Through Metallic Gold Eyes (On Hiatus)

Chapter Two

Chapter Two*

I'm confused as I wake up in my bed, which I don't recall getting in. But a lot of things are hard to recall right now. Maybe I'm purposely trying to avoid it, or maybe there's nothing to recall in the first place. I'm not too sure..but the lack of information is beginning to irk me.

I sit up swiftly and bring a hand to my face. It feels cruddy and dry; I've been crying.

This refreshes my memory --- sounds, scenes, and conversations come to mind, ones that took place after some had calmed just a bit and gossip began to spread upon ears.

Can you believe it? Whilemina Frewer: the first Dalenoss citizen to be diagnosed with the Marph X since 2085, and at only 13 years old!

Such a shame, such a shame. And  she was a pretty one, too. A spitting image of her mother.

Just be glad they caught on soon enough! Imagine what kind of a monstrous creature she would have become if they hadn't gotten rid of her in due time.

I stop myself from thinking about it further. I'm far too delicate right now to even do that. All I can do is try and keep myself busy.

Realizing it's still dark, I glance at my alarm clock. 3:46. I must have fallen asleep around six.

The floor creaks as I climb out of bed and walk out of my room, towards the kitchen. Nobody's awake yet, as I suspected. It's much too early. Jacenta doesn't get up until five and Bel sleeps until eight.

I spend the next hour or so tidying up my room --- cleaning takes my mind off things --- until I hear Jacenta in the kitchen. As I tip-toe in, she's preparing breakfast as if it was any other day. Her black hair hangs carelessly over her shoulder in an unkempt braid, and her clothes consist of an old robe and slippers.

"Jace."

She jumps, lifting a hand to her chest. "Oh, Ryba," she sighs, "You scared me. Did you just wake up?"

"No, I've been up since four."

"Oh. Well, yeah, okay. I get that," she nods vigorously, "You sacked out pretty early yesterday."

I want to tell her that's obvious, but decide not to, and instead, silence fills the room. A question has been roaming around in my head, in desperate need of an answer since I awoke. An answer can only be said if one asks something, and so I let it free.

"What are we gonna do about Whilemina?"

It comes out fast and clear, but now I feel like I could start crying any minute. My throat is hurting, but I manage to choke back a sob as I wait for a response. Because that's what I've been doing for the past hour. Waiting for an answer, a solution; and I want it to come as quickly and simply as possible. So when I tilt my head up and see those tenebrous eyes stare hardly at me for a second or two as her mouth opens, I'm relieved as I think for just a second: It's coming. The solution to all of this; soon it will all be over and things will be back to normal.

Until she says,"Nothing.".

I can almost feel a little part of me break inside. It didn't make sense to me when I heard it. It seemed like a silly thing to say, preposterous. I recalled the last couple of seconds multiple times just to make sure I had heard it right.

"Nothing?" I repeat, testing the bitter word.

"What do you want me to do, Ryba?" her voice rises angrily, "They diagnosed her with the Marph X. We didn't notice the symptoms, and there's nothing we can do, alright?"

I pause for a moment, hit like a ton of bricks."Al..right?" I hiss.

Before my head has time to explode in anger, the sound of knuckles against our nearby wooden door plays. There are four quick knocks, then two extra taps; with that I know who's at the door. I haul the door open and see, as expected, my cousin Felix. He's a tall, well-built young man who's around Jacenta's age but in much better shape, with sandy pink skin, light brown eyes and curly, auburn hair.