Gold That Appears To Be Silver

Chapter XVI: Pulling The Strings

~Let love strike me as thunder strikes a tree, either entirely destroying me or making me invincible

The room is very cold and goosebumps are appearing on my arm.

After the guard has closed the door of our sober room, a silence has fallen between Alex and I.

It is strange to be alone with her again after everything that happened.

'You're...awfully quiet,' Alex remarks observingly.

I shrug and sit myself on the bed, and am not surprised when Alex sits herself next to me.

The exchange of energy between us is remarkable, the way life is flowing through me while I can let go of everything that doesn't make any sense.

New feelings and thoughts are coursing through me while I can leave the past behind just like the dead depart from the living.

'So we need to figure out the connection between us to understand which element I am to be having that connection with you, air.'

I nod, extending the silence between us because words will fail what I want to say to her.

'But looking at Fearwyn and Darwin, I suppose we can easily conclude that Darwin is either earth or water since fire just...isn't him. Fearwyn is either water or fire, since he can't be earth according to how much I know of him. And me...what do you think, Jay?' she asks, the calling of my nickname triggering me like thunder would trigger a tree.

Or should I say strike?

'It's a lot of guessing right now. But it might be better if we let them decide for themselves who they are, since they know themselves the best. Besides, does it really matter? The prophecy can't change anyway,' I answer her, my reply sounding a little cold.

It causes a certain shift in Alex, figuratively and literally when she shifts herself closer to me.

Her beautiful features are screaming that they are worried about me, but my ears don't want to hear them.

I tense up immediately due to her closeness, and it doesn't go past her.

'Jaydee, what is going on with you? Are you angry at me?'

I sigh because she doesn't understand.

I shake my head.

'I'm not angry with you. I am just fed up with this entire situation. Something doesn't seem to be right. What kind of world do we live in when there are prophecies? I suddenly have a half brother, who is the reason why my parents have been so ugly in my eyes and also the reason why I have never trusted them. That half brother is dating you and you know him better than I do. Nothing seems right anymore after the day we found that note.'

I make a dismissive gesture with my hand.

'I don't like to think that we have no control over whatever will happen to us.'

An affectionate smile etches itself onto Alex's face while she wraps her arm around my waist.

'A prophecy only states that things are going to happen. How they happen, however, is in our hands and the result of our choices. Life bounds us to certain limitations and expectations, but it doesn't mean that we can't do things our way or that we can't follow our hearts and heads. Life is the path that all of us have to walk on, but we still have the power to decide which direction to go and what to do during that journey.'

I surprise both Alex and me when I hug her tightly, causing us to roll over on our backs.

'I'm sorry, I just missed...this,' I say, awkwardly looking away from those eyes.