𝓓𝓸 𝓸𝓻 𝓓𝓲𝓮 ❣︎ 𝓔𝓶𝓫𝓮𝓻 𝓐𝓭𝓭𝓪𝓶𝓼

𝓢𝓔𝓡𝓘𝓔𝓢 𝓞𝓝𝓔 ❣︎ 20

Xavier was her next stop, she hated to admit. But she needed to find out what these gates were, and where they were. So she went to his art shed, entering it with Thing.

"I need your help," she said, taking the gates picture out her pocket. "Don't gloat," she added, as he smirked.

"What, d'you want some drawing lessons?" Xavier asked, still grinning, as he came forward and took the picture from her hands. "Your line work's a little shaky."

"You might be a self-appointed expert, but I was in a rush, and you can still see plainly what the picture presents," Ember said coolly. "But I saw it in a vision, if you're asking. Do you recognise it?"

"Still trusting your visions, then?" Xavier asked, looking the picture up and down.

"I was never not," Ember said. "But I chose to ignore you. Your argument was logical, if not impressive."

A smile that Ember couldn't place came onto the boy's face. "And you came that close to complimenting me..." he sighed, clicking his tongue. "Well, I have seen these before. Look."

He gestured to a picture he had obviously drawn. It was like a better version of Ember's. But this was drawn by Xavier's hand, so it was a lot better. It was the exact same pair of gates. The exact same.

"When did you draw this?" Ember asked Xavier, folding up her copy.

"Couple days ago," the boy answered. "I started having those dreams again, like before."

"Was the monster in them?" Ember found there would be no point accusing him on this visit.

"No, but... I could feel it, in the shadows," Xavier sighed. "You know, kinda... lurking in my mind."

"So do you know where this is?" Ember asked.

"Yeah, it's the old Gates mansion," Xavier shrugged. "I pass it when I go running."

"Gates?" Ember turned to him. "Like-"

"The guy your uncle was accused of murdering was their son, yeah,"  Xavier sighed. "Why?"

Click, click.

Ember turned to see Thing, holding a cloth that covered a canvas in the corner. He soon pulled it off.

The painting on it was her.

It was her paying her violin. The whole painting was black except her outfit, which was blood red.

Ember's eyes widened and she went over to look at it. Xavier, meanwhile, was sighing, his cheeks going red and looking down.

Ember walked round and took in the picture. To be honest, it was probably the most work anyone had ever put into painting her, but she didn't think about that.

"Okay, listen..." Xavier stood up and went to stand next to her. "I had... such a good time at the dance, but after it... you just... you didn't speak to me or even acknowledge I was there. I couldn't forget about you, no matter how much I wanted it. So I... started painting and... this is what came out."

He raised a hand over her left shoulder, using his telekinesis to enchant the picture. Ember started to play the violin, there was even the sound of it. "I can hear you up there, playing. I can tell how you get lost in the music... I feel like it's the only time, and I mean the only one, I get to see the real you."

Ember looked round at him.

He wasn't looking at her.

She didn't blame him.