WC: 516The morning had been quiet for Sage; she slept through many of the sun's early rays, finding her body exhausted. As the sun rose in the sky to hang high, the warmth that streamed in through her window eventually roused her, lazy golden eyes blinking open reluctantly. Rolling over, she let her rabbit-fur blanket fall to the floor, small feet landing softly on the hard floor. Shuffling to the window, she unlatched the rusted, almost broken lock to let the windowpanes fly open with a whoosh and a clang. Melancholy and groggy from the late night of fitful sleep, she leaned over the sill and stared down with a heavy yawn. Feeling behind one ear she found a crumbled joint tangled in her dark hair. Turning, she fumbled on the small table beside her bed for a lighter, nearly knocking over the half-filled cup of chamomile tea from before those few precious hours of restful sleep.
Lighting the end, she took a heavy hit on her fresh lungs, watching as she let the smoke pour out of her mouth in small, thick clouds. Red-striped nose turned into the breeze then, taking in a heavy whiff of the afternoon scent. At first, she didn't notice it. But after a moment of lingering, she inhaled deeper breaths, and that strange smell was stronger. It was foreign, unfamiliar, and only vaguely smelled of Inferni. She was curious, but the scent yielded no visible target, and so she moved from the window. Sage threw together her bag and pulled up her skirt, drifting out of her room, downstairs, and outside of the mansion.
The floorboards of the porch hardly echoed a squeak as she stepped down from them and onto the overgrown pavement walkway. Adjusting the strap of her bag, she turned her head this way and that; she could smell him now, but where was he? Narrowing bloodshot golden eyes, she took another puff from the smoldering joint and made a left, cautiously moving around the side of the vine covered Mansion. Her nose pointed exactly here, and she slowly pulled herself around the corner, eyes wide and staring. Behind the trees, she had to move around in order to get a better view, but as clear as day there stood a strange-looking creature. He was larger than her, but very much obviously a puppy; his body was too large for him. Sage was certain he carried wolf blood; what had Talitha thought?
Ezekiel's scent became apparent as Sage approached, no longer hiding behind the trees. Her posture was friendly, a small, curious smile curling her lips as she danced through the trees to stand for a moment on the concrete precipice of the pool. She noticed that he had taken great interest in the large, concrete emptiness. I don't know why we've never filled it up, she commented brightly to the younger boy. The pool had always been empty; there was water near enough, she thought. Wouldn't it be fun to fill it up with cool water and swim in the warmth of summer?
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