It was completely unlike as I had imagined. All of it. The contradiction that was Stephanie, the silent girl who I thought was on the brink of death.

The visit to the doctor was not a cheap one, and I suspect the suddenly broody- well, broodier-  vibe the grave master was giving out was the result of that. And Stephanie, she was not amused once she found out where we were, which strengthened my belief that she wasn’t a local. She had worn a scowl all through the check-up, flinching every time the doctor neared her to do another test. She may have almost lunged at the doctor at one point. As he was lifting her shirt, she jumped away, emitting a low warning growling from the back of . I had to step in, assuring her that there would be no prodding needles, at which point she had made me sit beside her, crushing my hand through the rest of the check-up.

Malnutrition, dehydration and a cold were his verdicts. He had passed on a cough syrup and sent us on our way. Needless to say, she was cross with me for the rest of the afternoon. So, it turned out she was on the brink of death. The news of this should have upset me, but it didn’t. No. The grave master would have said it shouldn’t affect me at all. But it did, and it wasn’t the reaction I would have thought I should feel in lieu of the circumstance. I had felt immense relief. Relief for my actions on that day. Relief that I brought her back to the bunker. Relief that she wasn’t on the brink of death, that she was going to be just fine.

Except that.. I don’t really think she’s fine. She was fine, but she wasn’t. She was a living contradiction, as I’ve observed for the following week.  I had convinced her to stay. It was hard, with her not wanting to be a burden any longer and uncomfortable around the master, but I finally convinced her.

She was still silent at times, most notably when her eyes lose their warmth as she stares blankly at a part of the wall or at something in the distance. And yet she was lively, jubilant and, quite frankly, loud. A couple of doses of the cough syrup and she was right as rain. Her voice, still holding that slight deep, husky tone, boomed loud whenever she was plainly excited or frightened. She was openly expressive with her emotions and yet I can’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t portraying the full range of her emotion, like she was guarded.

I did finally get around to asking her about the child she regularly visited one day as she sat on my former bed. Her mood had turned sombre as she fiddled with a blue knitted wear, I couldn’t really get a good look at the thing as she kept it with her at all times. She said he was family, died of pneumonia as they were traveling. She wouldn’t disclose more as she fell into one of her silent moments.

As for the grave master, it had seemed that he avoided her as much as she did him. The few times they were together in the bunker it looked to be like they were making a conscious effort to avoid crossing paths. I have a feeling that the only reason he didn’t nag at me to send her on her way was because Stephanie was a good cook and took to the housekeeping.

And so, we gained another member for our dysfunctional family.

“Are you going for a food run?” Stephanie inquired. A dishcloth in hand, she was wiping the three glass cups we had acquired from a passing merchant. Unsurprisingly, Stephanie had managed to charm the woman with her friendly talks, enough to strike a good bargain for a three piece set. Even the grave master looked at her with renewed interest, and muttered a “nice job” before going off to “collect”. Stephanie had only nodded her head, a small bashful smile playing at her lips.

Slipping the knapsack over a shoulder I grunted in affirmative. “Do you need anything?”

She took a quick glance at the grave master, hunched over the table working on his never-ending projects, and placed the dried glass aside with the rag.

“I’ll go with you. Can we swing by the centre? I heard that another caravan would be setting up there for the day.”

“Um..” Stephanie looked up at my face pleadingly. I found that I was defenceless against her pleading eyes. They reminded me of the sweet children at the orphanage looking up at me, hanging onto my words as if I had the power to change our situation. I couldn’t, but I very well couldn’t disappoint them. And the same went for Stephanie.

“Well, if we don’t spend too much on anything…” I looked to the grave master for any objection. He only looked up briefly. “I guess it’s no problem.”

Stephanie squealed in delight, wrapping her arms around mine. She did that quite a lot, locking her arms around mine or simply clutching onto my hand. I don’t mind, her touches were soft and warm. I liked it whenever she initiated skin contact.

The trip to town, though long, felt like almost no time at all as I listened to Stephanie ramble on about the baker and his wife’s new concoction. She excitedly recounted the creation of the savoury small pie “It had minced beef and melted cheese in them Taeyeon! Can you believe it? They took out the apples and stuffed meat into them! And they’re the size of a palm! You have to have a taste! It’s delightful!” She had her way with words that I do not possess. She’s so charming that I was just so sure many of the town’s folks took a great liking to her the second she presented them her lovely smile. I, for one, did.

She ran ahead, twirling happily with her arms spread out wide, the long coat flying with her movement. She had taken a liking to my coat, didn’t leave the bunker without it. I planned on buying one for her. If I was lucky enough, and I hope I am, I might find one with the caravan Stephanie was talking about. But before that, I have to hatch a plan to slip out of her notice for a while. Shouldn’t be too hard.

