Shadow Taking Over

1- Goodbye Father dearest

April 12th was the day. The bright yellow sun receded behind gray clouds after some time in the late evening. Two near-adult individuals strolled along the forest surrounded suburb sidewalk made of gravel. One look at them and anyone would've thought them a couple. Her arm linked with his, their feet were in step with each other even with the little space between them. He would soak up every moment of this. Though they weren't a couple, she still enjoyed his company immensely. Today, they had gone into town for lunch and a pleasant visit to the park. She relished in the time that served as her short escape from home. He felt the same for his own home. For a short length of the road, they strolled in peaceful silence until he spoke up.

"Eve, you make me very happy," he spoke from his thoughts. It was a sudden outburst he hadn't expected.

The corners of her mouth lifted into a pure smile as her cheeks matched tulips in color. "You make me happy too, Tanner."

He beamed at how sweet and soft her voice sounded. With each word she spoke, his heart quickened in pace. Tanner admired the flow of her hair that matched the sea, how the curls dripped over her shoulder on each side. Rumor had it Eve's mother was a mermaid, which is why no one ever saw her. Tanner knew Eve better than anyone. The truth behind her mother's absence was quite the opposite from the light hearted gossip. Though he'd never brought himself to reveal the facts. He felt light headed when her hair brushed his white dress shirt sleeve. He looked away in embarrassment when she caught him staring.

Eve regarded his hazel green eyes observing her. She scanned over his features as well, taking notice to the 'funny' way he dressed as some people had called it. His brown vest with golden designs stitched in over the button up dress shirt made her smile, especially at the scientific googles spray painted gold on the rim with orange circular lenses. People whispered about the bizarre fashion sense, but Eve saw it as wonderful. The gold brought out the silk in his eyes and his ruffled sleep conditioned, chestnut hair.

"It looks like it's going to rain soon," Eve chirped happily.

"Oh, do you want to go inside?"

She shook her head. "I don't mind the rain." Eve loved it in fact. She would always find time to run outside during a rain storm and practice her ability by bending the rain drops that dripped from above. Never in her world would she foresee that later that night, she would regret the rain for falling.

"Eve, I have to tell you something," Tanner said while keeping his eyes to the clouds above.

Her heart skipped twice at his sudden change in tone. Eve brought her eyes to him as he halted. They stood apart by a few inches, facing each other. A frown creased his lips. It wasn't a good look on him. She adored his smile. Seeing him with this expression caused another skip of heart beats.

He continued, "We are both seventeen now. I wanted to wait a year, but there's something in my mind that is telling me the time is now."

Tanner looked behind her to gaze at her house. The building had three stories with an ominous black furnished outer layer and tinted windows. He hadn't seen the inside in his over ten years of knowing Eve. Her father, a toxic man by the name of Lance, would surely kill him if he stepped foot anywhere near the front door. He meant this in a quite literal sense. Lance was known as a killer. He had a following behind him that assured his dominance over the inhabitants of their town. Tanner sneered. This man was a danger to the world and a threat to Eve. Every part of his being despised that man.

Tanner drew back from his thoughts to explain further. He felt her eyes scanning over his face for answers after he briefly went silent. He couldn't help himself, he took her hands tightly in his and locked gazes with her.