Gravity (20 page)

Hovering within a body I have no control
over. I identify the subject immediately as Red. I'm anxious as my
floating self is trapped observing through Red's eyes. All the
emotions Red feels, jumps from one to another quickly. It reflects
the dream's immediate state of constant action.

Like an apparition solidifying, two figures
kiss and hold hands between the trees. In the shadows of the forest
Red watches from above. I think he's perched in a tree which is a
strange notion. Observing the coupe makes my chest ache. I can see
the reason is clear. Violet is kissing. The simple fact is
unsettling.
She too young for this
, Red's thought
commentates. Ryan Grey is very attractive, but much older than I
would've thought to be Violet's boyfriend.

She's sixteen
.
Red's soft voice sends
a chill down where my spine should be. There's an overwhelming need
to protect her as I watch the two. I realize this emotion is Red's
and not my own. The distinction between us takes a bit of
analyzing. Moment to moment passes and I can't define what is me
and what his him.

We watch together and
so we feel together.

Ryan Grey looks
sad but his smile is genuine when he looks down at Violet. There's
an aura of intensity about him. He has a full history at such a
young age. Watching them closely,
I receive information that this is their eleventh kiss. It's
strange that Red is counting; an immature emotion I remember doing
in elementary school. Its surprises me that Red is inexperienced in
these sort of things.

A knot in Red's chest tightens, and like the first kiss Red
wants to pull them apart. The scene changes again and again,
multiple kisses over time.
The pain increases.

Grey
is with her.
I wonder why Red
would put himself through such torture, watching another man be
with the girl he loves. It hurts like hell. Red's emotion tears
through his chest like a knife every time we see Grey touch her.
These are Red's burning emotions I feel. It's painful to keep from
coming apart. I know what envy feels like. I've felt something
mildly like this when Pete and Cher touch. For Red, it's more
intense. The feeling is rooted deeper than I could ever feel for
Cher.

The season changes and the feelings for
Violet are the same. Red can't be without knowing what's she doing
every waking moment. How far will Grey go with her? How much did he
touch her today? Red is so pre-occupied with them, he neglects his
other duties. Seeking out Hybrids comes after Violet. That is not
allowed.

The dream environment shifts into a park with
massive city fountain. Red's heart has settled a little. He looks
away whenever they embrace. He's reevaluating the obsession he has
for their love. They're happy and it is all Red ultimately wants
for them. It's all he can give. Defeat is familiar to me. I've
given up plenty of times just to please others. It's a sacrifice I
make to remain the Alex everyone loves. The ache in my chest comes
back when I see them kiss again. Watching the water fountain
doesn't distract Red enough. He's is trying to endure it, but he
can't help but feel with them.

I want out of this dream

I want out now.

The environment goes dark and view through
Red's eyes changes to the city.

I'm
overwhelmed. My heart is pounding and
it's hard to breath. Red is freaking out. He runs through the city
streets at night looking for
his
missing
Violet. Grey has taken her without his permission. He's been
wandering the city looking for them, but something catches his
attention in a dark alley. He senses something is there, what Red
calls an entity; a being not categorized as anything human or
Hybrid.

Sudden
pressure at his temples sends me in a
haze. Something is in the dark alley with us. Something brushes by
Red's body taking energy from him. It causes everything to turn to
black.

I'm in dark for a moment. Red wakes.
Something is different; I feel even more emotional than before;
hypersensitive and very awake. A dark fog obscures my vision.
Nothing looks clear. He continues his frantic search through the
city, obsessing over how much he finds Grey disgusting. Red is a
negative bomb ready to explode and I can't escape the anger. This
is not the feeling he had before. Something else, some other
presence is disturbing all his emotions. I realize I may not be
alone with Red after all.

He finds them
outside of a club. Grey and Violet have
become targets as Red's love for them turns sour. Red
changes drastically, flipping his mind and emotions every second.
Grey and Red argue and Violet is upset. It's confusing for me; a
schizophrenic view at best. I'm trapped; consumed with intense
emotions I want to get away from.

E
verything cuts away into
a choppy complexity of passion and rage. Red's last feeling could
not be described as an unreadable mess. This insanity is going on
longer than I'm comfortable with. I want to get out of the dream. I
want to call dash to stop, but I have no voice.

The environment
darkens. It's hard to tell it's the Sanctuary, but the summoning of
a storm. Red's heart is pounding for different reason. He's
fighting to clear the fog. I observe Red reveal his feelings for
Violet through a small window through the darkness. Her brown eyes
plead him to stop hurting Grey who's on the ground curled up in a
ball. It's hard to see her cry, but foreign presence taking up
residence with me in Red's head, forces his sympathy to dissolve
like it's nothing. Red wants to hurt Violet.

A flash of
lightning makes my head hurt.

Red's running.
The view of the Sanctuary shifts to a view of the city. The air
pumping in and out of his lungs sounds like a machine rather than a
human. His muscles burn from moving so fast, it feels like flying.
When he lifts off the ground his leg muscles seize and the back and
arms take over. He's flying but not as a man; as a cawing
bird.

Violet and Grey
are spotted on a roof top. The view flashes forward to Red drawing
Violet from Grey to him like a magnet. She's hovering between them.
The need to have her is great and I can feel the grasp he has on
her aura, but energy explodes out of her. She's moving against
Red's pull and has created her own. Her love for Grey triggered her
power. It's beautiful. Violet fights to be with the one she loves.
Red's heart breaks. It hurts so bad I want to cry but this isn't my
body. Red doesn't cry but his presence emerges stronger than
before. The instinct to protect Violet turns on like a light
switch. The dark cloudy vision clears. Something feels like it
wants to crawl up Red's throat and out the mouth. Red heaves and
something comes out. The substance is black and slimy. The
negativity leaves Red's body with the black vomit. The realization
that the entity in the alley had entered his body is now being
ejected. The dense shadow-like thing slithers after Grey who stands
on the ledge. Red is scared that his friend will die. Grey jumps
off the roof with the entity following and Red's heart explodes in
pain.

