"You know the pizza here is the best in the whole world" I said in a muffled voice, for my mouth was filled with a whole slice of a mixed vegetable pizza.
" Yeah... I think I have heard this the fifth time" Nathan replied while playing with his phone. Nathan was my highschool friend, sometimes an annoying one , to be truthful, but nevertheless he was my only friend in this new suburb. My mother and I had shifted here about six months ago for my high school studies because she decided that she would come along with me here to keep an eye on me. When I had asked her why she wanted to tag along, she had just replied :
"Because I am afraid that my little 'Elli' might get into some serious trouble".
My mom never leaves a chance to tease me with her cheesy lines. And no! My name is certainly not "Elli" , it's actually Elliot. This nickname can be included among those cheesy comments of her.
Nathan stood up, stretching his arm. To be honest, Nathan was always a type of boy over whom any girl would fall head over heels. He was an inch taller than me and his light muscular framework stood in sharp contrast to my skinny body. Sometimes, I even consider how on earth I became friends with this guy. His tanned skin, brown curly hairs and strikingly handsome face would shake the hearts of many. You might think that this kind of description sounded a bit peculiar coming out from a boy like me. But what can I say... Honestly...I am gay. But I never looked at Nathan beyond a friend. This is something most straight people don't understand. That being gay doesn't mean that you would be attracted to every next man. I have been avoiding this topic with most people all along . I have never told this secret to anyone, neither Nathan nor my mom, though I feel that they would understand me but in the corner of my heart I am just afraid that they might be disappointed in me.
"I think we should leave now.. You already had three large size pizzas and I am certainly not buying you anymore. Even though this is your birthday." Nathan declared pulling me out of my thoughts. Wait, did I mention that today was my seventeenth birthday, maybe not...I stood up and looked out of the glass door of the cafe. It was already getting dark.
"Usually people eat cake on their birthdays and look at you..Tell me, aren't you bored eating pizza all the time? " He asked.
"Are you ever bored while kissing your girlfriend? " I replied shortly. He raised an eyebrow.
"That's completely different. "
"No, it's not, because pizza is my first love" I declared and chuckled at my own joke. Nathan just rolled his eyes .
While we were exiting the cafe after Nathan had paid the bill for treating me; out of the blue he just said, "You know sometimes, I do get bored kissing my girlfriend. "
"That's because you are an Asshole. " I commented and we both fell into a loud laugh.
We kept laughing till we got to his car. I really could never understand how his parents ever accepted to give their seventeen year old son a Mercedes car. My mom was even reluctant when I had asked for a laptop as if I might try hacking an official website and end up in ten years in a prison. I glanced out of the window. The sky was painted in colours orange, pink and blue. The cool breeze of the month of July was mesmerising me. "Is there anywhere else you wish to go? " Nathan asked, breaking the silence. I thought for a second. Earlier, Nathan had asked me if I would like to throw a party, but I immediately denied because I am an extreme epitome of a strange creature called - an Introvert. So in the end we just decided on watching a marvel movie , some drinks and, not to mention my lovely pizza.
"Let's go to the Beach! " I suggested. He gave me a puzzled look.
"At this hour.. ".
I shrugged.
" You were the one who asked. So it's up to you... ". He remained silent for a few minutes but then said, " Alright". And took a sharp turn towards the road which led to the beach. First reason for suggesting the beach was that my mom was out at work and would not be home for the next two days so my apartment was unusually quiet. And I certainly did not want this birthday to end with me being lonely. And secondly, I felt good at the beach. The sounds of the hushing waves and the sight of the setting sun always gave me peace. For Nathan and me it was our "Palace of Peace". Whenever either of us had a bad day, we would sit on the wet sand and drink and bicker and hear each other's nagging and stupid jokes. I could not believe that a person like me could get this close to anyone only in a few months to the point where I would share with him all my problems and my secrets .... all but one.
It was about half past five in the evening when we reached our spot. The place was beside a dried log with a shallow hole in the front where we occasionally did camp fire. I sat on the warm sand and put my back on the support of the log.
"I'm going to take some drinks, you want some... " Nathan asked while standing. I gave him a nod and within moments he disappeared. I gazed at the vast sea in front of me. The endless waves were conquering the land and then receding back leaving behind a trail of wet sand and fuzz. On the horizon, the sun was on the brink of setting and some dark clouds were also gathering in the sky. I closed my eyes and waited for Nathan.
Nathan returned in about fifteen minutes. He gave me a can of beer and I drank the whole can in one sip. We both remained silent for a minute but the silence was not an uncomfortable one, it felt quite warm. But like the last time Nathan was the first to interrupt the silence.
