Timeless

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

            I don’t understand a lot of things, and that’s not my fault. I’ve only been on this Earth for approximately 5,000 days, but it seems like everyone around me has been around for so much longer. I hadn’t talked to my parents in forever, and I think  they were getting really irritated with me. I think prom was coming up or something at Mason’s high school, and that’s all London’s been focused on. You can tell she doesn’t really care though; she doesn’t talk with the enthusiasm she usually has when she cares about something. I think Mason was taking her to the prom, just to “get her out of the house and away from this neighborhood” as he put it. His high school was really far away.  

            London emerged from her bedroom wearing a white, silk prom gown that fit her body in all the right places. However, London looked like she wanted to vomit, but she put on a very obviously forced smile.

            “Aww! You look so gorgeous!” Auburn gushed.

            “How do you feel?” Mason asked grouchily. I could tell he was slightly peeved off about seeing his younger sister look so...mature. I think he was reconsidering his idea.

            “I am being suffocated,” London said making a gun gesture to her head.  

            “I agree, you may change back to jeans and hoodies.” Mason said quickly.

            “What? No! You look so beautiful! Your feminine side brings out your eyes!” Auburn shrieked while hugging London’s waist, who laughed in return. I looked over at Mason and saw that he was having fun with the situation despite his grouchiness. He’d been going to see Starburst lately, and I think that really helped improve his mood. Once, when he had to go a week without seeing her, he started trembling so hard I thought he was either having a seizure or was going to combust right there.

            I knew Ethan had heard about what happened. You don’t just date a “crazy” person and then don’t notice when they don’t show up for school in a month. The only thing keeping my mind from spiraling into madness was the belief that he didn’t know where she was because if he found out, I knew it would be over.

***

            I usually stayed out in the hallway when Mason and I were visiting Starburst. Since he was the one who drove me, I figured I could at least let him and Starburst have their little moment. I often wondered what they talked about in there. Maybe the day would come when he finally professed his love to Starburst, and he would sweep her off her feet away from this place and live happily ever after somewhere in Canada, eating maple syrup and all.

            I sighed as I watched another minute tick by. The downside to this is that their conversations were always very long. I got up and started wandering the hospital while I waited. I entered the lounge/cafeteria and sat down with a man who looked about in his twenties with an anxious composure. I just smiled and nodded, not really looking at him. I’ve been told numerous times how to act around here by the doctors; the most stable patients resort here, so it’s okay to hang out, but you still had to keep your distance and keep calm, otherwise one of them could lash out and kill you. I sighed again, digging my hands into my jacket pockets and slinking backwards into my chair.

            How had my life turned out like this?

            I was rubbing my temples when I heard the door open. Starburst walked out—very close to Mason might I add—and smiled when she saw me.

            “Hey,” she said softly. I smiled and gave her a hug. Starburst, Mason and I all took a seat at an empty table. It was silent for a while before anyone spoke.

            “How have you been Star?” I asked, surprised at my own hoarse voice.

            “Good. Okay, Hunter.” She said with an equally as coarse voice. Mason never looked away from her.

            “Do you—what do you think—of here?” I paused. Starburst didn’t say anything, just had a dazed look, and I was reminded once again of Emily. Emily, Emily, Emily, she had a nice name I’ve decided. Like the sweet, dead girl from that Tim Burton movie with the maggot hanging around in her head. Starburst stayed quiet, Mason and I waiting patiently, before looking up with a renewed expression. She looked at me with glistening eyes, a strange expression crossing over her face. “I’m happy.” She choked, the tears spilling now. “I’m happy Hunter. I...I used to forget what happy felt like, but I think...I think I’m happy now.” She giggled. She sucked in a breath of air, the laughing getting louder. “I don’t care, they can call me crazy, they—they can call me loony, drugged up, attention seeker, bitch, they can call me insane, I—I want them to! I’m so happy!” She was standing up now, the entire cafeteria’s attention was on us for once. Some people looked scared and hurried out of the room, others looked proud. Beside me, Mason was smiling, and I thought, maybe he was a little crazy too. Maybe we all were inside, and before we knew it, all three of us were standing up—the Voice Hearer, the Caring, and the Cutter—laughing as if the world was ours.

            We walked Starburst back to her room, Mason’s arm very—ever so very slightly—around her shoulders, except it was only about halfway there so anyone who was glancing by might think they were just friends or siblings maybe. We stopped outside her door, and the two looked at each other adoringly. It made me really happy.

            “Stay crazy,” Mason whispered.

            “Always.” Starburst laughed. Mason and I started walking away, towards the front door, when a claiming feeling settled in my stomach, when I saw it. My legs felt like rubber bands, snapping if I took another long stride. I tried to grab Mason’s arm frantically without moving my gaze. I didn’t want to breathe, now I really wanted to die, to cut—something! I watched the blue pickup truck park sloppily and carelessly in the parking lot, I heard the motor turn off. Shit...did I—piss myself? No. Mason was looking where I was now, but I couldn’t form any words to tell him how dangerous the situation was, how dangerous this man was.

            Ethan had found Starburst.