The Above || Completed

22 Running

My feet carried me to the dining hall, where Grace was the last to finish her lunch. She saw the panicked look on my face and stood hastily.
"Are you okay?" she said, approaching me.
I took a shaky breath. "Yeah, I just need a glass of water."
"Sit down," she ordered. "I'll get it for you."
I tried to push away the thoughts that threatened to be thought. But to no avail. Where could my parents have been? Were they still alive? And who was Doctor Griffin? But what was the point of asking all these questions? I'd forgotten everything for a reason and I wasn't going to try and remember for a reason that wasn't good enough. The Renewal and the angel were my top priority. If my parents were alive, they would've cared enough to show up when I returned from Earth.

Grace set a glass of water down on the table in front of me. She sat down next to me and placed a hand over my own.
"Thank you," I said before drinking the water all in one go.
"No problem. How are you feeling?" she asked.
I placed the glass on the table. "Better. The wound is all taken care of. Thanks to you."
"That's good. I was only doing what needed to be done. Erica was being irrational," she said, attempting to apologise on Erica's behalf.
"I understand," I said shortly.
"Why'd you look all panicked when you came in?" she said with a tone of concern in her voice.
"Don't worry about that, Grace. I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile.
She didn't let go of the subject easily though. In fact, she gave me a pressing look over the rim of her glasses.
"What were you running from, Maddison?" Grace asked seriously.

I was suddenly reminded of the fact that she's under suspicion by the council. She was the only one out of all five of us that hadn't been declared normal. This behaviour was anything but angelic but it could easily be a front. Or she could be a rogue angel. Maybe not even the angel at all. I didn't know what criteria one had to meet to be declared normal by the council. But it didn't matter what she was.
The point here was, whether she was the Angel or not, I could not tell her about my parents.
"Why would I run anyway?" I replied light-heartedly.
"Depends on what's chasing you." Grace shrugged.
"Clearly nothing would chase me here," I said, gesturing at the walls around us.
She sighed. "Look, Maddison, you're running from something inside you. You don't have to trust me with it, but I want you to know that you can."
As much as I wanted to change the topic, my curiosity pushed me to say more.
"Have you ever run from yourself, Grace?" I asked.
A girl as young as thirteen having such an experience had to have a story.
"I believe running from oneself has to do only with oneself," she responded pointedly. And evidently quite formally.
I nodded. "Noted."
"We should probably get going." She moved to stand.
"Sure."

Grace was out the door in no time and I was about to follow when Aeron burst through the door.
"Devonne! Thank God," he said as he ran toward me.
He was breathless and his hair was sticking up at adorably awkward angles. His azure eyes held dread as he took me in. His forehead was creased with lines of perturbation. He was striking even in such a state.
I stared at him, wide-eyed. "What's wrong?"
"I went to see you but I heard you ran out of the hospital wing, all frantic. No one saw where you went. I was worried," he said.
"I'll be all right, Aeron." I smiled brightly.
"We have to talk later, understand?" he demanded.
Nonplussed, I agreed, "Uh- yes, of course."

With that, we left the dining hall to proceed with preparations for the Renewal.

^^^

!!Author's Note!!

Sorry for such a short update. I think I'm encountering a bit of writer's block. I'll try get over it quick.

I really adore all your feedback. You guys are a fantastic source of motivation.

I fell in love with a book by called Ghostly Missions. Go check it out if you haven't yet. It's a must read. It's got a creative, funny and interesting plot. I'm sure most of you will enjoy it.

💙