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Short Story On Riley

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Shiro knows that the last person to appear is Riley. Capheus had not gone into detail; she knows that this girl is a DJ from Iceland and that she lost her mother young. “Hello, Riley,” she says. Riley stares at the woman in front of her with almost childlike awe, soaking in her features. “Hello,” she responds, her voice delicate. “I’m Shiro, Capheus’s mother. It’s nice to meet you.” The girl tucks her lip between her teeth in an effort to not start crying again. The feeling is extremely mutual. It’s so nice to meet this woman, but she feels like echoing the phrase won’t capture the true emotions bursting through her skin. She can’t bring herself to say anything, because anything she would say wouldn’t be enough. They sit for a minute, before …show more content…

How hadn’t she noticed the woman wearying? She quickly moves forward to help her prop up her pillow. “I’m sorry, we must be tiring you. Should I go?” she frets. Shiro shakes her head, smiling. “No, I’d like you to stay. If you want to, that is.” “I do,” Riley says. “Very much so.” “What do you want to talk about?” It takes a moment. What does Riley want to talk about? How can she possibly express the multitude of emotions flooding through her, filling her chest until she feels like she will explode? What topic will make this wonderful woman understand? “I don’t know,” she replies, voice cracking. It’s brutally honest, probably not helpful either, but it’s better than lying. “Tell me about Iceland and music,” the woman in the bed requests. Riley tries to pin them down. “Iceland is mountains so high they look like they puncture the sky and snow so cold it numbs your toes in seconds. It’s dark in winter, but in summer the day lasts forever. It’s pain and memories, but there is a steady happiness there too.” She stares off to the side, lost in thoughts for a second. “Music is freedom. It’s passion and constants. It’s an escape and a remembrance. It lifts you up when you feel so low that you might never be able to stand again. It’s one of the only things that has kept me

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