Who: Peter and Annie What: Safety and Prophecy When: Backdated: after this Where: Hyperion Rating: G Status:Complete
When they reached the top of the stairs, Peter turned toward the left - in the direction of his room - and Annie glanced to the right. Reaching out, she abruptly took his hand and pulled lightly. A clear indication she wanted him to follow her. She was pleased when he listened and did precisely that. She ultimately led them to her room, the door swinging open as they approached.
The room was still in slight disaray. The windows had been replaced with clear plastic for the time being and there was a faint whistling sound as the wind rapped against the material. It stopped when Annie entered, the fan overhead surging to life.
There was a new bed - frame and all - but Annie moved toward the far corner nearest the door to the closet. She had crayons there, and a pad of paper. Sitting cross-legged, she glanced up and the door swung closed behind Peter.
Sleep.
She didn't say it, and even if she was thinking it, no one knew for sure. It was obvious, though, that's what she meant.
Sleep. Rest.
Annie turned her attention to her crayons, withdrew a black one, and began to draw a large square that framed the page.
It was tempting. It was very, very tempting. Peter was tired, and he just wanted to be left alone for a while. He hadn't expected Annie to be so passionate about not letting him be by himself, but he supposed he should have expected it. He and Annie had a connection, and Peter savored it. He knew he loved her already, that he would do anything for her. The idea that she thought the same was starting to present itself.
Ah, the bed. Peter pushed off his shoes, tossed his jacket aside and slid onto the ned, curling a pillow into his chest. He lay there for a few minutes, trying to let his mind settle, before he shifted in the bed, into a position where he could see Annie, and could watch her. She was a comforting presence among all of this. A safe presence.
She didn't pay him any attention for a few long minutes. Annie simply drew a picture, the paper flat on the floor and her dark hair hanging on either side of her face. Almost brushing the page but not quite. Finally, after a few moments, she looked up. Her solemn expression met Peter's gaze and she offered a delicate smile.
Picking up the paper, Annie turned it so he could see and pointed. It was an obvious room, the entire outline in black. The bed was in the same place as her room. A green figure was laying on top of it. Another figure, this one drawn in red, was in the corner. Annie grunted slightly and tapped the page before placing it back on the ground.
She picked the black crayon back up once more and slowly began to draw large circles across the page. A handful of the scribbles and Annie cast the page aside, tearing it from the notebook and putting it - drawing side up - beside her, already furiously getting to work on a clean sheet of paper and something else. Whether it was something she was seeing, or just something she wanted to draw, was anyone's guess.
As she layered on the circles, Peter could almost feel a barrier making its way around the room. He returned the smile, a touch belatedly, and nestled on the pillow. Peter watched her draw for a bit, but when his eyes became heavy, he let them close.
Not long after he'd fallen asleep, a shudder went through him, and Peter whimpered softly, assaulted by dreams, memories of that basement, the feeling on chains on his wrists and steel upon his skin.
At the initial whimper, Annie hesitated with her coloring. When he shifted on the bed a moment later, she looked up at him. Her brow was furrowed and her lips were tugged downward into a frown. Silently she rose to her feet, her expression turning neutral as she crossed the floor to where Peter slept.
Perching on the edge of the bed, her fingers hovered near his temples - willing the memories to the deeper recesses of his mind. It wouldn't keep him from thinking of them when awake, but his sleep wouldn't be quite so plagued. Brushing some hair away from his face, Annie smiled sweetly then turned from him and returned to her spot in the corner.
She would let him rest until he didn't want to rest anymore. She had more than enough paper, and dominoes if she did run out. She wasn't hungry, and she knew no one would bother them. Sedately she colored, lost in her own little world until he woke again.
The dream faded, and Peter's sleep was easy, dreamless. He settled, comfortable, and slept soundly. When he woke later, he was calm, opening his eyes to watch Annie.
It took a few seconds under scrutiny, but eventually Annie hesitated with her coloring and peered up, through her lashes, at Peter. She smiled a bit then ducked her head slightly, returning her attention back to her drawing. A few more strikes of the crayon and she was finished - ripping the finished product from the pad of paper. Rising to her feet, she carried it to Peter and held it out expectantly.
The picture depicted a building, clearly exploding, and a figure standing in front of it. The figure was green... the very same as the one who was sleeping in the bed in her other drawing. Her expression was somber as she stood before Peter, waiting patiently (or perhaps simply so lost within her mind that she didn't realize she had yet to walk away) for him to look at the drawing and offer his opinion.
Peter furrowed his brow, looking at the drawing. After a moment, he reached out and took it in one hand, a light sinking feeling in his gut. He didn't know what building it was that was exploding, but he knew which one he hoped it wasn't.
Do you know where that is? he asked her. What building?
"Boom," Annie replied simply. She looked back to the drawing then peered up at him through a dark curtain of her hair. "Big... boom!"
It was clear that whatever the desitnation was, she wasn't going to say it. Instead she carefully approached the bed and perched on the edge of it. Reaching out, her fingers trailed lightly against Peter's temple, her expression a hesitant one. As her hand made it to the top of his head, she patted him soundly and smiled, quite suddenly.
"Shhh." She urged with a nod of her head, her hands going back to her lap as her gaze flickered to the drawing once more. "Boom."
Well, Annie didn't seem worried about it, at least. And if she knew more, she wasn't saying. At the 'shhh', Peter nodded, laid his head back down, and went back to sleep, comforted by the safety the young girl brought.