Book I, Act V: Elementary (3/3), Chapter IV

Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I, Imbalance

Act V: Elementary, Part III

Chapter IV:

When they closed their doors that night, everything was ready. Now Azula only had to do her part. She looked at Nozomi with confidence and nodded. Her friend looked ready, but Azula still had her insecurities about her.

She tried to sleep, but she couldn't, for she was mentally rehearsing all the phases of her plan: take the keys, free the other prisoners, cause a commotion, escape when everyone was busy. It was simple but effective. If anything went wrong, she knew that she alone could overpower anyone who got in her way. She hadn't trained in a long time, but she had gone over her moves so much that they just felt natural to do. And even though she wasn't in the best shape, she was still better than any firebender that would dare oppose her.

The opportunity had finally arrived. She hadn't been able to shut her eyes through the night, but she didn't feel tired at all. Quite the contrary, she was unnaturally energized and eager more than ever for her freedom.

Her friend sat on her bed and looked at her. "Now what? Should I scream or...?"

"I hope you've been practicing your acting."

"I'll do my best."

"Break a leg."

Nozomi took a deep breath and began to scream as she kicked the metal door. "Help! She's hurting me! Help!"

Azula awaited, flattened against the wall, expectant for the door to open as her friend continued her screaming. For a moment, she worried that the nurse wouldn't take the bait; but she heard rushed steps towards them and clenched her fists, ready to attack.

"Hang in there!" came the nurse's muffled voice from the other side as she jangled the keys to open the door. As a guard rushed in with a needle in hand, Azula jumped on his back. With one palm to the guard's back and the other pointing at the awestruck nurse, she bent a jet of flames that blasted them against the walls. Nozomi backed against a wall with teary eyes.

The guard staggered up and charged with flaming fists. She smirked, sidestepping only slightly before pressing a charged blast to his chest. She smiled. "Not entirely as planned, but that was easier than I thought… Nozomi, let's–"

Nozomi was holding her head, terrified. She cried softly, "You… you killed them."

"What are you talking about? I only…" Azula widened her eyes when she noticed the blood on her hands, her eyes trailing off to the guard lying at her feet with a hole through his chest. Her stomach dropped. "I didn't– I– they–"

"You killed her! What were you thinking?!"

"It was an accident. I–"

"What– what I saw wasn't an accident…" There was betrayal and horror in her eyes. "You enjoyed it, every moment of it." Nozomi wiped her tears as she closed the nurse's eyes, taking the set of keys from her clenched hands. She breathed one last shuddering breath. "Let's go…"

Azula's legs trembled, but there was no time for them to waste. She tried her best to put her thoughts on hold, for she wasn't certain anymore whether this was her reality now, or if she had actually imagined it, or if it was a dream. She hoped to awaken, to find out it had only been a nightmare; but as each second passed, she began to lose her hope.

She followed Nozomi from a small distance, who was avoiding eye contact. She didn't dare to speak, to try to excuse herself, nothing. Perhaps it was better to carry on. There would be time to speak later. Nozomi opened the door to the main corridor and peeked around before entering. They knew they would have to fight their way to break Zirin and her allies from their cells; so, Azula went first.

"Do you see now? They hate us, fear us, she'll turn on you, like everyone does." She shook her head and readied herself. She placed her hand on the handle with her other hand ready. Cracked the door slightly open, noticing two nurses playing Pai Sho in their room. Tried to be on the lookout for any guards that could be hidden there, With everything clear, she opened the door slowly and snuck as close to the room as she could. She gave a look to Nozomi, who watched over the main hallway. As her friend signaled the corridor was clear, Azula jumped inside, blasting away the Pai Sho board and leaving both nurses in shock.

"Hand me the keys; I won't ask twice." The nurses looked at each other before looking back at her. One of them tried to get up, so she threw fire at her feet, almost making her jump.

"Easy! I'll give you the keys, okay?" The nurse slowly approached Azula with a hand in her pocket. When she was at arm's length she pulled out a syringe; but the princess was ready, blocking it, twisting it out of the woman's arm, and stabbing her shoulder. The nurse struggled for a few seconds before flopping to the ground.

Azula smiled viciously. "You want to try something too?" The other nurse tossed her keys to Azula, who passed them over to Nozomi. Her friend walked over to the cells to open them whilst she guarded the nurse.

"Nozomi?"

