Chapter 550

Chapter 550: Relocating Loneliness

Moving boxes didn’t seem like a very necromancer-ish thing to do.

Quite a far cry from summoning hordes of the undead, or devastating entire lands with rot and decay... but I guess even Sera has her downtimes.

For curiosity’s sake, I kept my distance, hung back a bit... a little interested to know just how long she could hold out, out here – way out of her comfort zone.

Bizarrely enough, the entire community kinda just accepted her, unanimously relegating her to the role of the odd one doing odd jobs.

From what I’ve heard from gossip here and there, some folks had tried involving her in more important jobs – but apparently, Sera did not know her way around a plug and an outlet resulting in a short circuit of the entire electrical system.

Another time, she was given the duty of raking the leaves. But I guess she must have realized how much of a bore that was, ’cause she just walked off from her task without a single cleared patch of grass to her name.

To be fair, if they wanted something done right, they should have just done it themselves. I consider Sera faultless in all this. Seriously, she can’t even say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to anything, what level of confidence do you need to have to still want to delegate her assignments anyway?

.....

Apparently astronomical – ’cause now Sera was just stacking boxes atop of boxes, bringing them to places... that I’m not even sure were the right places.

After hauling a handful of them back and forth, Sera wandered off again in search of more... and a while later, she returned, and wow – that’s a very big box she got there. Like roughly half her size and practically blocking all her sight.

Nevertheless, Sera persevered onward, walking slow wobbling steps and being as careful as she could.

Sadly, not careful enough. Her mistake? Inappropriate work attire.

Sera tripped on her cloak, sending her careening forward, a split-second mid-air, the box leaving her hands mid-fall... before I managed to catch it in time, pushing it back towards her, and balancing the load between both of our grips.

“Hey,” I said, peeking my head out from the big wall of cardboard. “Long time no see.”

Silence and a stare, as per usual, were what I was greeted back with, her glowing amber eyes batting slowly, vacantly. It seems not even a month-long period of absence was enough to elicit some positive reactions from her.

Eh, whatever...

“Well, lead the way,” I said, throwing my chin with a nudge. “Where we going with this?”

Some random bench, apparently. Plenty stacked already with other boxes in all shapes and sizes. We squeezed it in, and as we did, I felt a soft silky sensation slithering between my legs... guess someone here did miss me, after all.

“Hey there, little girl...” I spoke to the bundle of white, lifeless blue eyes staring back up at me. “Sera been treating you well?”

As a lifeless corpse goes, Mrs. White was a pretty lively one. She meowed, she purred, rubbing herself against me as she always had. If I just don’t think about it, maybe I could pretend she wasn’t her.

Sera took a breather atop one of the boxes, shifted her head to one side, paused, then slowly, turned it all the way to the other, another pause. I heard her make a low noise – vaguely sounding like disappointment, before raising her stare, realigning her gaze back towards me – questioningly.

I took a rough guess.

“Where’s Ash?”

She nodded.

“Not here, as you can see,” I answered. “Guess you noticed that she stopped visiting for a while now? Don’t take that the wrong way – she hasn’t actually left the house for quite some time now either.”

Through the veil over her lips faintly emerged another quiet noise – she knew, she understood. ‘Course she did. I didn’t need to explain the ‘why’ to that. Instead, she looked back up at me again... and this time I didn’t even need to guess.

“So, what am I doing here then?” I asked myself in her stead. “Honestly, I’m not too sure myself... guess I just sorta felt like seeing you, I suppose.”

Her head fell sideways – clearly, she didn’t get it. Can’t blame her, I didn’t either.

A choir of chuckles then suddenly spurred past by us in the form of children playing tag, knocking the boxes, and nearly tumbling all of Sera’s hard work into scattered ruins strewn across the pavement.

“Relax,” I told her, hearing her growl grow louder. “It’s a park, this place belongs to them as much as it belongs to you. Gonna have to learn to share it.”

She snapped, diverting her growl towards me.

“Yeah, had a feeling you’d say that,” I muttered, seeing her glare in vehement disapproval. “So let’s not risk an incident... I’m taking you out of here. Live with me until the park’s all yours again, how does that sound to you?”

Nothing – it sounded like nothing. Or at the very least, that’s what her long, stagnant silence seemed to imply. Times like these, I really wished telepathy were one of my specialties... can’t tell what she’s thinking at all.

