I could hear a door creak on its decayed hinges. Any other day, any other time, I would care, jump to attention. Anything could be coming through the door and I wouldn't be any wiser. My head was pounding and light poured through the broken windows of our room. Everything was in a state of dissaray.
"What are you doing."
I heard her sharp voice as I sank lower into the cast iron tub, only a few inches of lukewarm water left, not serving any real purpose for cleanliness, a metallic scum floating on the surface, what was left of my usual painted self, exposing my hidden flaws. I reached for the bottle, my fingers just not quite long enough to reach.
She was there in an instant. How did she move so fast? I could still smell the cold on her, back from Dedstop so soon? How long had I been out? She ripped the bottle away, her voice too loud in my ears, ringing.
"I told you you could drink about it, but this is enough."
"No...I can't"
"Yes. You can. You are Silk Fortuna D'Lux, not some common drunk and you will not act like this."
There was no warning before the hooch poured over my head, stinging my eyes and my raw skin. I tried to scream and shuffle out of the way but I was far too inebriated.
"And this?" she held up the bottle. "This no name bullshit? You are better than this, I know where you are from, I was raised in the shadow of the Black Pyramid myself, you do not lower yourself to this trash"
And with that, I felt myself hoisted from the tub, I tried to whine, and squirm, and kick, I put an elbow in her rib and she, always a better fighter than me, simply clocked me over the head and threw me out the front door. I awoke a second later, head throbbing, ugh, that would leave a mark. I saw her throw something at me, a ragged towel "you might need this" and I realized I was naked and outside.
"You are a bitch Rue"
"I know but you love me anyway"
"Let me in"
"Not until you act like your damn self"
I sat there for hours. Wondering if I even cared, and then I heard something in the dark, shamblers maybe?
"Rue seriously. There's something out here"
"I know, but trade is a day away and I can't very well have you showing up like this."
"So you want to kill me instead?!"
"I didn't say that. Just that you need to figure this out, decide you value yourself"
"But....I want to see her again."
"Be here for the living," her voice echoed through the door.
The zed were getting closer, and I stood there, I am not a brave person, but I missed her and needed to know.... would she be there? But Rue? My family...
I screamed as they hit me, falling to the ground after a few hits, I couldn't. I screamed again, kicked the door.
"Rue, I don't know what I'm doing but please don't let me die. I'm not ready."
Wordlessly, like the valkyrie she was, she was there in an instant, pushing me behind her, her blade, aptly named thirsty slicing through the shamblers like they were made of nothing.
I watched from the ground, she looked like a dancer as she fought, fur and blood and warpaint in deadly choreography. When they were done, she dragged me back inside and stared at me for a long second.
*SLAP*
"What was that for?"
"All of this. Now lets get you cleaned up."
And with that, she started heating water and helped fill the tub with clean water. She gently washed my hair and forced me to drink some bitter tea that she swore was "good for me." It was as if she was never angry at me, though I could feel her sternness, and I knew she was still looking over my shoulder.
