Clone Alone (pt2)

They lifted their hair out of their face and tucked the front behind their ears before standing again. Feeling the shaky tremors on their legs again. “Easy.” the voice came out in a wet croak. They rubbed their throat, an astringent feeling in their mouth and throat after coughing up all the strange liquid, a bitter, numb feeling of an overly steeped tea with an overload of tannins. Leveraging against the stone table they managed to stand solidly enough to take in the space for the first time. Smacking their tongue against the dry roof of their mouth as they looked around, spying the shelf of oak staves. Using the table as a guide rail around the room before nearly throwing themselves over to the rack taking one from the lowest shelf. Even then having to reach. “Why would these be so high up if they were meant to be used?” they thought, leaning on it like a walking stick, a sudden flash of what felt like an out of body memory hit them. Looking at what felt like themselves. Though they were much older, like a great grandpa. Leaning against the staff in a similar way. As quick as it came it was gone, leaving only the feeling of a dizzy vertigo in its place. “What was that?” they asked in a whisper.

Using the staff as a cane, they went back to the table and started to look at the water stained papers. Trying to find any indication of where this place was or who it belonged to. The papers were in languages they couldn’t understand, and what words they could the ink ran making it nearly eligible. “This was no help.” they thought, flipping through the papers. The only page left unturned on the table was a scroll that looked nearly new, it could have been put there a week ago. “Hmm…” they pondered touching it considering it was still tied with a silver and red braided twine, tied in a knot they knew would be impossible to replicate to hide their snooping. Staring at the scroll for a bit, reaching out to take it but pulling back thinking better of it.”

Moving to the arch on the opposite side of the room, looking down it, the hall terminated in a T, a room to the left and a room to the right. Though they were getting some of the feeling back in their legs they walked to the end of the hall using the wall for support. The room to the left was a bedchamber, the door left slightly ajar. They hazarded a peek, expecting to see someone sleeping but saw only an empty and made bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a foot locker. The only thing out of place was a rug that was slightly askew. The archway to the right had collapsed and looked like it had been for some time. They returned their attention to the bedroom, took a breath and stepped inside, worried that the owner could be back at any moment.