Starting Over

Thirteen

Third-person

Jayland sat playing on his nursery floor, pushing his wooden figures around and making noises go along with them. He neighed and trotted around himself in a circle.

That was until the door very slowly opened a crack where blackened grey eyes watched him slyly.

Hairs shot up on the back of jaylands neck and a shiver ran down his back. He didn't like that person. Not one bit.

Slowly the door opened more with a sickening creek. "Well... What do we have here then?" A male's voice asked.

Jayland swallowed hard. He wanted to call out for his Daddy but it got caught in this throat.

A slim body slipped through the door, trinket jingling in silver hair as he moved. He took surprisingly quiet steps, almost as he was hovering and simply lowering himself to the ground.

Jayland held onto Osborne close as an ice-cold hand cupped his cheeks and tears sprang to his eyes. His heartbeat thumped and the urge to run bubbled inside him.

"So precious." The Fay seemingly mocked. "Humans always make good... Company" He gave a mean smile.

"PAPA!" 

Meanwhile,

Nyx stood out on the porch that faced their garden, Zitheant coming next to him and leaning their arms on the wood fence.

" Nyx i-" "Why are you here?" He cut them off.

They were silent for a bit, playing with their hair, curling and uncurling.

"I..." They started "I understand that what we did was wrong." Another long pause " I intended to come by myself, alone. However, Inzi found out and well... You know what he's like. He won't let go of the prey until it's dead..."

A silence fell once again between them.

"I met this guy...." They said. Normally, this wouldn't have mattered. "He's...from a different clan..." A small bit more complicated but still acceptable. Not something that would warrant a trip nights away from home.

"What is he?" Nyx asked. He heard Zitheant take a hard gulp. "Sun... Fae... "

A sound of understanding came from the male fae. See, Dark Faes didn't really have many courting rules. As long as the elders agreed to the pairing you could pretty much do as you please. However, there was one unbreakable rule, No Out Side Relationships.

You could marry someone from another clan as long as they were a Dark Fae. It was severely frowned upon for Nyx's kind to have any sort of relationship, whether it be friendships or a truce, let alone a romantic one. You would be disowned at the best of outcomes and no one wanted to talk about the worse ones.

"Is he cute?" Nyx asked. An embarrassed chuckle left Zitheant. "Yeah... Super sweet too. We met last summer when the river trades were open. "

"I guess it's still somewhat nice during the summer?" Nyx asked. Spurting a smile from Zitheant "disgustingly so."

"So-" "PAPA!" Without a second thought, Nyx was running.

Bursting through the nursery walls he was met with the sight of Jayland cowering within a corner of the room and Inzy standing over him.

Nyx's body was moving before he was thinking, a burst of protective power pushed through him, sending the other male fae flying across the room. Furious buzzes cascade through the air.

Jayland was curled in a ball. His body shaking and his ears were roaring. His mind was screaming at him to get somewhere safe. 

"Run, get out!" It screamed.
Get out... Get out!

Jayland stood up and shot out the room, running without thinking. heart pounding in his ears.

He didn't even know where he was running to, just knowing that an exist was nearby.

A door appeared in front of him and he reached for it. Bright lights shined behind it and a cold wind hit him in the face.

"Get out!" And he did. Jayland ran. Ignoring the sharp prick on his sock covered feet. Ignoring the winding nipping at his bare arms. Ignoring the fact that he had no idea where he was.

It was almost dark by the time Jayland had some idea where he was. Hugging himself closer and shaking the rainwater off from his fringe, the rain had started hours ago and it hadn't shown any signs that it was going to stop.

Consciously, Jayland had no idea where he was, subconsciously, however, his body was slowing making its way towards a split in the road. He didn't realise that he recognised it. Along with one of the paths and forked off were a decrypted lamp post and a moulding wood sign.

As he got closer he could make out the old scratched in writing barely visible in the looming darkness even with the very faint glow of the lamp.

BLACK OAK TOWN CENTER
1 1/2 MILES EST
----->

A looming feeling settled on Jaylands shoulders, pressing down on his shoulders.

Slowly his torn feet took him east.

Nothing had changed.

Not the putrid smell of the canal that ran slowly by. Not the rats that scattered down ally ways.

Not the houses doors being bolted shut from the inside and suspicious eyes peering out of covered windows watching him as he went by.

Not the way the rain gathered in sludge puddles on the dirt road.

Not the old candle street lamps that were never lit.

Even the towns notice board had stayed the same. No notices were added and none were taken down.

Even the tavern was still there reigniting uncomfortable feelings within the boy.

When Jayland arrived outside a neglected and rundown house he felt... Disappointment. Something within him was hoping for it to not be there, to not loom over him like a bad stain on a white shirt. He hoped it just disappeared, even burned down, leaving a hole, a gap between the two houses next to it.

His feet took him to the door and his hands reached behind a brick positioned by the step. Pulling out a rusting key he put it in the door and turned it. The door popped open.

He let out a disappointed sigh, he had hoped that the locks had been changed. 

Pushing the door open he stepped inside.

Closing the door behind him, finally shutting the rain out behind him he stood in the hallway dripping wet. Footsteps creaked above him and obnoxious talking came from the room next to him. Grime covered the floor and walls while dust covered the empty shelves.

There was movement in the room in front of him. The kitchen was a small room with a table, cook pot and a couple of cupboards. Not much.

Jayland entered, still soaked and shivering from the rain. A boy was shuffling around the table. He was a younger version of Jayland. Same hair, same nose, same weak frame, even the same dull look in his eyes that was slowly returning to his own.

They made eye contact for a good few seconds.

"Oh... Your home"

.........................., ........................

Hey readers.

Sorry for the wait. I'm a bit sick (two cold in 1 and half months both went to my chest 🙄)

Anyway, please comment and thank you for reading

Zee xxx