Morana knows she's different from other people in more ways than one. Firstly, she's sixty-seven years old but stopped ageing in her twenties. Weird things have also happened around her right after she's wished for it. But most importantly, no matte...
About a week had gone by since Rick's and Maya's visit. They had only stayed two days, but promised to be back soon, which actually had me excited. It had been fun hanging out with them. They had both seemed like genuine and easy-going people.
During that week, a new normal seemed to have settled between me and Alejo. It was obvious the whole mate-thing had made both of us take a step back. We were still as close as before when it came to what we talked about. But it was clear we both avoided physical contact as much as was possible.
I hated it, but I kept telling myself that it was all for the best. That one day we would be happy we had never started a relationship with each other.
And I had also had more troubling things to think about.
The voices, my imaginary friends who maybe weren't imaginary.
I had hoped I would dream of them again and that I in the dream would get the chance to ask them questions. But it hadn't happened, and it made me feel all alone. Even when I had fun with Alejo, there was a lingering feeling of loneliness.
I really wanted to talk to them, or at least hear them again.
I didn't want them to have abandoned me. Like everyone else.
It was early morning, and I settled on my bed to meditate like Alejo had taught me. It brought me very quickly into my threads of magic. The black thread was there as always, but it was all quiet.
There was no slithering voice greeting me. No darkness shifting about. Not even the feeling of a presence.
It was as if they had never even been there.
I felt much more than I had imagined I would. I felt hurt and betrayed and small. Like I was five years old again and changed foster home every month. I would cry in silence under the blanket every night, let all of my sadness out. And that's how I felt now. Like I was under those blankets again.
I quickly ended the meditation. I couldn't handle looking at that black thread and feeling the emptiness.
When I opened my eyes, I just sat in silence for a while on my bed. This, if anything, made it clear to me I needed answers. I needed to know what that black thread was, what those voices were, and I didn't want to wait any longer.
As if he could read my thoughts, Alejo knocked at my door.
"You up? I'm making breakfast," he said through it.
I got up from the bed and went to open it. As soon as I did, Alejo's face fell, and he reached his hand up. He wiped under my eyes with his fingers and I realized I had cried without noticing.
"What's wrong?" he asked before pulling me into a hug. It was the most physical contact we had had all week, and I reveled in it for a moment. It also calmed things for me. I wasn't alone. I still had Alejo and he would help me figure things out.
"I have some things to tell you," I said, while I had my ear towards his chest. I let the beat of his heart calm me further.
"Alright," he said apprehensively, and I started.
I told him I had been hearing voices. That they did sound eerie, but that they seemed friendly. That there was a black thread together with my light magical thread. That those voices were connected to the thread. That I thought it was that which made my magic seem odd. That I had told the voices to go away and the feeling I had had when I had realized they were truly gone. That I believed they were my imaginary friends, but that they weren't a part of me, though at the same time were.
We stood in the doorway to my room the whole time while I explained. He had his arms around me and drew soothing circles with his hand over my back as I talked. It felt nice to finally tell him, admit that part of me I had been afraid of telling. And it felt even nicer to know he did not run away from me.
"Are you sure they aren't dangerous? That they don't want to hurt you?" he asked when I had finished talking.
"Yes," I answered firmly. "They've never felt threatening. I... Well, I have had my doubts, but I really don't think they want anything bad. I think they only want to help. And besides," I took a deep breath to steady myself before continuing, "they were there when Dereck... You know... And they were angry at him for hurting me."
Alejo's hold tightened as I mentioned Dereck, but at the end of what I said he relaxed and breathed out in what seemed to be relief.
"Did I tell you he tried to warn me of you?" he said and I pulled myself from him.
"What?!" I yelled in anger and disbelief.
"From what he said I assumed you had unconsciously used magic to protect yourself," he went on calmly. He cupped my cheek and smiled softly. It made some of the indignation I felt ebb away. "But if those voices were there and angry with him, then maybe it was them. Maybe they did something towards him."
I thought back to that night. I had only ever thought of the assault part and never thought of how Dereck had suddenly backed off. He had looked fearful when he had.
"Yeah, that... That makes sense," I concluded.
We both became silent. Alejo seemed to be thinking of something while I just waited to hear what more he would say, what he would make of it all.
"So, do you have any idea what it could be?" I asked when he didn't say anything.
He shook his head. "No, but I know the best place for us to go to hopefully find answers."
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