Made in the Dark

Home (11)

Santa Monica, California

Christmas eve, 2013

It rained that night.

Of course, it rained that night.

Warm sun, beautiful scenery, gorgeous homes. California was known for its perfect weather year-round.

So of course it rained the day Elijah Mattsson got there.

His 6-hour flight from Florida landed late that day. It was nearing midnight, and Elijah dreaded going to his parents' house.

He decided that he would walk the pier. The area was still bustling with life, tourists, and locals alike. Elijah avoided the puddles. As he approached the coastline, a heavy feeling began to settle in.

The sky was beautiful, though the remnants of the rain were still visible. The beach was crowded, and there was a band playing on the sand. He stood at the start of the pier, looking out over the beach toward the mountains. Yes, this seaside town was beautiful.

But it was never going to be like home.

Home. Such a funny word when you really thought about it. What makes a place "home" anyway? Is it a house? Elijah didn't think so. The house his parents built here in California was breathtaking, but he didn't consider the place home for a moment. Was it history? Did memories and feelings make somewhere a home? He believed this was more likely. An emotional tie was easier to explain.

Yet he was also forced to consider; was home a person?

Could anywhere be home with the right people? God, if he had them back... none of it would ever matter again.

But he didn't. He would never.

Could it have been an hour? Elijah thought as he checked his watch. It placed the time at quarter to two in the morning. He sighed, running a tired hand over his face. Everyone will already be asleep. Stop overcomplicating it.

Elijah drove in silence, not bothering to turn the radio on. Within minutes he was parked in the driveway of the house. He fumbled with his key, turning the fresh metal over in his palm. Everyone will be asleep, He reminded himself. All you have to do is wake up and smile at whatever they say. Then you can go back to school. Easy.

Easy. Elijah unlocked the door and slipped inside. The alarm was disabled, but the glowing red light confirmed the cameras were active. He dragged himself through the foyer and into the kitchen. After clearing the kitchen, Elijah turned into the living room.

There she sat, in the total darkness with only her computer screen to guide her. Soft clicks were heard from where Elijah stood. From her messy hair that looked as if it had been recently dyed, to the thick glasses that sat on her nose, it was no doubt it was her.

"Eli?" She asked softly. "Eli is that you?"

Amity.

Elijah kept his downcast, even as Amity moved toward him. He hadn't seen her in almost a year since he had found a reason to miss her birthday.

The farther he was the better.

"You look good, Eli." She whispered.

Lie.

"I missed you a lot."

Lie. Lie. Lie.

Amity stood in front of him for another beat before dropping into one of the high back chairs. She knew he wasn't going to speak, the intelligent part of her knew he wasn't going to say any more than he had the past 5 years. Yet... she always hoped.

The two stayed in the silence. Amity lounging in the leather chair and Elijah standing rigid in the doorway, refusing to meet her eyes.

Say something. She screamed silently. Anything at all. Please, Eli.

"I uh... I graduate this year." Amity started awkwardly. Elijah took a sharp breath. "I know you're probably going to be busy avoiding everyone, but I'd really love for you to be there." Elijah winced, causing a wave of guilt to wash over Amity. Yet, she steeled herself.

You're not the only one who lost him. She thought miserably. You're not the only one who is hurting.

"Just... think about it." She concluded, standing up. She stretched her arms over her head before forcing out a smile for her brother.

"I love you, goodnight Eli." Amity spun on her heel and left the living room. Elijah remained in his place as he heard her footsteps fade.

Once he was sure she was gone, Elijah lifted his head, finally taking in all the extravagant Christmas decorations, the bright colors, and the pretty ornaments. He noticed the usual Christmas star Amity treasured so dearly was gone. In its place was an angel, a young boy with blue eyes and blond curls.

It made him sick.

Eli ascended the staircase, making a sharp right toward his assigned room. He threw himself on the bed, not overly concerned with much of anything.

Several months later, Amity was going to graduate high school, top 10 in her class. She was going to walk across the stage with a manufactured smile as she shook her teacher's hand. Her high school years had finally been concluded, and she was moving on to bigger and better things. She was going to be better.

And she would have to do it alone.