thud

After locking it, I stand behind my apartment’s front door, switching on the lamp that’s nearby the front door.
Its light illuminates the living room and a portion of the kitchen.

I’m kinda tired. Tonight has been eventful, to say the least. At least I’m back home.

I place the plastic bag that I’ve been carrying for the past hour or so on the kitchen countertop.

Everything’s dead silent.

I don’t think Selene’s here yet. Maybe I’ll be able to take a nap...

I walk towards my bedroom.

Step by step down the hall.

Tired step by tired step.

I reach out towards the door’s handle.

My hand inching towards the grayish metal.

I grab hold of it, turning it downw-

“Hello again.” A familiar voice rings out behind me, causing me to jolt in place.
“JESUS CHRIST-- don’t do that!!” I hiss out, turning around.

Selene stands in front of me, taking up the height of the hallway.
“Oh, my apologies...” Its voice has that penitent tone again.
“Whatever, just don’t do that. I hate it.”
“I comprehend.”
“How’d you even get in anyways? Wait, have you been here??”
“I have only just arrived here; as for my means of arrival...” Selene’s voice trails off.
“... Well?”
“That shall remain a secret, for now...”

I let out a heavy sigh, “Alright, whatever... I don’t feel like trying to get a real answer out of you right now.”
“Ah.” Selene pauses, “Might you be tired, Knight?” Selene says, tilting its head to the side.
“Yeah... I was just about to go into my room to sleep for a bit. I figured it might be a while before you came over here...” I let out a small laugh, “Guess not, huh?”
“Your room...?” Selene speaks with curiosity.
“Yeah? Its got my stuff and my bed in it.”
“Right...” Selene’s voice grows quiet, deep in thought.
“You wanna come in?” I offer.
“Ah... sure...” Selene accepts, its voice barely above a whisper.

Without any hesitation, I turn back around and open my room’s door.
The two of us step inside. I flick up the lightswitch, covering the room in a bright pale light.
“Wow...” Selene says in an astonished tone. “Your quarters are quite decorated, Knight.”
“What, this pigsty?”
“A pigsty? But I do not see any swines here...”
“I’m just saying it’s messy. I haven’t tidied it up in a while.”
“Oh. Well, I still quite like its appearance.”
“Pshh, you wouldn’t be saying that if you saw how it was a week ago,” I reply, leaning back next the door, “oh, ’twas a grueling experience to purify these lands of its taintedness...” I speak with a playful dramaticism. Selene laughs at this. “My, you have quite a way with words! Your way of speech resembles that of a knight, Knight.”
“I ain’t no knight, I’m just Knight.”
Selene laughs again. “Well, my statement still stands.”
Selene pauses for a moment.

“...Why are you named Knight?” Selene asks.
“Had a feeling you were gonna ask that sometime...” I scratch at the back of my head.
“Its... the name I had chose for myself.” I answer.
“Chose for yourself...?” Selene echoes my words, tilting its head again.
“Yeah, my previous name didn’t fit who I had become to be in recent years anymore. I think I chose a pretty awesome name, if I do say so myself.”
“I see... interesting!”
I chuckle. “Damn right it is! I love having Knight as a name. It’s sick.”
Selene laughs again. “I suppose I can agree with you on it being ‘sick’, so to speak.”
“Man, you sound like an old fart.”
“An old fart?” Selene repeats, confused.
“I’m calling you old, Selene. See, this is what I mean!”
“Ah. Well I do suppose I am quite old.” Selene admits.
“I ain’t suprised at that, considering what you told me earlier.”
“Ah, yes, that. I am still quite taken aback at your rather lax reaction towards it. I had fully expected you to be more suprised, considering humans are not aware of beings such as I.”
“Seriously? After everything that’s happened, it’s hard to be suprised, for me anyway. Although, I’m suprised I took it well, looking back on it; maybe I’m just jaded with all this supernatural crap after having been in contact with it for like, two months.”
“I see, I suppose I can not blame you for that reaction, given your reasoning. I still can not help but feel... disappointed, somewhat. I suppose even beings such as I yearn for things like that.”
“Pft, can’t blame you either. Something like that is bound to get more of a reaction out of anyone other than me.”
Selene lets out a small laugh. “I must admit, you are quite unusual, Knight.”
“Oh whatever, toots.” I slip out.

... Toots?
After realizing what I had just said, I feel my face heat up a bit.
What? The hell did that come from?

“... Toots? What does that mean?”
“Err, it’s a...” I stammer out.
Shit, do I have to tell Selene?? I’d feel bad if I lied now... it did say it wanted to know more about humans and stuff.
Damn it all.
“It’s a term of... affection. That people use. Sometimes,” I bashfully mutter out.
“A-Affection?”
“Nevermind that!” I wave my hands around, trying to move the conversation past my ardent blunder. “Uhh, don’t you want to look around my room?”
“Oh, yes! I do.”
It seemed to have worked, hopefully.

