Devoid

The ladder.

I lied down and got comfortable ready to sleep, but my brain refused to turn off. Instead, my thoughts went wandering into the shadowy corner of my mind, where I  tucked all my worries.

"Am I handling everything the right way? ".

"Was I really going to die, within a month?".

I started questioning myself.

That's when that day's events started rushing down on me. It made my lungs burn and my heart hit my chest so hard I thought it will break my ribs and rip apart my skin

I couldn't process it.

"Will I be no more?"

"Will my existence here on this world just be void?

" Why am I living for anyway, when I can't even handle my own elemental powers?"

"Certainly not for me. Maybe for my family. In, the end did it really matter?"

When I couldn't find my answers on the ceiling, my anxiety turned into panic. Getting up, I rushed towards my bathroom.

I stood near the washing basin and I clenched my fists tightly until my nails dig into the palm of my hand, but I barely noticed it that time.

The only thing I was really aware of, was the sound of my heart throbbing against the cage of my chest. It's not until I looked into the mirror, that  I was aware that I had been biting my lip so badly it started bleeding. Opening the water tap I started to wash my face vigorously.

If only washing my face, would have washed away my fears.

+++++

When I went back in I noticed, the moonlight penetrated through the window, making my room glow with an eerie light.

The clouds might have moved away. Like a moth drawn to a flame, I took off towards the source it was coming from and opened the glass panes, letting a cool breeze seep in.

It made me lift my hood to protect my ears from the unbearable cold.

When I looked forward to observing the beautiful moon, I noticed a bright yellow light coming from my neighbor's house, perhaps Skylar's one.

What was he doing? Up so late?

Like a peeping piper, I decided to see but couldn't get a clear view. His window was translucent.

"Dam it".

Maybe reading a book again.

Which reminded me of the book he was talking about earlier that afternoon.

"The queen Lusi ..a sa knew about the deaths beforehand".

He had told me.

"Leo comes to know about deaths beforehand too," I thought

Just like her.

This had to be somehow related, this had to be.

Leaving the window open, I rushed out of my door, towards the storehouse.

I smiled with satisfaction when I was finally able to find the ladder which was kept in the same position, it was in, the last time we used

-++++++++

"What on earth?".
Skylar nearly cried out.

"Umm hi? ", I greeted the fifteen-year-old boy, clad in his blue PJs staring at me wide-eyed.
We stood next to his window. His eyebrows raised as he questioned me,

Why did I do, what I did.

What I did was, I showed up at the poor lad's bedroom window at 2 AM on a ladder.

Not just that, I knocked on his window a couple of times.

Softly.

Very softly.

Very, very.

Yes, you can trust me.

Ok no,

Who am I kidding?

I banged on the glass so hard, it was on the verge of breaking.

" We're you sleeping?".
I asked him apologetically.

"No". He answered me.
" That's not my question, Agnes."

He eyed me worriedly.

"Are you okay? ".

"Skylar, I..I...actually wan....ted to. Wanted..to".

I stumbled upon my own words. Seriously, I could have asked him for the book the next morning. Why was I so irrational?

" Speak please". 

I looked up. Straight into his eyes and finally expressed myself.

"Skylar, I wanted to borrow a book".

He looked at me astonished.

"Seriously Agnes? I was worried. I thought it was something really serious"

" Wait! are you lying. Are you in trouble? We're you about to tell me and you changed your mind?".

Skylar looked genuinely concerned, his blue eyes were glowing in the moonlight. His wavy hair blew all over his face. His brows creased out of concern. 

 I  glanced at his black wooden desk. His table light was switched on, he was in the middle of reading a book, I looked around and spotted a big fat red book, that stood out like a sore thumb.

Yes, this was it.

"That one", I pointed out.

"Agnes, you never listen, which one?" He turned towards the direction my index pointed, "Sur.....", he stopped mid-sentence as he saw the red book.

"Absolutely not,".

"Why not?".

He hesitated

" You did tell me in this afternoon itself, I absolutely have to read this and now you are telling me absolutely not?"

Silence.

"Skylar, what are you not telling me? "

Silence.

"SKLAR?".
He sighed.

"I am sorry"