Dark User

A day in Paradise

“Nick,” my mom’s voice called from far away, “Nicholas!” she called again. I sat by the river for a few more minutes before turning back to call to my mom. I wanted to stay by the water and stare at the eyes of the light figure of a girl my same age, a girl who I wanted to meet with every fiber of my being. When my mom found me she pulled me away from the water and walked me back home.
        “No, let me stay longer,” I pleaded, “I was trying to talk to the girl.”
        “What girl?” My mother questioned as the farmhouse came into view, it had been Laurel who told me never to mention her or my power to anyone, that if I did people would soon be able to find me and they would take me away from my mom and dad, tie me up and make me do things I did not want to.
        “No one, just someone I made up to keep me company,” I started moving faster so that my mom would not have anymore time to question me.
        “No child your age should still have imaginary friends.” My mom stated “Shall I call the doctor over to have a look at you?”
        “Nicholas, Darla?” I heard my dad call from the house. I desperately wanted to tell my mom ‘no’ but I knew ‘no’ was never the answer she wanted to hear, she had always made me listen to doctor after doctor complain about how thin I was and how I only ate fresh things, I especially hated it when doctors would hover in front of my to try to take in the site of my black eyes.
        “Coming darling,” my mother shouted it looking at me and making me slow my pace until she caught up.
        “I would rather not have a doctor come, I feel fine, plus you always make me see a doctor every weekend, can’t I be saved for this one time.” I pleaded with her.
        “How would you be saved my dear son,” my mother asked politely.
        “The doctors will never leave me alone, now that I’m in each of there case files, all they want to do is look at my eyes and see if I have some issue that makes me so skinny.”
        “That is not always true,” my father said as we got into the house. “We only do things  like that to help you, no one has ever seen a child as thin as you, and well you eyes are just a mystery to everyone. Your mother and I both have light green eyes, but with your black eyes well you are just...”
        “I’m just what? Dad, Mom, what am I?” I didn’t wait to hear their answer I grab my plate full of food and marched upstairs to my room in the roof. I loved my parents but some days they just wouldn’t let the fact that I was different and had zero friends go.
        I looked around my room, I don’t have much of anything in my room but a mirror, my bed, and a small dresser. I walked over to my bed and put my food down before going to stand in front of the mirror. I was thin, I could agree with that. But my silver hair and black eyes looked almost normal.
        I went to bed early but that didn’t stop the doctor from coming, my mom brought them up after waking me. I wanted to scream for them to leave but my mom wouldn’t hear it, the doctor came in and first asked me a lot of questions before going to check my blood pressure or look at my eyes.
        The next day I was sore, but my mom woke me early to go to school, I dreaded every day of school but I went anyway. Once I was there I walked quickly through the hallway to get to class, but everyday I was not destined to make it.
        “Hey look its Twig.” Shouted Skiff, he was the school bully and I was the one kid who he loved to pick on.
        “Just let me get to class please.” I tried to get past Skiff but he put his arm in front of me, I tried harder to get past but he just blocked me.
        “But what fun is it to let you get to class so soon.” He laughed at me. I wanted to punch him but then something weird happened. Skiff flew backwards into some students who where watching and chanting the all encouraging, "punch him, punch him." This stopped all the conversations going on around us and for all eyes to fly towards me. I figured now was the best time to bolt.
        I ran towards my class with a pissed Skiff chasing after me mumbling words that would make a grown man faint. I was so close to my class when Skiff grabbed onto me. He lifted me up into the air by the scruff of my shirt and looked me in the eyes. I was terrified now and so I closed my eyes, imagining being by the river again. When I opened my eyes I was sitting at the edge of the river and looking down into its deep darkness. I scanned for Laurel but couldn't find her beautiful features anywhere. Then I saw her face materialize. Her stunning black hair flowing over her shoulders with the only thing seeming odd her silver eyes. We were almost opposites. A sudden tugging sensation came. I saw Laurel's lips moving, she was trying so hard to tell me something. But what? I couldn't understand what she wanted and the tugging was only growing stronger, so I closed my eyes.
        I opened my eyes only to find myself laying down on a bed in the nurses office. Something was happening on the other side of the closed door. I took a minute to gather some strength before I sneaking up close to the door and putting an ear up to it. Two voices were arguing. I recognized them, Skiff and the nurse.
        "We need to get Nick out of here. You know now that he has shadow walked that they'll be coming for him," said a muffled Skiff. Wait. Skiff was concerned for me. I wasn't sure whether I should've been delighted or more terrified.
        "If we take him now then it'll be even more suspicious. They're already really paranoid of the rebellion discovering their operation. If we go now we'll be blowing our cover. Plus his parents wont be too happy with us suddenly taking him away 'for their protection'. They'd sniff us out right away," Said the nurse. Her voice which was normally calm and collected had risen to the tempo of panic and stress. Now I was more panicked than ever before. It didn't help that right now I just wanted to flee from everything.