by Meco Brown
My eyes opened with a furious POP!
I spotted a series of lightning flashing in the sky; Using my telekinesis I moved the last bolt of lightning out from the storm above and struck the beam directly through Terra's chest like a dagger; Hoping it reminded her of how much pain Taideo felt.
Her garments were immediately set ablaze, and her screams brought pleasure to my mind. I felt a pulse of white-hot heat surge though the magical venom in my system. I launched a blast of telekinetic power straight at Terra. She smashed directly into the statue, all the way into the far wall; Where I held her there with my power. “Odd, isn't it? I was in the same position as you, when you killed my boyfriend.” I grinned. “Sort of anticlimactic, isn't it?”
“You don't have to do this, Airius.” she let out in a fit of panic, worry drifted over her face.
“Oh, but I want to, you deserve to feel every ounce of pain he felt.” I extended my right arm, palm up and compressed her body against the wall. Another deadly bolt of lightning launched from the skies; Again, I pulled it down, amplifying the power behind the heavenly weapon, as Terra gave an uncontrollably screech of pain and defeat; A hole began growing in her chest, spreading with a hot electrical echo. I could easily smell a change in the ozone, as the borrowed bolt of lightning remained longer than it should have.
“See you in hell!” She screamed as her body vanishes in a gust of smoke and fire.
In that moment, standing here alone; I couldn't help but let out a wicked scream; Partly because even though it's done, my mission completed, at the end of the day, Taideo is still gone. Terra's death didn't bring him back, and still, after all this time, I am again left utterly alone.
EXISTENCE
For the past five days, I've drifted in and out of liveliness; Now that Terra has met the second death, I found myself trying to fight the urge to mourn Taideo. His face swirled around in my head; I was dizzy, intoxicated by the thought of him. I assumed once I arrived home, my family would welcome me, and do their best to deflect the issue of my loss of love; However, since I've been home, I've seen no one. Of course, I knew not to worry; Death of a coven member alerts us all, no matter the measure of time or space. I knew my family were safe, I just didn't know where they were and honestly didn't bother to reach them.
“Airius,” Taideo's voice said in a low and peaceful tone. I shot upward from my bed, only to see... nobody. My heightened witch instincts are as active as ever, while I scan my bedroom with my powers; I felt the pull of someone, but saw nothing.
“T-taideo?” I whisper, reaching for him, wishing- hoping he was there to calm my deadened heart. But he wouldn't; With him gone, it meant everything has ended. Our love for each other, life itself, all... gone.
Seconds, minutes, hours, days; Time made no sense as I tried my best to get by every passing day. Perhaps it felt like time was set on repeat, because my life was the same no matter how small of a change I tried to make. But still, I kept going; For him- for Taideo.
As days turned to weeks, and weeks to yet another month, the drive to go on grew darker and darker, until my bed became my only consort. I had no idea what bound me to such a human item, but there I stayed. Maybe it was because Taideo laid here before his death, and I just wished to be closer to him; School was no longer the same without seeing him; As soon as his scent vanished from property, I was done going.
I continued to lay in bed, surrounded by silence for days, unable to remember how long I had been here. At least a little bit of sunlight filtered through the bank of clouds, and through the fissure of blinds I placed over my window.
“Siphoning some energy was better than none.” I mumbled, and flicked my finger against the flat screen, turning it on, channeling pass several local programs. I sat up, watching the TV closely as Taideo's grandmother- Rosie Chestnut, appeared on screen. Her light brown skin glowing brightly from the powerful rays of sunlight. She spoke with Eamie's one armed grandfather, and he described the new slot machines being installed on the second floor of the casino. Apparently during the last few months, Ms. Chestnut's gotten another job; Probably to keep busy from thinking about her grandson. I wondered silently how she managed to try and move on, after seeing the traumatized state her grandson was in. Should I meet with her? Perhaps together, we could find a way to move on entirely. “No,” I said to myself; Standing to my feet. No good would come from it. His grandmother would most likely force me out of her home, tripling the pain I'd feel, I didn't need that, and the small, rather cantankerous voice in the back of my head whispered that she'd blame his death on me; That I never truly had his best interest at heart, and would lastly ridicule my love for him. Ms. Chestnut is such an amazing woman- kind and gentle; But bits of my brain felt she only tolerated me in order to please Taideo.
