Written On Trains

Edna X Caleb - Nov 3, 2019

It was Day 366.

She should have been up by now.

But Caleb is still staring at Edna's near lifeless body.

Her gift had saved his entire family.

Right before she closed her eyes, she made him promised, "No hospitals, no doctors, no morgues, just send me back to my family."

They became friends during college, at a library over a book that was not listed as classics.

He knew he was slowly falling for her, but she never seemed interested. So they traded titles, authors and stories, but rarely personal details.

That's why Edna never knew that Caleb's well off father had been targeted by his own relative.

That fateful night, 366 days ago, his family's car ended in a ditch, someone had messed with the brakes.

Edna had used her friend finder's app to locate Caleb as she had managed to find the title he had been wanting for so long. It was such a rare book hence she couldn't wait to give it to her best friend.

Her heart belt a strange thud when she saw the skid marks at the point her GPS locator stopped.

She found Caleb, drenched in blood that was trickling down from a cut on his forehead, desperately trying to revive his family.

Edna called for help then aided Caleb. Caleb, still in shock, could only follow her instructions. She asked him to gather his still breathing parents and sister to a spot by the roadside, and hold their hands.

Then she gathered all of their right hands in both her palms. She focused her attention on their wounds.

A dim light emerged from her touch. Caleb instantly felt better. Then, like magic, his parents and sister stirred back to life.

"She saved our lives when she was 8. By right we should have perished in a fire. That's how we discovered her talent. But each time she uses her power, she would end up in a coma for a year. We made her promised to not use it unless it was truly necessary," her mother revealed.

Caleb visited Edna almost everyday as she slept on the bed in her family's abode. His parents made sure she was taken care of, while his sister would come to read her favourite books.

He desperately wanted her to know his feelings.

"You know Ed, I prayed for a chance to perfect my love declaration for you, but I wasn't expecting to be given a year to practice. But since my uncle's sabotaging and your mutant powers led us to this, practice I did. I wrote and memorised paragraphs of what to say, so wake up!"

Edna didn't even raise a mocking brow to acknowledge this.

On Day 367, once again Caleb got the permission from Edna's parents to continue his begging.

"You're supposed to wake up once your body had rested. This is no leap year, open your eyes, will you?"

On Day 368, Caleb was on the edge.

"You made me promised not to take you to the doctors. I'm stumped. I think I should be calling a doctor. Or at least a shaman. What, you think a magician would be better? Better than witches and wizards? Yeah, why not?"

"Maybe your situation is one controlled by magic? Imagine that, a mutant mage came and took away your will to live. That's just sad. But you know what's worse? You, trapped in a spell and me never ever getting my chance to..."

"Are you looking for an excuse to give her a kiss?"

Caleb turned swiftly, only to find his sister who had been eavesdropping.

"What are you doing here? And what are you suggesting?"

"I'm worried about Edna too. So will you at least try?"

A kiss? Caleb contemplated.

"No. I wasn't thinking of doing that. What good would that do?" he replied.

His sister scoffed. "At least try it. I can't stand seeing her like this. She's missing out on life because of me. Because of us!"

"And you think I can just kiss this all away?" asked Caleb, his voice steeling.

"Stop it, both of you."

A low voice boomed them into silence.

Caleb's parents as well as Edna's were already in the room.

"I've set an appointment with a doctor. He's a friend," said his father, while Edna's parents kept mum.

"Could you give me your word that he won't turn her to science circus?" demanded Caleb, unwilling to compromise Edna's secret.

"Better that than a Sleeping Beauty forever," his sister cut in.

"Oh so now she's no longer a Snow White that I should wake with a true love's kiss? You know what, I'm going to stay true to my promise to Edna. No hospitals, no doctors, no morgues," Caleb hissed.

"I know why you wouldn't do it. You're afraid she'd actually wake up and give you a tight slap the moment she realises what you're doing, right?" his sister hissed back.

Caleb was about to continue arguing when a voice he had missed so much croaked:

"Damn right I would."

Right on cue, the grandfather's clock struck twelve times and it became Day 369.

"Edna, you're awake!"

Her parents immediately brought water to Edna's lips.

She drank and then asked for food. Caleb and his family watched in awe as she polished off a meal set for two.

"What took you so long?" asked Caleb after their families finally left them alone.

Edna smiled. "I was waiting for you to become an adult. And when you said you'd stay true to your promise, I figured, hey, Caleb's all grown up!" she joked.

Truth was her body took extra days to refresh because she had to cure several people at once. But Caleb didn't know that.

"So you heard everything I said? Everything? All these while?"

Edna nodded and laughed. "So. You've been practicing. Let's hear it."

P/s: Wrote this but didn't get to finish it till today (Wattpad timestamp). Whooo!

11:26 PM · Nov 3, 2019