Selene steps into the middle of my room, almost bumping its head against the ceiling light. It swivels its downward-angled head around the vicinity, its platinum hair swaying with its action. Taking in the various things on the wall, shelves, my desk, my bed and the other junk scattered within it.

“So many things in here...” Selene says in amazement. It seems to focus its gaze towards my bed in particular.
“This is your bed, yes?”
“Yup. This is where I sleep basically every night. Sometimes I end up sleeping in the living room or at my desk over there.” I say while pointing towards it.
“Excuse me but, may I, um... take a seat?” Selene says with hesitancy.
“Go ahead dude, sit anywhere you’d like.”

With a nod, Selene sits over onto my bed. I decide to sit down as well, taking a seat to its right. Our heads turn to face eachother.
“So, any thoughts? I assume this is your first time in a room like mine.”
“It is... nice, being in here. It is like observing a sliver of your life. ”
“Well, I suppose you can say it is. All of these things’re connected who I am in some way. Hell, there’s even junk I’ve had since I was like eight-years-old.”
“How interesting! Do other people do this?”
“Generally, yes. Most people like to decorate their rooms with things they enjoy. It varies from person to person, though,” I answer. “Like one of my friends, his room just has a bed. Real minimalist, that guy.”
“How fascinating, I am learning so much already!” Selene’s voice is filled with enthusiasm.
It’s glee is infectious.
I can’t help but smile.
“Well, I’m glad you’re happy, Selene.”
“Y-You are?” Selene’s voice sounds surprised.
“Yeah man.”
“Oh... well, I am glad you offered this experience to me, Knight. I have been so curious about this new world ever since I had awakened two months ago. So many things to see, yet no chances to ever learn more about them...”
“You couldn’t like, go into someone elses dreams?”
“I had tried, but none of my attempts were truly successful. They would all wake up moments shortly after I would go in.” Selene pauses for a second again.

“That was, until I had come across you, Knight.” Selene’s voice takes on a new, sincere tone.
“You were the only person who had not waked upon my arrival in your dreams. This may come as silly but, I view you as someone who is... special to me.”
I’m taken aback at Selene’s sudden admittance. I can feel my face warm up again.
“I... am?”
“That is correct. You were my sole beacon of knowledge of this new era of humanity. And through your dreams, what little knowledge I had gleaned became that of my own. I cherished what I had learned, and... I cherished you in turn.”

I just sit there, looking at Selene with wide eyes, stunned at what it’s saying to me.

“Knight.”
“Yeah...?”
Selene clasps my left hand with both of its own. “Words can not express my gratitude for what you have done for me tonight. Even after I had frightened you during our first encounter, you still offered to help me learn more about this world. Mark my words, Knight, I will repay you for this.”

Words fail me.

I don’t know how to reply to Selene’s confession.

And so, I continue to sit there, motionless.

Selene’s tightening grip on my hands snaps me back to reality.
Selene speaks up again, “what I mean to say is...” Selene pauses again. “You have made me feel extremely happy, Knight. And... I look forward to the time we will spend together.”

“Oh, uhm... you’re welcome...?” I manage to squeak out.
“... Do I make you feel happy too?”
“Oh, I mean...” I bashfully turn my head away. “I guess so...”
“I am... glad to hear you say that.” Selene responds.

...

A comfortable silence falls.

I am happy.


And tired.

I let out a long overdue yawn. I can only hold hands with Selene for so long.
“You should rest, Knight.”
“Yeah... I suppose we got a bit carried away.”
Seemingly reluctantly, Selene releases my hand. I get up from my bed, as does Selene.

“Now get out. I gotta change my duds so I can sleep.”
“Your duds...?” Selene tilts its head yet again.
“I mean my clothes, you old geezer. Now git, shoo.”
“O-Oh! Yes, of course.”

With that, Selene begins to leave out my room.
Before it can close the door behind it, I speak up:
“See you when I wake up?” I ask.
Selene turns back around. “Yes. We shall speak again upon your awaking.”
“Great. Good night, or what’s left of it anyway. Heh.”
Selene laughs a bit. “Rest well, Knight.”

Selene just stands there for a few seconds, looking back on me. But eventually, it closes the door, leaving me alone.


...


With Selene out, I waste no time changing out of clothes, switching to my usual bedtime outfit: a simple tank top and some sweatpants.
I finally climb into bed. It smells faintly of... licorice.

Why’s it smell like licorice? My bed’s never smelled like this before. That’s pretty weird.
Gotta ask Selene about this, too.
And why’d it just look at me like a minute ago? That’s also pretty weird. But I don’t think I’ll put it in the Selene Question Box though.


... I can’t say I mind this new smell.