Each of her words or each inaction on her part was like a needle-prick, lancinating the raw nerve in me that couldn't be healed. “Get it together, Airius.” I said, flexing my jaw indignantly. Left to right I paced, trying-praying for something to distract me from the silence of my mind.
“Screw it!” I unlatched the lock, slid open the large glass window and stepped out onto my enormous rounded balcony. I took off into a sprint, stepped onto the stone bench and hurled my body off the balcony.
There was a roaring in my ears, as my body twisted violently in the wind. I peered around. It didn't take more than a few seconds to find the whole forest spinning before my eyes. My senses booming loudly, causing me to see it all in slow motion. I closed my eyes and began to focus inward. Feeling the familiar sensation of weightlessness, of being pulled irresistibly down; Allowing the bright sunshine to float within my body. I felt myself flinching the way I always did when I siphoned the sunlight. Touching down on the forest ground, I just stood for a second, letting the moment of disorientation I felt, after the brilliant combination of spinning and siphoning fade.
I turned and zipped to the right; Running through the forest at top speed. My mind was rushing in a thousand different directions, all at once. Every fiber of my body screamed for him, and his name continuously slipped from my lips. Yet I kept running.
My thoughts suddenly drifted to our early days. The moments our eyes collided for the first time, when his delectable scent provoked the beast in me; I remember so vividly the emotions that alternated on his face; Curiosity and wonder, fear then panic; And at that moment, I saw the beast reflect back at me from his rich dark almond eyes. I must have thanked my cousins for days; If they hadn't possessed not only the strength to resist his scent, or to get me back home, I fear I would have easily gorged myself on the precious essence that flowed through Taideo. “Ugh,” I said, and shook the thought from my mind.
I slowed down a moment, spun around and ran the opposite direction, towards Ms. Chestnut's home.
After a couple of minutes, I stopped. Directly in front of me was the small three-bedroom house Ms. Chestnut lived alone in. My mind pictured Taideo's face as I neared the front door. His grandmother was gone, Taideo's car was gone; So, it was safe to enter. I twisted my index finger at the door, disengaging the locks and eased inside the cool, dim interior of Ms. Chestnut's home. I inhaled deeply, letting the hypnotic- intoxicating scent of apricot nectar fill my nostrils; It was as if Taideo was standing right next to me. I slowly peeked into the living room, which was furnished with two ratty but carefully mended armchairs and a small brown sofa covered in faded flowered pattern. The mantelpiece over the fireplace was jam-packed with old dusty ceramic figurines.
“What happened here?” I buried my hands on the side of my face, shocked that Ms. Chestnut let her home get so bad. I turned and pushed open the kitchen door, and found myself staring in the utter chaos of the kitchen. My jaw widened to the floor; Shocked that one of Taideo's favorite rooms in the house was, like the living room-a worn and shabby mess. Food crumbs covered the floor, the iron made furniture looked like a heap of dusty metal and the purple fabric decor was old and worn. A plate of a half-eaten moldy salad sat next to the s
ink, which was filled with dishes and silverware. I crossed the floor, looking down at the meal.
“It looks like it's been sitting here for a couple of months.” Judging from the way Ms. Chestnut has her home, it doesn't seem like she's moving on much from Taideo's death.
I twisted back, aiming my body up the stairs, towards his room. I sucked in a long breath as I instinctively walked toward the east side of the house, and crossed my arms over my chest, hugging myself. “Okay, okay; It'll be alright.” I told myself, grabbing onto the door handle, twisting it and letting it fly open.