"I'm sorry, Hua."

"And you, I recognize you. You are–"

Azula brandished flames. "Did I say you could speak? Be silent. This will be over for you soon. "

Azula could hear the sound of the metal doors creaking open one by one and the voices became louder.

"You think they'll be grateful for what you've done? You're wrong; people only fear us."

"Shut up."

The nurse was befuddled. "Huh?"

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Azula, stop this. You don't have to hurt anyone else, please."

"She wants to keep us here. Kill her now!"

The nurse slowly rose. Taking advantage of Azula's lack of awareness, she pounced on her, nearly toppling her to the ground. She struggled to stab a syringe into Azula's neck, but it slipped from the nurse's hands and broke as she fell unconscious. The princess pushed her away and saw that Nozomi had arrived at the nick of time, stabbing the nurse before she could do anything to her. A nod sufficed for a thank you, and they all grouped together.

"Can't believe you actually pulled this off."

"We're not finished yet. Now we take over the place." The firebenders went to the front, and the nonbenders took whatever they could use as weapons. As they all set off around the institution wreaking havoc all around, they managed to knock out a few guards before they sent the place into alert. That drew out the reserves to contain the rioters. Azula knew it would be a matter of time before reinforcements arrived.

A line of guards with shields advanced slowly towards them as others behind firebent at them. Azula tried to contain the blasts with her own counters, but they kept moving closer.

"We can't fight them like this!"

"Zirin, we have to hold them here and keep the exit to the courtyard open." With the help of other inmates, Nozomi dragged some of the tables from the cafeteria, using them as makeshift shields. Pieces of the tables broke off, unable to withstand the fireballs tossed at them. Some of the guards' blasts met their marks, thinning the prisoners' numbers.

Azula gave Zirin a general's stare. "Let's see what you can do, tough girl. We'll charge at them and break their line. All of you remaining, wait for an opening and fire as soon as you see it! Ready?" Zirin nodded, and they both took a table, running towards the guards, who pierced their makeshift shield. As soon as they were within a few yards from the guards, they concentrated their firebending on a single shieldman. The force of their combined attack was enough to push him back and onto his knees, It forced him to tilt his shield at the right angle and leave the backline unprotected. Azula didn't waste her chance and fired at them.

Zirin took the opportunity to jump over the shield, fighting hand-to-hand on the other side. She had underestimated the girl. She may not have been the strongest firebender, but her fighting was on point. Zirin fought with flaming fists instead of throwing fireballs, kept the fire close exploding it as she connected each punch, and alone, managed to drop another two shields before being pounced on by the backline of guards.

Azula jumped in to help. Six guards charged at her. Without much time to think, she copied Zuko's technique of a sweeping kick. The arc of fire threw the men off their feet. She was surprised her brother of all people had managed to come up with such an effective attack tactic. Not dwelling on it much longer, she neutralized the remaining guards with Zirin's help. As the fire flew overhead from their side, they managed to force the survivors to retreat.

Zirin managed a grudging smile. "Thanks for that."

But Azula was too engrossed in the hunt. In conquest. "They are on the run now! Chase them all down!"

"Where are you going?"

"I'll make sure they are not trying to flank us, I'll be back."

Zirin eyed her suspiciously but ran forward with her group.

"Why are we alone, Azula?"

"This is the only way we make it out… Do you think they would have helped if they knew they would not escape?"

"We could have at least told more of them to come…"

"Do you think they would keep fighting if they didn't see Zirin with them? Besides, they won't be looking for us if they are too busy trying to find them; that's the whole point. And we haven't got much time. They must have already called for reinforcements; for all we know, they could be here already. This is a waste of time. …Did you get some food from the cafeteria?"

"Yes…"

"Let's move then."

As they ghosted down the main hallway, they passed by the destruction their little riot had caused. There were metal bars on the floor and some remains of tables still burning. Some of the prisoners on their side had fallen; some were in agony; and some were not moving at all. Several guards had also fallen. But Azula strangely felt a certain peace at that moment. It was a kind of tranquility; maybe the feeling that the worst was over. She pushed the door leading to the courtyard with Nozomi following closely behind her. As they stood in the middle of the courtyard, Azula looked up at the ornate columns, confident in herself. Using her firebending, she jumped, propelled herself as high as she could, and clung to the column, barely climbing up to the roof.

