Makayla, wake up.
I immediately sat upright in my bed, consistent pounding pulsing through my head, I scanned my surroundings wondering what had happened the night before. James was telling me about my past then, everything went black. I recalled. The not so familiar emptiness I felt in my heart after my brother's death had returned once more. Silent tears dripped down my face at the thoughts of my dream and of the nightmare I was living in flooded through me. I had begun to breathe heavily.
I heard a knock at my door before both of my parents entered my room. I quickly wiped the tears from my face and attempted to breathe normally.
"Good morning sweetie," my father said gently. I just nodded my head in acknowledgement at his words, not feeling like speaking. "We thought that you would like to have some breakfast, Chase made it." My mother was completely silent, her gaze penetrating. "Well the reason we actually came up here was to tell you that we're sorry about your brother, we know how it feels to lose someone so close to you and he was our son as well. An all around great kid." Again I just nodded my head this time fighting back more tears at the mention of Jackson.
"His funeral will be on Saturday, he was already taken to the crematorium, you may do what you want with his ashes when we receive them. However, it will need to be set up by his photo at the funeral. It's in two days in case you weren't aware, mark your calendar, it starts at 11 am." My mom spoke, her voice like jagged ice ripping open my heart. I said nothing at their statements, and eventually they just left me by myself.
I laid back down sobs ripping through me, the weight of everything shattering my heart. My life was a lie, my brother was dead, and I was once again left alone. The sun was already flooding my room, blinding me. "The sun and summer was your favorite, wasn't it Bubba?" I closed my eyes yet again, allowing myself to fall asleep as salty tears cascaded down my pale cheeks.
A few hours had passed before I was able to wake up and get out of bed. My headache had finally subsided, however, my eyes had swelled. I made my way to the bathroom to grab a hair tie. Upon doing so I put my hair into a messy bun not caring how it looked in the slightest. I stared at myself in the mirror for several minutes, seeing how much of a mess I'd become. Dark circles hung beneath my puffy eyes, the wound on my face jagged and deep. Several bruises riddled my cheeks, dotting my skin from my arms to my legs. With a quiet sigh, I removed my eyes from the mirror, and proceeded to exit.
Gradually, I built up the energy to make my way downstairs. I wanted to sit in silence, the air inside the home suffocating. I needed to get out, to clear my head. The thoughts of who I was weighed heavy on my mind as immense guilt panged my heart. Maybe if who I was then had been here now, my brother wouldn't be dead. A bitter ending to what should have been the beginning of Jackson's story.
I trudged down the steps, my feet feeling like lead. My entire body ached in protest as I moved. Blood was trapped beneath my nails, no matter how much I washed them the stain of crimson underneath wouldn't go away. I crossed my arms as a chill rose up the stairwell making me shiver ever so slightly. I rubbed my arms with my hands soothingly to warm them up as I crossed through the end of the stairwell. I made my way towards the door by the kitchen, choosing to ignore Chase who had made crepes with strawberries and whipped cream. I placed my hand on the cool handle of the door, pushing down gently in order to get to the yard.
"Makayla," a quiet voice spoke. My gaze was fixed on the door handle as I stood there. "I know you don't want to, but you need to eat." I turned my head slowly to see Chase staring at me, his green eyes dull. Dark circles lined the under part of his eyes, his face was greatly pale, the once full pink lips of his were now dry and cracked. My gaze traveled to his hair which was unkempt and messy, no gel holding it in place. Chase's attire wasn't his standard suit either, it was average clothing, not work attire.
My stare made its way back to the door and to my hand which was shaking, something I hadn't noticed before. "I," My voice was hoarse, coming out in creaky tones, "I'm not hungry." I managed to choke out, a crack breaking my sentence. Chase nodded, taking the plate with crepes he was holding and walking towards me.
"There's always later then, we can eat them outside if you get hungry." I nodded in compliance, opening the door and stepping outside as Chase followed suit. We made our way to the spot in the grass from yesterday where three areas were pressed down in different sizes. Instead of the spot I sat in the previous day, I sat where Jackson had, to hopefully dull the pain. Anger caressed my heart at the thoughts of the prior day, of Chase doing nothing to stop my brother's impending doom.
He sat in the spot beside me looking off into the distance at the trees, deep in thought. Eventually, he returned to the present and placed the crepes onto the grass, my stomach growled quietly. Chase looked up at me and gave a pitiful smile.
