Trust
Fall For YouI can’t let him see that’s he’s actually affecting me. I took a deep breath before walking downstairs to the kitchen. Like the last time I did this, he was there also.
He looked at me with an angry expression on his face. “Are you here to tell me more about the other issues I have?” He whispered.
“You know, some things aren’t about you. I came to get a drink.” I took a water bottle out and took a big sip. “What are you doing here? I bet you saw me coming down and you decided to surprise me.”
He scoffed, “Right because everything is all about you in your world?” He said sarcastically.
I put the bottle down, “Okay, so I’m going to be the first to admit that there were some things I said that I didn’t mean. I’m sorry.” Now that took a little off my shoulders. “But I didn’t like the way you were accusing me of those things, calling me lost and confused. Gerald, you don’t know me. I’ve changed from that little girl you used to know. I’m not here anymore.”
He nodded, “I know. Back then you were this vibrant little girl who knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it. I remember you used to call me whenever you were sad and then we’d talk it out at our own hiding spot,” he smiled at the distant memory he was reliving. “I see that little girl in you sometimes, but it gets harder every single day.”
“Because I don’t need people to solve my problems for me. I’m a big girl, Gerald. I don’t need you to constantly rescue me.”
“I know you’re older, and I know that you don’t need me; you made it all this time without me,” he chuckled, and I returned the smile. “But some of the most strongest and wisest people fall, and those people need to ask for help sometimes. Don’t be ashamed to accept, Kim. And don’t be ashamed to be yourself, because I accept you, without judgement,”
I smiled, “Thanks you,” I sighed, and put the bottle in the refrigerator. “Gerald, there is at least one person who’ll accept you too, but if you don’t trust them enough, you’re never going find out.” I walked back upstairs already feeling better and my eyes were also growing tired.
The next morning, I woke up late and had to rush to get ready. I ran downstairs and Gerald was already ready, waiting for me. “Sorry,” I apologized for being late.
He threw me a yogurt and smiled, “Let’s go.”
“Thanks,” I smiled and walked out the door he held open. We got into the car and he started the engine. “I’m sorry for last night.”
“Didn’t we already go through this?” He asked.
“I meant for the acting class. I was being a , I’m sorry.”
He nodded, “I get it. I probably should’ve told you before I did anything. I’m sorry, too.” He took a deep breath and then looked at me, parking into the lot. “Look, I’ve been actually thinking about what you said about last night; about trusting people. I think I’m going to give it a try.”
I smiled, “That’s great. I’m glad.”
“Are you free after school?”
I couldn’t help but widen the grin on my face. “Absolutely.”
The whole school day, I was so excited. He was finally going to be honest with me. At the end of the school day, I saw him already parked outside the school. He was outside the car, leaning on my side of the door. I walked to him with a smile on my face. “Hi,” I said.
He smiled back, an irresistible smile. “Hi,” he leaned over and I felt his soft lips on my cheek. He opened my door and his eyes were on mine.
“Thanks,” I didn’t know if I was thanking him for the door or for the kiss; maybe it was for both. I got in and he shut the door.
I looked out my window, and I saw him walk over to his side. But something also caught my eye, it was Jake staring at me with eyes that I couldn’t read. They were so dark; they were levels above anger that truly scared me. I was happy that Gerald was with me, because I knew that he would protect me.
He drove us to the beach that we were the night I found out about Jake. He took my hand in his, something that I grew to love. “If you’re planning on throwing me back into that water, I’m gonna run out of here.”
He laughed. “Just trust me, okay?”
“Right because you returned that favour?” I said a little bit more angrier than desired.
“I’m trying to,” he let go of me hand and took a deep breath.
We stood a couple of feet away from each other not doing anything for awhile. “Okay, are we going to stand here all day? Mom told me we’re going to out for dinner, so…”
“There’s this legend about this race of people who have these gifts that were once thought to be powers.” He looked through the ground, looking for a stick. He found one, and starting drawing something on the sand. “For years they thought we were witches.” He took another breath, and continued on drawing. “The incredible speed, the powerful strength, the mind-reading and the above-average senses; they were sure we weren’t human so your kind started a separate inquisition. My kind was thrown in jail for years without any trial and then executed just for being what we were.”
A chill went down my spine, “This sounds like a myth.”
He didn’t look at me, he stayed concentrated on the design in the sand, “For years, our kind has been living in the DL. Until now,” he looked at me and smirked. “There’s people out there who still know we exist and they’re continuing to hunt us and extinguish the race. That’s why we can’t tell anyone what we are.” He stood up and I realized the drawing was finished.
It was an odd symbol. It was the yin yang sign, only with what looked like branches swaying out of the edges and Xs within the darker circle of the yin yang sign. “What is it?” I asked him.
“It’s the symbol that’s branded on every single one of us when we’re turned.” He told me. “I thought I was dying…I was dying. I remember it all going black and suddenly the pain was gone. I remember actually dying, the blackness, all the sounds fading away. I could even hear the doctors calling the time, 23:03.” For some reason I started crying. I think it was because he said he died, knowing that I was so close to never seeing him again. “And then I woke up the next morning. I was for sure that it was all a bad dream, and there was this stinging on my arm, on my left arm, like it was burning. The doctors were outside talking with my mother and then I lifted the sleeve, and there was this mark.” He lifted up his shirt and showed me the mark. “I didn’t understand. I kept on asking my mother and she wouldn’t tell me. When I finally got the doctor alone, I told him about the dream that I had and waking up with his mark on my arm, asking what the hell it meant.”
I was sitting on the sand now beside Gerald. I didn’t know when we came to this position, only that we were. “What did the doctor say?”
“He told me it wasn’t a dream that I did die. He didn’t understand how I survived. It was like I was brought back from the dead.”
“Was it like right after he called your death?” I asked.
He shook his head, “No, he said it was a couple of hours afterwards.”
“So someone came into your room and did this to you? Brought you back to life?” I pushed further.
“That’s the theory.” He threw a rock in the water. “There’s someone who’s doing it.”
I gulped, “Someone or something?”
“One of our kind. It makes sense since who else knows about us, right?”
“Does anyone change into what you are?”
He shook his head, “We have a theory about that too. Each and everyone of us were at some point on the brink of dying or already dead, and then we wake up as healthy as ever, but changed forever. We did some research on it, and according to legends there’s something about dying blood that makes it easier to change. If you’re worried about that, don’t worry. No one’s going to hurt you,” he nudged my shoulder.
I smiled, “We? You keep saying we.”
“The rest of us. When I found out that something was wrong with me, I did research on this symbol. I found four more people in my city that had the same thing. I met up with them and we started this thing.”
“A club?” I chuckled.
“Not a club. I’m not sure what you’d call it, but we’re working on actually figuring out who knows what we are and how to stop it.”
I stared at him still confused. “So you don’t know what you are?”
“I know what I am, so that’s half the mystery solved. But back home, I found this one guy who you can call a genius in this and he knows way more than we do, being what we are for seventy years now. We’re trying to find him.”
“So that’s what you were doing in the woods. Meeting with your friends?’
He nodded. “We meet almost three times a week. The guy is here. We close to finding him, but every moment is precious.” He got up and pulled me up too. “We need to get going for the dinner party.”
I nodded, and followed him to the car. “So you never told me what you are exactly.”
He smiled, “Another story for another time. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you. I already told you most of it.”
“Well how do you know I won’t just search for the symbol you showed me?”
“Well I’m just going to have to trust you, won’t I?” He smiled and started the engine.
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