“Not an order, by the way, feel free to decline the offer,” I quickly said. “I’m just... well, I just thought... tonight’s gonna be cold, it’s gonna be freezing, you’re gonna be alone... you shouldn’t be alone,” I turned away, her stare bothering me for some reason, and faced forward. Family, friends, as one and together, before my very eyes. “Especially not in a time like this, y’know?”

‘Course she doesn’t know. How could she? What do earthly customs, festivities, matter to someone like her? It doesn’t, or at least, it shouldn’t. She’s been alone her entire life, always been cold, why of all times, should it ever bother her now?

Short answer – it doesn’t. If anything, it bothered me. That’s what I’m doing here, that’s why I came here... it’s been all about me all along. Truly, I’m the very essence of humility.

And besides, why should she accept anything I have to offer anyway? Especially after the last time, the one time she’s asked me of anything... only for me to ultimately decline her one desire. I don’t doubt she’s forgotten that yet.

“Can’t promise you’d enjoy yourself there much, but at the very least, with Ash there,” I looked at her again, finding her gaze having yet to stray. “You won’t be so alone anymore, right?”

Again with the loneliness deal, is that seriously my only selling point here?

“Plus, it’s quiet too,” The cold brittle wind got caught in my eyes, and I blinked hard. “And it’s also, um...” I looked back, and suddenly she was standing, still staring.

I quickly stood up too, a little confused. “Is that a yes?”

Sera nodded her head once, turning away – the bottom of her cloak lightly dragging across the trail, as she strode towards the exit without so much as sparing a moment’s consideration.

Mrs. White attempted to follow, only to stop short inches before Sera’s gaze. Something happened in a span of a second – suddenly, rigidly, White then turned in the opposite direction, disappearing deep into the nearby trees, presumably until Sera returned once more.

Just pretend, just don’t think. She isn’t my cat.

After recovering, I took the lead, guiding her through the crowd, and over to where I parked, and that’s when we hit a snag – wary and suspicious, Sera held a heavy gaze at my bike with palpable tension.

“It’s a motorbike, it’s um, it’s like a horse, you know – a horse?” I tried to explain. “You’ll see what I mean, come on, hop on the back.”

You’d have thought I had said something crude by the way she looked at me. I feigned ignorance, taking my helmet – and after a moment of ponder – I went and tossed it at her.

Just hope I don’t get pulled over...

Sera caught it, landing in her hands perfectly, but once again, the only expression reflecting back on its glossy surface was her doubts.

“Put it on,” I told her.

Sera grunted – confused.

“Just,” I blew a breath, a misty cloud fogging my rearview mirrors. “Would you just do it?”

After like an eternity of assurance and mistrust, I actually managed to get her riding at the back along with the helmet securely fastened over her head, hood and all.

In retrospect, maybe I should have kept the helmet. The color contrast was one thing – but now she just looks like some kind of purple astronaut bobblehead figurine.

Oh well, safety first, right?

“Alright,” I turned the ignition, the engine starting with a loud rumble that had her freezing stiff in place. “Now I just need to put your arms around my waist.”

Somehow even through the helmet shieldings, I could still feel her piercing stare at me as sharp as ever.

“Just put your arms on me, Sera... it’s for safety – ”

She grunted, cutting me off, arms stubbornly refusing to budge by her side, and there I was, completely drained of all my patience.

“Sera, you will regret – ”

A warning growl.

“Fine, regret then...”

I twisted the handlebar, and there, in an instant, we went hurtling out into the streets with a mighty roar. In the beeps of traffic, the whistling winds of high speeds, I heard it – a frightened squeal.

Something heavy was leaning against me, and something firm was curling around me.

For some reason, I couldn’t see Sera sulking behind me anymore – probably because she was far too busy clinging onto me for dear life like some kind of life-sized anaconda with a swollen shiny head, her cloak fluttering heavily in the breeze.

“So?” I shouted amidst the whirling winds. “Regretting yet?”

Somewhere between her shock and dread, she had room to wedge in an annoyed growl between her whimpers, and I felt her fingers slightly dig into my ribs.

Guess that’s a yes...

Hate to say I told you so, Sera...

But I told you so.