X-Marks: Hiding Shadows

Warm

"What's wrong?" my squeaking voice said to my father, from under his plush burgundy chair.

I was back in my source home, but I didn't know how.

My father's wooly lip sat lower on his face than usual. I remember he had been like this all morning. Pacing around the kitchen with his hand on his temples. Standing up only to sit back down again.

"Daddy," I asked again, and pulled on the leg of his wrinkled tan pants, "What's wrong?"

He wouldn't look at me. He hadn't all morning.

Nearby, a mirror hung low on the wall. In its reflection, I saw the green flowers of my white night dress. I only stood as tall as the armrest of my father's chair, but it didn't feel wrong to be this small after so many years.

What was wrong was to see my father look away, his eyes focused on that mirror instead. That damn mirror.

With my heels pointed forward, I kicked the mirror and watched it teeter down to the carpet into tiny silver pieces.

"Don't do that," my father shouted and pointed at me.

It made me cry. Made my breath fold under my chest.

A bone-shaking knock came from the other side of the red door.

My father walked to the door with his with fists locked at his sides and turned the knob slow as it clicked twice. There on the other side were two women in white dresses and two faceless men dressed in black.

I knew who these people were now. These were Allies.

I ran back behind my father's legs, but he was still focused on the mirror, as the women in white approached me.

"She's too small," one of the women said as if it was a question.

"She's all I can spare," my father with a deflated glare.

My father picked me up from my slumped seat behind him. I pulled away from his tight yet shaken grip.

"They all grow up someday," the other woman said as my father passed me to her.

A fire surged from within my legs as I kicked at the women in white. I watched my father disappear behind the red door. I screamed and screamed at him, but he would only look at the mirror behind him. That damn mirror.

A rush of cold replaced the burning heat. Something was shaking me.

"Evee?" Nate whispered at my side.

I jolted up from my sleeping bag within our tent. A cold sweat ran down my neck. Nate's dark brown eyes stared down at me on my pillow.

"Bad dream?" he said.

I nodded, and pulled my blanket closer to my neck, "Just got a little cold."

"That happens to me sometimes too," Nate said and sat flat on his back, "Guess I'm not alone."

"How long do you think we'll be here?" I said and turned to Nate.

"Hopefully, a while," Nate sighed.

"Hopefully?"

"I've been watching what's left until the next home," he sighed again, "It's going to be a hell of a hike."

I felt my feet ache already, "And I was hoping for a break."

"We'll be fine," Nate whispered with the moonlight cutting his face into two, "We've got you to protect us."

I laughed into my blanket trying not to wake the others.

"Well I believe in you," Nate said and leaned his face closer to mine.

A chill ran from my ankle up to my back and made me shiver.

"Still cold?" Nate said and pulled his face back.

"Yeah, it's just I can't cover my feet with this thing," I said and wrapped ankles around the tail of my blanket.

Nate opened the corner of his blanket, "Want mine?"

"No way," I said, and opened my blanket, "Let's share."

I wrapped myself in his toasty blanket. It was scented just like Nate, like pine. Nate turned onto his side as the skin of my chest met his back. He removed the blanket in hast.

"Did I hurt you?" I said, ready to apologize.

"Nothing," Nate stuttered and laughed, "Just got cold too, that's all."

"I'll try not to let too much air in," I said and tucked the blanket under my sides.

Nate rolled away from me again and went quiet.

Maybe he was asleep? But how could he be that quick?

I let my breath slow and form a cloud of air in and out of the blanket. The warmth of Nate's back and it's bony ridges compressed with each of my breaths. He wasn't sleeping, that weirdo.

Then why wouldn't he talk to me?

A sliver sweat dripped down my neck again.

It was warm under here between us, much too warm.