Free Saphora: vol.1 Retention (The Athena Universe) by Jaz Johnson

Saphora to Dr. Lupin, before nodding reluctantly.
    “Thank you, doctor. Let me show you to the door ,” she said, releasing Saphora’s wrist and walking closely behind the doctor as he traveled back to the door of Saphora’s room. She turned back to look at her before she walked out. The look in her eyes making Saphora’s head lower ever so slightly, despite the current rage she felt. She still feared the anticipating stare of an angry mother – so to speak.
    Once Fran left with the doctor, Saphora plopped back down on her bed and buried her face in her hands. Just what was happening here? She took a moment to breathe. Her lungs still feeling somewhat heavy. Her temple throbbed, making her shut her eyes in attempts to lessen the pain. There was far too much going on for her to begin to comprehend. She tried to think back, to what she had been told was yesterday.  But all she got were quick glimpses. Fragments of images. Tebias’ face. His gun. The man in the house. His gun. Violence. And then, the ringing of a calm, familiar voice. The voice of the woman that had helped her. The voice of the woman she could not find. Saphora sighed, shaking her head in her hands. That poor man was dead. Would she be to blame for it?
    She knew that once Fran came back up the stairs that not only would she be yelled at for how she spoke to the doctor. But she would be hounded, and questioned continuously about what happened at the house, and in the woods, and why she was flying so high, which she wasn’t. She wasn’t going to let her rest, like the doctor had suggested. And she didn’t want to go through that right now. She wanted to be left alone. She was still in shock at how Fran was reacting to the whole thing. She didn’t know if she could face her right then without getting “inappropriate” with her as well. Fran didn’t believe her. Not fully, anyway. There was doubt – she could tell when she looked into her eyes. Of course, she knew she had good reason to doubt her story. But she thought that maybe, just maybe, their relationship was strong enough to withstand at least a fraction of the doubt. And now, even her relationship with Fran was being questioned in her mind. She cringed at the thought of not being able to trust her. Or worse – being abandoned by her when she needed her most.
    Hearing the front door close, she decided that she cou ldn’t handle the predicted fallout of events. She looked at her window across the room which was shut, and thought maybe she should have some time to think alone. Away from the house. Away from Fran.
     
     
     
    Chapter 4
     
    The café only had a hand full of people. The calm, peach walls and mocha brown tiles helped to sooth Saphora’s mind as she entered the corner café. The somewhat dim lights helped to ease the pounding in her temple. It was nearly the afternoon when she reached the café. She had escaped the house, with Fran yelling from the window. But by the time she had reached the window to see where Saphora had gone, she was already down the street and around the corner, running to get to town as quick as she could. All she wanted to do was think things through. She needed to get her head back on straight.
    People stared at her as she walked into the quiet café. She looked a bit of a mess, after all. Her hair, already drawing attention to its mint colour, was tossed about, free to fly in her face despite her efforts to keep it tame. She was in nothing but a teal shirt-like night gown that came just above the knees. There was a single, relatively small pocket on the left side of her chest, where she kept her cellphone. That was all she wore. That, and a pair of black high-top converse. It was the first time she had gone out with so little clothing. But she had to get out of that house. She couldn’t stand to talk to Fran right now. Literally. And she couldn’t go to the abandoned house either, regardless of how much she wanted to. That would be the first place Fran