Morph [EDITING] || Wattys 2017 Winner

~THIRTY THREE~

~amelie~

"Who," Elian asks, struggling to maintain his cool composure, "is this?"
Before I can answer, Dad stares at my mother, and she stares right back. "This... is my wife."
"What?" says Elian incredulously, but Dad is already moving over to Matthew with a frown on his face.
"It can't be... Matthew?"

My uncle swallows, and nods, hands balling into fists and turning white. I realise he's terrified of my father, of the man who imprisoned him for years and years. Dad seems to realise it himself, too, and steps back wordlessly, pain in his eyes. Gone is the man I rescued from the cell, the man who was oddly composed and unquestionably strong for his sister. In his place is a scared, desperate person, facing the man who stole his life.

Elian wastes no time, though, and as my three teammates stare at me, confused, he presses on with his questioning. "Why did you bring them here? How are they here?"
This time, nobody answers for me, and I say, "I found my mother while I was going to find the list. And then I helped her to rescue... um, my uncle."
"Rescue?"
"He was a prisoner in the camp. He's a superhuman."
Elian folds his arms. "What's your ability?"
This time the question is directed at Matthew. "Decay," he answers, raising his hand, and hesitates. "I, um... I haven't used it for a long time."
"Go on," says my father quietly.
Matthew looks uneasy. It's no wonder, as the last time he used it he got imprisoned for sixteen years, but he nods slightly. He looks around, and asks, "Do I... Can I use the wall? It'll be back in one piece afterwards."

Elian gives him a reluctant nod, and Matthew grits his teeth, his brow lowering. He points his palm at the wall furthest from me, and I hear a noise. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it sounds almost like sand, being blown by the wind. I frown. Nothing is happening. But as soon as I open my mouth to voice my confusion, there's a shudder, and right in front of us the wall crumbles to red-brown dust, in a heap on the floor. My jaw drops, and I hear Amber's sharp intake of breath. Elian's frown is deeper than ever as he stares at the rusty particles, scattered across the ground, some of them dark brown and some blood-red. Matthew grunts as he clenches his fist, stares at the dust, and it begins to move, swirling in a spiral pattern. I stare, transfixed, as the dust starts to rise, and then suddenly it fills in the gap left by the wall and pales, becoming the same colour that's surrounding us. Then I'm just looking at another regular wall, and every bit of dust has disappeared. He's reformed the wall.

My uncle steps back.

I'm speechless as I stare at the wall. This must be why the ladder broke, why it rusted so quickly in the time between when I left and returned. It was him.
Fortunately, my mother isn't affected by the same wonder that's captivated all of us, even though we live in a world where the impossible isn't impossible at all. She save us all from standing there silently and she says loudly, "Are you going to let us in, or not?"
My father frowns. "Grace, we can't just -"
"Dad," I say. He looks at me. "You put him in prison." I don't reference the exact name, but we both know I'm talking about Matthew. "The least you can do is help him now."

His brow furrows for a second. I can tell he's not debating whether to let my uncle in, but whether his wife can be trusted. I know, because I'm thinking the same thing.

Elian lays a hand on his arm then, and looks him in the eye meaningfully. Dad steps back slightly, expression dark, and Elian takes the lead. "Matthew, you'll be an incredibly useful addition. You're welcome here."

The tension in the room diffuses slightly, although still nobody has mentioned my mother. She doesn't seem to realise the way her eyes keep flicking from person to person, lightning-fast and repetitive, seems a little suspicious. Nobody seems to fully trust her, although Matthew's been given a full welcome based on his decaying abilities.