Afraid Of The Dark

Too Much

I was sat on one of the sofas in the living room, it was dead quiet, it had been at least four months since Charles and I had the discussion about my power, it had been harder than I thought it would be to be perfectly honest. Everyday gets worse, it's funny, I use my power and it brings me closer to death, but the more I don't use it the more agitated I get. I'm quick to bite back at everyone and I am constantly shaking, especially my hands and my legs, mostly when I'm sat down and I have nothing else to think about other than this predicament.

My right leg was bouncing up and down as my fingers were against my mouth just trying to calm them from the shakiness. I don't know how long I can go on like this.

"You don't look too good."

I shot up out of the sofa and raised my hands in defense. I lowered them as I noticed who it was.

"Where have you been?"

"Around." Eric sauntered over to me, his eyes keeping them on me.

"I haven't seen you for months." I replied. My body frozen to the ground. It had been lonely around here recently, Eric had been off the grid and Lord knows where Charles has been.

"Like I said, I've been around."

I stared at him.

"Where is Charles?" His blue eyes never wavered from me. If I didn't know any better I would've thought Charles and Eric were brothers.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Haven't seen him." I began to feel uneasy around him and I began to walk cautiously around him.

Eric grabbed my upper arm and I froze in the contact. I fixed my eyes on him warily.

" I'm sorry."

"It's not your problem." I tried to move my arm but his hold was too strong. I should've known I couldn't trust Charles to not tell people about my "condition". However, I was glad he didn't tell the children. But Eric knowing about my weakness, it made me more careful around him, Charles had told me all about him, the stories about how he would go off sometimes and change sides, to put it bluntly, I do remember him coming in late at night sometimes when I'm unable to sleep, I can hear him groaning in pain a lot. He must be picking a fight with bad people.

I noticed his eyes wander from my eyes to my neck and I furrowed my eyebrows at him. His eyes widened and with his hand still holding onto me, his other wrapped around my hair and before I had time to protest he gripped the side of my neck.

"What is that?" He snapped, his eyes bore into mine, he finally let go of me and I shrugged my jacket back on my shoulders.

"It's nothing." I replied quietly.

"It doesn't look like nothing." He stood rigid and I could see his jaw clenching. "Does Charles know about this?"

"Charles doesn't have to know everything, I haven't even seen him." I growled at the man in front of me.

Eric focused on me before turning away and striding into the hallway.

I furrowed my brows at him as I watched him walk away.

"Charles!" I heard Eric yell from the hallway and I ran to him.

"Eric! What the hell are you doing?"

His body turned to me aggressively.

"Well obviously you can't look after yourself." He gestured to me and I growled at him.

"How dare you! You don't even care." I could feel my heart pounding as I became more angry and the shaking became worse, I could feel myself flexing my fingers not releasing the anger had released my power and Eric noticed that.

"Charles!"

Charles came bounding down the stairs with some sort of vial in his hand.

"Alright, Alright, I'm here." Charles noticed me seething. "What's wrong?"

"Look at her neck." Eric pointed at me.

Charles turned to me and lifted my hair gently from my neck. There were two golfball sized black bruises on the right side of my neck. If they weren't so dark they could probably have passed as hickeys.

I sighed in defeat.

Charles noticed my mood and he lifted my chin and smiled at me.

"It's ok Zara, I might have found something." He lifted up a vial of blue liquid and gave it to me.

"Are you sure it's not poison?" Charles tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"I'm sure, just try it."

I glanced to Eric and noticed he had a curious look on his face.

I sighed and lifted the bottle to my lips and downed the whole thing.

"Urgh, that was horrible."

Charles ignored my comment, he was too busy staring at the bruises on my neck, he smiled as he noticed them slowly heal before his eyes.

"It worked, they're only faint now. I'm not sure if the effect is permanent."

My eyes gazed at his wonderful ones.

"You mean, I'm ok?" I could feel a slight smile on my face.

I lifted my hands up and noticed the shaking had stopped, I looked back up at Charles and he nodded at me.

I turned to Eric and felt my powers surge within me, it felt so good to have it back, I no longer felt weak, but I felt like myself and that's all I wanted.

Eric saw the mist and I raised my hands at him and shot my power at him shooting him into the wall.

I heard Charles laugh and Eric groan as he got up.

I smiled at Charles and I hugged him.

"Thank you so much Charles. I will never forget this, I promise."

Charles gleamed at me and stroked my cheek.

"You're more than welcome Zara."

We both turned to Eric as we heard him groan from pain, he looked at us both and Charles and Eric nodded to each other.

"Then my job is done as well."

I was suprised.

"You helped?"

Eric nodded.

I ran over to him and hugged him too. I felt him reluctantly hug me back.

"Thank you Eric. I won't forget what you did either." I smiled up at him, I could feel a set of eyes on my back.

"You two have been amazing." I actually laughed for what feels like the first time in forever.

"We just need to keep an eye on you and see how you are in the next couple of days." Charles spoke up.

I nodded at him.

"So what now?" I asked.

"How about we go out for dinner?" Charles replied.

My eyes lit up.

"Out for dinner?"

Charles eyes sparkled and he nodded.

I beamed at him.

"That would be incredible." I span around to Eric. "Would you come?"

He seemed surprised that I asked but he denied leaving me a little upset.

"Not tonight, you have fun." Eric nodded at Charles and focused his eyes on me one last time before he walked out the door.

I watched him sadly, I felt Charles come up behind me and it turned my sadness into excitement.

"We'll leave at eight, and wear the red dress."

My eyes widened in embarrassment, but my stomach fluttered as I felt his breath on my neck. I felt him leave and I let out a sigh of relief. What on earth was I getting myself into?