Gravity (14 page)

I
shake off the thought of Cher as
we
approach the modern cabin with a peaked roof and windows
lining the front. There are more angles and lines then the typical
cabin I remember I used to build with my toy logs. I gaze over at
Violet.
She lives here with Red, but
it doesn't seem like their married. I wonder if they're together. I
wonder if he's inside.

***

Gabriel

I would look at the cabin more if I wasn't so
distracted by the blackness next to it. Nothing seems to be glowing
near the edge of the forest; even the moon doesn't penetrate the
area. The more I stare into the dark hole, the more it absorbs my
attention. My eyes are transfixed to the deep pit as it swallows up
my peripherals. I'm no longer standing with strangers in the grassy
field. I'm floating in the depths of something destructive.
Something deep inside me hums to life. That dark place... my
body... it wants—

"Gabriel?"
Violet's lovely voice calls my name and pulls
me out of my trance.

She waves
to
me with the others on the
porch of the cabin. They’re going inside.

Alex

I can see
everything from the doorway. The living room with a stone
fireplace, kitchen open to the living room, stairs leading up to a
second level in which you can look down from and see everything.
The dark wood floor spreads throughout the cabin, a line of windows
and double doors bring the outside in. The cathedral ceiling is
absolutely breathtaking. I imagine how awesome it would be to have
a party here. It's enough space for a band and even a dance floor.
The acoustics would be phenomenal with the high ceiling. I take a
deep breath filling my lungs just like I do when I sing. I slowly
let my breath escape. I try to pick up Violet's fragrance, but the
place is bombarded with aromas unfamiliar to me. My eyes wander the
space wondering where her bedroom could be.

***

Dash

T
he moment I steps
inside, I sense a presence within the cabin. I feel it all around
me. I'm torn between Violet and my surroundings. I'm in awe of its
aliveness as well as Violet smiling face. It's like she went from
paper and pencil to flesh and bones. It's hard to take my attention
from her. Even though I can feel the cabin calling me, it's hard to
pay it any mind with my heart beating out of my chest every time
she enters my vision. This nice place doesn't compare to her. But
she lives here, and it must have clues about her life; what does
she like to do? What are her hobbies? Where is her
bedroom?

Prying my eyes away from her, I notice the
glowing lines connecting like tree roots along the floor and walls,
moving like tiny rivers. Even the furniture it connected to this
nerve system. It reminds me of the sci-fi movie with Keanu Reeves
where the life he lives is all an illusion. Symbols; not scrolling
numbers reveal it's make-up. I recognize its complexity and its
majesty are connected to presence I felt when I walked in. How the
creator did this is beyond my comprehension, but somehow I
understand what I'm seeing.

Red
made this place. That's what these
lines illustrate. This is what Violet meant. Every tangible thing
was inspired from something Red had seen or experienced. The roof
structured similarly to a church Red's been too as a boy. The
nearly black floor is taken after a relative's eyes. I can tell it
isn't built the same way as one would build a cabin. It grew like
anything else in nature, but how could that be—a man-made structure
is not organic. These lines speak and say otherwise.

I
place my hand on the wall and my eyes
stray. As beautiful as this place is, every time I steal a glance
at Violet, I'm reminded that she is what’s so incredible. My
Goddess drawing has come to life and is now she's showing her
amazing home to me. This is something out of a dream. No, this is
better than a dream—it's real this time.

"Is there
anyone else living here?" I surprise myself that my question came
out so boldly. Everything is too interesting to ignore.

"Right now?
Just me." Violet's smile weakens. Her shoulders slump and her
stance sways.

"It feels like
someone else lives
here." I
brush my finger against the wall. "Besides Red."

Violet's smile comes undone with a thought. I
want to know why she suddenly looks sad.

***

Gabriel

I'm
the last to step through as Alex and
Dash are welcomed to take a closer look at things. I don't feel as
welcomed. Heavy pressure pushes me on all sides like a lemon being
squeezed. My head is ready to explode. It subsides as I step
further inside. I'm afraid to look around, as if someone is
watching me closely, punishing me if my eyes veer away from my
sneakers. I stand close to the wall, waiting for instruction. Why I
am I even here?

***

Alex

I'm staring,
but I
only realized it when
Violet's eyes connect with mine. She gives me a fake smile, but of
course hiding the reason doesn't make sense around a telepath. She
hides anyway, as if it helps to ease the thought that I can see
everything.

But I can't see
everything.
Her head is like
Swiss cheese—too many holes.

"Please
make
yourself at home." Violet
walks to the living room area. The stone fireplace is massive. Its
stones reach all the way to the top of the cabin. Three seats are
close to the fireplace makes the area smaller than it is. I like it
because it feels cozier. I especially like the flat screen TV above
the fireplace.
I
love watching movies. It's watching
people but without their thoughts interfering. It's close to being
normal unless I watch with friends, which is extremely annoying. I
picture myself with Violet in my arms by the fireplace.
Close, real close.
I wouldn't mind her at all. We wouldn't be
watching the movie anyway.

She sits in a red armchair. I sit on the sofa
with Dash eagerly sitting beside me for closeness to Violet.
Gabriel is the last to join us, sitting the farthest away isolated
on a love seat. He's clinging to his backpack as if someone will
take it. There's nothing, but school shit in it. At least I don't
have to smell him.

"Well, this is my home." She nervously
fiddles with her hands in her lap. She's so cute. "Red calls it the
Sanctuary. He created this place. It's a place in between places.
It's nowhere yet somewhere; a safe place for people like us—people
with abilities. The three of you have triggered abilities. From
what Red had told me, you three can help me find him."

