Keepers of Time

17. Behind The Mask

17. Behind The Mask

Gabriel

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, I saw the remorse and guilt I could never leave behind.  There were days where my longing for Gwen was too much to bear to the point where I was in the middle of erupting volcanoes – my feet rendered to their place with paralyzing intensity, incapable of halting the impending disaster.

Today didn’t only symbolize the day where we received our sacred blessing.  Today marked the day I saved Gwen from getting hit by the car that would have ended her life.  But it wasn’t the act itself that mattered, although it was important.  What happened afterwards was a memory that I would never forget.

Her parents were out of town that night, and I had promised her I wouldn’t say a word about the afternoon’s events.  She didn’t want them to rush back home for her convenience so instead I stayed with her that night.  We built a fire in her living room, the heat of the hearth warming our bodies.  That night we cooked s’mores in the fireplace as we watched If Only on abcfamily.  It was one of her favorite movies and I thought it was ironic to have this movie airing on the same night that I had saved her life.

It was in that moment that I realized my life would feel empty if I had lost her.  If I had been a fragment of a second too late or if I never had been blessed with the gift of time then I would have lost the most important person in my life.

It was then that I first realized I was in love with my best friend.

“Gabriel!”

I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to a concerned Calder.  “You alright, mate?  I’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes.  What’s on your mind?”

My eyes looked over his tailored black suit and settled on the black-silver striped mask in his hands.  I knew that I had forgotten something when I went to buy my suit this morning.  “You don’t happen to have an extra mask?  I seem to have forgotten the small detail.”

Calder took a seat on the edge of my bed and said, “No. But you can always make one appear out of thin air.” He fiddled with the mask in his hands adding, “Don’t change the subject.”

I chuckled, turning back around to face the mirror – resuming on tying the silk black tie around my white collar.  “There’s nothing to talk about,” I made the mistake to look at Cal’s reflection in the corner and saw his brows raised.  “Besides there are more important things to discuss – how’s Kimberly?”

A grin broke his face – momentarily forgetting his questioning.  His gray-blue eyes gleamed under the low light as he said, “She’s healing quickly. Dr. Corvaul says that he’s never seen anything like it before. She should be recovering through Christmas, but she’s physically healthy to attend the ball.”

That was interesting.  I wonder what was causing her to miraculously heal unlike anyone else.  It was a puzzle for another time.  “That’s good news, Cal.  It’s good to know she’s doing well. What about her brother?”

“He’s healing – not as rapidly as Kim, but he’s managing. I think that Dr. Corvaul might have miscalculated the amount of venom in her system. It would be a good reason for her healing faster than her brother. She never had an overly amount of poison in her system to begin with.”

I began to snap the silver lining cuffs my father had given to me two years ago on, the metal shining in the last rays of sunlight that penetrated the room.  “Good point. Either way I’m glad that she’s better.”

Cal stood from his perch, heading towards me.  “You sure you’re alright? I know this time of year is always-”

“I’m fine,” I said forcefully.  Cal stiffened, eyeing me warily.  Taking a deep breath I said more calmly, “I just wish I could see her. But it’s not feasible, and it’s time that I stop hoping for things that are unattainable.”