Gold Fever (m×m) ✔

XXI: One is better than none

《 ELIAN PHOENIX 》

Even before I was fully awake, I could hear the heavy pitter-patter of rain against the roof of the porch. I wasn't surprised to find that it was leaking from more than one place, creating puddles on the floor. I rubbed my eyes and stretched my limbs, still heavy from sleep, before scrambling up to my feet. There was no time to waste.

I chugged down half a bottle of water, and aligned it on the ground with the empty juice bottle and the reusable bottle I carried with me wherever I went. I might not know much about survival, but I do know how crucial water is. It's hard to believe that before The After I refused to drink water, if there weren't bubbles in it. I used to think tap water was boring, but now I can't get enough of it.

The day was sultry, so I pulled off my t-shirt, kicked off my sneakers and let my jeans drop on the floor. But as I hadn't quite gotten to the required level of unhindered, I left my boxers on before sprinting into the rain. I had a feeling I didn't smell like roses, so a shower sounded like a good idea.

My muscles felt stronger than they had in a long, long while, so I ran a few experimental rounds around the cottage. Then I spread my arms and swirled around, all the while laughing in a way that made me wonder if I had officially gone mad. Just to make sure, I ran two more rounds around the cottage, until I was out of breath.

By then, my skin was glistening with water and more rivulets of it ran down my face from my hair. It had grown from its original 5 mm buzz cut and had reached the length where it stuck out to every compass point and the waves had started to show. Perhaps I'll grow a beard while we're at it, just to complete my stranded on a deserted island look.

I had no towel with me, so I opted to dry on the porch. In the meantime, I worked on my magic. It was mostly just sparkles and flickers of blue light, but I knew there was more, so much more, where it came from. When I turned my focus inwards, I could feel this heat spreading from my chest all the way to my toes and fingertips. 

The only way I could even begin to describe it was that I felt this way when I was down with influenza. I was aching all over and my toes felt chilled to the bone, but once the painkiller kicked in, the ache went away and I was warm. Not in a feverish way, but as in I had never felt as good, as comfortable. It was a bliss.

Later on, having changed into my last clean pair of boxers, a loose t-shirt and the same of worn and blotted jeans, I dusted the cottage and wiped the floor. I didn't know how long I'd stay there, but I figured a little tidying up was never a bad idea. The window frames were enlarged by the humidity, but I managed to push them open inch by inch to let in some fresh air.

When I decided I was done, I drank some juice and lied down in the middle of the floor to practice my magic once more. The heat returned, and it was easy to fool myself that nothing existed outside of it. No worries, no people to disappoint. 

I created a starry sky inside the cottage, making the stars flicker and float around first by moving my fingers and then with just my mind. I tried to come up with more ways to use my magic, but as there were no billboards or even light bulbs around, I didn't know what those ways could be. As I let the stars flicker out, I realized it had gotten dark again.

I didn't feel tired, but I must have been, as I was dreaming the second I closed my eyes.

In my dream Rain was stirring porridge by the camping stove, and then ladling it in scraped plastic bowls. First one he handed to me, the second to Najwa, the third to Rio and the last one to Aspen. There we sat around the fire like a group of friends, like one of us hadn't just tried to murder me.

Then I was sitting in my parents' kitchen, newly renovated but commonplace with insipid colors and furniture that lacked personality. Out of all things, my mom was petting the bobcat and wiping her eyes only to have them filling with tears again. The bobcat fixed its amber eyes at something over my shoulder. I craned my neck to see what it was, but before I could, I startled awake.