"Is there something you want to talk about? " He said in a somewhat concerned tone. As if he knew what I was thinking.
"Not really... " I said while trailing off thinking about my only secret. I played in my mind a hundred possible reaction Nathan would give me if I told him I was gay. Maybe he would think I am joking, or maybe he would be angry for not telling him earlier, or maybe he would just be disgusted, or maybe he would accept me, or maybe even all of them. I was already on my fifth beer and I was already feeling dizzy. But Nathan was cautious not to drink more than two beers because he was the driver.
I stood up. "Let's swim!! " I announced, almost shouted . And ran wildly towards the waves. Nathan was running behind me asking me to stop. But I had turned into a stupid wild colt, incapable of any conscience or wisdom. I ran and ran until my legs left the surface and I was swimming, warm, cool water surrounding me. Nathan was still behind me- swimming hard to catch up with me. He was shouting something but I could not well make out what he was saying above the sound of water splashes and my own puffing breath. Soon a loud crackling sound took my breath away. It was lightning. A storm was approaching. I started swimming backwards but before I could realise my position.
It hit me.
A huge wave of water overshadowed me, almost swallowing me in the depth of the waters . But I swam up with all the force my muscles could provide me with. I came up, gasping for breath. I looked around. The wave had brought me away from the coast. The peaceful sea was now an uneven terrain, using all its power to drown me, but something was missing. Something very important!!
Where was Nathan!!
My eyes widened at the thought of Nathan. Though Nathan looked like a sporty athlete, he was not a very good swimmer. What if these waves had swallowed him? What if he had drowned? Who would be responsible for this accident? It would clearly be me. How will I ever live with the regret of killing my friend?
I stopped myself from overthinking and took a sharp dive back into the water. Since it was already dark, It was hard for me to see anything. I came up and gasped.
"Nathan!!" I called out his name but no reply. I kept calling his name four or five times but the reply was only my heavy and unsteady breaths. I cursed myself for ever bringing Nathan to the sea, for ever having a birthday , or for ever being born.. But finally to end my misery, I heard a bubbling cry calling my name. I did not need a second thought to understand that it was Nathan. I started swimming towards the sound, ignoring the waves and the storm.
Finally Nathan's struggling body came into my view among the waves. I dived and finally got a hold of Nathan's abdomen. I held him tightly. Nathan was already unconscious. I was struggling to keep us both floating. I started swimming towards the shore but it seemed to get far away in the dim lights offered by a few lightning strikes.
Suddenly, a huge wave engulfed us and I lost the hold of Nathan's body. Now I was underwater, surrounded by nothing more than pure darkness and raw force of the water. I dived below trying to get hold of Nathan's body.
In another lightning, I saw a figure sinking in the depths of the sea bottom. I dived deeper.
I touched a hand in the darkness. I could tell it was Nathan. I held it tighter than the last time and started drifting upwards. But I had gone too deep and I did not have any more air in my lungs. My vision was getting blurry but I could not let my friend die and neither was I going to give up and die here. Not like this.
A impulse of blinding light hit me.
I kept swimming even when my bones and my muscles were protesting to stop, I did not. Finally we came up. Suddenly, everything around me went silent. I looked up and filled my lungs with air. There were no clouds in the sky, only the bright moon and the stars. Even the air suddenly felt different. But I did not have time to think. Nathan wasn't breathing and we needed to get to the shore and get some help.
When I walked to the shore, I could not feel any sand below... It was grass. I kept Nathan down and looked back at the sea in the moonlight. And my jaw dropped in confusion.
The sea wasn't there any more, in its place there was a lake. Is this a dream? Or am I dead?
I looked back at Nathan. His body had turned pale and there was no pulse. I gave him the basic CPR that our P. E. teacher had once taught us. But he was still not breathing. From the bushes forwards I heard footsteps. I became alert. Soon a very tall man emerged from the bushes, holding a lantern in his left which was shining with a blue light. I ran up to the man.
"Si-r-r, my friend is not breathing, can you please call an ambulance?? " I said, still recovering from my fatigue. The man stood silent for a second and then brought the lantern up to his face.
I could not believe my senses, the man was not even a man. He was just a boy, maybe an year older than me but he had pointy ears which were standing out of his smooth wavy raven-coloured hairs. Was he even a human? I don't know why but I felt a ting in my heart when I witnessed his dark grey eyes and handsomely-chiselled face.
"A-r-re you really...a human? " He asked in a deep voice though it was something I should have asked him.
'Are you an alien?? Or a monster? 'I wanted to ask but it simply came as: "Who are you? "
He smiled and it sent butterflies in my heart.
"My name is Zeo, I am an Elf. You are standing in the 'Terra Clan' of the Elf Realm.