Chapter 86 - 80 - Hospitalized
It was dark.
A dim light from the hallway shone under the door, but in the interest of saving money on electricity this too was extinguished. It was cold, musty smelling, cramped.
Yes, the crawlspace under the stairs a home did not make, though for Taika this was the only place she could be. A tool stashed away under the stairs, drawn out by the home's inhabitants when needed. At least she could count her blessings that a light was provided for her to read, though today's chores had been particularly taxing – she just wanted to sleep.
Old pillows and comforters, discarded by the manor's occupants were what she used to construct her makeshift bed. The masters of the manor even joked about being environmentally conscious by donating these luxury items to her – that is to say they certainly made her earn them.
That went doubly so for the books she loved and cherished. Truth be told they were malicious tomes, but even if their intent was to crush her by showing her lives she couldn't live, she found hope within their pages.
In this hell she called life, all she could cling onto were the fantastical stories of those penned by another.
This hell…
…wait a minute…
Taika awoke with a start, her eyes wide, a thick sweat coating her from head to toe. The distinct lack of a connection, a void normally filled by her beloved Maestro, the threads of rhythm that connected her to Shouri – they were gone.
Something was wrong.
What time was it? There was the faintest hint of light coming from the window, the makings of dawn. It was summer, and given where they were at in the world, Taika knew it was pretty early, but still. Grabbing her own tuner from the nightstand where she left it, she shook it awake and found the current time.