Sui Generis

Unique

We started walking back to the treehouse. The leaves crunching beneath our feet. Neither of us were saying anything. I couldn't take the deafening silence.

"I have so many questions I want you to answer. Like, your eyes what is up with those? Normal people do not have glowing eyes of that colour. Two, how did you get a flame in your palm without it burning your flesh and three, what the heck are Flunkeys?" I crossed my arms and tapped my foot on the ground.  Zane rolled his eyes and mimicked my arms.

"I'm not allowed to say, all I'm allowed to tell you is that all of your questions will be answered in time." It sounded almost robotic.

He sounds serious Willow, don't push it.

"All of my questions?" I asked

"All of them." He repeated.

"Just answer one please...Why were you in my backyard?" I watched as a flash of anger crossed his face.

Willow why... Why did you have to ask a question? This is a serious question brain, he was in my backyard and I think tha-

Zane interrupted my thoughts.

"You know you're really annoying with the amount of questions you ask, like I said before I'm not allowed to say." He sounded calm and a smirk was tugging at his lips.

"Can't you just tell me why you were in my backyard? Not gonna lie it was pretty creepy to see something in my backyard late at night. Not to mention very stalkerish on your part." I retorted.

"You don't give up do you?" I could hear the irritation in his voice.

Willow you are making him angry stop while you still can.

"I never was one to give up, so tell me, Zane, why were you in my backyard?" I persisted.

"I can't tell you." His body started to tense up. Obviously getting annoyed.

Willow stop.

"Technically you can you are just choosing not to tell me so I'm going to keep on asking until you do." His eyes changed back to the familiar glow of auburn and gold. Whatever amusement that he had on his face was nowhere to be seen.

"You want to know why? Well as far as I'm concerned Flunkeys are hunting you because you are a Sui Generis, I was in your backyard to see if you were still safe and hopefully take you back to base where we are 100% safe!" He stopped walking and looked at me dead in the eye. "No more questions."

"Bu-"
"Nope no more, you asked me to answer one that was your answer now live with it." He clicked his tongue and  started walking again.

"That didn't help!" I stomped my foot.

"Not my problem." He walked ahead not giving me a second glance. We reached the tree house and climbed the tree.

Zane chucked a sleeping bag at me when I entered the treehouse, he had another one in his hand. We rolled them on out on the floor. My anger slowly subsided. I crawled into my sleeping bag and curled up into a ball.

How am I supposed to sleep? Flunkeys, flames, eyes... mum and dad... home.

With that thought, I could feel the salty tears run down cheeks as I silently cried. The memories of them, they came flooding back.

The time where they came home drunk one night and Dad went into the closet and came back screaming "THE GATE TO NARNIA HAS BEEN SEALED!"

And the time where Mum came stumbling into my room trying to be quiet slurring. "Sshh don't tell Willow." Then she slept in my bed for the night.

But my favourite memory of them is when it was snowing outside, the thick layer of white on the lawn, the heat from my breath in the air and hot chocolate warming my stomach, that day we spent our time inside. Mum and Dad came into my room and said the power cut off and we spent the entire day together playing games inside, watching movies and drinking hot chocolate. We went outside in the afternoon and Dad slipped on the driveway but when Mum went to go help him up he chucked a snowball at her. That was when the great winter war happened, I joined in on Mum's side and we pummeled Dad with snow. In the end he was laying on the ground calling surrender shivering from the snow. It was the best and my most favorite memory.

I was laying in my sleeping bag with tears gushing out my eyes, uncontrollably shaking, my quiet sobs escaping. It was then that there was a dim glow. I opened my eyes, to see Zane sitting there looking at me with a flame flickering in the air. casting a harsh shadow on his face. He looked comforting and supportive.

"We don't have to talk...but just know that I'm here for you an-." I wrapped my arms around him my head resting on his chest. He tenses up for a few seconds before relaxing and wrapping his arms around me pulling me closer, resting his chin on my head. "And you can talk to me." He finished.

"Thank you." I said through the sniffles. I felt him nod his head. Neither of us were letting go. He made me feel wanted and not alone. I listened to his steady breathing, my heavy eyelids slowly drooped down until darkness covered my vision and sleep came.