Categories > Original > Fantasy > Silence
"Jacob, maybe you should go to sleep." I said, looking at the tired boy in front of me. "Your gonna pass out." I warned him. His large, soft brown eyes looked at me, smiling.
"I can't sleep now." He informed me. He smiled when he saw the confused expression on my face.
"And why not?"
"Because I'm already having the perfect dream, being here with you. If I close my eyes, you'll fade away." He looked as exhausted as I felt. He leaned his head on the back on the couch, next to mine and yawned. "You look just as tired as me, if not more." He reminded me.
He relaxed, and let his eyes close. I let mine slide shut, too.
Visions blurred, wandering through old memories. The gray sky over my father's townhome, his gentle face smiling at me, an old, broken down tree house, a faded quilt, a flame in the pitch black eyes....I forgot each of them as they faded away.
The last picture was the only one that stuck in my mind. It was a girl looking into a mirror, seeing herself. She tried to smile when she saw her complexion, but it was too hard to. I watched her there, mubbling to herself, as if talking to her complexion.
But when I slowly struggled back to consciousness, I realized that the girl in the mirror, was me.
Jacob was still asleep; he'd slumped down to the floor and his breathing was deep and even. The house was dimmer now than before, with the sky black out the windows. The inside of my head burned with every breath I took. I was going to have to get up, at least to get a drink. But my body was limp, not wanting to move.
Jacob's slow, deep breathing was the only sound in the room-like a lullaby hummed to a sleepless child....It was the sound of peace.
I closed my eyes and drifted again, letting my mind wander away from the harshness of reality. Instead, I thought of the girl in the mirror.
I wondered what she would have done if the mirror would have shattered to millions of tiny peices, not because of her looks, but because they were all she had? What if she could stop time, and erase her past? Would she do it, knowing that she wouldn't be her anymore? That she wouldn't be the same ever again?
I thought I knew myself.
I couldn't go back, not even just to change all that has went wrong. If I had, would I be here now, in this small room with such a wonderful person who deserved much more than me? Would I have almost drowned, and never met Lucian? Would I still be Anna?
Millions of questions rushed through my mind. I sighed. I could never change the past. I was reading too much into the story. The girl would never change everything she had, just to be happy. That's why she was mubbling to herself. She hated herself, for she was sacrificing her own happiness, for an unknown cause. My mind drifted off again, this time so far away that I couldn't think about the girl. I couldn't think about anything, but sleep.
The front door opened, and a light flicked on. I blinked, momentarily blind. Jacob startled awake, gasping and jumping to his feet.
"Sorry." Diana grunted. "Did I wake you?"
My eyes slowly focosed on her face, and then, as I could read her expression, they burned with irritation. She smiled at the sight of us both, together, in her living room. She winked at me, slowly turning towards her bedroom.
Sam was right behind her, looking at us with a more relaxed expression. I grimiced, hoping they didn't think of nothing more than a nap.
"Have a good nap?" Sam asked, his composure was still relaxed.
"Yes, I believe we did." Jacob answered for the both of us. Sam looked stunned, only to be turned out by laughter. He was still chuckling when he walk into the kitchen. Jacob looked at me, smiling.
"Well, I'm awake now. Hey, do you want to go take a walk on the beach with me?" he asked me. I said that I would, and tried to keep in pace with his long strides. The moon was out, and made the ocean even more beautiful by night. We walked for a while, never saying a word. Finally, the silence was killing me.
"So, Jacob. Tell me about this place." I asked him, hoping to find out a few things that I could use to my advantage.
"What do you want to know?"
"Oh, come on. You know, like the local legends, or the story behind this place. Every town has them."
He hesitated for a moment. "Well, there are a few myths."
"Oh. What are they?"
"Anna, do you believe in the supernatural?" he asked.
"I never thought much about it. So I guess not." I told him. It was true. I was never one for ghost stories, or the creatures of the night, like vampires and werewolves.I never saw a need to believe. And not to mention, kinda impossible to imagine a giant wolf running around, or a blood-sucking demon.
