those words bothered Cinder more than she thought they would? Even if she wanted to, she couldn't do anything to her, Cinder, was very powerful, few could stand up to her, so what did this Tessa mean? Of course, she felt sorry for her because she was hurt badly and she couldn't do anything on her own.
" I don't want that soup, I don't want anything "
" Your stomach tells me otherwise " Cinder swallowed, she was so angry that she knew she was red, that woman had no idea who she was and what she could do to her, she ignored her, and that made her angrier.
"I don't want your damn pity," she spat hatefully, glaring at her. Tessa lowered her spoon to her bowl, frowning.
"I assure you, it's not pitty," the brunette sighed. She left the bowl of soup on the nightstand and picked up a book that she began to look at, settling into the chair, once again earning the attention of an angry Cinder.
" What are you doing? " She asked her, frowning just as annoyed.
"I'll stay here until you decide to eat," she continued, looking through the book. Cinder snorted, returning her gaze to the roof of the cabin. But what a stubborn woman! she thought with nerves on edge.
After an hour Cinder was still looking at the ceiling and Tessa continued her reading, the black-haired girl gave the brunette a few sidelong glances during that time, she didn't seem to have the slightest intention of leaving, she remained calm, comfortable in her chair, at her side, it seemed that she had no intention of abandoning her. Why would someone who didn't know her at all want to help her? Maybe if she knew who she really was she would finally leave her alone?
It took Cinder another while to stop looking at her out of the corner of her eye and this time focus her gaze on her, after a while she realized that it was more entertaining than looking at the ceiling, she, Tessa, was... very interesting, Cinder knew the good ones, people, and she knew that Tessa was one of them. How unfortunate for her to have had to run into Cinder, she didn't know who she had brought into her house. The black-haired woman was going crazy, she couldn't stop thinking about that and the innocent woman called Tessa.
The black-haired woman sighed softly and caught the other's attention. They both stared at each other for several moments. Those violet eyes captured her for a moment. She felt naked before her, exposed. Could she perhaps see her evil? Tessa smiled at her with some sweetness.
"Are you still hungry? "
Cinder looked at her for a moment longer, it would be useless to continue denying it, she hated being at someone's mercy, but it was the harsh truth, she nodded once without stopping to observe her, the brunette abandoned the book and touched the edge of the soup bowl, checking its contents temperature.
" Give me a moment… just let me warm it up " She left the room, leaving the other woman devastated. Since when did she feel so alone? Were a few minutes with that woman enough to miss her? No, at least that would never happen to Cinder, she had never cared about being alone or being abandoned.
She looked at the ceiling again, but this time it no longer seemed interesting to her, looking at Tessa was much better… No… No, not even if she wanted to she should think that…. It was crazy, horrible crazy. She did not have time to continue judging herself since the young brunette woman entered the room again with that bowl of soup that gave off a delicious aroma that made her hungry.
" It's really hot " She sat next to her, stirred it a little, and offered her a spoonful again, the black-haired woman looked at her suspiciously again, she tried to raise her arm, she was very weak, it was a pathetic attempt because she only managed to lift it and tremble, just to drop it again
"Come on," she offered again, drawing another sigh from Cinder, she didn't feel comfortable, it didn't seem fair to her, and she just didn't know why, she pursed her lips in frustration, it ate at her inside.
"I would have killed you"
" What? " asked the confused brunette.
"I would have killed you... if I had had the opportunity in the forest... I would have killed you," she finally confessed.
Tessa looked at her deeply, her eyes were a sea of confusing feelings that Cinder couldn't decipher, she was silent and her face was serene. Why the hell wasn't she reacting?
"I know," she offered the spoon again, leaving Cinder stunned. Why didn't she get scared or yell at her, or throw the soup on top of her? She could free herself from her by calling the guard or maybe she could grab a pillow and…she could… end it all.
" That's all? Aren't you scared or angry or whatever?"
"No," she replied simply.
" You don't know who I am, you don't know, in fact, you have no idea "
" I know you're very powerful " she interrupted her, taking a quick look at her Grimm arm " I know you probably don't come from a good place, I'm sure you have a pretty dark past, it's also likely that you haven't done good things… you have an expression of anger and distress on your face that tells me everything "
"And you don't plan to do anything? "
" Helping you is the only thing I plan to do "
" Because? " Cinder looked at her as if she were crazy, she couldn't understand her.
"Why, it is the right thing to do"
" Doing the right thing could kill you "
"It would be very satisfying to die doing the right thing, don't you think? "
"I think you're crazy"
Tessa laughed in such a sweet way that Cinder looked at her without saying anything else, she understood that she could not continue fighting against her, Tessa defeated her, she was more powerful than her and she was already at her mercy, her life or what was left of it, It was in her hands.