“Taeyeon.” I heard Stephanie’s soft voice. She was behind me, clutching at my shirt. Before I could ask her what’s wrong a loud guffaw caught my attention.

A little further down the road were two men shoving each other, laughing amongst themselves. Well, “men” was stretching it a little. I knew these guys. They were a few years older than I am, two or three, but they acted like asses. They drank heavily, caused disturbance wherever they went and were never sorry for any destructions they caused on their way. The town’s folks only put up with them since they were sons of high statute.

I reached for Stephanie’s elbow, pushing her behind me further. They were also known to harass girls on a regular basis. Last thing I wanted was for them to find interest on Stephanie. “Ignore them and stick close to me.” I whisper to her.

“Oh, no, Taeyeon. I was just about to invite them over for a chat.” she retorted sarcastically. Never the less, she pressed closer to my back. I didn’t get the chance to reply to her when one of the guys called out to us.

“Oi, isn’t that the digger? Come out of your hole, haven’t you? We were beginning to think you died in that hole of yours.” They both snickered.

Stephanie’s grip on my shirt transferred to my arms, pushing me to walk faster. I spare the two a quick scowl, tilting to the side in my attempt to hide Stephanie from their view. Of course, with my height, I failed miserably.

“What’s this? Digger, I’ve heard you’ve got a new lady friend. I didn’t think she was real till I saw her with my own eyes. Is she really pretty as they say?” David, the taller, smarter and meaner of the two, took a step forward. I shot him a warning glare, pushing Stephanie roughly to the side an arms-length away. I would have rather have her farther than that, but her hand instantly locked onto my wrist when I pushed her. I couldn’t dare take my eyes off the two to tell her to let go. Shaking my hand wasn’t doing anything except making her tighten her grip around my wrist.

Mortimer, or Morty, was just as bad with his act first think later attitude. He had gotten into brawls more than he could win them. He wasn’t all that smart, but his fists were wild and short temper dangerous. And with the two of them, they could easily overpower any girl, and with just the two of us… I don’t doubt I can’t throw a few good punches and make an escape, but right now Stephanie was my priority.

“David. Morty.” I nodded my head, feigning politeness. Mentally, I was willing them to move on, find some other person to bother.

“Hello, there girly.” Morty crooned. I never wanted to rip a face in my life, but I wouldn’t mind starting now. Stephanie’s urgent tug had me blocking Morty’s advancement.

“Well, it was a pleasure to see you both. I hope you had a good morning tea. Now if you’ll excuse us, my companion and I must be going, we’re running really late. I don’t want to worry Mr. Pole more than necessary.” David raised a brow at the name while Morty staggered in his steps. Mr. Pole was the sheriff of the town, one of the few who didn’t care for statuses. Of course, it was a lie, but I was good in keeping up a charade.

Morty gave a nasty sneer. He would have advanced on me if David hadn’t slapped his shoulder. Steering Morty away David sent one of his ‘good-boy’ smile our way, tilting his head in goodbye. “We better be off then, Morty and I have some.. business to tend to.” He gave Morty another shove in the opposite direction we were taking. “Good day, my lady. Digger. We hope to meet you again.”

“I hope not.” Stephanie muttered, easing her death-like grip around my wrist. Surreptitiously, I pulled my aching wrist from her hold, steering her away with the other.

“Who do they think they are?” And her spunk was back. Honestly this girl, all bark and no bite. I guess I best be thankful for that anyway.

“David and Morty. Stay away from them, as far away as you can. They’re never worth the trouble.”

“I can see that.” she said, scrunching her nose in distaste. I had to smile at that cute display. “Still, didn’t their parents teach them not to be all… oh, I don’t know.. aggressive? Impolite?”

“They’re sons of the rich. Don’t bother with them, Stephanie.” I told her seriously as if that had answered all her questions. She raised a brow, about to reply with another snippy retort, but I beat her to it. “Now you said something about pie?”

Her eyes flashed and she smiled toothily. “You have to try it!” Grabbing onto my hand she tugged impatiently, wanting to get there as quick as possible. I couldn’t help but laugh. She was such a child at heart.

Unfortunately, sneaking away from Stephanie was a lot harder than it sounded. So far I had made two attempts, two foiled attempts.

The first was at the bakery, my number one choice as Stephanie seemed to love talking with the baker and his wife. I can see why, they were both a lovely couple, one of the few that didn’t shy away from me like I was carrying the plague. Just as I had thought I was in the clear the baker had called for my attention. He had wanted my opinion on his new savoury concoction, and Stephanie was more than happy to shove a steaming pie into my mouth. It was really good, the fantastic flavour of the meat and its gravy sauce coating my tongue and sending fireworks going off everywhere. And so I relayed my thoughts. The baker laughed with that soothing deep baritone of his.

