Dark Visions

Twelve+

I snap my head towards the sound of the voice only to find an exhausted looking Gideon sitting in a brown wicker chair across from the bed. He’s dressed in light colored jeans and days old wrinkled white t-shirt with a black and gray flannel shirt on top, rolled to the elbows. His amethyst eyes have dark rings under them and his usually rosy lips look as pale as the rest of his face, which seems more sallow then before.

“Where?” I croak out.

“My sister’s apartment.” He says simply before gesturing around him, “This is her room.”

“Lila’s?”

He shakes his head before titling it as he studies me, “Edie’s.”

I nod and look down at my knotted hands in my lap. I realize, with a blush, that I’m not in my hospital gown anymore, the one they stuck me in for easier access for the needle happy nurses. Instead I’m in a pair of baggy gray sweatpants and an equally baggy black shirt that smells strongly of Gideon’s apple and cinnamon scent.

Why am I wearing his clothes?

“You were gone for seven days.” He says suddenly making me jump a little before elaborating. “I tried at first to do what you wanted, not to contact you again. I lasted barely twelve hours before I snuck into your room. You weren’t there of course and all your shit was missing as well. I tried to reach out to you mentally but I couldn’t catch your brain signature anywhere.”

I lick my lips trying not to let my speeding heart and blossoming joy show.

He didn’t listen to me, I think dreamily; he wanted to find me.

“Of course I wanted to find you.” Gideon snorts before running a rough hand down his face, “Don’t you remember me telling you I’d chase you down if you ran?”

“I didn’t run.” I whisper, my ravaged throat protesting.

He glares at me, “Yes, I’m aware.”

I dip my head to avoid that withering look, “I’m sorry.”

“Here” He grunts shoving a glass of water abruptly in my face, “I know you’re thirsty.”

Swallowing thickly I take the glass and put my chapped lips to the rim before succumbing to the pleasure of the cool liquid running down my throat. When half the glass is empty I shakily go to place it on the table but miss making it nearly tumble to the floor. Closing my eyes I wait for the sound of glass to break but it never comes. Peeking an eye open I’m shocked to see it floating mid-air but with something similar to black smoky tendrils holding it.

“Wha—“

“Shadows.” Gideon says smoothly before coming to sit on the end of the bed looking pretty casual despite the odd situation, “I can control them. Both Lila and I can.”

As the shadows place the glass on the table properly I watch with wide eyes as the tendrils come towards me. Perhaps still in shock, maybe too worn out to do much else I sit pretty still as one tendril caresses my cheek. Shocks spark across my skin making my stomach go crazy with butterflies and my heart rate speed astronomically.

Closing my eyes I shiver as the shadows begin moving through my hair, over my neck and all over my face in tender little caresses and movements. When they pull back I open my eyes to see Gideon staring at me intensely from the foot of the bed as they move back towards him. I watch, as they seem to fade into the tips of his fingers and move down the veins of his forearms before disappearing from sight.

“What else can you do?” I ask him, a little more than awed.

He smirks slightly, “Lots of things.”