The cityscape
transforms
into the great room
at the Sanctuary. The connection to Red is lost and I feel more
like myself pulling away from the dream. I'm now in my own dream,
in my own body. Violet is smiling up at me as we dance. The song is
faint and it's slowing down. The music box Red gave to me sits on
the coffee table. The prongs pluck the notes until the last sound
hums with Violet's face fading into blue dust.

Gabriel

I rest my head back against the wood porch
pillar, savoring the smell of the morning breeze triggers thoughts
of walking to school The decision to not go makes me feel a bit
guilty. I should go. I'm supposed to. I haven't gone since Violet
allowed me to stay in the Sanctuary. For some reason, she hasn't
mentioned it.

There's only one reason I'd go back and
that's Josh. I don't know what I'd say if I see him. I'm sure the
reason he didn't show at school is he resents me. After that night,
he must feel ashamed. Maybe it's good I don't go back to school.
Josh doesn't need someone like me around.

I shift
my
outstretch legs and look
down at my written work. Last night brings a smile to my face.
Violet has an aura like mine and its strong. I'll keep the
experience to myself. I'll enjoy the retelling in my journal to
rekindle the feeling that gives my body pleasure again and again
every time I read it.

If she's like
me, than why doesn't she stay away from Alex and Dash? Did they not
feel her aura? Maybe because we're alike we're double the trouble.
She called me
'overwhelming'
. Though
last night, she felt strong, but that could be related to her
dream. I wish she would tell me about herself. Knowing we're alike
makes me feel less lonesome. We can talk about it together. Explore
it together. I'd like last night to happen again. I live here now,
so what's to stop me from a small kiss. Can I pull that
off?

"What are you smiling about?" Violet sits on
a rocking chair on the shaded porch. She makes jeans, a loose
t-shirt and bare feet look so sexy. I'd love to see her in
something more feminine. "It's beautiful today." She looks out on
the Sanctuary. "I guess that's something to smile about."

"Today? It seems every day here is
beautiful." I've never spoke openly to anyone other than Josh and
his family. She makes me feel normal. I gaze at the sunlit
landscape. The warmth here is nothing like the overbearing one in
the real world.

"You look nice without your hoodie. I can
really see you." She rocks in the chair with on foot on the floor
and the other propped up on the arm. I veer away before my eyes
stare. "Did you have breakfast?"

I pick up two apple cores beside me. "Sorry,
I'm used to just grabbing and going."

"Next time I'll make breakfast."

No one except Josh's mom has made breakfast
for me. "That would be great."

"You want to sit by
the lake?"

"Sure." I feel
awkward when we leave the porch. We have to walk so far apart it's
ridiculous, when only last night we shared the same space. The
breeze hits my skin and I feel naked without my hoodie.

"Why do you
stay farther
away from me than
everyone else?" I stuff my hands in my pockets.

Violet stares
back at me as if I sprouted wings. It’s a simple question, but she
is in a tug-of-war in her own head. We're the same. I just want her
to say it. I understand she maybe too embarrassed to.

She
tucks a strand of hair behind her
ear. I remember her ignoring my question before when I asked what
her ability is. Dash and Alex are allowed closer. The more I think
about it, the more I want to know if I'm right.
"Why?" I
repeat.

"I'm
sorry
, Gabriel. I don't want
to talk about it. We can talk about anything else."

I
nod. I respect her wish because I
wished the same with Josh. I don't want to push her. I understand
she doesn't want to share something that personal. I have my own
demons I'd never share with her for as long as I live.

"Tell me what
you know about Red." I change the subject as we sit beside the
lake. Bugs skip on the water and the sound of them buzzing is
relaxing. It feels like summer here.

"I've known Red for a long time, but my
memory was affected in an accident so some of my memories are lost.
I'm still regaining some of them, mostly through dreams. What's
your first impression of him?"

My cheeks heat up. "He's interesting to look
at. He seems pretty cool. It feels like he could kill me with just
his eyes. He has a wicked presence."

"I know what you mean. When he first brought
me here I was frightened of him. He's dark and his eyes are
incredibly beautiful, there's something behind them; something big.
You can feel him when he's in the room. You're body tenses like
there's danger, but Red isn't dangerous that way. He's gentle,
sweet and kindhearted. When he smiles my heart melts. We..." Violet
touches her lips. Her blushing cheeks make me uncomfortable. I
wonder if they were ever intimate. "I know he works hard to keep us
safe." She continues. "He's the Guardian; the only one watching all
of us. It's ridiculous really. I mean just one Guardian to protect
all of us. He's overwhelmed, I know it. But now he's out there..."
Her eyes settle on the lake.

"What do you think happened to him?"

Her eyes flutter like she's going to cry.
It's the wrong question. I don't want to see her look so sad. I
scratch my head and change the direction of the conversation.
"Um... he has powers. I've felt it in my dream."

"I know. You and Red share the same ability.
The energy that surrounds you is your aura. The thing is..." She
crosses her legs. "The energy is particularly strong in you, so
strong that it has its own gravitational pull. It operates on a
nature stronger than human."

I
wince. Stronger than human?
"Alien."

Violet nods. "Red had told me in my dream
that your compelling aura is an alien characteristic. We all have
auras that can affect others but because of the alien genes, your
aura can be manipulated and manipulate other. You lure, Gabriel,
because it's your nature to use it for prey and..." her eyes dart
away to her hands picking grass, "and other things."