"Come on, it's your turn." Nozomi threw her a bed-sheet rope. Azula took it, tying it up to one of the many decorations on the roof. She could hear Nozomi struggling to climb the rope and slowly but steadily moving up. It took her a moment to realize it; but finally, she could see the world beyond captivity. They were in the middle of a forest on a hill. The trees surrounding the asylum had been cut down, but the other trees would provide perfect cover. She still couldn't see the front of the institution, but there would certainly be a path. The place seemed remote, but not excessively. Clearly it was some temple of the Fire Sages now repurposed as an asylum. Nozomi's grunts made her turn her head. Her friend was almost there, so she reached out her hand to lift her.

Taking the rope with them, they made her way to the side of the building. Azula expected they would be near cover sooner that way. Running across the rooftops, she could see the layout of the building. It was much larger than she had initially imagined; they had been confined to only a third of the building. She could even see some watchtowers outside guarding the perimeter; one was clearly meant for messenger hawks. They stayed low, observing for any movement from the nearby towers. Azula shielded her eyes from the sun as she patiently scouted for any movement. Finally, she saw a hawk fly away from the tower. The door opened, and she could distinguish the figure of a guard standing outside. Maybe a woman? She wasn't sure. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus on the person. She wasn't a guard; she was wearing a dress; and now, she was walking in their direction, looking right at her. Mother…

"They see us; let's go!"

"What are you doing? Azula, wait!"

No matter what, her mother wouldn't triumph that day; she would escape, and there would be nothing she could do about it. She jumped over the rooftops, trying to get to a low point to jump from whilst Nozomi barely even managed to follow.

"She sees us. She wants to keep you here forever…"

"No, she won't!"

Unable to find an exit closer to the ground, she could see her mother closing in and didn't doubt to jump, softening her landing with her firebending. She stumbled as she fell, but kept going, fleeing as far away from her mother as possible. In the distance, Nozomi was struggling, still hanging on to her homemade rope as she tried to descend. Azula desperately looked around. She was only thirty yards away from her freedom. Now she was in no man's land, between the watchtowers and the building; but now her mother was so close she could hear her.

"Azula, stop!"

Everything around began to darken. If she lost control, she didn't know if she could escape. She turned her gaze back to Nozomi, who had reached the ground.

No sooner had Nozomi come down, she looked in her direction. "Azula run!" She heard her muffled screams.

Her hands froze. She turned around, and now she could see the reason for Nozomi's despair, for the few guards that were on the perimeter had noticed her presence. Some from the tower pointed crossbows, hidden by the dense fog.

Her mother's voice echoed through the mist, "Don't do it, Azula!"

As the shadows danced around her, she felt the tension building up in her hands, sparks crackling through the air. The whistling of the bolts rushing to meet her. The crack of thunder. The mist was gone, replaced by a thick black smoke. She struggled to breath as burning ashes flew with the wind, settling on her clothes. She felt exhausted, cold, lost…

She walked forward with her vision blurred, the cinders scorching her face. She was close to the source of that smoke. As she approached, she saw pieces of the tower that, seconds ago, was in front of her scattered on the ground. Her gaze fixed on the deep crimson of a Fire Nation flag, half-burned and trapped between the foundations. Near it was the immobile arm of that guard, crushed under what was left of the tower.

She stared at him aghast, I... I did that? Her moment of reflection was interrupted by the sound of advancing footsteps. She narrowed her eyes in the direction of that sound. Nozomi? The figure became clearer and clearer, even though it was darkened. Mother… She took a step backwards, almost stumbling against the ruins, but stood, ready to fight.

Her mother approached silently with that eternal look of melancholy. She stopped for a second, fixing her gaze on the wreckage. The sight seemed to cause her physical harm, and she turned her gaze back to Azula with tears in her eyes.

"Is this what you have become now, daughter? Do you mean to destroy everything? To turn away anyone who cares for you? Burn your problems to ash?"

Azula was filled with rage. Typical of Mother: always playing the victim and blaming the Monster. "You… You blame this on me?! This is your fault! I– I only meant to defend myself. You locked me in here! Allowed them to torture me to their heart's contempt!"

Her mother closed her eyes, trying not to sob. "No, Azula, your actions brought you here. You could have chosen a different path, yet here you are. These are the consequences of your actions. Destruction is all that awaits you if you follow down this road."

