Hiraeth: Bonding (III)

Chapter Five

A week and five Days had passed since that fateful Seday evening.

Vincent's curse seemed to be gone already, but Derek and I's abilities were still completely switched.

We found ourselves unable to stay awake for more than several hours at a time, and whenever we were awake we were starving and sluggish. It was hard to concentrate on the work Roxie delivered. Anything we had to do was completed with help from Vincent's large stock of energy potions.

Quartday's workload was especially difficult, and after going through it Derek immediately went to bed.

I, on the other hand, couldn't sleep.

My back felt strange. A slight tingling sensation had spread all over it since morning, and now that it was noon the feeling was almost unbearable. As I lay on the couch next to my friend, trying to find a comfortable position, sudden intervals of pain - stinging pain - sparked across my shoulder blades and spine.

I shot up and winced when the stinging became too much. I staggered to the bathroom and tore my shirt off frantically, scratching at my crawling skin. I craned my neck to try and examine my backside through Derek's mirror, expecting to see a rash.

Instead, I saw a large Sunburn.

A familiar, slightly-red mark that covered my entire back.

"Oh dear Stars..." I whispered to myself.

I raced back to the living room and looked Derek over. He seemed fine, no rashes or burns.

Wait, why would he be burnt?

I sighed at my lack of rationale.

Then I noticed his eyes. Although they were closed, the skin around them was tainted with purple-and-red hues that weren't there Days earlier. His freckled under eye area was sunken and dark. I could see faint blue veins through skin that I now realized was too pale.

Derek's natural skin color was fairer than Roxie's, but still quite dark compared to mine. At that moment, however, it became apparent that my friend's complexion was a shade lighter than it was supposed to be.

In contrast, his hair had darkened ever-so-slightly.

The more I looked at him, the lower my heart fell.

The doctor never said anything about changing colors...

I immediately began to panic. Trillions of thoughts - fears - ran through my head. I stood there and trembled anxiously.

What if Vincent was wrong about the palm reader's predictions being fulfilled already? What if "danger is still eminent?"

What if we're going to die?

I looked at my glowing fingers, wiggling them to watch the light dance.

No one ever considered...

My skin hadn't changed. My ability to see in the dark hadn't changed. Derek's need for Sunlight and my need for darkness remained. Those things were part of our inner makeup.

... The fact that our species haven't swapped.

I tried to convince myself that everything would be fine. I covered my burn in ointment and put on a softer, not-collared shirt. Then I wrapped Derek (who was shivering) in a blanket and settled down beside him.

"... M... Mike..?" he mumbled, stirring under the thick fabric. "... is... dinner ready?"

A chuckle left my nose. "N-Not yet."