With ease he scooted the plate towards me, "You know I heard that right? How about you just eat a bite, if you don't like it, I'll eat it for you." I nodded my head as he handed me a fork. My mouth was dry as I attempted to cut a piece. However, weakness from not eating and dehydration took hold of me, causing the fork to slip, not cutting the piece of the crepe. Chase looked minorly alarmed at this, but scooted it back to himself to cut it into pieces. After a quick moment he moved it back to me, not speaking a word.
I grabbed the fork off of the plate again, stabbing it into the soft exterior. With shaking hands I picked it up, placing it into my mouth. Whipped cream, strawberries, and chocolate syrup all flooded my senses, the taste was spectacular, enticing me to eat more. I had begun shoving pieces into my mouth, eating it eagerly. Chase raised his eyebrows at this, but nonetheless, he remained silent until I had finished my breakfast.
"Would you like a glass of water?" He asked in a soothing tone once I had completed the meal. I nodded my head as I licked the fork. With quick movements Chase disappeared back into the house. As he left I continued to think confusion resurfacing. Thoughts of my dream from the previous night flooded my brain. It was fuzzy as I recalled it, however, I could remember laying in a hospital bed with bright lights. Two young men were there and so was Jackson. Was it real though? I asked myself absentmindedly chewing on my finger nail, something I did more frequently than I liked when I was stressed.
As I sat there still, a large cloud had covered the summer sun casting a dark shadow on the lawn and house. My eyes wandered to the mysterious woods, more yellow eyes than any other time before, stared my way. They seemed to peer into my soul. Thoughts of my brother, the creature, everything clouded my concentration as I involuntarily began to shake. A warm hand was placed on my arm causing me to jump and breath heavily before I was able to acknowledge it was Chase. He held out the glass of water to me which I gratefully took with a small smile before he made his way to sit beside me once more.
We sat in silence for a while, neither of us wanting to speak, neither of us knowing what to say. The events of the past from however long ago kept us quiet. I picked at the skin on my fingers, not wanting to look at anything other than my hands, the water glass, and the bright green grass beneath.
I stole a quick glance towards Chase who looked somber and pained at the same time. I looked back towards my hands thinking of what to say. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything at all, but it was worth it to get answers out of him. I took a small sip of the cool water within the glass he'd handed me then set it in my lap. "What did you mean you could have saved Jackson?" I stole another glance at Chase who abruptly turned to look at me. His eyes widened at the comment bringing some form of life back into them. He averted his gaze when it met mine, pulling a piece of grass to cover it up.
"Well I," he swallowed hard, twiddling the piece in between his fingers, "Um did James tell you anything?" He quickly glanced towards me again, I nodded, a few strands of hair from my messy bun falling into my face. "Well then I assume you know what I really am then huh?" He looked disgusted, almost spitting out the words at the end. Again I nodded, not wanting to interrupt. He ran his fingers through his hair in mild frustration. "I just didn't want to lose myself again, I couldn't run the risk. I could've used my power to save him, but at the same time it could have backfired and I could have lost you both."
I furrowed my eyebrows at this, attempting to understand what he was saying. Not being able to come to a conclusive answer I stared at him. "I don't understand what you mean," I said quietly.
"I'm a demon and an awakened Makayla, did James not explain what that means?" I shook my head no in response. Chase sighed, scratching his head, I could only assume he was thinking of how to explain it to me as he sat there with a bewildered expression. "So to give you some background, the awakened can only be awoken through very specific means, which is different for everyone, as is the mark of the awakened as a whole." Chase then closed his eyes, moving his coal hair away from his forehead as a purple glowing symbol of a crescent formed on his head. As he opened his eyes the left was the regular green color as his other now glowed violet. An intense powerful aura clouded around me.
Involuntarily I almost fell backward in shock. Chase closed his eyes once more, removing his hand from his forehead which ceased to glow and once he opened his eyes again they were back to normal. He looked at me with a calm expression, only nodding. "I'm sorry if that scared you at all, but that's the best way to explain it. We also each have powers that are specific to each of us. For example, some have powers of extreme strength, intelligence, speed, etc. Each person has a heightened sense of agility and reaction speed in general. In total there are four different types of symbols with an endless amount of colors. It all depends on which subgenre you have within it if that makes sense." Again I nodded my head, beginning to understand, he continued, "The four symbols, in order from most powerful to least, are the Lotus, the Crescent, the Judge, and the Atom. Without one the other wouldn't be able to function, it's an equal give and take in each compartment."
"The Lotus, although the strongest, is the rarest among all of the Awakened. Unlike each other symbol this one shows on the five bodily limbs, the forehead, the wrists and arms, along with the legs and feet. Those with this are able to destroy and create things at will, excluding things already dead. They are also able to manipulate others, similar to the Crescent. In total there are only two Lotuses remaining as all the others were tired of the rules of the Judge. However, this resulted in their deaths."
