Sakuya Isaya

It was a quiet evening, and the soft ticking of the wall clock was the only sound Sakuya heard as she lay in her bed. The darkness seemed heavier than usual, and a vague restlessness gnawed at her. She tossed and turned, pulling her blanket tighter around her, but the uncomfortable chill in her chest just wouldn't go away.

After a few minutes that seemed like hours, she sat up. She hesitated briefly to put her feet on the cool floor, but the loneliness felt more unbearable than the cold.

Slowly, she opened the door to her room, stepped out into the corridor and scurried quietly through the darkness, careful not to disturb anyone. Her hands trembled slightly as she knocked on the door to her father's bedroom.

Dad? she whispered barely audibly, her voice trembling slightly. She stepped closer and played nervously with the hem of her nightdress. I... I'm not feeling so well tonight, somehow. And... I don't want to be alone. Her voice was barely more than a whisper, and she looked down at the floor. Can I cuddle up to you for a bit?