Roaring blue flames burst from her hands. How brazenly she spoke to her when she was the one who locked her up; the one who forced her to do this; who ripped her life away from her. And here she was pretending to care. She knew why... "Don't you dare preach to me about anything; I know what you're trying to do. You were always afraid of me. Are you afraid your little monster will hurt Zuzu, mother?"

Her mother shook her head and burst into tears. "I don't fear you, neither does your brother. Is it so hard for you to think differently? You are confused, Azula. All this… this doesn't make you stronger; after all, it has only gotten you this far."

With fury in her chest, she scoffed at the intimation. "And where did your love get you, Mother? Huh? You are pathetic; you lived a worthless life; vanished without a trace. For all I know, you are just a spirit with nothing better to do than torture me. You think you can control me?"

"No, I mean to help you understand that there is a different way. I know how you must feel."

"You don't know anything about me!"

"Oh, but I do." Her eyes blazed with fire, and her voice became one of a cacophonic host of whispers, indifference, and screams. "You have fallen so low Azula! Once a princess; now a deranged monster without a purpose… Out of control! Alone. Friendless… Hated by all! Not even your own father wanted to save you. And you are such a coward… That you can't even admit! That all this was caused by you..."

Azula fell to her knees, unable to bear her weight anymore. Tears streamed down her face as her mother stood in front of her. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, lunging with all her rage at her mother, pulverizing everything in her direction. But she looked down at her with a mocking laugh and fake tears still streaming down her face, unscathed. Mother melted into ash, ​​her giddy eyes vanishing last, still burning blue.

She broke down, grief-stricken, feeling a sharp stab in her chest. Alone again, feeling the wind blowing and the fire still burning, she could have sworn that hours had passed, for her body was no longer able to cope. The heavy smoke that filled the air had taken its toll. Her head felt lighter and lighter. As her vision blurred further, far away she could hear her name shouted out.

"Azula! Where are you? Azula!"

Her body felt light. For a moment, all her worries vanished: the pain, the anguish, the smoke burning her lungs. Suddenly, everything was reversed, for she began to feel…lethargic, burnt. She was moving... no, she was being moved, dragged in fact. She opened her eyes, farther and farther away from the smoke, away from that place.

She wanted to say something, but she didn't have the strength to speak, yet she must have made a sound because she was released.

"Azula! Oh, thank goodness, you're alive!"

She glared at Nozomi. "Sorry about that… You scared me."

Nozomi leaned her against a tree trunk to catch her breath. Azula was still confused, gazing at her surroundings trying to process what had happened. Seeing the clearing where the institution was set in the distance gave her a sense of direction.

Peeking around the tree, her friend whispered, "I don't know if they have followed us, but they definitely see the smoke. We can't rest for long."

She still felt too weak to speak, but she clung to the trunk, trying to stand up; and Nozomi was quick to help her. She trudged along, picking up her pace as her body recovered. After walking for a while, they came across a thin stream crossing the forest. Desperate for water, she threw herself almost head first into the shallow stream.

She almost choked on the water as soon as she drank, but it went down slowly after. She cleaned her face, looking at her reflection for the first time since what felt like a life ago. When she saw her face, she was startled a little. Her black hair was loose and dusty, and she noticed bits of dirt and twigs in it; her skin was much paler than she remembered and had a grayish look to it; and her cheeks were gaunt. She barely distinguished the burn mark the doctor had given her, tracing her finger along her forehead following the mark. Her asylum uniform was unrecognizable, for it was a stained, black, and peppered with holes. She was half-burned, her hands blemished with soot. The blood stains, not hers…

She tried desperately to wash off the blood, scraping herself in the process. Nozomi held her hands. She tried to free herself to continue, but she did not have the strength. She felt dirty, disgusted, desperate, ashamed. She believed that so many years of training would prepare her to deal with it; that she did what she had to do and managed to escape; did not have to feel bad about it. Was there any other option? No, she didn't want to imagine it; she didn't want to dwell on it. She just wanted to forget it and pretend it never happened.

Nozomi looked at her sadly and helped her clean her hands. She sat next to her quietly, curling up on her knees, and started to cry. She tried to hide it, but it was clear.

"I don't know who she was... but... she had been working there for a long time. My first years there… they were difficult. I felt alone; I was afraid. Every night, I cried calling for my mother. One day, the nurse stayed with me. She told me a story, and I finally could sleep… She did it every night until a supervisor noticed." Her voice broke. "She was the closest thing I had to a friend in that place… and I… helped you kill her. ...We did it, Azula.... But I– I can't go through with this; we are criminals now...."

