The girl didn't dare to ask why she was abandoned in the Winters family's house that one fine summer morning. She came out with numerous different theories and debated between three of the most sensible ones. First, she might have broke one of the house rules, but she knew she hadn't. She wouldn't even dare to leave her bedroom unless she had no other choice. Second, perhaps she was adopted by her parents, she would address them as her caretaker instead, since they were always very distant and cold. But that couldn't explain why she looked so much like her mother and she even inherited her father's ginger hair genes. Third, or maybe... they finally figured out how dangerous her power was to everything alive in this world. But they already knew that after an incident that had occurred two days ago. So what was it? the girl thought secretly.
The Black family, especially the little girl, had always been a trending gossip to the grown-ups in town. Some assumed that she was a mute, because the little girl was rather quiet and substantially more reserved than any other children in town. Some said she was a freak, because she was peculiar by the way she acted. But not to the boy from the Winters family, who had a total opposite personality. The boy, who always wear a contented expression on his freckled face. In fact, he was not much different from the girl.
The boy huddled behind the kitchen cupboard, partly listening to the adults greeting each other, but mostly staring at the exquisite girl, who was standing a few feet away from them. He noticed a middle-aged man with neatly done ginger hair, which he assumed was the girl's father, indicating the girl to walk towards the boy's parents.
"We will take good care of your daughter, Mr & Mrs Black." the boy's mother said, resting her hands on the girl's shoulders.
"Yes, don't worry at all. We understand that you have important issues to settle with our dear friend, Maurice." the boy's father added with an assuring look. The boy's eyes were still focusing on the girl, despite wondering who this mysterious Maurice guy was.
"Son, will you please show this young lady around? She will need time getting used to the house after all," the boy's father said. The boy obeyed and brought her to his favourite part of the house, his mini treehouse in the backyard. The girl kept a safe distance away from the boy as they rambled without making a conversation with each other. Up in the treehouse, the girl brought her knees towards her and wrapped her arms around it, as if she was a turtle hiding inside its own shell.
"Hello! I heard a lot about you from my parents." the boy reached his hands toward her, hoping she would shake his hands, but the girl just ignored him.
"Aren't you afraid to be in this confined space with a monster like me?" the girl looked up at the boy, their eyes met and locked for the very first time. It was then the boy noticed how beautiful her black eyes and flaming ginger hair were.
"You? A monster?" the boy chuckled, and continued, "Then that makes us two monsters."
"But everybody likes you and nobody likes me, because I'm nothing but a witch...a jinx..." the girl sniffled quietly, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"Well, instead of hanging around with people who thinks you're uncool, you can come hang out with me!" the boy said feverishly.
"You think I'm cool?"
The boy nodded and a moment later he whispered, "Show me something magical."
At first, the girl hesitated but then she decided to close her eyes, forcing her mind to relax. Now, she could feel the power buried deep inside of her arise slowly but surely. She swished and flickered her hands gracefully, allowing the sensation of power to take over her body and soul. The girl continued to play with her fingers, as black smoke-like figures emerged from the end of her fingertips. They looked like long shadows of ballerinas dancing to the silence of the wind, except they were slightly daunting, but that didn't bother the boy, not even the slightest bit.
The boy was completely astonished. He shifted closer, his knees brushing gently against hers, and watched very intently as if she was performing a puppet show just for him. Just then, the boy raised his right hand and ameliorated the scene. Something glowed in his palm, a crepuscular ball of light escaping through his cupped fingers, casting a soft glow over his face. It was like flowers blooming under the radiant sun. They played with their powers for hours and hours until they were both exhausted. They lied on their sides, facing each other, and propped up one elbow to support their heads.
"Merula Black?"
"Phill Winters."
"Will you promise to come back here every summer?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die."
The girl did keep her promise. Before summer, she will be all excited to visit the Winter's house. After summer, she will sit by her window and pray for the next summer to arrive quickly. Coming back to the Winters's house every summer was like opening presents on Christmas Day, she got to make new and precious memories with the boy, and hoping that nothing will ever change between them.
YOU ARE READING
The Preternatural Shadows
Fiksi Remaja"You're telling me that I'm a superhuman?" "Or in other words, a preternatural shadow." Chloe Rose Winters hates to stand out more than anything else in the world, but with her fiery ginger hair and vivid blue green eyes, she was absolutely alluring...
