Thirty One Days

Leaves

I yawned in response to my alarm finally going off, unable to sleep due to too many shadows in the night I ended up only getting a small nap in. My body aches and I had to pause halfway through standing up because of lightheadedness. Something that has been increasing happening.
The fall weather had arrived with cool air in the mornings so I donned a dark sweater with a pair of jeans, unsure if it was okay for where Istvan was taking me. Also, I wondered where he was taking me. He told me it was somewhere that was safe and that his mother took him too.
When I went downstairs to the kitchen to grab something quick to eat, or at least attempt it eat, dad was sitting at the coffee table. He glanced up when I came in and offered a smile. "I would have made more breakfast if I knew you would be up,"
The kitchen smelt of bacon and eggs, coffee, and plastic. However, the kitchen had been cleaned so there was no way of telling if anything had actually been cooked. I rummaged through the cabinet trying to decide which energy bar would be good then ended up just grabbing a random one.
"I'm not super hungry in the mornings," I replied to my dad then noted his Tom and Jerry pajamas, he never truly grew up. Mom always said she loved that he was serious and silly, and how he occasionally got the two mixed up.
"Your mom swears by those things but it's not a real breakfast-"
"I'm going out with some friends today," I cut him off before he could start on another rant about my diet. Coincidentally, it was one of the things that him and mom argued about often.
Dad seemed to take in my outfit, "You're wearing that to meet your friends?"
"Oh my god, dad!" My cheeks flared scarlet in embarrassment, I knew my fashion sense had dropped some since my episodes started happening but it's one thing for me to think that, and another for my dad to actually say it.
"I'm just saying! I know the type of girls you hang out with, always dolled up for nothing." Dad always thought my friends were weird and always overdressed, he also had a heart attack when the showed up on Halloween last year as princesses and goddess. I had been Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"I just haven't finished getting ready yet," I mumbled through a bite of the bar and he laughed.
"Whatever Stevie," He said in a mocking, teenager girl voice and held up his hands in a 'W' sign. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help and laugh, his impressions were always spot on. I hugged him as I left the kitchen.
After going upstairs and changing my vans into a pair of tan boots and throwing on some jewelry I returned to the kitchen. Dad was still sitting at the kitchen table but his coffee cup was now full again.
"I won't be gone long, just a few hours at most." I said and he looked up at me from the table. My phone vibrant with a text from Istvan, he had just arrived. "I'll text you,"
"You better," Dad said with a smile and waved as I headed outside.

Istvan's car smelt of his Cologne, leather, and an evergreen air freshener that hung off his mirror. It was also surprisingly clean, I noted, thinking of Dylan's car. He had also brought me a snickerdoodle that his mother had baked, which was delicious.
"Where are we going?" I asked as Istvan straightened the shirt under his jacket at a stop light. I noted that the jacket was leather which is where the scent came from. I also noted that he must keep his car so clean to avoid having episodes while driving.
"Somewhere we can talk first then I have someone I want you to meet," Istvan was still tense around me, or around the subject, which was understandable. However, I wondered if he thought of me as an ally, like I did him, or if he sees me as an inconvenience. Like a child tag along.
"You look nice," He said after a moment of quietness, and the small compliment caught me off guard. I could feel myself blush, and thought about the last time a guy had complimented me outside of my dad. 
"Thank you,"
The ride wasn't long and Istvan seemed to know all the back roads pretty well, and soon we arrived at the local nature park.Seeing the wooden park sign brought back memories of sneaking out and meeting with friends here. We both climbed out of the car and I followed him to a bench off of the main trail. 
The bench over looked a slight drop off and a large amount of forest that was a patchwork of greens, yellows, oranges, and bareness. The air was crisp and seemed easier to breath here, I briefly thought about going camping but quickly decided against it.
Leaves crushed under my feet as I began to feel alive again.
"How have you been?"
"Fair,"
"Have you looked at your reflection?"
"I haven't,"
"Good," Istvan paused for a moment, "Any incidents?"
"No serious ones, just a few things here and there everyday."
"Tired?"
"Always." I couldn't help but laughed as I answered the last one.
He smiled in return, "They haven't killed your spirit yet,"
"Yet?"
Istvan's face grew intensely dark for a moment before he broke eye contact with me and glanced out among the trees. "It won't stop until you break,"
"Did you break? Is that why you left?"
He nodded, "I placed myself in a mental hospital, disregarding my mother's plead to not. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Did it help?" I could feel the glimpse of hope swell in my chest but knew too soon that it didn't, he wouldn't have a reason to control himself if it did.
"No, they just taught me how to deal with seeing the things. You know the things we see. You can't live with that."
We sat for a moment, listening to nature and just existing together in that moment. One incident, episode, crazy free moment that was rare and few.
"I began seeing them a year before I left, but it started very small so I didn't think it was anything to worry about. Then, my sophomore year I saw my grandfather." Istvan looked at me for a moment then away again. "He died before I was born. He told me I wasn't natural, I wasn't his, I was the spawn of the devil."
My heart broke for him, my parents had been so accepting of this curse and did what they could to help. He didn't have that. "I'm sorry Istvan,"
A shudder came over him and he shook it off, "When the doctors failed my mother took me to meet madam Luna, she was the most helpful."
"Is that where we are going?"
He nodded then relaxed more on the bench seat. "But for now, let's sit here and watch the leaves change color."