"Nozomi, I swear it wasn't me. I– I can't control it. It's... it's this thing in my head. It commands me; it whispers in my ear all the time; and it's all her fault! None of this would be happening if it wasn't for her!"

"Her? Who... is she?"

"My mother! Don't you see? This was all her idea. She must have even tried to manipulate you into betraying me, but you stayed with me."

"...I don't know what you mean... Those voices aren't real, Azula…"

"She is real; she ruined my life! We cannot let her win. We just… we need to make a plan; find out what we are facing…"

"Calm down… please."

"No! You don't understand. She–"

Azula's voice began to fade as she looked at Nozomi's hands, creased from the burns she had caused. She realized that things couldn't go on like this; for at this rate, she would lose control again, and who knows what could happen.... Her mind would not bear another misfortune. Her friend's worried look slowly eased as she lowered her head.

"...Let's keep going; we're not out of the forest yet." Nozomi nodded. The institution couldn't be that far from some settlement, or at least some road. The first thing that occurred to her was to follow the river downstream. They continued on through the afternoon without saying a word, and the riverbed began to grow larger the more they followed it. Their hopes of finding someplace were rekindled.

Azula slowed down when she realized that the tranquil sounds of the forest had been extinguished. She could barely hear the sound of the stream and the wind and felt something strange around them: the creeping sensation that they were being watched. A twig snapped, and she raised her guard, sweat tracing down her forehead. The piercing shriek of a boy echoed through the forest–

A hand clenched her shoulder, and she spun around with fire in her hands.

"Azula?!"

"I--You heard that?" From the look in her eyes, she could already tell what happened–her mind was playing tricks on her again. She shook her head, continuing their walk. Nozomi followed behind her, making some distance.

Her friend smiled. "We made it!" She was about to smile back, but she noticed strange movements in that place. Platoons of soldiers were patrolling the area, too many to be the guards of that place. No signs of any villager.

"Not yet, we have to get rid of these rags." She tugged her tunic around her neck to make her point.

Before them lay a field of barley-wheat that reached up to their shoulders; some portions had already been cultivated and were organized in bundles. It looked as if the farmers had been interrupted in their work, for they had left their tools behind. Nozomi found a straw hat lying on the ground, donning it straight away. They trudged through the whispering stalks. Reaching the other end of the field, they came upon a house, but it was a dozen yards of open grass to the door. They looked around to see that no one was there, and Azula headed straight towards the house. Nozomi looked at her in surprise.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you think? I'm looking for clothes."

The villager's house was simple. As soon as she slid the door open, she came across a crude kitchen. It was nothing more than a mud stove with a ceramic pot, no furniture, only a basket of seeds, and a mat. The other was a bedroom. She saw some clothes that looked worse than what she was wearing now. They were a pale red color, clearly worn out from so many hours in the sun. She took them without hesitation and slipped into the crops again. She tossed one to Nozomi, who looked at it with guilt.

"I don't know… This isn't even ours, and these people don't look like they have much to spare. Maybe we can just blend in…"

"They'd snuff us out from a crowd in seconds wearing what we have; we don't have much of a choice here."

Reluctantly Nozomi receded into the crops and changed. Azula didn't waste her time; she tore a strip of cloth, using it to tie her hair, and burned her asylum robes, hiding the ashes in the brush. As soon as they were both ready, they came out of hiding. She walked normally, unlike Nozomi who wore the guilt on her face. Luckily, the hat helped make it less noticeable to the untrained eye. She lowered her head as soldiers marched by, their faces showing indifference, maybe even dullness. They were lucky no officer was around. The path to the center of the village was muddied. Boots of countless soldiers were marked on it; there had been a lot of activity recently. Maybe they had sent some to scout the woods.

Nozomi looked at her. "Where is everyone?"

"Fire Days, remember? They're probably gathered together." Her prediction wasn't far off; but instead of a celebration, they witnessed an inspection. The soldiers had gathered the villagers around as some barged into the houses by force. She froze, trying to find a discrete cover. They were handing papers to the villagers, an officer standing in the center of it all.

