AT VARIANCE
The hot sun stung my skin as I sat beside a tree, where a open gap was exposed. But I loved weather like this. It rather only comes about five times a year. And today was the only beginning of it.
The branches of the forest-green leafed tree swayed with the delicate breeze. Looking at the horizon pricked my eyes a bit, but it was so breathtaking that I couldn't take my eyes off. The sky was at variance and the sun was only the beginning. I lifted my fingers and painted the skies, attempting to feel the atmosphere. I knew that it was one of the utmost adventures that could never ever arise.
I even felt the dirt that tried to climb up my trousers. Huffing, I pressed my hands against the trunk of the tree and began climbing branch by branch until I reached the last. I looked upon my hands which conceived with bits of splinters and chopped both of them together, only making the minor pain compress. It wasn't really a time to go through every bit of splinter instead of spending the time to look at the sun.
"It's beautiful, huh?" Someone asked.
Eyes wide opened, I looked at the person beside me. My sight met a beautiful but middle aged woman. Esther. Her eyes never once glanced about to me, but instead the sun.
Esther still wore the same clothes every day. A white t- shirt and khakis that had rips on the knees. She still wore the same clothing ever since her death. My eyes landed back on the sun while the light breeze played with wisps of hair. My mouth twitched a couple of times and then turned into a delightful and thoughtful smile. I had only realized that it was my first time smiling since that day.
"..Yeah."
Nevertheless, when I attempted to look back right at the speck of where Esther was sitting, I only caught sight of the brunette. He faced the sunset and all I could do is just give a half-smile. But he was different, more different than that minor crush that I had on Ari. Even though it was half a billion years ago, I still could understand my perception of Ari now. Ari was the best-looking guy in the whole academy.
Ari had and has blonde hair, tanned skin from the sun and looked strong. Despite his muscular features, Ari had weaknesses but it didn't really matter since I've gotten over it.
Though Auden, was too, handsome but it was just that he was.. him. And he was that brunette sitting right next to me, admiring every inch of architecture of the sunset when I had just captured the glimpse of Esther right next to me. I might have gotten delusional because of that pesky eminence. I had no intention of hurting or damaging her. In fact, I never even did anything to her.
That.. Sia has a dirty complexion.
Auden met eye contact with me. "Why'd you run?"
Run?
I didn't ever run. Auden even knew what was going on. He knew every inch of my situation right now and even chose not to ever give a quarter or at least less than a quarter of Esther. I still never knew how she died and I had no right to ask him any of that. Yet, I still had a rebellious romance and even lost my virginity with Auden. But my virginity was so fragile that I had no purpose of it.
It wasn't as if I ever wanted a family.. "I never ran."
"So, it was just a diversion? You never had an intention of how it was like to crumble someone.. to break them into pieces?" He looked puzzled.
But you already did. And it isn't me.
Think of one's perception. Imagine every fragment and pieces torn. I have nothing left but just my isolation. Even my adventures with Esther didn't ever cure my puzzled side. She died for Pete's sake! Esther even said she'd protect us. She even said that she will nurture us until the day of our death. But I still think that was mission impossible. Esther died in front of my eyes and Amelia was too late to see her withering into somewhere else.
Even though I could still see her, it didn't help aid me or held me defend my sister from eminences but just from nothing. I had to defend my sister and even didn't make it, leading her into going to wherever she was going. It would make me sick if I would put the blame on Esther, but I didn't, it was only partially her fault. Everything was a shock. I just wished that my life would be plastered onto a hardcover book, each thick font would represent me.
"Auden, you already know everything. What do you even-"
Auden held my hand tightly as my eyes widened of his response. He looked at me piercingly and pleaded. Auden was desperate. Was that a good sign?
Of course not. I was the one in the game.
"I'll take you to the keeper! He'll give you everything."
I really wanted to shout that he would risk his career. Auden was one crazy chap. But I did something that I will once regret. I took advantage of him. It wasn't really a fair trial. I just had to throw an answer just to meet the keeper. It wasn't really a good sign to anyways but it was worth a shot. No one in this town besides the eminences actually saw the face of that keeper.
The keeper who actually built the whole district and Avery Academy. The keeper that decided one and each of the proposals whether or not. But killing my mother was never an ambition of his. It was a rebellious act.
I nodded. "Okay, fine."
"There's one condition."
Furrowing my eyebrows, I was puzzled. What would be the condition? Hold my breath for 5 minutes and die? I think not. It couldn't be that hard. It must be at variance.
"You'd have to dress formally."
