by Aello on February 6th, 2011, 8:11 pm
Aello bowed her head and closed her eyes. Blood was steadily pooling out of the sides of Nathan's body. His face was growing white, and then a nasty gray shade. His skin was growing colder and colder, as was the air around him, as though the ghost were still looking down upon her and Nathan's body, and perhaps Nathan's ghost stood over her body too. Aello could not be certain, she was too distraught to think straight.
Blood was dripping onto the floor from the tips of her pale fingers, blood was imbedded in the tiny space in-between her nails and finger flesh. Tears were steadily pouring down Aello's face, but she couldn't say why. She hadn't known this man, and technically, she hadn't known the ghost either, but still, she felt the need to cry. If for nothing else but to prove to herself that she was in control again; in control of her feelings, and in control of her trembling body.
Aello lifted a blood-stained hand to her face, and wiped away her tears with the back of it. Smearing her face with a thin sheet of Nathan's blood, filling her nostrils with the metallic scent of it; and the lingering feeling of life, so quickly stamped out by death. Aello's body trembled and heaved, and her hands dropped onto Nathan's chest. His eyes were starting to glaze over, and his lips were parted slightly, exposing a thin line of lightly-yellowed teeth.
Frustrated, Aello pounded on Nathan's chest with her fists. Why did this thing always seem to happen to her? she sobbed, she didn't need this, any of this. The ghosts, the blood, the guilt. The stained clothing, and the risk of being blamed for doing something she had no control over. Aello sniffed and forced the tears to keep from falling. She didn't need them; at least, not right now, but later, they were certain to fall freely.
After a few moments, Aello forced herself to her feet, and looked around the room. Blood caked the wooden floor, clumping around small wisps of dirt and grime; the scattered dust bunny. In the corner, on top of a small table, rested a large metal basin, filled with water. It appeared to have been something Nathan may have used to wash his face when he got up in the morning. Rich people had stuff like that, Aello thought, tilting her head to the side and walking over to it.
Aello stood over it for a moment, staring at her reflection in the water. Her hair was tangled, and flying around her face in all directions. Several knots and strands clung to the side of her face, the thin beads of sweat that lined her cheeks and forehead attaching to them like glue, and forcing them to remain in place. Another series of strands entirely, stuck up at strange angles and swirled around her head like an angry person's aura. Her lips were pink, yet paler than usual. They were trembling slightly. Her eyes were red, and puffy. A thin line of purple hung beneath them; giving the impression that Aello had not slept for quite some time. Her chocolate brown eyes seemed dull, and scared. They seemed wide, and a little glassy, as though she hadn't managed to wash away all the tears just yet. Thin streaks of drying dark red blood lined her cheeks, and just under her eyes. It definitely gave away the fact that she had just assisted in killing someone.
Aello rested her hands on the table that held the basin. They were still trembling, everything had just happened so fast. Her body was still mostly in shock, or perhaps acting all on its own. Because Aello wasn't sure how she felt anymore. She sighed heavily, taking a moment to breath in through her nose, out through the mouth; trying to calm her heart, her shallow breath. But it didn't seem to work. Slowly, Aello lifted her trembling hands, and dipped them into the basin.
Lukewarm water swished around her hands, sending off a slight rippling effect throughout the basin. The blood that had seemed to seep into her skin started to wash away, tainting the water the basin contained; sending swirls of red water out and around Aello's hands.
Aello submerged her hands in the water, and started to scrub them. Rubbing her right hand with the fingers of her left, and vice versa, before it was all gone, and then splashing some water on her face to steady herself, and wash the blood from her cheeks. But all it did was send the blood and water washing down her cheeks in tiny-droplet-sized portions; giving the illusion of make-up streaming down the sides of one's face after having cried for too long.
Feeling like she'd never get to wash all the blood away, Aello looked over her shoulder at Nathan's body. It hadn't moved, not like she expected it to, but it was eerie nonetheless.
Aello lifted her hands out of the water and shook them off before returning to the side of Nathan's body. His skin was growing more and more grey, doing her best to ignore it, Aello gathered her things. Her bow hung limply in her right hand, and her bag and quiver were still strung across her back and over her shoulder. Her knife was now safe in its hiding place; she hadn't bothered to wipe it off, knowing such a thing was pointless anyway.
When she had all of her things together, Aello glanced wildly around her, she wanted to make sure that no one was looking as she made her exit. When she was certain the ghost was clear, Aello stepped into the street, and as silently as possible, shut the door behind her. The people of Ravok didn't need to see Nathan's body right now. Of course, they'd be smelling his rotting corpse in a few days, but they didn't need to know now that the man was dead.
After shutting the door behind her, Aello crept down the street as silently as she could. Her head hung, her eyes never leaving the ground. She couldn't shake the feeling that even though she had looked before leaving Nathan's, that someone was following her, or at the very least, that someone was watching her every move. Not wanting to give her growing level of paranoia, however, Aello never bothered to turn around to look. The ground would have to be enough for her.