Two soldiers displayed a larger piece of paper with her face showing it to the surrounding villagers. "We are looking for this woman. She has black hair and golden eyes; she is a dangerous criminal. Remember: harboring fugitives of the state is punishable by death. If you give her up now, there won't be any consequences." He tossed up a coin purse. "Whoever can provide information on her whereabouts shall be rewarded handsomely."

She felt a pull on her arm; Nozomi pointed to their right. Azula had been too focused on the display, not watching for patrols. One was nearing around the corner. They snuck into the nearest house, hoping no one saw them.

This was what she feared. She hoped the commotion would buy her enough time before they noticed she was missing. She had taken too long, had caused too much noise, now had nowhere to hide, and without full control of her own actions, was even more likely to be caught in any settlement. She knew perfectly well how the army operated–they would search thoroughly. Running away was her only choice now, but Nozomi… They weren't looking for her.

"What are we going to do now?" Nozomi whispered as she peeked through the translucent door.

Azula lowered her gaze and looked at her. "Nozomi… They're just looking for me. You stay; I have to leave now. They'll sweep this town in minutes."

Nozomi held out her hands in disbelief, turning away from the door. "What? What are you talking about? We've come this far."

Azula looked down in melancholic dread. Her hands were clean, but she still felt the warmth of the blood she had spilt. "I can't stay with you; besides, I'm– I'm a volcano set to blow."

Nozomi grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Hey, whatever you got, I can help you. We can find someone to help or–"

Azula shook her head and turned away. "No, listen to me; if I stay with you, they'll catch us both and send us back or worse. Is that what you want? I have to find out what's going on..."

Her friend's eyes were pleading as she tried to reach out, but Azula stood away. "Azula..."

Her breathing shook. "Please. I– I've never been a good friend to anyone. Let's… leave it at this before I throw– throw it away again."

Nozomi stood still, teary eyed, and sighed deeply and hugged her tightly. It wasn't like one of Ty Lee's platypus-bear hugs. It was… like one of Mot– Mom's. She struggled to speak through the tears. "Be careful. I'll look for my mother, and then I'll come back for you. I'll help you find a cure; I promise."

She limply returned the hug, muttering, "Thank you..."

Her friend laughed softly. "Take care of yourself."

She watched Azula leave. Her friend looked helpless; and for a moment, she wondered if it was the right choice. But she was sure.

Azula turned to look back a couple of times. Taking a deep breath, she darted off, sneaking back into the woods along the same route. Huffing, the princess marched through the forest, finally having the time to taste the crisp, pine-cedar air.

At a loss as to her next destination, she sat on a fallen tree, tracing a rough mental map of her location. She glanced up at the meager light filtering through the dense foliage. She sat down and concentrated to find the position of the sun. More sure of her bearings, she figured she was somewhere between the institution and the town; so, she could either go west around the town, trying to find something else down the road, or go north or south parallel to both places… At least, it was clear to her that staying put would be the worst choice. She took her chances going south, hoping to reach a coastal town.

Assuming her proximity to the capital, she walked for days through the dense eerily empty forest, unable to find any sources of food, sleeping with one eye open, ignoring the whispers, the shadows… The Fire Nation was unforgiving, with mostly barren nature; too hostile and unstable; plagued by natural disasters. For any living thing, finding a way to survive was a challenge. Her training had prepared her for it, but even she had her limits. Her resolve didn't falter, but she could feel her body weakening.

The humid air gave her newfound strength. Perhaps, she had made it; so, she trudged faster as she felt the sun begin to hide in the horizon. The cold began to settle in as the night approached and thunder roared. She thought she was imagining it until she felt a few drops wetting her face then a downpour. She held her mouth open to catch a few drops of refreshment, but now she was freezing and too weak to bend the chill away. Using the dregs of her chi, she bent a candle flame and held it to her chest.

As Azula hobbled forward, she began to feel her body numbing; but as she was about to lose hope, she reached a clearing. In the dark, she could see the shape of something: a rock or a house? As she neared, the splotch became a vague building in different circumstances. She would have taken a more careful approach; but now, all she was worried about was her survival. She barged in to realize it wasn't a house but a barn. Her body shivered, but she couldn't feel it; so, she squeezed herself into a corner, trembling and soaked, and she curled up, the heat waning from her body as the raging thunder shook her to her core. The barn door fluttered at the mercy of the storm until it burst open, pounding against the walls. Lightning lit the room, and she could see the blurred outline of a person before her body gave up.