Surviving the Dark

Chapter 21 - Denial

Liv's bright green eyes have glazed over.

"No, it can't be it. Is you're just joking right?"

"Liv it's all true."

"It can't be. I mean yeah okay, you being Xav's sister sounds true enough. The eyes are the best give away because violet is a rare eye colour. But pixies, really? That's the best you come up with?"

"Liv makes a point Isa. I can see how you're my sister and I get that our parents could be killed, but pixies?"

I look to them both in disbelief. They don't believe me. They believe I am Zae's sister but nothing else I've said. Zae only a second ago sounded like he did though.

I turn to Jamie who has been unusually quiet throughout it all except for his question on my nightmare. His face doesn't give anything away and his smile he always holds is gone.

I pull away from both Zae and Jamie. I had stopped crying but I could feel my eyes well up again. Turning away I start heading towards my room.

I feel someone grab my wrist and swing me back around.

"Izzie where are you going?"

I yank my arm free, my anger over them not believing me starting to show its head.

"You don't believe me? Fine, I'm going to get something that will make you believe me."

I storm off to my room. I rummage around for a while trying to find it.

'Where the hell did I put it?'

I didn't know when I would have to leave so my room is bare. I only have a bed, side table and a chest of draws. I make sure that when I am buying any clothes, I get things that won't need ironing too often and don't need to hang.

I pull open the bottom draw and move things aside that I've thrown in. I reach to the back of the draw and feel around. The minute I find it, I pull it out. Once I look down at it in my hand all my anger dissipates.

I sit on my bed for a few minutes. I feel a stray tear slide down my cheek. Hastily I wipe it away and make my way out to the others.

"Being a pixie is a little far fetched."

Someone sighs.

"Liv you were the one who told me that she would tell us about herself in her own time. You are so quick to accept she is Xav's sister, why is this part of herself any different?" Jamie questions his sister.

"J do you believe her?"

"I don't know Xav, but I think we should let her explain or at least try. You saw how she was when she was explaining. Saying you're both pixies could be a defense mechanism she has developed about what happened to you and her."

I move out of the shadows of the hallway where I was listening to them.

"You too Jamie?" I couldn't help but feel hurt.

They turn to look at me, a guilty look makes its way onto Jamie's face.

"Here" I shove into his had what I went into my room for.

"Izzie, I didn't mean-" I cut him off.

"Just look Jamie. If you still don't believe me then I don't know what else I can do." I say defeated.

Liv and Zae gather around him and peer down to what I put in his hands. I've never shown anyone this, it was too risky. It's the picture of me and my family. The last time we were all together at the Lily festival. Zae was only a baby then. I had to turn away from them while they studied the photograph.

"These wings could be the fake costume ones and the image photoshopped." Liv explains, but her voice gives way that she doesn't entirely believe what she said.

My back was still turned to them so I lifted up the back of my top exposing my scars.

"Do these look fake to you Liv?" I hear her gasp and I drop my top back down and face them.

Zae now has the image in his hands. His eyes look glassy and he seems to be worlds away.

"Izzie, what are you running from?"

I look up at Jamie, who is now standing. I try to decipher his expression but it's blank. I just told him my deepest darkest secret and he is indifferent.

I take a deep breath.

'I've told them this much, no harm in telling them a little more.'

"They're known as Black Eyed Soulless Shadows. They can take on the form of a shadow which is how they travel great distances at a fast rate. They can also blend in by looking like you and I, well me when I have my necklace on. Their eyes are their only give away to anyone who isn't human. Their eyes look like bottomless black pools. They have no care for life. In fact pixies are known to symbolise life and Black Eyes symbolise death."

"They're the ones who killed your family and destroyed your home." Liv says but more as a statement, slowly accepting who I am.

I look to Zae who has been extremely quiet this time round. His eyes haven't moved from the picture of our family. I see a stray tear slide down his cheek and he doesn't move to wipe it away.

He looks up, eyes glistening from the tears.

"She is telling the truth." Jamie and Liv snap their heads his way, while my mouth hangs open. "Don't ask me how I know, I just do."

His tears are flowing freely now. I sit down and lean onto his shoulder.

His thumb rubs the picture he is holding.

"This is my family, I mean our family?"

I nod leaving him to his thoughts.

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Authors note

Hey all you lovely readers. Would just like to announce that this is now the halfway point of Surviving The Dark!!! I could not have made it this far without all your love and support. Especially my girls ELMckenzie, InsidiousMind, and Glitchedpsycho.

This may be the halfway mark but there is still a lot more to come. Remember your feedback is always welcome too so don't be afraid to tell me (even if you hate something), it all helps me become better.

Cassandy