Through the Veil

II - What Effie Did

Present Day

Effie Lilahs was never the type of girl that you could easily make assumptions on, and if you were foolish enough to you'd soon realise just how much of a fool you were.

Upon your first look you'd think you'd be able to see sick confessions seep from her angular jaw and eyes that shone like a tiger's, but the moment you inevitably blink or your hand tremors in the wind (even in the slightest), she'll quickly morph into something you never anticipated: she did with me.

Effie was and will forever be my favourite person (apart from the realms of the invisible people I have seen). She is sweet, but not the sickly kind; comparable to a hint of syrup and a teaspoon of sugar in a cup of tea to always leave you wanting more. And I knew, the day that she had set her eyes on me and a soft giggle left her lips when I asked her what she had wriggling about in her bag, that we would lean on each other like pillars for the rest of what we understood at the time as forever.

What I love most about Effie is her natural ability to see everything in a different perspective.

My hands will hastily write about a rushing river flowing of all the deep colours and hues of brown, green and blue. Yet she will somehow see a ruby river with non-existent goldfish flying in the shallow depths of its freshwater. I admit that her insanity and methods of viewing the world in such a fluid light is still, even now, rubbing off on my practical ways.

Effie, like the name, cannot be any more peculiar either. Coffee skin adorned with patches of sun-touched freckles and jet black hair with random umber strands. Her hair flows effortlessly straight, always tucked behind origami ears. She has equally black eyes and pale lips, all painted with intricate piercings.

I used to wish upon many, many stars that I could be as bold and as fiery as her. To hold even an ounce of her courage and to see people and nature through her eyes. With my two plain gold earrings and brown hair at one tone, I felt very plain when standing next to her. Fidgeting with my hands as she'd face the sky with pride to simply be Effie.

She was born in Greece not yet a year after her parents, Carlton and Rose had met outside a quiet cafe on a street by the sea that seemed to have been frozen in time, left behind in history.

Rose had described their life in Greece to me once before, I've read stories and have seen photos of Athens and Rhodes - places which could easily have popped out of a fairy-tale. I could never fathom what could bring anybody to leave such a beautiful place as that.

Earlpond was a place that secreted mystery, wonder and chaos compared to a place holding warm, tender communities and life as bright as budding spring flowers - one would think they'd stick with the latter. But, like the many people who chose (and still do) to begin a new chapter in Earlpond, they go against the grain and science would label them as anomalies, dancing outside of the pattern of normal. Perhaps they too craved some bittersweet isolation from a world slowly unravelling her dark secrets.

I remember being awake at a time which my parents would've scolded me for. The time of night where it wasn't really night anymore and you could sense the sun waking. I had crept down the stairs into the cold air of the hallway wanting a glass of water from the kitchen to drown my parched throat, but heard the near silent conversation of my parents coming from the living room. I stood behind the wall, so quiet that even a mouse would've admired my skill...

-

"Well, I think they're rather lovely, Noah."

"You know that wasn't what I meant." My father had the weakest of stings in his response.