"Well, have you ever heard of shapeshifters?" he asked me.
"No, not really."
"Well, its a local belief that there are some here called shapeshifters. These are not your normal, fairytel ones though. These are humans that can take shape in someone else's body, or an animals. Its hard to believe, even for me. They say they can turn into any living thing, except plants. Some may turn into spiders, or some may turn into dogs. It matters mainly on what they disire to be."
"Well, that changes things..." I mumbled. Jacob looked at me, and chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, Anna. I'm sure they're not gonna sneak into your room and watch you."
"Well, thanks for the image."
"Opps."
"Yah. If I have nightmares, Jacob Philips, I will hunt you down. Your gonna think grizzly bears are tame after I'm through with you." I warned with a deep, low voice. He looked at me, and smiled.
"Ok, deal. Now, back to the story. They say you can tell whose these people are, but its very difficult to. They are normally beautiful beings, since why be ugly when you can shapeshift? Unless their unfortunate, and enjoy being frowned upon." He laughed. "They are highly dangerous, though. They enjoy playing mind tricks on people. They can take the shape of any living person, so be careful who you kiss, Anna." He smiled.
"Well, I guess I'm safe, since I haven't been kissing random strangers."
"Good. I'd be totally bummed if you have. Mostly when you won't kiss me." he smiled. I hit him out of reflex, but cautiously, so I didn't harm my arm like last time I decided to hit him.
"You should give up, little munchkin. I shall never kiss you." I teased.
"Who you calling the munchkin?"
"Well, I don't count. Its not my fault you had the world's biggest growth spurt!"
"Or is it?" he teased back. He smiled my favorite crooked smile, and grabbed my hands. "Diana is calling for you again, my delightful Anna. Are you going to leave, or drown yourself again?"
"Not funny." I said under my breath. He laughed, and picked me up to my feet. He grabbed my hand, and walked my towards the waiting car. He kissed my forehead, telling me to have sweet dreams. I cursed him under my breath. He heard it, and laughed til he got inside.
"I can't sleep now." He informed me. He smiled when he saw the confused expression on my face.
"And why not?"
"Because I'm already having the perfect dream, being here with you. If I close my eyes, you'll fade away." He looked as exhausted as I felt. He leaned his head on the back on the couch, next to mine and yawned. "You look just as tired as me, if not more." He reminded me.
He relaxed, and let his eyes close. I let mine slide shut, too.
Visions blurred, wandering through old memories. The gray sky over my father's townhome, his gentle face smiling at me, an old, broken down tree house, a faded quilt, a flame in the pitch black eyes....I forgot each of them as they faded away.
The last picture was the only one that stuck in my mind. It was a girl looking into a mirror, seeing herself. She tried to smile when she saw her complexion, but it was too hard to. I watched her there, mubbling to herself, as if talking to her complexion.
But when I slowly struggled back to consciousness, I realized that the girl in the mirror, was me.
Jacob was still asleep; he'd slumped down to the floor and his breathing was deep and even. The house was dimmer now than before, with the sky black out the windows. The inside of my head burned with every breath I took. I was going to have to get up, at least to get a drink. But my body was limp, not wanting to move.
Jacob's slow, deep breathing was the only sound in the room-like a lullaby hummed to a sleepless child....It was the sound of peace.
I closed my eyes and drifted again, letting my mind wander away from the harshness of reality. Instead, I thought of the girl in the mirror.
I wondered what she would have done if the mirror would have shattered to millions of tiny peices, not because of her looks, but because they were all she had? What if she could stop time, and erase her past? Would she do it, knowing that she wouldn't be her anymore? That she wouldn't be the same ever again?
I thought I knew myself.
I couldn't go back, not even just to change all that has went wrong. If I had, would I be here now, in this small room with such a wonderful person who deserved much more than me? Would I have almost drowned, and never met Lucian? Would I still be Anna?