“Well then! Take some back with you! Get some more meat on your bones!” He said, winking Stephanie’s way.

The second was while we were at the market. Stephanie was chatting up a storm about cabbages with one of the barmaids from the local tavern. Lord knows how she managed to hold a conversation revolving around a green vegetable and make it seem interesting. From the way the barmaid was beaming, she certainly enjoyed their chat. Taking the chance I was presented with, I pretended to be deep into my browsing, moving further and further away. It was just as I was about to slip away from the market when I felt a strong force from the side. Next thing I knew I was on the cold, hard ground. My right side took the burn of my fall, but thankfully it doesn’t seem as if I broke anything, except maybe my dignity. Stephanie was quick to come to my aid, fussing over me like one would a child. The big brute, his red face suddenly ashen, apologised over Stephanie’s questionings as she helped me up. She had promptly locked her arms around me, refusing to let me out of her sights.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

I rubbed my sore hip, grimacing at the dull pain. “It’s just a bump. I’ll be fine.” I waved off the concerned look Stephanie was wearing. There was no need to be all fuzzy for a little bump, it wasn’t that painful or distracting.

She nodded her head, running her hands soothingly down my right arm. She was wearing a pout, her cheeks a little puffed. I wanted to reach over and pinch them. No, wait! Hold up! What was I thinking?

“Right!” I winced at the pitch my voice had risen up to. Stephanie gave a start, head swivelling my way with her brow disappearing behind her fringe. Even she couldn’t believe my voice could reach that high. I cleared my throat, getting my pitch back to normal. “Vegetables, bread, chicken.. are we missing anything? No? I don’t think so. Anything coming to mind Stephanie?” She shook her head, a smile already playing at her lips.

“Nothing. Right, next stop, to the center!” She giggled, nudging me by her hip.

“What? Did I say something funny?”

She shakes her head, still grinning with her eyes turning into their signature crescents. Have I mentioned that she had a lovely pair of eyes to match her equally lovely smile? Because she did. “Nothing, Taeyeon. Nothing at all.”

“I can hardly believe you can laugh at nothing. What is it?” I nudge her by the shoulder, raising both my brows. She pushed my face away with a hand, giggling again.

“You’re just… funny.”

“I am?”

“Yes.” She says, her brows scrunching a little as she tilted her head to the side. “Has no one told you?”

“No. No one has.. Well, I don’t really talk to anyone more than I do with you.” I reply honestly.

“Really? Now I find that a little hard to believe. You’re so full of life!”

“Ah.. well..” I feel my cheeks burning up a little at the compliment. “No one really wants to speak with a grave digger for too long, much more stay in my presence for longer than necessary.”

“What? Why?” Stephanie halted in her tracks, pulling at our locked arms to stop my advancements.

“Well.. It may have something to do with them.. well… believing that I’m bad luck. I mean, to my knowledge, most everybody thinks that anything from the graveyard is cursed. So it’s natural for them to believe that I’m a walking disaster waiting to happen.”

Stephanie’s face scrunches in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Haven’t you seen the way they look my way?” I asked, raising a brow. Had she really missed the way the color drained from that big brutes face? Or how most of the people around us had constantly thrown wary looks over their shoulders.

Brows still scrunched, Stephanie looked over her shoulder at the busy market. Her lips thinned, eyes narrowing when she spotted a few people throwing a cautious glance our way. They were quick to look away and pretend to be busy with something else once they realised they weren’t the only one’s looking.

I sigh, tugging at our linked arms. “I hear things, Stephanie. And though I may not react to the looks, and they may act as if everything was alright if I approach them, I know they’re there. They’ve always been there. And before you get angry again, it’s a silly superstition. I’m already used to it and it’s not really hurting anyone-”

“Not hurting? Can you look me in the eyes and tell me straight up that it’s not hurting you even a tiny bit?” she challenged. I purposely avoid her searching eyes, not wanting to be caught in my lies. Of course, it hurt.

“Let’s just get to the caravan.” She grabbed my wrist, intending to pull me back to the crowd. To what? To berate the superstitious towns folks? All by herself? I don’t think so.

I pull my wrist back, shaking my head when she turned to look at me. She opened to pitch her argument. I stopped her with a glare. “Drop it.” I tell her in the lowest tone I could muster. Her eyes widen, was it shock or disbelief, her hold on my wrist slackening until it slipped past her lax fingers. She turned to stare at the crowd in silence, then hung her head.

