Chapter 31: Deja Vu (2)
Luke looked at him and smiled, nodding his head. "Yeah, you're right. I'm done just sitting around. I want to get home no matter what... but I think we should rest here for one more day. I mean, it's safe here, and who knows when we'll find the next safe place. And you still don't seem fully recharged, so what do you say we stay here for one more night and leave first thing in the morning?"
Arthur sighed and thought about it for a moment, an inexplicable sense of déjà vu washing over him. The sensation came suddenly, like a wave crashing over his consciousness, then receded just as quickly. He rubbed his temples, trying to chase away the odd feeling. The stone beneath him was hard and uncomfortable, but they were safe and away from the roses and the monsters that dwell here so to be honest he's willing to deal with some slight discomfort.
"I don't know..." He looked at his friend's cheering face and then assessed his own beat-down body. His muscles ached, and some of his wounds were still not fully healed. Every joint in his body seemed to protest at the mere thought of getting up and continuing their journey right away. The idea of rest was tempting, despite the constant urgency that had driven him forward until now.
"Ah, screw it. All right, one more night, okay?" The words felt rehearsed, as if he were an actor in a play he didn't remember agreeing to perform in. Strange how his reluctance gave way so easily—but then again, Luke had always been persuasive.
Luke's smile grew larger as he nodded, exactly as Arthur somehow knew it would. His friend's enthusiasm was visible in the sparkle of his eyes.
Arthur grinned weakly. "I wanted to talk some more anyway... it's nice to at least pretend there's some normality in this insane situation." He stretched his legs out in front of him, wincing slightly at the stiffness in his knees.
Luke laughed, the sound echoing slightly across the rosses. "Yeah, I agree."
The hours drifted by as Arthur and Luke talked more and more throughout the day.
Yet for some reason, Arthur kept getting this splitting headache of déjà vu that he couldn't quite place. It would come in sharp bursts, like someone driving a spike through his skull, only to fade moments later. He tried to hide his discomfort from Luke, not wanting to worry his friend over what was probably just stress and exhaustion taking their toll.