Authors: Lauren Shelton
“I
know
things were pretty crazy back there,”
he
paused, grabbing her face in his warm and comforting,
blood and dirt stained hands, “but I want you to know
that you
don’t have
to
tell
me
anything
until
you’re
ready.”
Tru looked up into his eyes. A single tear began rolling
down her face, but Declan quickly stopped it with his
thumb and wiped it away. “Okay,” she replied quietly.
Declan,
once
again,
wrapped
his
arms
around
her
body, being cautious of the two large wings protruding
from her spine, and then peacefully kissed her on the
forehead.
The three stood in silence for what seemed like days.
Tru held Declan close to her body, using him to support
herself. But she was also scared that if she let him go, he
would leave her too. Airi stood silently next to them, staring blankly down at the grave.
“I am terribly sorry,” Airi said, finally breaking the silence a few minutes later.
Declan and Tru looked over at her, still holding onto
one another. Tru sniffled quietly, wiping her nose on her
forearm before she spoke. She could feel Declan’s body
shivering beneath her in the cold air.
“Thank you,” Tru said calmly.
She reached a hand over to Airi’s palm resting gently
by her hip. Airi grabbed Tru’s reluctantly, gripping it
tightly in her fingers as she did so. Declan grabbed her
other hand as she turned to look at the two of them.
“I should go,” Airi said, releasing their hands. “Edyn’s
village needs to know what has happened here tonight.”
Tru nodded her head at her, sniffling once more, and
watched as Airi swiftly turned around. Her wings spread
wide, and within seconds, she was in the air, disappearing
behind the trees that lined the meadow.
Tru made a decision, in that moment as she watched
Airi vanish behind the pine needles, to keep her wings
hidden from the world, for good. So, as her wings folded
gently under her skin⎯ disappearing in seconds⎯ she
could feel Declan’s body jump underneath her chest.
Declan rubbed his hand across Gertrude’s back, trying
to comfort her. He knew she was hurting, but he knew he
couldn’t ask her what had happened in the forest, nor
could he ask her if she was okay. He knew she wasn’t, but
he knew he would wait until she was ready to talk about
it.
“Let’s get you home,” Declan whispered as Tru shivered slightly in his arms.
She sniffled again, quietly, before replying, “okay.”
In that instant, Declan swooped Tru off of her feet,
cradling her in his arms carefully. She was much lighter
than Edyn had been, and this time, he knew the walk
back through the woods and to the house would be much
easier than it had been with Edyn.
But as he walked, Declan realized that Tru’s breathing
had slowed, and her heart rate had dropped. Quickly, he
looked down at her, hoping she wasn’t going to freeze to
death in the cold night air. Gertrude took a slow deep
breath, as she yawned into Declan’s chest, burying her
face further into his warm skin.
She’s just asleep
, Declan thought to himself, smiling
down at her.
A few short minutes later, the house lights began to
come into view. Declan pushed through the trees faster
and harder, knowing he needed to get Tru into a warmer
temperature.
When he arrived at the edge of the yard, he noticed
someone tall and skinny, waiting for him by the sliding
glass door. The man had his arms crossed over his chest,
his eyes intently focused on every move Declan made.
“You must be Declan Meyers,” Ben said when the boy
was standing less than two feet away from him.
Declan looked up at the man cautiously, trying to read
his facial expressions. “Yes, Sir. And you must be Mr. Mason? Gertrude’s grandfather?”
Ben smiled⎯ appreciating Declan’s polite manner⎯
as he nodded back at him. “Well, come on now. We need
to get the two of you inside.” Ben pulled open the sliding
door quickly, watching as Declan carried Tru inside the
house.
“How did you know we were out there?” Declan asked
as he set Tru on the couch and covered her with a blanket.
Ben walked to the kitchen, and then poured two cups
of coffee. “Let’s just say my wife and I know a lot of
things.” His voice was muffled through the walls between
the two rooms.
Declan looked down at Tru as she smiled up at him
with half opened eyes. She sighed a quick sound of comfort before her eyes closed once more.
“So then you know what happened out there? What is
living
out there?” Declan pointed to the backyard as Ben
came trotting back into the living room.
Ben handed him a cup of coffee. “Yes.” Slowly, he took
a sip from his own coffee, looking at Declan over the rim
of his mug.
Shocked, Declan sat at the end of the couch, next to
Tru’s feet. “You do?”
“Are the two of you alright?” Ben asked, ignoring Declan’s question.
The young boy looked at Tru as she lay comfortably on
the couch. Her head was the only visible part of her
blanketed body. “I’m fine,” he replied. “But I think her leg
is broken. It’s pretty swollen and she couldn’t walk on it
at all. But I think that’s all.”
“I’ll have Maggie set it when she comes home.”
The two looked at Gertrude carefully.
“Sir?” Declan said after a few moments of silence.
“Yes?” Ben asked, taking his focus away from Tru once
again.
Declan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Well⎯” he
paused, rubbing the back of his neck, “well, I ⎯ I guess I
just don’t really understand what happened out there.”
Ben took another sip from his coffee mug before answering. “I think that is something that Gertrude is going
to have to tell you herself ⎯ when she is ready of course.”
Declan looked at the dark liquid in his mug as he
leaned back against the couch cushion. It reminded him
of the pool of blood under Edyn’s body⎯ the same blood
that was on his hands and knees and shoulders, and the
same blood that almost completely covered Tru’s body.
Slowly, he set the cup on the wooden coffee table in front
of him.
“Would it be alright if I stayed here with her tonight?”
Declan asked, looking up at Ben before quickly looking
down at his hands resting in his lap.
