Glitter in the Air [Carly]

[Blake Riina Kildal]

It was early enough in the day that the majority of the students were gone and off eating or the unlucky few had classes were already in them. Much of the staff didn’t teach until later, so the tiny girl took this opportunity to explore some of the empty classrooms, mostly the unlocked ones. The lights were mostly off, but she turned them on to see, slender fingers trailing over the walls as they peeked out from underneath too long sleeves. It was a comical sight to see, if only because the girl was so tiny she looked like she was playing dress up until you looked at her face. The expression was haunting in an almost ethereal way, with bright blue eyes that seemed to be able to peer into anyone’s soul if she just looked at them for long enough.

Her clothes were a far too large for her, hanging on the slender frame in a fashion that made her seem as if she were homeless and neglected, left to scrounge around for whatever she could. In truth, she had no real proper fitting clothes, except for what had been borrowed and returned. Her outfits always consisted of long jeans that she had to roll up and too big sweatshirts that she got lost in. For Blake, they hid her well enough from the world, few bothered to see that she was indeed so tiny and never had an appetite anymore, as she drifted through the cracks away from everyone.

All things considered, she was in a much better mood today, humming aloud as she explored the different classrooms, finally finding one that was both unlocked and satisfactorily warm. The added bonus was the material she found rather interesting as she plucked a book off a shelf, curling up in a corner and reading it, humming as she leafed through the pages, devouring the information. She was always curious about things, whether or not she often showed it was a thought dependent upon those in the immediate area. As there was no one around, she gleefully sorted through the books with a child-like abandon, reading the subject matter happily.

Alone and by herself, there was an entirely different side that was exposed, as opposition to her shy and reserved shell that everyone had come to know or associate with her. By herself, Blake was more open to her humming and singing, even laughing at certain pictures she came across, giggling to herself happily in the quiet classroom. She’d turned the lights on to see the books, occasionally reading snatches aloud, translating them automatically into Hawaiian as she read them, the language quite musical, punctuated by the occasional giggle at a part of a story as she hummed, turning the pages in the book as she lay sprawled out on the floor, kicking her legs and reading it.

For some reason, the books in this room fascinated her and made her feel comfortable and safe, something she never felt too often unless she was hidden away from the world somewhere, usually in a cabinet or on the fridge, warm places that few people bothered to look for her in. Chewing on the sleeve of the hoodie, she turned another page, growing quiet as she read the tiny print, utterly absorbed in her newest story.