Dark Hedges

The Optical Illusion

'Perhaps death exists to keep life afloat', Mitnick thought as he roamed the Earth.

And roam he did.

Steps became miles. Miles became years. Years became centuries.

And one day, as he walked some more, Mitnick turned to see a new species now walked the Earth alongside him. Unlike animals, these new creatures resembled Mitnick himself. They too walked in two legs; they too held with two arms; they two spoke in words and communicated with each other.

Mitnick's heart leaped with joy as his steps finally reached a destination he did not know he was looking for.

He ran towards them, seeing them living together, working, helping each other.

'This must be it', the entity thought as his wandering eyes looked for that special someone.

He finally found him. Across the settlement, working on the wood that came off the trees, a redheaded boy called to him.

'Here you are', Mitnick said, as he approached the boy.

'Here I am', the boy said as Mitnick approached him.

'My name is Mitnick', the entity said, reaching out.

'Hello Mitnick. My name is Noah', the boy replied, welcoming him.

Mitnick felt the words coming out of his mouth, even before he meant them. 'Can I relate to you?'

Noah grinned and said Yes. Finally, Mitnick was home.

********

"Teddy? Teddy? Teddy!"

He jumped and nearly fell off his chair. He heard laughter coming from every corner of the room, but hardly cared. Turning to find Tripp's frowning face in front of him, he struggled to come back to the moment, despite having no desire to participate in it.

"Yes?" He asked, faking indifference and failing.

"Are you okay?" Tripp asked too, his concern melting Teddy's icy exterior.

"I'm fine," he replied, shaking his head and quickly drawing a smile meant to conceal the turmoil that rocked his head. "Is something the matter?"

"We're discussing the arrangements for the Fall Colours Party," Bianca Garrick said, giving him a soft and perhaps encouraging nod. "You're required to bring a date with you."

"Sure." Teddy shrugged, his face unable, or maybe unwilling to hide his contempt towards those words.

"It can't be any date, though," Bianca added, straightening in her chair, her hands joining and resting in her lap.

This time, it was Teddy who frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked through tight teeth, his jaw clenching automatically.

Anthony Fawcett intervened, answering the question. "You're a Stag, Santoyo, you have to keep the right company."

"We have a list of all the girls on campus who'll make a suitable date," Randall Astor chimed in, handing him a piece of paper with about ten names written on it.

Teddy felt his stomach turning and he knew this wouldn't end well. Tripp must've known it too, because his hand quickly went to Teddy's shoulder, as if trying to hold him back from going off, literally. His eyes met his friend's and the look he found in that pool of hazel made him reconsider his next step. And so, breathing in and out, like a woman in labour, his eyes left Tripp's and went into the piece of paper.