Colorless

Chapter 7

"Tyler," Elijah said in a whisper, but words couldn't describe my emotions right now. I am actually the Loris descendant; there was no getting around it now. My head is splitting. The world is spinning. "Tyler we need to go. Now." I turn to look at him and he just shrugs.

"Go where? Where could we possibly go?" I'm starting to realize that this might be what I feel for the rest of my life.

"We have a safe house, in case something like this were to happen. We could get there in about three hours if we leave now." I nod and turn away from him. It's not like I have a choice anyway. After seeing that fire I lost my freedom. "Go pack some clothes and essentials. Meet me outside." I nod again, and he grabs my arm. "Tyler? Are you okay?" He asks quietly.

"I'm fine." I pull my arm away from him and head upstairs without a glance back. I go into the room, shut the door, and walk over to the bed. I look back and see the numbers Cal wrote on the door. Gravity takes hold and I fall to the ground. What am I supposed to do now? Save the world? Go through trials? Why me? How did this happen?

My whole body in numb and the tips of my fingers are so cold. Fear. Raw fear circulates in my veins and I can't seem to snap myself out of it. I pick myself up and try to start packing but everything slips from my grasp. 

"Damn it!" I scream. I run my hands down my face and then through my hair. Pull yourself together. I go to the bathroom and pack a new toothbrush and toothpaste. I also grab soaps and wash rags just in case. I walk out into the hallway and look around. I haven't been here long at all, but I feel horrible already for leaving the place like this; torn apart.

"I was just about to go get you." Elijah says, pulling me out of thought.

"No need to now." I say quickly. Now he nods and opens the door wider. "Well, let's go." I brush pass him, keeping my head low. An SUV in in the driveway, but I'm not in the mood to question it.

"So three hours?" I say to him after we finish packing up the car.

"Yeah. It's a place a few towns over. Simon set it up for me and Calliah a while back. It's a good place." He says all of this in about one breath. That makes me nervous.

"Sure," I say, then I walk to the passenger door and get in. Elijah opens his door and looks at me.

"Tyler, this is going to be a long ride."

"And?" I say. He rolls his eyes and leans himself between the open door and the car.

"Three hours."

"I heard you the first time." I turn my head to look out my window and I hear him sigh.

"Care to be any less hostile?"

"Me? Less hostile? That's gold coming from you." I look at him with a cynical smile.

"So no then." He says sarcastically and gets in the car. He slams the door shut and he throws the gearshift in reverse. He pulls out fast and I roll my eyes. Boys throwing tantrums. "What is it with you? Why are you mad at me?'' He takes off, knuckles white gripping the steering wheel.

"Why?! You, for one, dragged me into all this! You were an asshole to me this whole time! Throwing me around, treating me like I'm stupid, or like I'm your punching bag. Then, on top of it all, you tell me my sister isn't really my sister!" I said, basically screaming.

"Because she isn't!" He says angrily. "She isn't you full blooded sister and to be clear, you asked for that. You were pushing to know why she couldn't do this and I don't have time to baby you, so I said it. Like ripping off a band-aid." He makes a sharp right to exit the neighborhood and I shift in my seat. "And I treat you like you're stupid because compared to us, you are. You don't know anything about what we do or what we have been through and acting like you do is stupid and could get you killed."

"Whatever," I says exhausted.

"No, not whatever. You don't know how dangerous all of this is and it's crazy that you just want to walk into all this like you're some damn expert." Elijah pulls up to a stop light and pushes himself back against his seat.

"I don't want to walk into this at all! I don't want to be here. I don't want to do any of this!" Elijah turns to me and his face softens.

"I'm sorry, but there is no going back now. You know who you are and what you have to do. That's all there is to it." The traffic light blinks three times letting us know that we can go, but we don't move.

"I've never left this town you know," I say lowly.

"Huh?" He seems surprise by my change of tone and topic.

"I've never left this town. Never had any major responsibility. You really are making a mistake with me."

"Tyler, you can do more than what you think," he says lowly.

"Elijah-"

"Buckle up." He says lowly, cutting me off.

"What?"

"Your seat belt. Put it on." I look down and back up at him.

"Really?"

"I drove about two or three miles with you like that, and it's not that I don't believe in my driving ability, but it is just reckless." The cars start honking and I swear he is bluffing, but he doesn't move an inch. A guy screams and I give.

"Whatever." I reach the buckle, and as soon as it clicks, Elijah takes off.

"Thank you." He says after a short while.

"Shut up Elijah."

We sit in silence for a while. Elijah flips through some radio stations and settles on jazz. He was tapping on the steering wheel and was humming along. I didn't peg him for the jazz type. We passed through two towns now, and it didn't seem like we were stopping anytime soon.

"So, how long was your shut-up decree supposed to last?" Elijah says in a playful tone.

"I don't like you."

"Tyler I'm joking," he says laughing.

"I am not."

"Tyler please," he groans. "I'm not a bad guy."

"I don't care and I don't see why you do," I say still looking out the window. When he doesn't say anything I'm sure he's given up. Then the car drifts off to the shoulder lane and hauls to a complete stop. "Hey!" I scream, but he just gets out of the car and slams the door shut. I get out of the car and stare at him.

"It's just me and you for a while now, you know that right?" He says angrily. "We have to deal with all this other shit without help. We aren't equipped to handle all this and you want to do that while being pissy? Fine. Whatever. But this is going to be a lot harder for you."

"Elijah-"

"No. Do you think you're the only one messed up about this? I'm nineteen Tyler. I'm just as upset and messed up as you are but I don't get to walk around being a brat about it. We all have family we miss, people we wish we could be with." He gets quiet and my chest starts to burn.

I stay quiet. I have no idea what to say. He turns his back to me and that's when it really hits me that we are standing on the side of the road, him screaming at me, and it's getting dark out.

"Just... Just get in the car Tyler. We're wasting time." He goes to the car and slams the door shut. I jump in surprise, but I don't walk towards the car yet. I could make out his silhouette through the window and he was just leaning against the steering wheel. I slowly walk to the car and take a deep breath before I pulling the door open.

"Elijah I didn't know," I say lowly.

"No you didn't, because you don't think-"

"I just talk," I said cutting him off. I laugh a bit but he doesn't make a sound. "I'm sorry okay. I wasn't thinking. But I get it. I understand that you've been through all this too."

"You aren't the first, and you aren't going to be the last." He said finally. "Now get in the car. It's cold out there." I get in, and he drives; listening to smooth jazz and humming along, but this time his knuckles are relaxed. And so am I.