The Forgotten Ones

Chapter 24: All Good Things - Part 1

His breaths were shallow; his chest barley moving an inch as he laid flat on his back. He was completely still--his eyes staring relentlessly at the ceiling rarely ever blinking. He wasn't looking at anything in particular, yet his gaze never strayed. His heart beat murmured within him, almost as if it were afraid for him to hear that it was still working. The darkness in the room engulfed him, covering him like the blanket he refused to use. It was cold--silent. For the first time, Elias felt...dead, and unbeknownst to him, he welcomed the feeling openly.

He'd accumulated many injuries over his years, some less serious than other's, but all of them painful. Yet, he couldn't relate the amount of agony he felt at that moment to any of them. This...this felt different. It felt deeper, more constricting--torturous. Though for some reason, he wasn't crying. He wasn't yelling--wasn't showing any emotion at all. Even though the storm within him was growing unbearable by the minute, he couldn't do anything but stare; completely blank, completely numb.

He never thought he could feel so small--so insignificant. He wanted to wither away and disperse into nothing, allowing the breeze to carry him along with the leaves until there was no more of him to go around. He wanted to retreat into a dark place--a place no one was granted access to but him--a place where he could be alone and never have to suffer the eyes of others. He wanted to stop being Elias. He wanted to be someone else entirely--to walk in someone else's shoes; it didn't matter who they were, he'd switch in a heart beat. He just wanted to vanish altogether.

Beep-beep-beep-beep! Beep-beep-beep--

Turning off the alarm, Eli's eyes finally closed as he let out a stale sigh.

If only disappearing were that simple.

Dragging himself out of bed, Elias went to get Ava.

Ava?

Ava...

Ava.

He'd heard, said, and thought about the name countless times before, but for some reason the mention of her name brought a sour taste to his mouth. The sight of her springing out of bed, happily brushing her teeth made him annoyed; her high pitched voice continually going on about the happy dream she'd had. Her smile became increasingly irritating to him. Was that wrong...?

She was the reason Mike could never notice Elias. She was the reason Elias felt invisible. She stole everything from him. She broke him down and in the same breath told him she loved him. She was everything wrong in his world and she had the nerve to smile?

"...and then the dragon gave us the crystal and we were able to go back home. The dragon wasn't so scary after all." She finished through closed teeth as she brushed. "What did you dream about Eli?"

"Just brush your teeth." He answered.

"Oh, sorry." She smiled.

This feeling he felt towards her...was it hatred?

For the first time the thought wasn't attacked in his head. Instead it lingered as he watched her. He knew she didn't know any better, but that didn't change anything for him anymore. Not after last night--not after he finally realized that in her shadow Elias was, and would always be, nothing. There was no opposing feeling--no guilt. He didn't want to hug her, or talk to her, or even protect her. The warm feeling he'd gotten at the sight of her large brown eyes was replaced with absolute hostility. The way they sparkled with joy as she carelessly went about her morning was mocking to him. He was almost disgusted at her aura; she didn't even try to mask it. Why would she?

She was a brat who always got what she wanted, no matter what it was. There was no doubt in his mind that if Ava wanted him gone for good, Elias would have never stepped foot in the house again. Mike cherished her and met her every wish, while Elias was more like a piece of gum on the family shoe; inconvenient and worthless.