Millions of questions rushed through my mind. I sighed. I could never change the past. I was reading too much into the story. The girl would never change everything she had, just to be happy. That's why she was mubbling to herself. She hated herself, for she was sacrificing her own happiness, for an unknown cause. My mind drifted off again, this time so far away that I couldn't think about the girl. I couldn't think about anything, but sleep.
The front door opened, and a light flicked on. I blinked, momentarily blind. Jacob startled awake, gasping and jumping to his feet.
"Sorry." Diana grunted. "Did I wake you?"
My eyes slowly focosed on her face, and then, as I could read her expression, they burned with irritation. She smiled at the sight of us both, together, in her living room. She winked at me, slowly turning towards her bedroom.
Sam was right behind her, looking at us with a more relaxed expression. I grimiced, hoping they didn't think of nothing more than a nap.
"Have a good nap?" Sam asked, his composure was still relaxed.
"Yes, I believe we did." Jacob answered for the both of us. Sam looked stunned, only to be turned out by laughter. He was still chuckling when he walk into the kitchen. Jacob looked at me, smiling.
"Well, I'm awake now. Hey, do you want to go take a walk on the beach with me?" he asked me. I said that I would, and tried to keep in pace with his long strides. The moon was out, and made the ocean even more beautiful by night. We walked for a while, never saying a word. Finally, the silence was killing me.
"So, Jacob. Tell me about this place." I asked him, hoping to find out a few things that I could use to my advantage.
"What do you want to know?"
"Oh, come on. You know, like the local legends, or the story behind this place. Every town has them."
He hesitated for a moment. "Well, there are a few myths."
"Oh. What are they?"
"Anna, do you believe in the supernatural?" he asked.
"I never thought much about it. So I guess not." I told him. It was true. I was never one for ghost stories, or the creatures of the night, like vampires and werewolves.I never saw a need to believe. And not to mention, kinda impossible to imagine a giant wolf running around, or a blood-sucking demon.
"Well, have you ever heard of shapeshifters?" he asked me.
"No, not really."
"Well, its a local belief that there are some here called shapeshifters. These are not your normal, fairytel ones though. These are humans that can take shape in someone else's body, or an animals. Its hard to believe, even for me. They say they can turn into any living thing, except plants. Some may turn into spiders, or some may turn into dogs. It matters mainly on what they disire to be."
"Well, that changes things..." I mumbled. Jacob looked at me, and chuckled softly.
"Don't worry, Anna. I'm sure they're not gonna sneak into your room and watch you."
"Well, thanks for the image."
"Opps."
"Yah. If I have nightmares, Jacob Philips, I will hunt you down. Your gonna think grizzly bears are tame after I'm through with you." I warned with a deep, low voice. He looked at me, and smiled.
"Ok, deal. Now, back to the story. They say you can tell whose these people are, but its very difficult to. They are normally beautiful beings, since why be ugly when you can shapeshift? Unless their unfortunate, and enjoy being frowned upon." He laughed. "They are highly dangerous, though. They enjoy playing mind tricks on people. They can take the shape of any living person, so be careful who you kiss, Anna." He smiled.
"Well, I guess I'm safe, since I haven't been kissing random strangers."
"Good. I'd be totally bummed if you have. Mostly when you won't kiss me." he smiled. I hit him out of reflex, but cautiously, so I didn't harm my arm like last time I decided to hit him.
"You should give up, little munchkin. I shall never kiss you." I teased.
"Who you calling the munchkin?"
"Well, I don't count. Its not my fault you had the world's biggest growth spurt!"
"Or is it?" he teased back. He smiled my favorite crooked smile, and grabbed my hands. "Diana is calling for you again, my delightful Anna. Are you going to leave, or drown yourself again?"
"Not funny." I said under my breath. He laughed, and picked me up to my feet. He grabbed my hand, and walked my towards the waiting car. He kissed my forehead, telling me to have sweet dreams. I cursed him under my breath. He heard it, and laughed til he got inside.
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