Primal

Chapter Thirteen and a Half

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Chapter Thirteen and a Half

 

Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it’s all over. ~Octavia Butler

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Zander cowered in the corner, covering his ears as he attempted to block out the yelling that surrounded him. Why were they so loud? Why were they always so angry? All he had wanted to do was go outside and talk to Noor. Maybe she was asking him to go outside and play a game. They never allowed him to act like the kid he was. His own home was a prison, and his own mind was his cell. Large plots of his skin turned bright red as frantic hands grabbed at his arms, prying his hands off of his ears so he could hear their vile words.

 

“You aren’t a child!” The words shot into his heart. He wasn’t young, but he was surely not an adult either. He had only been on the planet for fifteen miserable years, and he could feel his parents becoming worse day by day. They only looked at him with judgmental eyes; they only spoke to him in words that meant he was supposed to act like a man. “Grow up! Act your age! Be a man, you coward!” He let a soft outcry escape out of his mouth, his eyes closed so tightly that little specks of color filled his dark vision. He recovered his ears, shakily rising to his feet before stumbling out the front door. He knew that Noor would help him; she could calm him down when he was in this state of mind. All he had to do was find her, which wouldn’t be very hard. She had destroyed her wing just three years ago, and the younger girl was now restricted to only traveling along paths that he had built for her.

 

They were probably running out after him, calling his name while they desperately begged for him to come home. Why would he ever want to go back? After how they treated him, they truly didn’t deserve his presence.

 

When he came across her, she was surrounded by darkness. Her usually beautiful long hair was matted down against her skin, sweat glistening on her face even in the darkness. He called her name gently, questioning her to see if she was okay. She didn’t move, her form gently shivering in the bitter night air. He called out her name one more time, standing right behind her curled body. His hand gently touched her shoulder, causing her to jolt back to reality and look up at him with scared eyes. He smiled at her, asking her what was wrong before his gaze focused on her hands. Bright red liquid shone against her skin, and he wondered how many berries she had to eat to stain her hands with so much juice. He took a step closer and she frantically tried to whatever was in front of her. He saw the flash of a small rodent move under a pile of leaves, a shining trail following its body.

 

She wiped the trail off of her lips with her arm, and looked down at the pile in shame. “Don’t tell anyone.” She begged, looking up at him with saddened eyes. “Please, Zander, Don’t tell anyone. Especially do not tell Yuna. Yuna can never know.” She started to cry, the tears that had been welling up spewing out down her face.

 

After she calmed down, she explained to him what she was doing in the forest. She had been tired of the false strength the foods in the marketplace gave her, and she needed true power to protect Yuna. Her parents had died a few years before, and everything had suddenly become overwhelming in her life. It made sense that she would want to protect her sister through it all, as the world outside of their city was a dangerous place that all of the Nocarae feared.

 

He did really feel bad for her, and agreed not to tell anyone with a sad sigh. What she was doing was wrong, but she promised him that she wouldn’t do it again. And anyways, he knew she would never lie to him. He would trust her with everything, as she was indeed the only true friend that he had.

 

The days were long after that, and their conversations grew awkward whenever Yuna was around, but somehow they grew closer.  When the nights grew long and cold, he found himself spending nights in her home to take shelter.  He began to notice the little things about her, like the way a few stray strands of her hair would always find their way into her face or the way her eyes glimmered whenever he carried her up into the sky.

 

She missed flying. Of course she missed flying. But he didn’t truly realize how much until she jumped at the chance to move through the air once more.  She was lighter than her body looked, and when he picked her up he was able to rise into the air with ease. She didn’t say a single word as they flew above the trees, but she didn’t have to. Her facial expressions were enough, radiating something of purity and youthfulness as she looked down at the blurred forest below.  

When they landed, she kissed him for the first time, and he finally understood the joy she received from flying.