The brunette offered her the spoonful of soup again and she didn't resist anymore, she took the bite and savored it, taking in the taste, two, or three more bites made her almost choke.
"Take it easy, you've been unconscious for two days, so you should go slower"
"Have I been like this for two days? " She asked surprised.
" You were very bad " She wiped her lips carefully "You were almost lifeless, it was difficult for me to bring you here, I had to come home to bring the wheelchair and then bring you here " She looked at her with some sadness before giving her another spoonful "There was a moment when I thought you wouldn't survive"
"And here I am still," she said in a dull voice, somehow she couldn't feel happy about that.
"Here you are," the other one encouraged, relieved.
"Why do you have a wheelchair? " Cinder questioned her with some curiosity.
"I'm a nurse, I have some things at home," she stated proudly, shrugging her shoulders.
" Wow…despite everything I've been lucky "
Tessa smiled more than moved by the interaction they were having " That's right, that you have been Cinder " Hearing her say her name again gave her a feeling of surprise, her heart beat fast again, and those shivers bothered Cinder, she didn't remember. Having never felt things like that before, it was uncomfortable for her.
"I... I don't want anymore," she said, refusing another spoonful.
" Oh…well it's okay, at least you ate half of the soup, but later you should eat a little more, I'll prepare a puree for you, that will be good for you " She took the bowl and stood up " For now I need you to use the bathroom and I also need to change those dirty clothes "
The black-haired woman frowned, looking at her clothes, torn and dirty, she was so wrapped up in her thoughts and in Tessa that she had not noticed the state of her clothes.
" I'll go get the wheelchair to take you to the bathroom, it won't be that difficult, you're not that heavy "
Cinder felt worried and anxious, she didn't want her to see her scars and her arm from her Grimm, she was horrible, she didn't want her to see her, she looked at the ceiling very unsure of that situation.
" I… I don't " Her voice seemed to break a little
Tessa noticed it immediately " You don't have to worry " She spoke calmly " I'll prepare a foam bath for you, I'm going to cut this dress you're wearing, it's no longer useful anyway, I'll put you in the bathtub, so the foam will cover you I'll be behind you all the time, I promise I won't look at you." The black-haired woman nodded without knowing how else to respond to her exposed insecurities. It was clear that she couldn't do anything to remedy it.
The water was a little below her shoulders, the foam covered her thin shoulder blades and the hot liquid ran down her neck while Tessa put water on her hair to remove the shampoo, she was sitting on a bench right behind her, and Cinder could barely move, so she was just sitting inside the tub.
A few drops of her hair fell on her shoulder, revealing a small part of her scar. She raised her trembling and weak arm, worried about covering that horrible piece of skin that was exposed. Tessa gently placed the foam on her exposed skin, noticing her anguish.
"That's it," she whispered very softly. "I promised you I wouldn't see," she reminded her.
"I... It's okay," the other replied, "it's not like you want to look anyway."
Tessa simply stayed silent, not commenting on the matter, making Cinder even more nervous, if that was possible.
" Look, I… my body is… " she gasped " It's… it's… I'm… I look unpleasant "
" No, it's not like that "
" What? "
"I don't think the same," she said simply to continue washing her hair.
Cinder didn't reply anything, she just stayed silent looking at some point on the wall, she didn't want to have to talk about it anymore, the black-haired woman knew that she was a monster, not only was her body horrendously disfigured, but her soul was also horrendous, Her hands were stained with the blood of innocent people, those maidens, all those boys and those people she had murdered... and that red-haired girl, Pyrra...
...Do you believe in destiny?...
That phrase, she would never forget... a tiny, treacherous tear fell down her hurt face, she gritted her teeth, distraught and angry with herself for feeling so weak and for being so useless. But what the hell was happening?
A soft and gentle hand wiped away that solitary tear that was spilling down her cheek, and caressed her face in a delicate and understanding way.
"Who has hurt you so much? " Tessa's kind voice brought Cinder out of her dark thoughts.
"I" Cinder answered"I have been hurting myself"
[T/N: I'm crying...Damn, I didn't think this chapter would make me this emotional, also what's with this Tessa person, this is the third fanfic I have read where she is the love interest, is this going to be another ARC stage for the RWBY community. Thank God this chapter is a decent length. I don't need more stuff to do sunday. If you like this chapter then leave a comment, write a review, and drop some stones. If you want to read a few advanced chapters then check out the P@treon, we are 4 chapters ahead over there for just $5.]
[Also check out my other books, either go to my profile or search up 'Invisible-a Harry Potter FanFic', 'Searching in the Abyss', or 'Omnitrix of Justice'.]
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