"Find him?" Dash rests his elbows knees.

"He told me in a dream that he needs your
help. He chose you three."

"Did he say where—" I ask.

"I'm terrible at remembering things." She
pushes her hair behind her ear. "I'm surprised I remembered
everything about you guys. Most of the dream was about you
three—that you'll help me find him. "

"Red chose us?" Dash pushes up his
glasses.

"How are we supposed to help? No offense, but
I barely know the guy." I say.

"Red knows you—all of you very well. Alex
Aisling, you're a telepath. You can hear and even see the thoughts
of others; enter dreams and communicate beyond words."

She looks at Dash. "Dash Carver. You have an
eidetic memory; vivid recall; decipherment of objects and
environments. You have the ability to form virtually anything and
even worlds like this."

Dash's face flushes. I purse his lips. That's
a lot of bullshit I don't even understand.

"Gabriel Black, you have aura that is
magnetic; you can attract people or repel them. You have an ability
to see other auras, identify others like us, and decipher people's
moods and environments." Her hands tighten on her lap. "These
abilities make you extraordinary; they make you Hybrid; half
human."

I stare at her.
I know
the others are
too.

"
What's the other half?"
Dash asks.

"Um, alien." Her smile twitches.

"Alien
?" I suppress a
laugh. "You must be joking."

Violet stares
at me as my smile slowly deflates.

"You're telling
the truth."
I lean
forward.

"Red said she would." Everyone looks to
Gabriel. His hood is up and only his mouth is visible. "Speak the
truth, I mean."

"Thank
you
, Gabriel." Violet massages
her hands nervously.

I
remember now. Red had said that.
Shit, I hope I didn't offend her. It's that word; alien. It's far
crazier than me sitting on a
'place between places'
with a mirror for an entrance. Alien?

"I'm adopted. So that explains a lot." Dash
brushes the long hair out his eyes. The kid needs a haircut and a
reality check.

I peer deeper into Violet's head. She was
told this by Red, not that she hasn't any proof of the alien
half—our abilities are proof. As long as I've lived I have never
met anyone like me. Sure, I've visited plenty of psychics, but
their crystal balls are bullshit.

"
I'm adopted too," I've
always felt different, but not
alien
different.

"My dad's dead. My mom's insane." Gabriel
finally places his backpack between his legs. "I don't remember
him. He died after I was born."

Jesus, this kid is a mess.

"The
alien
gene is carried on your
father's side." Violet straightens her shoulder. She's cuter when
she's confident. "Your fathers are hybrids. Hybrids don't last long
in the real world once their abilities are triggered. Most times
they go crazy."

"I’ve had to
deal with telepathy since I could remember. I’m fine.” I
shrug.

“
You’re not
fine, Alex.” She rubs her thighs. “None of you are.”

"You’re the
only one here." Dash pushes up his glasses. "Where are the other
people—I mean—Hybrids?"

"Triggered
abilities can ruin a Hybrid's life. They're more accident prone
with abilities they can’t control. Sometimes it leads them to
suicide. Some powers are hard to live with. You three have survived
your abilities against the odds.”

Gabriel shoves
his hands deeper into his hoodie
pocket. I look down at my sneakers. Dash shifts uncomfortably
beside me. My life is starting to make sense and it's scary as
shit.

"Red's missing
and I'm not powerful enough to find him. I need help."

"And you think
we're powerful?" I ask. "I mean, this sounds crazy. I have mind
blowing migraines, this one has an overactive imagination and that
guy is repellant, no one would go near him anyway. How's that going
to help?"

"Red sees
something in each of you; something that can help the situation.
Your powers are
not fully
developed. Red can help you, but we must find him
first."

"What's your
ability?" It's a surprise to me to hear the emo kid speak again.
His hoods back to reveal his green eyes that aren't as dark like
the rest of him.

Violet fiddles with her fingers nervously.
Her mind is repeating a word over and over again.
Aura, aura,
aura…
seems to be a mantra to hide something else. It's
working. I can't hear or see anything else.

"You don't want
us to know,
" I
reveal.

"I'm weak, but
I can see auras. I'm pretty much useless though." Her shoulders
droop.

"What are you hiding?" I mumble.

“Please don't.” She whispers to me, pleading
me with her eyes to stop poking around. "There's a reason I can't
do this on my own."

"So
, we help you find Red
and he helps us with our abilities?" Dash leans forward with
interest in his eyes..

She
nods.

"Who is Red
anyway?"
I ask. “Is he like
the leader?”

Violet smiles
and then bites
her lip. The
way her lashes flutter I wish I hadn't asked. "He's our Guardian;
the one that protects us from ourselves and others; teaches us our
abilities."

He
was
n't around for
me.
I hear Gabriel's
interesting thought loudly.

Violet
contently continues. "He's a lot older than he looks—not sure how
old. He knows about all of us and his abilities seem endless. He
came to me in my dream telling me exactly who you are and where to
find you."

"But he
couldn't tell you where he is?" I probe.

"
I don't
think he knew. I felt that there wasn't enough time for him to
say
. I think his powers are weak or
he’d be here now," she sighs.

"Who's Red to
you?" Dash
asks.

I know
the answer. I don't care if she
doesn't want anyone to know. "Her boyfriend, but you're not even
sure if he's even that..." I trail off, watching her chew her
bottom lip. "I'm getting images, but I don't understand your story.
There's, um… dark areas. I've never seen that before."