For a moment, Ben looked bewildered. He couldn’t
imagine a boy staying the night at his house with his
daughter, but he knew Tru needed someone to comfort
her, someone who was there with her when Edyn had
passed away. “Okay,” he replied. “But absolutely no funny
business! I mean it.”
“Yes, Sir,” Declan responded, a smile hidden on his
face. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be in the garage if the two of you need anything.”
Ben sipped out of the cup one last time before walking
around the back of the couch to exit the plain white door
on the other side of the room.
Quickly, Declan kicked off his muddy, bloodstained
shoes, and crawled under the blanket to join Tru on the
couch. Slowly, he wrapped his arms around her torso,
pulling her into his body. She sniffled for a moment before sighing deeply into his chest. Declan could feel the
familiar cold drops of water against his skin almost immediately.
“Shh,” he whispered as she began to cry again.
Declan and Tru had taken an entire week off from
school, spending everyday together at her family’s house.
He had stayed by her side while Maggie had splinted her
leg, while she ate, and while she slept, and while she
cried. It had surprised Tru how comforting he had become.
But she felt bad for him. Tru could see that he was
hurting, watching someone he had met not but a week
ago, that he obviously cared for, crying over another man.
But he never once asked her about what had happened
that night in the forest, and Tru appreciated him for it.
When a week and two days later
⎯ Monday ⎯ had
finally rolled around, Tru decided she was finally ready to
head back to school. Her leg was still in a splint, but her
new abilities were helping her heal much faster than any
human, making it slightly less painful when she walked
on it.
That Monday morning, Maggie dropped the two off on
the sidewalk, and watched as they slowly hopped out of
the car and made their way into the large main building
of the school. Tru knew she should expect to answer
many questions that day, but all the preparing in the mirror couldn’t help her for what was about to happen to her.
“Hey! Watch it!” someone shouted as the books that
loosely hung in his left hand, pressed against his thigh,
fell to the ground. He stood there for a moment, watching
the small stack tumble and scatter as they hit the cobblestone
sidewalk.
When
the
event
finally
registered,
he
quickly bent over, trying to pick them up as fast as he
could.
“Sorry!” Tru shouted as she bent over to pick up the
smaller stack of books that had fallen from her own grasp.
“I didn’t see you there! I guess I should learn how to look
up when I’m walking.” She giggled as she picked up the
last of her books, and then rose from the ground.
“Gertrude, c’mon. We’re going to be late for class,” Declan said from just a few feet behind her.
“Hold on just a minute, Declan. I want to make sure
this guy is okay.” Tru stood behind the boy she had
bumped into, unmoving as Declan strolled closer to her.
“Yeah,” the young man replied. “I’m fine.” He tried to
sound somewhat cool, but he had a feeling Tru and Declan could tell he was just trying to make the situation
seem like less of a big deal. The young man rose slowly
from the ground as he picked up the last of his books.
When he was standing fully upright, Tru tapped him gently on the shoulder.
“I think this one is yours,” she said.
Carefully, the young man turned around to see one
outstretched arm, dangling his chemistry book out in
front of his face.
“Thanks,” he smiled, finally looking from the book to
Tru.
“Oh, my, God.” Tru’s voice was barely audible as she
said each word with a breath in between. Her turquoise
eyes had instantly doubled in size.
“Ger ⎯” Declan paused mid-sentence as he looked at
the young man’s face.
“Is something wrong?” the boy asked as he looked at
his clothes, checking for some sort of stain. But his basic
blue jeans and loose polo shirt looked the same way they
had when he had put them on earlier that morning.
“Edyn, is that you?” Tru asked. Tears began to well up
in her eyes. “I can’t believe it’s you! You’re really here!”
she shouted as she lunged toward the young man, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“Get off of my brother you creep!” a younger, redheaded girl shouted, pulling Tru off of the young man.
“Airi!” Tru shouted, lunging towards the boy’s sister.
But, before she could latch on, Declan, who had been
standing behind her, quickly pulled her away.
“Tru, wait a second⎯” Declan said calmly.
“How do you know our names?” the boy asked, confused. He had never seen Tru before.
“Edyn, it’s me. Gertrude,” Tru replied. “Don’t you remember me?” She too, looked confused.
“I’m sorry, I’ve honestly never met you before,” Edyn
said bluntly.
“But⎯” Tru paused, looking back at Declan.
“Tru⎯” Declan repeated, slightly more forceful.
“What Declan?” she asked, sounding annoyed.
“I don’t think it’s them, Gertrude. I helped you bury
him remember? There’s no way he could be standing here
now.” He looked at Edyn, and then over at Airi. The two
siblings looked at one another with the same puzzled
look.
“But it has to be!” Tru shouted. “They look exactly like
them! And they even have the same names!” Tears began
to trickle down her cheeks. Suddenly, she fell to her
knees, and Declan quickly rushed to her side.
“He’s dead, Tru. He’s not coming back. It’s just a coincidence!” Declan wrapped his arms around Gertrude’s
body and gently kissed her on her forehead.
“But I made a wish for them to come back, Declan. It
must have come true!” Tru continued to sob as Airi and
Edyn watched.
Unable to listen anymore, Edyn looked over at Airi,
who looked as though she was about to laugh hysterically.
When he caught her attention, she smiled at him, and
then nodded.
“Well, we are really sorry, but I hope you find who you
are looking for. They sound really important to the two of
you.”
Quickly, Edyn
grabbed Airi’s hand, and walked
through the double doors that led into the main hallway
of the building.
“And I thought
we
were going to be the freaks today,”
Airi said, and then giggled as she glided through the
doors of the main hallway.