I froze; Not knowing if what I was seeing was real or not. My eyes fell to the emptiness of Taideo's bedroom. My head began shaking uncontrollably; She got rid of everything; There is literally no trace of him in this entire house. The realization that Ms. Chestnut truly got rid of everything Taideo owned stung me; Were his belongings such a burden to her? Did she feel it unnecessary to give something of his to my family for safekeeping? Anger and pain started to boil; The feeling of fury burst to the surface and caused a wicked path of destruction through this empty space.
The closest object to fall victim to my beastly anger was the wooden bedroom door; The hinges creaked in protest against my attack, and crumbled into dust and grit as it BANGED into the far wall. I screamed at the conception I had supported so long ago- that my and Taideo's love was an everlasting thing; That after all the horrible things I've done in the past, I could actually find peace and love in someone as pure as he was.
Pieces of paint and drywall fluttered through the air, sinking into my hair, as my super-sonic punches burst into each of the four walls. My body twisted in a continuous loop of circles as I was swept away by the fury pouring out of me. With a furious THUD, I slammed into the closet wall. My eyes scanned the room; The wide spread of debris littered the ground along the four walls, several wires sticking out of them. My knees buckled under me, and I slid against the wall to the floor. “What's wrong with me,” I sobbed; Feeling the hole in my chest open wider, tearing me -yet again- to pieces. Still, despite my little tiff; I managed to calm myself with the thought of our time together prior before his death.
The months after Mr. Clark was vanquished, when Taideo and I did nothing but focus on each other. The beauty of it all was filled with such wonder, and the joy of opening up once hidden secrets, brought on new found honor and respect for each other. I remembered our first actual picnic date, which- thank God, was demon free, no pun intended.
I thought back to when I walked in on him and Lillian, who was sneaking Taideo a glass of fifty-year-old wine, I remember the shocked look on his face when I caught him; And how I couldn't stop myself from leaning down and kissing his sweet wine-stained lips. I replayed memory after memory, as if lost in our own personal homemade movie; Our many laughs, him trying to teach me how to play on that wretched video game console. Everything flashed before my eyes. Our many shopping trips, cooking dinner with him and his grandmother. I even thought of the times Ms. Chestnut would call, and make us pick up her prescription from the drug store.
My mind then summoned the memory of us traveling to Mississippi to meet his friend Maria; And our trip to London, where I introduced him to one of my longtime friends. It was there, that Taideo's telepathy and empathic powers began growing at an alarming rate; Under the constant pressure of his mental and emotional development, Taideo soon buckled under an onslaught of thoughts and emotions he couldn't seem to escape. The rejection he spat towards his powers were indeed an ugly time, until I finally reminded him of the reason behind his gifts; To protect his essence so no form of evil can claim it. He slowly agreed; And once again adapted to his powers and accepted the personal and magical elements of his life; Understanding that they are neither inseparable nor easy to manage at first.
Little by little we were finally able to teach him how to master his two abilities; Deep within the forest around my home, it was there he found the beauty in nature, that helped center him on finding complete control over his gifts- A feat Taideo and his mother both thought he'd never accomplish. Individually, both of his gifts were strong, but together, the intensity of so much energy augmented his gifts to a near invincible degree. Still, once he attempted to use them for long periods of time, he'd lose himself.
Watching Taideo's constant struggle never sat well with me, and I sought to find an answer to his problem. With the help from my coven, we intensified the power behind his mother's necklace yet again; Allowing Taideo to use his power as he saw fit. No longer would he be phased by the length of which he used his powers.
The conclusion of that memory brought on one of the first. I clearly remembered being in here-his room; The night we shared our first couple of secrets for the first time; Just one of the many passing moments which led to that perfect first kiss.
“Oh, Taideo,” I let slip from my quivering mouth as I felt a web of hurt building in my chest. “I wish I could find a way to remove the curse that's on me,” I finally admitted.
