When we unwrapped the bundle, we found an old relic with a bright orange gem set in it.

Alone... it whispered. Not aloud. In our minds. We both jumped.

"What?"

"You heard it, too?"

"Yes."

They could come again. Something could happen. You could lo…

It was peaceful, when we were together. Just the two of us. No one to harm us. No one to separate us.

No more alone.

We cleaned together. We walked together. We laughed together.

This place was ours.

We couldn't have been happier, is what we thought. …

When they threatened us, we ran. I was good at running. You tend to pick it up, when you've often had to steal just to get enough food. She wasn't as good, but I helped her along.

Her parents were furious when they realized. When they went to her room, a…

She came to me when I was alone.

I'm not even sure what I did wrong. My father was always reprimanding me for all sorts of things. Normal things. Things I'd done before without punishment. I tried so hard to understand. The rules didn't make much sense.

…

Alone.

It was such a terrible feeling. It threatened to eat you from the inside out, to consume everything you ever were or could be.

But it was what brought us together.

Sometimes I didn't mind being alone too much. Sometimes it was unbearable. Usuall…