"The next is the Crescent, the symbol I have. They are only present on the forehead, but have several subgenres. I have the violet which gives me the ability to control bodily functions, and the flow of water. The power granted to all crescents is that of mind control, along with shapeshifting abilities."
"Next, there is the Judge, their mark is on either arm, however, each Judge has to find another in order to be complete as they are the balance in the Awakened. They have the ability to wipe memories and implant false ones as well. This can be a saving grace or a fatal mistake."
"Finally, there's the Atom, those with this marking have it several places, it could be on the neck, the arm, or the leg. However, they tend to be on the neck. These Awakened are the smartest of the rest. They have enhanced intelligence and the ability to read the future."
I widened my eyes at all of the news I had received, which brought a single question into my mind. "Chase, what kind of Awakened was I?" He looked at me curiously as if recalling what I had been.
"A golden," he stopped for a millisecond as though he didn't trust what he was about to say, "a golden Crescent, one similar to me." He smiled slightly, his eyes closing as he did so. A weird sense of ease washed over me, making me feel calm.
"Interesting," I felt at ease for only a moment before another question beckoned me. "What were my powers?" He looked at me staring into my eyes.
"To heal what's been damaged by the dark," he spoke quietly, sadness seeping into his words. My heart yet again felt heavy, I could have saved him, if only I was awakened. I bit my lip at the thought, tears welling in my eyes. "Um, would you like to know about the other half of me?" Chase asked, looking at the tears that were about to spill over my eyes. I said a quick yes, as he began to speak again.
"The other half of me, as you already know, is a demon. Which is what most of the awakened try to destroy, ironic isn't it?" He laughed bitterly, "I have the ability to move extremely quickly, so quick that most people are unable to see me. I'm ruthless, but if the awakened side is in place at the same time it calms that side down. I'm able to use some dark magic as well, however, my demon side is extremely unpredictable so I try my best not to use it unless absolutely necessary, but sometimes I-" he stopped, shaking his head, "Um my right eye also changes similar to the awakened side, but it's not comforting like the other," Chase rubbed his face with his hands almost as though he was hiding himself.
"Can I see it?" Chase looked up at me surprised, yet internally conflicted.
"What?" He said in a small voice.
"Can you show me the demon side?" He blinked slowly at me, his eyes jumping from place to place on my face attempting to read my expression. "If you don't want to, that's fine but I just don't think that's something you should have to be ashamed about." He began to scoot backward on the grass, I stared at him, bewildered with what he was doing. Eventually, he became a fair distance away from me, he again closed his eyes. A dark mist seemed to make its way around him enveloping him as I sat as an onlooker. Eventually, it dispersed to the area surrounding him. As he slowly opened his eyes again I saw one green eye remain on the right side, on the left, the white of his eye was almost completely black and his iris had a mix of red and green throughout it. Dark veins had sprouted from his eye and made their way down his face, into his neck and were even visible on his arms. I stared in awe at him, it was beautiful in some strange way.
Beautiful? I thought to myself, Chase then closed his eyes again, the dark mist disappearing as he fell back into the grass breathing heavily. Out of impulse I rushed to his side, checking to see if he was alright. His face was sweaty and his breathing ragged. I placed my hand against his head, seeing that he was burning up. I had begun to stand up again when he grabbed my wrist pulling me back down to the grassy ground below.
"I'm alright," he murmured, eyes still closed, "I haven't used it in a while, I'll be alright, don't leave." I sunk back down, making myself comfortable on the new spot of grass. I crossed my leg and lifted Chase's head into my lap as he struggled to slow his breathing. Reluctantly, I gently caressed his head in hopes it would help. I analyzed his skin, the black veins were still visible beneath. I could only assume they had a lot to do with his discomfort.
After several minutes he had got his breathing under control, and the veins beneath his skin went back to normal. I felt more guilt seep into my heart.
"I'm sorry that I asked you to do that," I spoke in a hushed tone, afraid I'd hurt him somehow. "I didn't know that's what would happen." He smiled slightly, opening his green eyes to look at me, the left one, the awakened side, looked like it was bleeding.
"I didn't either, it hasn't, since I was younger, but then again, I don't usually use that one by itself. Without prey, it consumes me instead." He chuckled softly, closing his eyes again. After this we both fell silent. The clouds overhead had become thicker, still blocking out the rays of the sun. Birds chirped off in the distance as a small brown rabbit came out of the shrubs lining the house. I could only hope that that rabbit was a sign from my little brother that everything would be okay.