Cas' Memories

The Darkest Day came just before he died. Though he couldn't leave the house much anymore, barely having the strength to stand, they managed to get him outside to watch the tapestry of stars weave its way across the sky.

She was too far gone by then to take much pleasure in it. But it was one of the last of his smiles, and she treasured the memory like nothing else.

It came again when she was sixteen. He was long dead. She couldn't drag herself out of bed, turning her back on her parents' begging until they finally left the house without her.

When they were gone, the warmth sank over her like an embrace. The feeling was so familiar that all of a sudden she was a hatchling again, a wing blanketed over her protecting her from the cruel world.

That was the last time she could remember crying.

It wasn't enough to fill the void he had left. But at least he wasn't entirely gone.

Four years later, she had left Acora behind, and her new life lay full of potential before her. She was hardly happy then. The days of travel were long and lonely, and she could never bring herself to move on from his death. But she was glad to feel his presence, to whisper stories of her travels and her hopes for the future to the starry sky.

When the sun rose the next morning, she managed to smile at it. Next time he saw her, things would be better.

Now the day is coming again. She watches the seasons pass and feels nothing but dread.

Because she doesn't want him to see what she's become. What little of her is left.