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The rain hadn't stopped for hours & gave no sign of letting up anytime soon; it seemed like this wasn't going to be a short visit after all. It wouldn't be safe to send him out in such a storm, so he would have to stay the night. The evening chill only grew stronger as she stared at him, uncertain of what to say.
"Would you like some tea?" He glanced away from the window, meeting the woman with bleary-eyes.
He slowly shook his head, "No thank you. I'm fine." He said softly; she nearly lost his words in the storm raging outside her cabin. The cabin stood atop a lonely hill, the teen who visited this woman was a frequent guest; unlike the others, they often stopped here for a night, her cabin was a pit stop on their long journey ahead. Whether good or bad, she did not know; no one knew their fate until they were there. However, the boy who constantly visited her never ceased to amaze her. He never asked to be here, but he never complained about it either.
"How about some pie? I have apple... I know it's your favorite!" She said gleefully, trying to bring a smile to his face. The corner of his lips quirked upwards & she considered that a win. Her victory was short lived when he once more politely declined her offer of refreshments. She respected his decision & let him be.
Strange, the woman thought, he's never been here this long before. The boy on his many visits before had only stayed for maybe thirty mintues at a time before exiting through the same door he came through. The door that continued to appear was a plain white with a black knob. He took a seat in a chair by the window, resting his elbow on the ledge, & his chin in his hand; watching intently as the storm continued it's destruction.
I wonder how much longer this storm is going to keep going. The boy thought to himself, sighing softly as he rolled his neck, attempting to work out the kinks. I've never been here this long before. Mum's probably worrying as per usual. He stood, stretching his legs & arms, groaning in relief as his joints popped. He turned to the woman who had returned to her earlier task of cleaning.
"Would you like some help?" He questioned, hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans. The woman looked up from her task of dusting the fireplace, watching the teen as he awkwardly rocked back & forth on his feet.
She smiled closed-mouth, "I'd love some."
-
The boy's visit stretched from an hour, to two & they finally took notice once they finished cleaning the entire cabin. He felt the woman's gaze on him, & he met her brown eyes with blank hazel ones. The teen set down the books he held, making sure they were in a neat pile before turning to fully address her.
"Something the matter?" He voiced his concern for someone he considered a friend.
Ha, funny to think she'd of all people would be my friend. She cleared her throat, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"Well..." She trailed off, hands waving aimlessly in front of her, "it's just that- well, you've..." She went quiet when he held up a hands, eyes trained on the floor as he blinked slowly.
"I know. It's been the elephant in the room since thirty minutes passed an hour & a half ago." He spoke with an unreadable tone, "It doesn't bother me. I mean, after all these visits, I was surprise I always got sent back to my family & friends..." He moved to lean against the wall by the window, "All those times could've been my last, but they weren't. I was grateful yea, but it was tiring." She made her way over to him & rested a hand on his shoulder reassuringly.
"Yea... someone's never been brought back as much as you, all those repeated revivals on your body do take a toll on yah." He nodded in agreement, "You're pretty calm about all of this." She pointed out.
He smiled small, "I've come to accept it. Yea, I'm young, but hey I lived a pretty satisfying life for a sixteen year old if you ask me." He shifted more towards the window, resting a hand against the cool glass, "At least once I move on, I can make some more friends..." His hazel orbs focused on her, "Tell em how you're my friend."
She chuckled, "That'll be a bit of a shock." She turned, feeling a warm glow radiate from behind her.
"Yea, quite a shock it will be..." He said leaning in to hug the woman he had been visiting for years now, "A shock that Death is an old friend." He murmured, shedding a single tear as he turned away. She reahced up, wiping it away, her eyes glossy from the tears she held back. Never in all her existence had she made a real friend.
He was special, that much had been evident the first time she laid eyes on his soul.
"I'll miss you, once you cross over you can never return." She spoked, voice muffled as she covered her face briefly with her hands.
He huffed, resting his hands upon her shoulders, "C'mon, I technically passed on awhile ago... I've just been procrastinating it- kinda..." He made her laugh & that brought him great joy, he wanted his last memory of her to be one of happiness. "Now, I gotta go. Whoever I'm suppose to meet on the way there is getting pretty impatient." He gave her one last tight hug, & a kiss on the forehead before hurrying out his door. She smiled & waved, watching as the door vanished from her plane of existence.
"So long, old friend."