A Cry In the Dark

[nezchan]

This was written on the spur of the moment as a sort of warm-up for a larger project I'm working on. I've been interested in very short fiction, in this case with a maximum of 200 words, as a way to learn more efficient storytelling. 

Night terrors, Hanayo called them. The name didn’t prepare her for Rin sitting bolt upright and screaming into the night.

Maki, too, shot up, instantly awake and near panic. She couldn’t afford that, though; Rin needed her.

“Rin. Rin honey, it’s okay,” she said uselessly. She didn’t respond to Maki at all. Hanayo warned her of that too. She couldn’t be reached, and would forget in the morning. So she held the girl tight and rode out her shaking and crying.

She wanted to do more, anything, to soothe her, to bring back the bold, fearless Rin she knew. It hurt to see her like this, but the trauma was thankfully brief. Soon the tremors stopped and Maki was able to gently lay her down again, the episode over. The only sound remaining was her slow, even breathing.

Stroking Rin’s hair, Maki wondered at the courage it took to invite her to stay, even after being together so long, knowing she might see this? Until now, only her parents and Hanayo knew. It was a clear gesture of trust, something Maki still struggled with.

She pressed a light kiss to Rin’s hair before laying down to join her in sleep.