Drakan (The Chronicles of Eli)

Chapter 1

        Coming out here seemed to bring Eli peace—almost as if the patio itself was enchanted. Taking in the scene as if for the first time, Eli deeply inhaled and closed his eyes before slowly exhaling. He then stepped back through the patio door, closed it, tucked his laundry basket under his arm, and headed downstairs.

        Out in the hallway, Eli was welcomed by the scent of bacon and eggs and he followed his nose to the kitchen. "Is that for me?" he asked Valen, who was now dressed and looking more lively.

        "Yes, it is." Eli sat his basket down outside in the backyard next to the well. "I'll wash those if you want. I have some I need to wash as well!" Valen called out from the kitchen.

        "Sure. I planned on doing it when I got back, but if you get to it before then, thanks." Eli came back inside and closed the door, then sat at the eight-person table where his food was patiently waiting to be devoured.

        Eli was about to dig in when Valen said, "My apologies for startling you earlier."

        Eli eyed the man as he grabbed orange juice from the fridge, taking his first bite of eggs.

        "Were you dreaming about Claire again?" Eli asked.

        With a drop of his eyebrows and a slow blink, Valen responded with a simple and subdued "Yes."

        Eli never understood why Valen's dreams were filled with such pain and anger when they were actually about the love of his life. He quickly gave up on deciphering it years ago however, and just decided that he had to accept the fact that Valen had some things locked up in his head; things that haunted him every now and then. Even if some of those things involved Eli himself.

        No more than two minutes passed before Eli was up and washing his plate, heading to the door.

        "Where are you in a rush to?"

        "To the outside market to meet up with Liam, why?" Eli asked as he bent down to put on his favorite black and white Nikes.

        "No reason. Have fun."

        Eli put on his other shoe, looked back at Valen with one hand on the door knob, and smiled. "Ok then," he said—then he was out the door. Once outside, Eli put his hands in his pocket and started down the street. He avoided the constant stares from the neighbors by kicking rocks or by just looking away to the ground or opposite direction. Why are they always staring? Some of the townsfolk's gazes gave Eli chills. He had told Valen about this quite a few times and every time Valen would say the same thing: "I'll talk to them about it, but it's probably just because of the clothes you choose to wear."

        Eli didn't really believe his choice in attire could be the only reason because he felt that after some point, people would have to accept it. And, since they weren't, something else was bothering them. He hadn't mustered up the courage to say something to them himself, so he figured until then, he'd just leave it alone.

        With the market in sight, Eli could see that he was earlier than he expected or they were just late setting up shop. As usual, Eli crossed the bridge over Frog River, looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was behind him, and then detoured off to the right. Eli enjoyed coming to this spot whenever he had the chance. Red and white amaryllis flowers—his mothers' favorite—grew deep inside the garden hothouse.

        Valen had told him that Susan used to grow them herself and then pot them inside Eli's room for protection when he was an infant. Unlike most people, coming here and touching the velvety amaryllis petals with his fingers and smelling the flowers' sweet aroma was more than an ordinary visit to Eli; it was a way to be close to the mother he couldn't remember and; in doing so, he hoped in some way it would spark memories of her. Looking at the sky, Eli blew a kiss and whispered to the heavens, "I love you." Then, he rose and listened for footsteps out front before stepping back out on the road.

        As Eli approached the market, he began to wonder where the patrons had come from. Had much time passed or did everyone just run really fast to get there while he wasn't looking? Eli wondered mildly, chuckling at the thought. Eli continued inside and saw Tom the juice man to his left. He never understood why Tom's stand was so popular when most of the juice he sold tasted like blood. Liam dared Eli to try it once and that's when his questions started about the people who drank it. Maybe it's a drug or some type of diet drink, he thought while he passed by. Well, on second thought, it couldn't be a drug because Valen drank it occasionally.

        Looking for Ms. Agnes' fruit stand, Eli noticed the usual circular formation of the market had changed to a "U" shape. Normally, her stand was toward the right top part and, hoping she stayed predictable, he turned his head in that direction. To his relief, she was there. She stood behind her booth, grey hair in disarray with wrinkles across her cheeks. A strong grin grew across her roundish face when she noticed Eli out of the crowd walking toward her. Knowing the reaction he would receive, Eli approached her with a cheerful smile and said "Good morning Ms. Agnes." He let his eyes wonder in search for what he came for and after not finding them, he asked "Do you have any today?"

        Ms. Agnes scoffed and shook her head.

        "Well, when will you have some?" Eli asked, disappointedly.

        Slowly she replied, "Tomorrow." Her hollow eyes appraised him.

        With a rushed "Thank you," Eli quickly turned and walked away.

        A commotion had started behind him while he'd been talking with Ms. Agnes, diagonally to his right, and he decided to go and be nosey. A crowd was gathering around two individuals it seemed and some townspeople were trying to calm them both down. Pushing through the crowd, he heard two male voices and saw a red and black plaid shirt. Once Eli got to the front, the distinct voice and plaid shirt confirmed his guess that it was Liam.

        Liam was arguing with Peter Sayegh, the wealthy prep kid in town. His parents had previously owned an insurance company, but supposedly, left it in the hands of his sister while they went away for retirement. Peter was sick when this happened; so naturally, he went with his parents. They were the only Indians in Drakan. For three years now, Peter and Liam had never gotten along and it was best if they weren't around each other for any longer than a second.

        Eli came to Liam's side. "Liam! Hey, what's going on?"

        "This loser thinks he can buy the last of the plasma fruit because his parents have all that money."

         Standing straight, Peter sneered. "Look. Like I've already told you, I was already here. I just walked away for a second—no more than 5 steps—and then, you showed up."

        "Come on Liam, let it go," urged Eli; tugging at Liam's arm, but unable to budge him.

        "Yes Liam," Peter mocked, "Why don't you and THAT reject run off somewhere?"

        Eli saw the darts shooting from Liam's eyes, saw his feet shuffle as if to attack, and knew he had to do something quick before Liam ripped Peter's face to pieces. "Liam. Dude, I found it," Eli said excitedly.

        Slightly snapping out of it, Liam replied, "Found what?"

        Eli smiled, bobbed his head up and down and, making sure to emphasize the word, said "It, dude."

        New interest and understanding blossomed on Liam's face and Eli was finally able to pull him away. Once the scene was all left behind, Eli asked, "Seriously. What was that about?"

        Liam laughed. "I got bored waiting on you and then he showed up. That's it."

        "Whatever," Eli said with a roll of his eyes.

        How did I become best friends with this guy again? Eli thought, laughing inwardly as the two of them walked along. He was taking Liam to the Valley of Bones.