True Gold

Chapter 5

When I wake, I am in Esta's bedroom lying on top of her bed with my head resting against her plush gold pillows. Her room is much the same as the last time I saw it and I can tell it is late afternoon as the sky out the window is a bright orange and the room has darkened slightly.

"You’re awake." I turn my head and look at Esta standing by the door. I don't flinch by her sudden appearance but I do feel small wisps of fright and suspicion enters my mind.

"Um, yeah." I say cautiously, remembering the moment before I passed out.

"Listen, um, about earlier, I just want to say, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

I look at her in confusion. "But...you didn't...do anything."

"No, I did and I'm very sorry. Will you please forgive me?"

"Forgive what?"

She sighs. "Never mind, I just thought…"

"Thought what?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter."

She moves over to the bed and sits on its edge. She stays quiet, and looks at me every now and then, almost sadly. I would have remained quiet too, and I would have gladly gone back to sleep to ease my pounding head had it not been for the curiosity consuming me.

"Tell me." I say and stare her dead in the eye.

"Tell you what?" she asks casually.

"Tell me what you did that you are sorry about."

She shakes her head. "Don't worry. Honestly, it's nothing, forget I ever said it."

I hadn't wanted to do what I did next, especially since my head was hurting enough as it was, but as far as I was concerned, the situation demanded it, and so I opened my mind to Esta's and went to read through her thoughts.

I wasn’t expecting to be met with a solid unbreakable wall, stoping me from entering her mind.

I watch as Esta puts her hand to her head, as if it is paining her. I stop instantly.

"Are you alright?" I ask. The moment I stop she sits up straighter and her pain vanishes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My head just hurt for a second there, it’s no worry."

It isn't right. I should have been able to reach her thoughts. But I couldn't and that bothers me. The only way for someone to block you from their mind is if they themselves have the ability to enter minds. It seems like I am gathering a lot of information that is all pointing to Esta being like me. But it’s highly unlikely that she would be able to read peoples thoughts and speak to the elements; she's way too normal.

"Do you know what happened to me earlier? It felt odd, like I was being drugged but without consuming anything." I notice that she shivers when I use the term 'drugged'.

"No." she shakes her head. "I am as confused about it as you are." she says, but this time I know she is lying.

"It's strange that it happened when it did, don’t you think? Just as I was leaving." I pretend to be deep in thought but I still see her squirm out of the corner of my eye. I think I'm onto something.

"Yeah, very." she says quietly

"I remember seeing two people before I passed out and I heard someone speaking behind me. What did they say again? Hmmm…" I touch two fingers to my head and lean on my knee as if thinking really hard about what that person said, even though I know exactly what it is because it keeps playing over and over again inside my head.