Salome opened her eyes.

She squinted in the bright light. The sky above was black and starless. Nearby, she could hear the sound of water lapping against the shore. Trix was sitting next to her, sewing a tear in her coat. She noticed Salome was awake and folded it carefully at her feet.

"How are you feeling?" asked Trix

"I feel...different." said Salome. She was fine, she didn't hurt, but something was not quite right. Something had been burnt away. She decided that she didn't mind the feeling, she felt light and free, that sense of freedom one gets after leaving all ones baggage at the hotel on the first night of a holiday.

Stolen novel; please report.

"Thank you for saving me" said Trix.

"You saved me first, after all. It would have been gauche of me not to return the favour."

"Of course." said Trix, with a sad smile.

"What are you going to do now?"

"We thought we'd explore, see what's across the sea."

"What about Andras?"

"We'll worry about him later, we have a few decades, don't we?"

"I suppose we do." said Salome.

"What about you?"

"I'm writing a poem, in my head."

"What's it about?"

"I'm not sure" she hesitated, unused to asking permission, feeling embarrassed for the first time in her life. "I thought, maybe I could come with you, and work it out on the way?"