Ablackwing

Chapter 72: Lifestream

"Eve! Eve! Come here." I heard Black scream out my name from the bedroom as if something terrible had happened. He had never screamed like that before. I stopped cooking and ran upstairs as quickly as I could. When I opened the door, I saw him gazing into the mirror, looking at himself very carefully. His hand was touching the mirror as if he wanted to make sure of something. His short hair was messy as if he just woke up.

Black had paid a huge price for bestowing his powers upon me. At first, it affected his body. He would feel bursts of pain all over the body, especially in his back. He had trouble coordinating the movement of muscles with the mind. Sometimes he would just drop the stuff he was holding. He would feel little tremors at random times.

But that wasn't the worst thing. The worst was how Black lost his energetic self. Sadness took over him. He stayed normal only when I was nearby. Rest of the time, he would sulk around and cry his tears out as if they were some river. It was as if he was always mourning. Black didn't tell me about his depression. But I knew. My eyes could see through everything. Especially through his lies.

I remembered how one day Black just walked to me and asked me to cut his hair short. He reasoned that without his powers it was a hell of a difficult task to manage his long hair. I offered that I could help him, but he was adamant. He wanted me to be the only one to cut his hair. Grudgingly, I accepted his request. I couldn't say no to him. I learnt as much as I could through video tutorials and online courses. I cut his hair short, but because of my hard learning, he didn't look that bad in them. Over time, I got used to that, but I still missed his long hair.

When Black heard the door opening, he turned his head towards me. He was repeatedly blinking as if a sand particle got into his eyes.

"What happened?" I asked as I walked near him. He held my face in his hand and rubbed it lightly.

"I can't see, love. I can't see anything."

"What do you mean?" I was shocked at the sudden revelation. I looked into them. It was as if his eyes had lost their lightning. They appeared so dull.

"Everything is blurry," Black informed me. I was feeling pain. Was that another aftereffect of his action? But he had already paid for that! When will it fucking stop hurting him? I couldn't help but worry. What if something worse happens next?

"Black, I want to talk to your mother. Perhaps she would have a way of curing you."

"Would she?" He still thought that his mother was angry at him because even in the last seconds when he had the ability, she did not talk to him. But mothers are kind creatures. They get angry because they love. They do not stay angry forever. I would seek forgiveness from her on his behalf.

"We never know until we try."

Black stayed silent for a while. He closed his eyes and calmed himself down by taking deep breaths.

"Mother is far away. You will need the permission of Gaia to talk to her."

"Tell me, how I can use this ability to talk to the lifestream?"

"Let's go outside. I will guide you."

I took his hand in mine and started walking to the backyard. I didn't want him to fall.

"Just make yourself comfortable." He said, and I sat down on the grass in meditation pose. Black sat behind me. He placed his chin on my shoulder, but he didn't rest his weight on me. I barely felt him. Then he placed his hand on my stomach.

"When you see Gaia, use my name to scare her... Gaia is not very helpful sometimes."

"Okay."

"Now close your eyes and take deep breaths." I did as he asked me to. "Listen to my voice... Listen to the winds, the birds, the rustling of leaves, the beat of your heart. Listen to all... Feel the things around you..." Black kept speaking in my ears. At first, I only concentrated on his sweet voice, but over time, I started to listen to other things too. Slowly, I started to feel detached from the real world. The sounds merged together and they felt too chaotic. Within that chaos, I could feel myself becoming a part of something greater, something ever-present.