Chapter 5

A forgotten past is soon revealed.

Chapter 5

The hero’s of the family grouped together in the center of the room and discussed strategy. The humans were all together in the corner talking silently. I pulled myself away from the main group and walked toward the big picture window where they were seated. I felt Rylan’s eyes on the back of my head. He still hadn’t said a word to me. He just continued to watch me very carefully.

Jo was sitting on the window seat with her legs curled underneath her. Her dark hair was pulled back letting the large mass of hair hang below her shoulder blades. She smiled and held out her hand to me. “I haven’t talked to you much yet.” She tugged at my hand and sat me down next to her on the burgundy pillows. Jackson sat on the other edge of the windowsill with his back leaned against the frame surrounding it. He looked out the window. The blue light from the moon struck his face.

Phillip sat in a wooden kitchen chair. He faced the window too but his eyes were on me. “How’ve things been?” He asked.

I nodded as I spoke, “Besides this whole thing they’ve been quite wonderful.”

Phillip smiled and crossed his legs. “Is Rylan still working at the hospital?” Jo asked and stroked my hand. The tension in this group was immense. They tried to make small talk but I could tell that each one of them was trying hard to hold on to reality.

I rubbed her hand back and looked down to my lap. I sighed and looked up each human eye was on me now. “We can’t do this.” I spoke softly so the heroes couldn’t hear. My eyes snapped over to Rylan. He was leaned against Tex staring down into the center of the group where a large map was spread on the coffee table.

A tear came to my eye and I quickly wiped it away. “I think I need to take a walk.” I stood up quickly making Jo jump. She cleared her throat and placed both her hands in her lap.

“Would you like company?”

I shook my head, “I think I’m fine.” My eyes again shot to Rylan. He started pointing at something on the map. He was completely enthralled in the subject at hand. I patted Jo’s shoulder and stepped back. I walked to the front door. Phoenix appeared in front of me. In his hand held to about eye level were keys.

“Take the Mercedes.” In his eyes he knew what I needed. My pale hand slowly wrapped around the silver pieces of metal reflecting in the night. My eyes looked deep into his. I didn’t know if I could hold onto my emotions any longer. Phoenix understood. His hand wrapped around my wrist that contained the keys and he pulled me quietly up the stairs. No one even noticed our absence or our movement.

His thick hand wrapped around my wrist and held it tight like it used to. He led me up the stairs and to the hallway that was lined with doors. He pulled me into the closest on the right and shut the door behind me. I carried my exhausted body to the bed. I sat on the end and looked into the mirror hanging on the wall. “I look horrible,” I said disgusted. Dark bags hung under my eyes. My hair was a mess on top of my head that stood every which way. I poked at the wrinkles forming in the sides of my eyes, “I’m getting old.” Phoenix walked over to my side and looked into the mirror with me. “Why can’t I have eternally good looks like you?”

Phoenix smiled and looked down on me. His hand cupped on the back of my neck, “You look fine.” He sat next to me and kissed the temple of my forehead. I let out a loud breath of air and tried to relax. Phoenix’s fingers rubbed the tense muscles on my neck. My head relax and curled to my chest.

I began to talk, “I just don’t understand who could’ve done this. I haven’t done anything to anyone in so long. My poor son who has no idea who or what he is, is out there all…”

Phoenix’s hand wrapped around my neck and pulled me into his chest. “Shh,” He hissed and his hands now rubbed my back.

“Rylan wanted to have a normal life, and now look where we are. He’s helpless and defenseless.”

“Collin, you don’t have to explain it to me.” My face looked up into his. I had forgotten what he was all about, no words. He let me feel the emotions out let me get all the anger out before trying to talk. That’s something Rylan never did we always talked it out. We came up with solutions to problems and fixed them with no questions asked. He believed that everything could be fixed with logical thinking.

I breathed in deep the silence. I hadn’t heard it for awhile, only from Rylan. Phoenix’s warm hands stroked the sides of my arms soothingly, keeping my emotions under control. I began to relax and the shaking that had started in my limbs began to decrease. My hand flattened on Phoenix’s tight abs. He ages so well. The shaking started again the second Phoenix’s hands stopped rubbing my arms and moved to the sides of my face. He pulled me off of his chest and looked me square in the eye. “Everything is going to be alright.” He said without any type of voice variation. He was dead set on that sentence and I believed him.

Suddenly he pressed his lips into mine. I jumped back shoving my hands into his chest and standing up, “What the hell Phoenix?” I snapped and put my hands on my waist. He stood up also and walked over to me. His hand placed on top of mine and pulled me into him.

I tried to pull away but couldn’t his grip on my waist was too tight. My hands shoved against his chest and he brought his face closer and closer. My waist bent as much as it could but finally his lips found mine. My eyes uncontrollably closed and I tried to shove away. My lips didn’t move with his as he tried to force this kiss on me. I fought endlessly trying to get him away. Suddenly I heard the door knob turn. They must’ve heard the fuss from downstairs. Right as the door flew open my knee flew right into Phoenix’s groin. He huffed and fell straight to the ground. I leapt back hitting my hands on the wall behind me. Everyone from the level below had come up. Rylan stood in the front with a dark scowl on his face. His eyes stared straight into mine. He didn’t actually think that was me kissing Phoenix, did he?

I felt my body go completely loose and I shut my eyes. A strange sound echoed in my ears and I opened my eyes to see that I wasn’t in the house anymore. Sickness over came me and I doubled over on the dark side walk, throwing up all I had eaten. My mind had warped me, I didn’t control that. Never had my powers forced me to do anything since I had met Rylan. I focused on that for a minute until I realized where I was… The alley.

My mind raced with memory after memory as I looked down this dark alleyway. My breathing deepened and I leaned against the warm brick. The whole street was vacant like it always was. I took a deep breath and stepped closer to the opening. My eyes shifted up and I looked at the ledge I once stood on. Twice was I saved in this alley way and twice have I loved the man who saved me. My focus became entirely this subject when suddenly a voice rang behind me.

I jumped and swung around ready to fight only to see my son Zander standing there. “Zander,” I asked? That was a stupid question.

He shrugged his shoulders, “That was a stupid question.” My eyes stared into his as I tried to figure this out. “You act like you’ve never had hallucinations before.”

I cleared my throat, “I don’t believe I have.”

Zander walked past me and stared at the alley. My eyes stayed on his dark hair that glowed under the moonlight. “Do you normally hang out in alley ways in the middle of the night?” His neck turned and those fierce silver eyes stabbed right through me.

A slight chuckle left my chest, “Apparently.”

“Hey dad,” he paused and I let that world flow through me. It wasn’t the word itself but him actually saying it.

“Yes, son,” I whispered hoping to make him speak louder.

He stepped back and looked me straight in the eye, “Do you remember France?”

One year when he was about 15 we took him to France. He loved it and to this day he torments us wanting to go back, “Of course.”

His eyes pierced even more into mine, “No dad, Remember France.”

Author's Note

I'm tired.. Sorry.