The Degenerate (Mythics Book One)

2

 The water was a promise wherever it went. If it fell from the sky in light, crystalline raindrops, it meant rebirth, usually with sadness. High tide meant opportunities were coming, while low tide tended to mean the end of one. Water in many perspectives usually signified purity or purification, a cleansing power.

It was hailing.

No one knew what that meant.

Meanwhile, I was stuck in a gas station. I held onto my unopened bags of cheese puffs and a half-empty bottle of SoBe, haphazardly typing out a text with one hand. Please send umbrella.

The entire week before had been filled with nothing but rain, so much that my sneakers were currently squelching in puddles leftover inside. It was like this in every store, gas station, and even some homes. The water was like a constant flood, seeping through the floorboards and causing all kinds of havoc. Entire families had lost their homes because they couldn't pay for the damage. It was a mild plague on the city.

However, I knew what rain meant. I had considered the constant rain a good sign. Maybe the new beginning would be sad, maybe not. Either way, I had nothing left to lose.

That was what I told myself.

Now it was hailing. Big, grape-sized chunks of ice, raining down from the sky and pummeling cars and asphalt. I had no clue what that might signify, but the whole scene left me feeling a little jittery.

But there was no way I was going out there at this rate. The wind was blowing the ice so hard, I'd have gotten my face sanded off. So I was going to make Theo bring in my umbrella for me.

You won't melt in the water, he texted back.

I stood next to the sliding glass doors, where I could just make out Theo sitting in the car a row away. I wouldn't melt, no. It would be much worse and he knew it.

He waved at me.

I put my hands on my hips, frowning.

My phone buzzed again and I glanced down.

Just make a run for it, he typed.

I sent him back a frowny face.

I watched him exaggeratedly curse me out to the heavens and step out of the car, leaving the engine running. He smiled, all dimples, and came up to me with a dripping blue umbrella.

"Your highness," he said dramatically, holding the door open with a chime. "Your chariot awaits."

Shifting my cheese puffs, I grabbed the umbrella and started outside. "You can find your own umbrella," I called over my shoulder.

I smiled at his footsteps pounding after me. It was important to be careful as I walked, since there were still countless puddles of standing water outside. Each little splash that soaked the tiniest bit through my socks or the hems of my jeans was one step closer to disaster. It was nearly impossible to avoid and I could feel it now, the tingling, boiling hot flecks of water brushing across my skin. The skin of my ankles practically sizzled with it. Even the occasional mist to my face was hard to avoid unless I wore my mask, and I hadn't been feeling that particular fashion choice today. Yet nothing seemed to protect my legs and feet. I always tended to walk with a limp when it rained because it hurt so bad. Spritz fiery hot water on yourself and see how well you can walk.

Theo leaned under the umbrella with me, making sure to maintain slow and precise steps so he didn't splash me. I glanced up at him and raised my brows. He was soaked through, from his curly black hair to the toes of his tennis shoes. Wavy asymmetrical hair brushed over his eyes and curled along his cheekbone. It had been a while since either of us had the luxury to cut our hair, so his was getting a little bit long, brushing his chin. Most of it was tied in a small knot at the nape of his neck and his bangs were constantly being swept out of his eyes. Those eyes were a striking amber, the color of fool's gold. A smooth, angular jaw and daring brows took over his features. He always seemed to be wearing band t-shirts like The Beatles or some crazier ones like Fall Out Boy, and one time I even saw him wearing a shirt plastered with Beethoven's face. He was a bit like his style in that way--- all over the place.

"Jeez, slow down, Ivy." That enamouring grin took over his features again, like it always did when he was teasing. "Be a proper lady, will you?"

Without thinking, I playfully punched his shoulder, bare knuckles grazing soaked fabric. I hissed and snatched my hand back. I could feel the heat rise to my face in embarrassment. Clutching my fist to my chest, I watched as pearlescent blue scales rose up on my fingers, my human skin cracking and peeling back. My heartbeat was loud in my ears, invading the sudden silence. The only real sound came from the ice bouncing off the umbrella and street around us. Slowly, the normal skin patched it up, covering and healing the blemishes like an old wound.

I cursed. The sudden reminder of what it looked like had me ultra-aware of every sting, every mist of water. The wind had been blowing miniscule droplets of water into my face this whole time...I couldn't imagine what I looked like.

"Let's get in the car," Theo said gently.

I blinked, realizing that I had stopped walking altogether.

Once inside the giant, beat-up Suburban, I grabbed a towel from our massive supply in the backseat and tossed it at Theo. He quickly went through the motions, squeezing out his hair and clothes, drying off his arms and face. I buckled myself in, settling into the soft gray passenger's seat. I bit down on my lip and tried to relax, tried to ignore the searing pain arcing across my feet and shins.

"Take off your pants."

I didn't realize I had wrenched my eyes shut until they snapped open again, staring at Theo's concerned face. "What?"

He rolled his eyes, turning the wheel and backing out of the parking lot. "Just take off your pants and shoes, Ivy," he repeated. "You shouldn't have to sit there in pain."

"But I don't have any extra pairs---"

He laughed at me, eyes on the road. "Stop trying to make things weird. You're injured."

Stubbornly, I crossed my arms and turned my eyes to the window beside me. It wasn't that I didn't trust Theo. I trusted him with my life. It was just...embarrassment. I could feel it crowding my thoughts at the mere idea of showing it off deliberately. I couldn't imagine purposefully revealing something so heinous and unnatural. It was a curse, and I felt much better with any signs of it covered, regardless of pain.

I heard a scoff at my silence. In response, I leaned my head against the cool glass, the tiny bit of moisture pricking my cheek like tiny needles. The road seemed endless, a carpet of asphalt constantly rolling. The houses always looked the same, no matter where we went. The usual stucco or bricks or plaster, paper-mache and glue and mud mushed together, some with cutesy flowers on the lawn or dry gray rocks. If we were lucky, the area was full of giant trees or rippling hills. Some type of green was always nice and usually had a positive effect on both of us. Green meant life and life meant hope.

But we were in Kansas.

And it was hailing.

And apparently I didn't understand anything anymore.

Symbolism was everywhere. Yet forcing myself to find the hope in it all was harder than it should've been.

Theo reached over and cranked up the radio, windshield wipers punctuating the movements. A wailing and fumbling electric guitar poured from the speakers, soon accompanied by the familiar butter-smooth voice that belonged to Fall Out Boy. He drummed his fingers along the steering wheel.

"Where to next?" asked Theo.

I sat up, stretching. "We planned for California, right?"

He nodded. "Just...checking."

The tension in his shoulders permeated the air and had me fidgeting. California was known for its charms and beaches, but we knew what laid beneath. I'd been raised in Cali, and I would've died there too if Theo hadn't shown up when he did.

He hated that place as much as I did, but it was the only clue we had to finding answers.

For both of us.