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At five in the morning, Amelia was, unfortunately, awake.
She had gotten home late after writing a report on a case that had lasted for a few weeks. Now, it was officially closed. All she had to do was let her clients know.
There wasn't any actual deadline for it that needed her to rush, but she wanted to get it over with as soon as she could. It was never easy breaking bad news to a family waiting on a missing person case. At the very least, it'd give them some closure on everything and let them start mourning properly. She'd gone through this enough times to know how it went. Tomorrow, she'd go talk to the family, and she wanted to be well-rested for it.
The birds were making it difficult, though.
It was hard enough trying to sleep with the sun starting to ooze its way through the blinds, but the birds and their chirping made it infinitely harder.
"Dumb birds," Amelia muttered before wincing and saying, "Sorry, I didn't mean it."
She sighed and rolled onto her side in an attempt to get more comfortable. Complaining about it wouldn't do anything. She'd just have to close her eyes and hope for the best.
Amelia was crouched down next to a rock. There was moss growing on it. She gently poked it. Soft but dense. Judging by how close she was to a lake, there was a good chance it was carpet moss.
"Ame."
"Ina," Amelia greeted, but she didn't take her eyes off the moss.
There was a moment of silence before Amelia felt Ina crouch down next to her. The sunlight got blocked by a parasol, the shade giving her some much needed cooling.
"What are you looking at?" Ina asked.
"Moss," Amelia said while pointing at the rock. "I think it's carpet moss."
Ina nodded and smiled. "I see."
Neither of them said anything. Amelia kept staring at the moss while Ina remained crouched next to her.
Amelia was the first to relent. Ina was always the more patient one. Even though she knew why Ina was here, she turned her gaze to Ina and jokingly asked, "How'd you know I'd be here? Did you find me just because you missed me that much?"
Ina's smile became strained. "Oh, Ame," she said, a tinge of sadness in her voice, "you know why I'm here."
Amelia looked away from Ina before she drowned in the purple-blue pools of Ina's eyes. She could feel Ina looking at her, the discomfort of it prickling on her skin. "I dunno what you mean," she lied.
Ina moved closer to Amelia. Amelia could feel Ina's body against hers, a comforting warmth radiating onto her. Ina gently said, "You're always like this after you deliver bad news."
Amelia slumped against Ina. Was she really that obvious, or was Ina just that perceptive? Closing her eyes, she wordlessly leaned her head onto Ina's shoulder.
"Oh, Ame," Ina said again, not trying to hide the sadness this time. She pulled Amelia into a hug.
"I just... I thought it'd get easier after the first few times," Amelia quietly said. It was an admittance of weakness, something that showed she wasn't cut out for her job. "It never does."
Ina slowly rubbed circles into Amelia's back, and Amelia felt herself leaning deeper into Ina's arms. "Your heart has always been big, Ame. You don't need to hide that."
Amelia didn't say anything. She just focused on the circles on her back, on Ina's calming presence. Ina could say nothing, and Amelia would still feel calmed down by her.
She didn't know how much time passed. She didn't even realize that her breathing was rough until it evened out, and she was able to breathe more easily.
Separating herself from Ina, she stood up. Her knees were killing her. She didn't know how long she was crouched down for, but the sun was noticeably lower compared to when she last saw it. Ina followed her in standing up and held out a hand. Amelia gratefully took it.
Ina held Amelia's hand as they walked to Amelia's house. It felt more like Ina was guiding Amelia rather than just walking with her.
On the way back, Amelia heard a loud bird call. She must've made a face because Ina looked at her and laughed.
Amelia felt embarrassment burning on her face as she sputtered out, "It's just— It was late last night and I was trying to sleep and— I just got reminded of not being able to fall asleep."
Ina giggled (Amelia felt her heart flutter when she heard it) and said, "Of course, I understand."
The teasing lilt in Ina's voice made Amelia's face burn even more. She pulled her cap down in front of her face in a futile attempt to hide herself.
Ina mercifully didn't push any further and just let her giggles die down. It was silent for a few moments until Ina said, "Did you know that birds can sing because they're sad?"
Pulling her cap up, Amelia looked at Ina. Her face was unusually serious, not the face of tranquil calm it usually was. She replied, "Never heard of that. I thought it was usually because they're marking their territory or looking for a mate."
Ina looked at Amelia again with that strained, sad smile. "I hope you never hear one sing out of sadness."
Amelia didn't know what Ina meant by that, but she found herself agreeing. "I hope I never do."
Amelia was tired.
She couldn't sleep, and she didn't even have a bird to blame it on this time. But no matter how much she tried, she knew that sleep wouldn't help her. Not this time.
Amelia got up from her bed and sighed. Sitting around and doing nothing wouldn't solve anything. She left her room and went outside.
It was quiet. There weren't any of the usual outdoor noises. No car engines, no dogs barking, no people talking. The only thing Amelia could hear was the ticking of her watch.
Everything looked more muted, too. The world looked less colorful, less vibrant. All of the buildings around here were razed. Her house was the only building that remained upright, the only imperfection across the perfectly destroyed landscape.
Amelia didn't know where she was going. She wandered. She might've gone in circles, she wasn't sure. It wasn't until she heard the chirp of a bird that she stopped. Looking up at the sky, she saw a pink bird. It flapped its wings, and it turned orange. Another flap of its wings turned it into a blue bird. One final flap turned it yellow. It circled above Amelia before flying off with a cry.
Amelia followed it.
Time was meaningless as she followed it. It didn't matter how much time passed. The bird kept crying, making sure Amelia didn't get lost.
Eventually, Amelia found herself next to a lake. The bird had landed on an outstretched hand. It was purple now.
Amelia couldn't help it as she felt herself smile. She always did manage to cheer her up, even if the person in front of her wasn't really her.
"Ina!" Amelia greeted.
The shadowy figure with blazing white eyes and a shining halo silently stared back at Amelia.
"Are you looking for moss? You should've invited me! I could've shown you the best places for moss," Amelia cheerfully said, undeterred by Ina's silence. Ina was patient for her, and now, she'd be patient for Ina. She could do all the talking.
Slowly, Amelia walked towards the figure. "You always were better at talking than me. You knew what to say and when to say it. But me? I talk too much or too little, no in-between."
The bird stopped chirping, its gaze also focusing on Amelia. Amelia almost missed its cries. "You remembered this place? I'm flattered. I didn't know it mattered that much to you."
Amelia was standing in front of the figure now. Quietly, she said, "You know why I'm here, Ina. We need our closure on this."
No response. Amelia didn't expect one. She continued, "You told me my heart was big, and you were right. It doesn't get easier, no matter how many times I try to stop this. Everything always leads to... this." She gestured, pointing out the nothingness around her.
She lowered her arms as they flopped down to her side. "But this time, I don't have you here to help me through it."
The figure didn't say anything. It stared with its white eyes, devoid of any emotion. Amelia let out a loud, dramatic sigh. "Is this how you felt talking to me? You're a miracle worker, Ina."
Amelia reached down and pulled out her gun. She patted it and said, "Two bullets. That's all I have left. That's all I need."
She raised the gun and pointed it at the figure. It looked back at her, a flash of blue and purple in its eyes. Amelia closed her eyes and hoped for the best. She pulled the trigger.
At five in the morning, the world was silent. There was no giggling of a priestess, no ticking of a watch.
The only sound that no one was around to hear were the cries of a bird.