The Depth Between Elements

Their Anniversary ~ Chapter 2

The sun gleamed through my window woke me up. Ten years. Ten whole years since our town’s attack. Today is the anniversary; and although we are managing I can’t help but notice I’m the only one that cares anymore. Everyone tells me what is done is done. It is in the past. Move on. I’m not even sure if my parents are dead or captured, but every time someone mentions them I go numb. Some people even pity me still, but I don’t want their sorry looks. I just want my parents back.

I get up from my bed, and it creaks with my movement. My room still looks the same. I still have the blanket they used to hide me that night we were attacked, and I sleep with it every night. The stone walls still feel foreign to me, like an element I will never be able to wield in my hands.

I hear rustling in the kitchen and sluggishly pull off my pajamas. I slip into my everyday work clothes. Would people even notice it’s been ten years? I was only six back then, hell I don’t even remember the half of it. All I can clearly remember is a scream and thump followed by a young boy staring at me wide eyed. I had a gut wrenching feeling right afterwards that I would never see my parents again.

People will probably still be as content as yesterday. I knew grandma would try to soften the day by trying to spoil me, which only made it more obvious that something was up. Opening my door I got hit by an overwhelming scent of cinnamon buns. I chuckled to myself. Even if she was only trying to make light of the anniversary she always knew how to make me feel a tad better. Stepping into the kitchen I can hear her humming a tune while pouring milk and putting cookies on two napkins.

“Hey Grandma,” I mumble.

“Hey honey, I made your favorite. Cinnamon buns with milk and cookies,” she says smiling warmly at me.

“Thanks,” I reply making my way over to the warm cinnamon deliciousness waiting for me. I sit down and inhale the homey scent of the buns. Grandma sits down next to me eyeing her own creation with satisfaction. Hey gray hair now turning white as snow and her wrinkles deeper than I remember from before.

“So will you be collecting herbs for me today with Daphine?” she asks biting into a cookie.

“Um, I’m not really sure... I’m not feeling so great,” I say. She arches her eyebrow at me and looks like shes ready to argue about it but then seems to think better of it. We eat in silence, and although the sticky icing is familiar I can’t help but feel uncomfortable.

“You really should get out of the house. Your friends will make you forget for a few hours. You should go, not because I need the herbs, but because you need to be distracted instead of sulking,” she says with a serious tone.

“Why do I have to?

“Your going,” she says with her trademark “that’s final” tone.

I rise out of my chair and put my dishes into the sink before trudging out to the blinding sun. Its beautiful out. What a shame I can’t enjoy it. I let out a small sigh before knocking on the door of Daphine. Within second she runs out of her stone hut and hugs me tightly. Her long hair glistens in the sun and her bright smile always makes my worries fly away in the breeze. She pulls away from me showing her dark brown eyes smiling. She seems more excited than usual which is a surprise for her.

“I’ve got some great news! Justin finally asked me out! And I was thinking.. maybe I could go with him to the creek instead of picking herbs... If you wouldn’t mind,” she says.

“Oh that’s great. You’ve only been in love with him for a few years now. No I don’t mind. To be honest I just wanted a day to myself anyway,” I say trying to put on believable smile. She must not know of the anniversary, better she not worry about me. Justin was a strong earth bender that moved to our village a couple of years ago. Right when he moved in Daph gushed about him. Ever since then I’ve heard every detail of her love life, even though most of the things she told me were little gestures that ever guy did. Even so I always put a fake smile and listened since I didn’t have a love life to show off anyway.

“Oh are you okay? I mean I don’t mind if you come, were probably going to swim and have a picnic, but your welcome to join us,” she says while her smile fades. I knew she wanted to go alone, but she was too good of a friend to say so.

“No, it’s alright. I know your excited so I’ll see you when you get back,” I say. She thanks me and runs off to find Justin.

I walk to my shed and grab clippers and my sun-bleached hat before making my way to the forest to collect the needed herbs.