Honestly, this girl. She was just too good for this world. I feel my chest twinge in that feeling that is oddly starting to be addictive. I reach for her hand, clasping them firmly in my own. Her eyes rise to meet mine. I smile at her. “I really don’t mind what they think of me. The only thing that matters to me is what you think of me. So please, let it go. For me.” I can see the conflict on her face, but she nodded.

“Okay.” She muttered, squeezing my hand.

“Thank you.” I tell her sincerely. “Now! Caravan, yes? It was to the center… now, where was the center supposed to be again?”

“Silly Taeyeon.” She giggled, tugging at my arm.

“Taeyeon! Look at this! Have you seen anything as fascinating as.. Oh! It snows!” Stephanie said in complete awe. She held a glass sphere in her hand, one that looked like it was filled with water. A figure of sorts sat in the middle of the glass, attached to the ceramic base that was painted to look like a grassy hill.

“Fascinating, isn’t it?” The gypsy woman said, reaching to take the object from Stephanie’s hand. She shook the sphere, making the water turbulent with the small bits of white inside. “A snow globe from a small city of fʁɑ̃sɛz. There are only a few of them produced by a father and son. Its only purpose is to entertain young minds. But I personally think this is a beautiful creation. Think of how much time and effort they had to put into this to create one. Glass cups are already expensive, what more things such as this? And they are also quite delicate.”

“It must cost a fortune.” Stephanie inputted, gazing longingly at the globe. “It’s beautifully done. It almost looks like a real place.”

“Oh, but it is. It’s a replica of one of the towns bordering fʁɑ̃sɛz. It was the place the father had first met his bride-to-be, back when all he had to him was the shirt on his back and a few pennies in his pocket. It was love at first sight, he said. The moment he laid his eyes on the beautiful maiden he was sure she was to be the woman who he would first see when he wakes in the morning and the last he would see before he slept.”

“Oh, Taeyeon! Oh, that sounds so wonderful!” Stephanie swooned, clasping her hands in front of her. The gypsy chuckled, placing the globe back in its place on her mat. Stephanie’s eyes followed the globe, I could tell she wanted the object badly but kept her thoughts to herself. We were on a tight budget and, no matter how well she was with charming people, this particular item did not serve a good enough purpose for whatever it's worth.

I nudge her side “Do you want to browse for a couple of cutlery or wooden bowls?”

Finally, she tore her eyes away from the globe. She puffed her cheeks and pouted, but nodded her head none the less.

“Do you have any bowls or plates?” I asked.

The woman beamed “As a matter of fact, I have a couple of China with me..”

“Oh.. we can’t- we can’t afford China.”

“What’s a China?” Tiffany tugged at my sleeves, whispering into my ear. At least, I think whispering was her goal. She whispered as loud as a child that even the woman had heard her innocent inquiry.

“My dear, haven’t you seen any China before?”

Embarrassed Tiffany hid behind me, gingerly shaking her head in a negative. “I’ve been… travelling around too much to stop and see anything of value.”

“Are you from a travelling family then? Merchants?”

“Ah.. my- my father was... is. We went around a lot when I was still young. He sold silk and other cloths and only traded for consumable goods.”

“And now?” The woman inquired, completely taken by Stephanie’s story.

“I don’t know where they are. I lost track of them a while back…” I heard a loud gasp. I couldn’t tell if it came from the gypsy or from my own mouth. I too am completely taken by surprise. I’ve never asked Stephanie for details of her past, not wanting to be too nosy, and I thought if it would be best if I wait for her to come to me and share her story when she sees fit. When I feel Stephanie’s hand slipping into my lax ones I knew that she needed comfort. Despite no one forcing her to reveal her past, she must have thought it was for the best to finally tell someone about it and relieve herself of her secrets. But still, it is personal, and it should feel like you were baring yourself to the open, completely vulnerable. I took her hand, squeezing it to relay to her that I was there. That she could lean on me. “Then, I found my way here, and then Taeyeon found me. And I’ve been staying with her ever since.”

“You lost them, my dear?”

“I.. was  lost.” Stephanie and the gypsy seem to have a silent communication between them. Neither one said anything as they stared at each other, relaying something that I cannot even think to grasp. It must be because they were both from families of nomads that they have an understanding of another level, one that I will not be able to have with Stephanie.

The gypsy tore her gaze away first, her eyes moving to meet my own. “Bless you.”

“Um..” I look between her and Stephanie. Now I know I had missed a lot with their silent conversation.

Stephanie smiles back at me, once again slipping her arms to lock with mine.

 The gypsy looks between us, something about her smile right now seems oddly softer than before. Sadder. Almost like Stephanie’s sometimes. “So, about that China..”