Words In The Dark

Chapter One: Tenebris

     Chapter One: Tenebris Explodes

"Yeah, so, target practice is a thing that needs to happen." Sitting silently, Tenebris read Emmet's lips easily even as he stood across the room. Reading lips was good for when he couldn't be bothered to take off his headphones. In his opinion, people were too obnoxious to be listened to even if they were nice. He'd rather listen to his favorite Sleeping With Sirens album anyway. He watched the scene before him play out like it did every other day. Emmett was being his I'm better than everyone and I demand change self, and he was doing his usual rant about the rules their leader had set for them. As usual, Elise busied herself with putting her mint hair up in her signature bun while turning him down. 

    "You know the use of powers outside the clubhouse is forbidden." She would say. She would always say. Tenebris rolled his eyes. Yeah. He thought. Because out there, we're freaks to everyone else. Nothing ever changes. People never change.

     Emmet groaned obnoxiously and a fireball formed in his outstretched palm. "Oh come on, El. It's just target practice. I'm sick of using all our normal targets. I want to go hunting."

     Elise crossed her dark arms. "For the final time, Emmet. No. What would happen if you got caught, huh? Your face would be on the news for weeks. We'd never be able to cover it up." She stood before Emmet with power radiating off of her, and her eyebrow was raised. Emmet dissolved the fireball and sighed, flopping back on the purple bean bag chair behind him. As usual, their fearless leader was right, and Emmet had to accept that.

     Elise smiled patiently and when she decided that she had won the argument once again, she went over to the window she had claimed as her own and took a moment to check her brand new plant. Waving her hand over the small flower, it's petals blossomed. Tenebris put his head down on the table that he was sat at, eyes rolling. That table was the only place to sit that in their little home and it was farthest away from all the commotion. Some commotion was something he didn't need. Nor did he want commotion in any way, shape, or form. So he sat there, and he zoned in on his music. Music was the one thing that always kept him sane. If you can't hang, there's the door baby. If you can't—

     "Whatcha doing little bro?" Tenebris could hear his brother's loud voice even through the booming bass of the drum that was ringing through his headphones. He jumped as Solis gripped his shoulders and was rendered helpless as he was jostled around. Tenebris exclaimed in immediate anger and ripped away from his brother's touch, ignoring the looks that Emmet and Elise cast his way as he did so. Standing, he stormed over to the front door, threw it open, and slammed it shut behind him as he stepped outside.

     Out in the open air, he clenched his fists and tried to control his breathing. He quickly realized the anxiety in him was rising to frightening levels. Inhale and exhale he reminded himself. He pulled down his headphones and put his arms on the edge of the deck, the old and weathered wood digging into his skin. Tenebris was reminded of the time when they were looking for somewhere to call home. He found it a bit charming that no matter how much the rest of the group protested, Elise insisted on going all out when they were in the process of building the treehouse. The deck was a touch that, while unnecessary, was the bow on top of the present. Still, her odd tastes annoyed Tenebris, but he knew there was nothing he could change about their home. Nor would he want to change their home. He wouldn't dare modify the place they called home. Eventually, he got stuck in memories of the beginning of him and the gang, and he stood in deep thought for a while. It was only a few minutes later when, from behind him, the wood of the treehouse porch creaked under the weight of someone new. He sighed.