When suddenly, a small white glossy object fell from the heavens, as if the angels were having a pillow fight. It swayed side to side and landed on my stomach. I sighed and flipped it over, immediately shifting my posture straighter. There in my numb hand was a picture we'd taken in a photo booth a while ago. His grandmother must have missed this. I couldn't help but grin looking at it; Taideo was a talented photographer, but put him on the other end and he became as stiff as my heart. I studied his forced grin in two of the pictures, and basked in his delicate beauty. He sure did hate having attention aimed at him, something utterly inescapable wherever we showed up together.
Taideo didn't even want to take this picture; I did; Another reason he was good for me. I had been so incredibly happy that afternoon; Joking with him, holding him as much as I could, and yes, even dancing. With him on that day, I knew it was the happiest time of my entire existence; And just knew we'd have many more.
A sudden bright flash of light waved across Taideo's bedroom window. “Oh, great!” I yelled and jumped to my feet, stuffing the photo in my pocket. I couldn't let his grandmother find me here, I wasn't ready to face her just yet. As soon as the front door flung open, I tossed my body through the window, and allowed my legs to carry me all the way home.
I paid no attention to what was in front of me, yet I felt the fall of the sun as I edged closer home. My concentration was locked on the picture that I tightly griped in my hand. I latched onto Taideo's face, as if my own unique senses could tell me what he was thinking, at that exact moment the last photo was taken. I was quickly torn from the images when my nostrils flared, and I let out a deep subvocalized growl.
Someone was in my home...
I entered.
The house was utterly still, and I recognized the same unusual quietness, the dullness of all sound I'd experienced while at Taideo's home tonight. I passed the archway that opened into the sun-room; And tried to ignore the fact that this was indeed Taideo's favorite room in the house, his own personal sanctuary. The white satin curtains flowed as if in a breeze, yet I didn't feel the slightest drift of wind. “Strange,” I whispered, just as the clattering sound of pots and pans crashed to the floor with an enormous racket. The moment I rushed into the kitchen, the items were back where they originally were, as if an invisible hand rearranged them all in less than three seconds. “What the hell is going on?” I said, hearing the tension in my own voice as I circled around into the living room.
My eyes caught sight of the newly decorated far wall. It was filled with hundreds of photos of my family, including a few of me and Taideo. I noticed the records of accomplishments throughout the decades my family and I received; Including diplomas and citations, especially on Esmond's behalf. I continued looking over them and found pictures of the dozen proms Lillian attended, the many photos of Brock in every branch of the military, as well as the many weddings Chloe was the bride of. I knew nothing about what was happening here in my home, and at the moment, cared more about this little mys
tery because it kept me momentarily busy.
Suddenly, I took in this odd funk that drifted throughout the house and followed it. Even though the scent would guide me to this unknown intruder, I was too innately suspicious to follow its trail directly. I crouch down onto the ground, posing like a lion on the hunt, cross the floor and ascend the wall, mimicking a spider. I find myself reaching the wall's top and crawl upside down across the ceiling. Speed was of the essence if I hoped to find the trespasser, but as I followed the direction my senses pulled me in, it was far better to be silent. A phantom of the night couldn't have been less conspicuous as I drifted from room to room, following the scent without making a sound. I stretched one leg out on the smooth surface of the ceiling and leaned forward on one bent knee, surveying the room ahead with pure confidence. I closed my eyes, and took in a deep, long whiff, and mentally followed the scent, which seems to have led inside Brock's bedroom.
And I thought, of all the places I needed go, it had to be his room. His bedroom was one of the nastiest places I've ever seen.
My body scurried down the hall and around the corner, noticing the door to Brock's room was already open. I peered around the shadowy interior of his room- empty. I cross the threshold and immediately became thankful I didn't need to breathe in order to survive. I instantly saw a mountain of dirty laundry stuffed up against the side wall, his unmade bed was piled with certain magazines I quickly tried to forget I saw. The small plastic wastebasket was overflowing with crumpled up paper. The closet door was open, and I could spy Brock's beloved skateboard peeking out from under his scuffed-up sneakers.