Voices

Reveal

I knew Eli wouldn't stop chasing me if I kept running so I stopped and faced him. He caught up to me in time, panting heavily. Part of me felt sad for him, yet the other half still wanted to run like hell and hide. I could easily slip into his mind and make him stop but I only controlled other people when it was necessary. I waited for him to catch his breath, 'cause I knew that when he did the questions would be asked. "Why did you follow me?" I snarled angrily.

"I want to know what's wrong with you," he panted. I glared at him waiting for the painful questions to be asked. I nodded for him to proceed. "What are you?"

"I am a human, just as you are, but when I was a mere infant child my family and I were in the caverns. I was exposed to the Dark Water and it mutated me into this ...thing." My eyes fell to my clawed feet and hands. "For slugs it turns them into what you call Ghouls. For humans that aren't directly in contact with it become ghosts, I fell into a pool of it and was mutated into a monster that goes on and insane bloodlust killing spree if left out."

"What about the necklace?" he asked stepping closer to me.

"It has some sort of essence in it that keeps my monster in check. If I go longer that three hours without it the monster breaks loose and runs rampant."

"I didn't know," he said sympathetically, "If I did I wouldn't have taken it so I could replace it with a new one."

"I didn't want you to know. I didn't want any of you to know!" I roared. Anger, sadness, fear, and loneliness all mixed together in my voice. He had a look of shock on his face. "What are you gonna do now?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Are you gonna abandon me like my own parents did when they found out that I'm a monster?"

"What? No I'm not gonna-"

"Or is it that you're gonna call me a freak like everyone else does when they find out?" tears threatened to fall and I didn't care if he saw me cry. I didn't care about anything anymore.

"No," his voice was softer, like he was trying to soothe a wild animal that was hurt and scared. "I'd never do that, no matter what."

"Liar!" this time a few tears did fall.

"I'm not lying to you, honest," he took a step closer to me but I backed away. "Why won't you listen to me?"

"I-" before I could answer I heard familiar squeaking and saw Spark hopping over to me. He stopped at Eli's foot and stared at me, scared. "See? Even Spark doesn't want to be near me anymore!" I started to walk away.

"If you're really gonna leave then at least listen to this: Trixie told me everything." I froze. "She told me that you really like me." I turned and faced him, looking into his eyes.

"So what? Not like it even matters anymore," I looked to the ground to mask my sadness.

"How do you know that? Did you slip into my mind and read my thoughts?"

"How did you find out I can do that?"

"When Trixie came to get me she said there was a force controlling her, like she was just being a puppet. I figured if you can control people with a mere thought then you can definitely read minds." He had me pegged, he knew now and there was nothing I could do to deny it.

"I haven't read your mind. It's your personal thoughts and I don't want to."

"Then I give you permission to," he came closer to me, so close that our legs brushed together. "Go ahead and read how I really feel."

"Fine." I closed my eyes and focused on easily slipping into his mind. Thoughts of his father mixed in with other things and then there were the thoughts of ...me? I tapped his shoulder with my hand to get his attention, "Are you sure about this, Eli? I could possibly hurt you." He nodded. I looked into the thoughts he had of me. When he first found me, the week that I was passed out, when I woke up and everything up until now. I stopped when the first day he was teaching me was. When he came up behind me and helped me with my aim. His mind then flashed to earlier today, when we fell on the floor, how he felt then was crystal clear. I pulled out of his mind not wanting to see anymore. I opened my eyes and saw he was looking at me with a smile.

"Well?" he asked.

"Trixie told me that you have a girl in mind already..." I trailed off, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Yes I do, what about it?" he said getting closer.

"Nothing. It's not important anymore." I tried to fight back tears but I was failing at that. Miserably.

"No, it's not nothing," he cupped my face in his palm. "Something's bothering you about it."

"Even with reading your thoughts it's hard to understand how you feel! Are the feelings towards me or towards the other suitor you have in mind?"

"What 'other suitor'?"

"That other girl!"

"There is only one girl." I stopped talking and gave him a confused look. "Try looking into my thoughts again, this time I'll only think one thing." I nodded and closed my eyes again. He kept his word in only thinking one thought, so it was easier to slip into his mind. I could see him and a girl with black hair with two streaks of turquoise on the bangs, fangs, small horns on top of her head, and a crystal heart necklace around her neck. I realized that I was that girl. Eli leaned in close to the girl and kissed her lightly on the cheek. I pulled out of his mind now knowing what he was trying to tell me. When I pulled out of his mind I felt something soft on my cheek. I opened my eyes and saw Eli kissing my cheek like he had thought about in his mind.

"So the practice, and earlier today were on purpose?" he nodded. "You were trying to tell me for the past few days haven't you?"

"Pretty much."

"And seeing what kind of monster I am changed your mind?"

"Nope. Not even close."

"Why not? I'm a freak of nature and yet you still feel that was towards me?"

"Because I know it's not really you who's attacking and killing. It's the Dark Water that corrupted you that's attacking. You shouldn't be blamed for it."

"You really think that?" he nodded. "So you wouldn't mind if I did this?"

"Did wha-?" before he could finish his sentence, I leaned up and kissed him the way he had kissed me. A slight dusting of pink covered his face causing me to smile.