Ciana Pandora

ELEVEN

                   [TEXAS, USA]

“When would you like to go to school?” Kade asks Nadine.

“You mean an academy?” Nadine asks.

“Yes.”

“Tomorrow. I cannot wait to see other people of your kind.”

“Okay, enough of the strange speaking. That statement is obnoxious. What do you mean people of my kind?” Kade asks.

“You are human. Everyone else like you is human.”

“Well, as a matter of fact, you’ll meet people of your kind. Teenagers like you will be in the same homeroom with you.”

“Teenagers?”

Kade glares at her and nails another frame to the wall. “You are weird. Teenagers are kids at their puberty between twelve and twenty.”

“So you mean the youth at their prime? So what do teenagers do in the academy here?”

“You can’t be serious. Of course you know what they do. Study, do assignment, play games and break school rules.” Kade says, picking up another portrait.

“Okay.” Nadine nods and stares at the picture Kade is nailing. “Can I see that, please?”

Kade yanks off the framed picture from the wall with a pair of pincers and gives it to her. She stares at herself admiringly in the picture with a smile. It was a picture of her grinning widely at the camera. There was light in her eyes.

“Am I always this happy?” she asks him.
“Yes, at least without me.” Kade says with a sigh and sits next to her on the bed.

“Why do I have this scar?” she shows him a blemish across her face which was dying very slowly.

“That is also because of me. I made your life miserable. I don’t think that now that you are recovering, I need to remind you of all those gory stuff that happened. Forget what happened. We are all happy. When you are ready, I’ll take you to a new school far away from the former one or if things get worse, people will homeschool you. Don’t mingle too much. Mind your own business. Don’t poke your nose. Some black kids here are very aggressive. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“Now, Nadine, before you tell anyone this, tell me first. Look, you fell into a coma and everyone thought you died. Maybe I am appearing to be nonchalant about your sudden resurrection, but I am very anxious about it. Please tell me how you got out of that six feet deep grave.”

“I don’t remember, Kade. All I know is that when I opened my eyes, I was on top of my grave. So I asked the undertaker to show me a police station.” Nadine says.

“But how is that possible, huh? This is not a Hollywood movie, okay? I stood there with Caroline and we watched you get lowered and buried with thick sand, six feet deep into that grave at St. Charles. I need the entire truth because it is driving me nuts. I don’t want to feel paranoid about you.” Kade raises his voice at her anxiously.

“I have told you all there is to say, Kade. Why don’t you believe me?” she asks looking at him with concern.

“No one in their right frame of mind would believe this bullshit.”

“How am I to deal with others if you do not believe me, Kade?” she asks him again. He calms down and stares back at her. He realizes that she needs his trust now. He does not have to be too hard on her. He runs to her and hugs her.

“I am sorry, Nadine. I just…I don’t want to lose you again. I want you to be with me forever.” He moans, strokes her hair and hugs her tightly.

“I love you.” He adds and the words bring tears into his eyes. Finally.