Translucent

Twenty-two

"You know, her son was my best friend. My partner in crime, Miles Odell."

Sometimes what we see, what we hear and what we believe, is not true. Because they want us to see what they're trying to show. They're fooling us. It's all prestige. Things are not always what they seems. They're usually a decoy.

'Don't put your faith on wrong people. You gotta keep your eyes open.' That's what Alex said to me when I was leaving. Who was he referring to as 'wrong people'? Alex was complicate to understand. He always talked in riddle. I wasn't smart enough to crack the code. Sometimes he warned me with his words, when I didn't know what the danger is. Sometimes he soothed me with his words, when I didn't even know I'm afraid. Sometimes he adviced me with his words when I didn't know, what the problem is. He just happened to know everything.

'Ask your precious Granny about Catherine Odell and Miles Odell. I believe, she could explain you everything better than me.' His words were dripping with sarcasm when he said that but he was making a point. Granny must've known them. I sansed the bitterness on his face when he mentioned Granny. Why so much hate?

Alex didn't tell me anything about him (Now I know his name's Miles Odell) instead he put the burden to explain everything, on Granny.

It was almost dinner time, and again I wasn't going to have dinner downstairs. I just didn't want to go anywhere. I needed some time to figure things out. To understand the meaning of Alex's riddles. To think how my feelings for him turned into sympathy from hatred, the very second when my eyes landed on his mother's grave. When I heard his pained voice in my head making promises that he couldn't keep. Instant change of heart? He is the reason why my body is littered with countless nasty cuts, that would never fade away. A constant reminder of his state. I wanted to forget about him. Yet here I am, curious to know about him and his possibly dead family.

The door to my room creaked open as someone stepped in. I didn't care to see who they were, because I knew it would be Stella, to put my dinner on nightstand. I stayed seated on the bed looking out the window, staring at nothing in particular in dark outside, while picking the dead skin from around my nails. This is another habit I got from my mom.

"How long will you be staying like this, dear? Closing in, in your bedroom. Alone." I heard Granny say. When did she come? I turned around, a little startled to see Granny carrying my food instead of Stella. Why was she here?

"I don't know." I sighed. She sat beside me on the bed, giving me a gentle smile. "I know you're disturbed a little by these unexpected recent events. But you gotta be strong." Why Is there no emotions in her words? Why do they feel so cold and hallow?

I nodded. "You know Granny. He had introduced me to his sister that night. And next day...... she's gone... It's all just happened so fast. We're just... a room apart, but we couldn't stop her from taking her own life. We could've stopped it but... we didn't." I explained, sighed. A pang of guilt started rising in my heart. Sometimes I felt like it was all my fault. Drew was so wrapped up fixing me that he forgot to fix his sister. I distracted him. And now he had lost most precious thing in his life. The only family he had.

"Don't blame yourself for it. There's nothing you could do to prevent that from happening. It was written in her destiny." How cliche. I didn't say anything back. There was no point. She was gone. At least she was resting in peace now.

"Dear, If you need anything, just ask me. I'll be downstairs in my bedroom." She got up from the bed and started leaving. As she pulled the door open, I stopped her with my question.