The Cinders of Dezu

14th: Falling (4)

***
"So you've never seen this before? Like not at all?" Cairo said as he watched Talia hop around on one foot, slipping her shoes on.

"No, I haven't, now lock the door behind me."

"Do you think he's going to be okay? You don't think he's dead right?"

Talia scoffed.

"How would I know that?"

"I'm sorry I just, you know, you know this place better than me! Is there something that you know that exists that could have done something to him?"

"There's plenty I know that could have done something to him. I don't know too many things that would come through the roof, snatch him up and throw him and his bed into the sky."

"But there IS stuff that does that??!!"

"Look, it's probably just some kind of manifestation. But if it's put him outside of the house at night, he's in trouble. Even if he survives the fall."

Cairo's eyes widened.

"So you do think he's maybe flying or something? With his abilities? Could his powers kill him?"

Talia headed out the door.

"People have been killed by their own dilinium abilities, yes. Lock the door."

"What am I supposed to do? Go back to bed?"

"I don't care what you do. Just don't go outside. I don't need to do this twice tonight."

Cairo sighed and closed the door. Through the windows he watched as Talia went around the house and out of the lamp light toward the forest. She was silent as her dark hair flowed in the wind. She disappeared into the trees. Cairo found her movements mesmerizing. She was like a phantom or an apparition in the dark, moving like something intangible. Even if she was a bit cold to him, somehow it felt really cool to know a person so mysterious and talented and attractive and...

"Okay, keep it together Cai," he said slapping his face, "She's just a girl. Dont be a weirdo. You're a weirdo. Be cool. She-"

He heard a thump on the roof. She came back for something? He hoped she hadn't heard his neurotic self talk. He thought he'd try to correct it with the aloof and cool approach. He cleared his throat as he went into his bedroom with the hole in the ceiling.

"Sup?" he said.

He peered up into the hole. Nothing but an empty sky.

"Hello?"

The feint sound of scratching made its way in from the cabins living room. Cairo whipped his head around to the rooms open door. That didn't sound like Talia. Cairo walked to the door and looked out. At the far end of the dark cabin he saw a shadow. It stood erect. It was far bigger than the girl he'd just seen disappear into night. The shadow made a move in his direction. He ran and slammed the door closed. Cairo leaned against the door with his whole body. He felt something heavy hit it from the other side.

"Whoever you are, you need to speak up right now! Who are you?!"

He was speaking in the most commanding voice he could muster in the circumstances. No voice came back. Keeping his shoulder against the door, his hand felt for the door knob. There was no lock on it. As he tried to steady his breathing, he felt a light and methodical tap against the other side. A clacking, like something hard and dense. He couldn't imagine what this was. He felt like he'd entered a horror movie. Suddenly, the tapping stopped. It was quiet. Cairo leaned his ear against the surface of the door.

BOOM!

He felt the door push hard against him. He realized the doorknob was turned.

BOOM!

The door snapped open, then closed. He staggered back slightly.

BOOM!

Cairo pushed his hand against the door. His palm pressed against the edge of the door frame. He felt a strange sensation that made him look down. Something was forming on the frame.

BOOM!

He managed to keep the door closed and pull his hand away. There in the shape of his hand, was a thin layer of ice. He looked at his hand. He slammed it against the edge of the door and then pulled away again. Another ice handprint. He kept slapping the edge of the door with his shoulder leaned against it.

BOOM!

The ice broke. Cairo took a breath. He placed his hand on the door frame and slid it across its edge. A thick line of ice covered the frame. He did it quickly across the side and covered the top like he was caulking the door. The moment he was done sealing the crack at the bottom, the next strike came.

BOOM!

The ice held fast. The door didn't budge. A smile spread across his face.

"Haha!" he said triumphantly.

He backed up as the door continued to be struck with loud thumps. Light hit his face from the window of their bedroom. He hadn't closed it! He rushed to swing the shutters closed and placed the wooden barricade over it. This time, he took a step back and tried to seal the edges at range, just a foot or two away from the window. He put his palm out and a stream of ice flowed from it. He coated the seams effortlessly. It all felt unreal. He didn't know how it worked or where the ice was coming from, but it just felt right. He stopped sealing the window and held his hand up to his face.

"Wow," he said under his breath, looking at his finger tips.

He watched as remnants of tiny ice crystals broke down into little droplets on his fingers like the first snowflakes of winter. He stepped into the light coming from the hole above him to get a better look. A dark shadow inched slowly over his frosty fingers. He looked up. His voice caught in his throat. His eyes met with a silhouetted mane of wide, jagged protrusions. Sitting deep in a face of shadow, were cavernous eyes that glowed black and blue with sparkling white flecks. Their hollow gaze held him fast.