ELIAS POV
"Follow me," She had said.
As if she even had to say. Ever since I first saw her, I knew I never wanted to lose her. Everything about her was bright; her sunshine hair, her platinum smile. She was like sunlight, and I couldn't look away.
I thought about telling her that once, when we sat together on the grass and looked up at the glass dome I called home. The rays of light that flittered through the trees above us illuminated her skin, making her glow. I had never seen anything so beautiful, and I wanted to tell her that.
But I couldn't.
There were so many times like this when I wanted to say something, but my words failed me. I am not sure why this is. It frustrated me because I wanted to say more to her, but I never seemed to be able to.
You're weak. The voice chided, making my head pound. Over the years, I have tried numerous times to block it out. I was successful for a while, forgetting all the painful memories of the voice that haunted my youth. But as soon as I heard his voice again, and saw how he gripped Aurora around the neck, it seared its way into my mind.
Remembering how that evil man slammed my Aurora to the wall made my hands clench. My thoughts began to spiral, growing darker and more hateful. My hands began to burn, my talons threatening to break skin. Then she laughed.
I stilled.
The musical sound filled my senses, pushing away all the pain, confusion, and darkness. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, listening, hoping her laugh would engrave itself in my mind and stay there forever.
As her laugh faded, the room grew cold again. Opening my eyes, I noticed she had turned away from me, making her way out of our room, taking all the light out of the room. Immediately, I followed.
Flexing my back, I tucked my wings in, making my way through the small doorframe to chase after her.
I caught up easily, keeping a careful pace behind her as we walked down what Alieen had called a 'hallway'. I did my best to mimic her comfortable stride, but I was still on edge. My entire life, I had always had a routine. I felt comfort in that routine because I always knew what to expect, even if it was something bad. But ever since we left the lab, I have felt nothing but uncertainty. It made me anxious, never knowing what was coming.
Even now, as I followed Aurora down the hall, I was filled with uncertainty about where we were going and whether or not someone would break in right now and steal her away from me. My chest ached at the thought, and I ran a shaky hand through my wet hair. She walked slightly ahead of me, suddenly too far away for my liking. I thought of holding her hand, but she turned into another room as soon as I reached out to her.
Unwilling to let her out of my sight, I quickly followed. My eyes widened in recognition. I remembered this room. Memories of last night came back to me as I glanced around the small area. I remembered the soup Aileen had given me while we sat at the wooden table. I remembered the questions she asked me, not about my wings or how I got here, but about the things that I liked. Most of all, I remember feeling strangely at ease with this unfamiliar person. I tried to recall more, but my mind failed me. I could only remember bits and pieces of last night and the bitter red liquid that made the room spin.
"What's wrong?" I heard Aurora ask from beside me. I still hadn't moved from the doorframe.
"I was...thinking," I said quietly, tucking a strand of wet hair behind my ear.
"About what?" she inquired, gesturing for me to sit down. I obliged, entering the room to take a seat at the table. I watched as she began assembling a plate of food for me.
"Last night, I don't remember much," I said, frowning at the wooden surface, remembering that Aileen had told me she made it from the trees outside.
Aurora came over with a full plate, setting it in front of me before sitting in the chair across from me. I watched as she leaned back against the chair and let out a breath.
"That tends to happen with alcohol. Don't worry. I'll fill you in after you eat," She said, looking pointedly at the steaming food in front of me.
The plate of food that Aurora put in front of me looked strange. It was a combination of hues; shades of yellow and brown. The smell was something else too. It smelled nothing like anything I had ever eaten before, and for some reason, that made me want to try it immediately.
Picking up the fork, I stabbed one of the crispy brown shapes and put it in my mouth. As I chewed, I was overwhelmed with several flavors and textures unique to me. Before I knew it, I ate another piece, and another, and then the plate was empty.
I felt my stomach stretch when I leaned back into the chair with a sigh. This was another new feeling for me, fullness, and I quite liked it.
"Aileen says we should explore. How do you feel about that?" Aurora said after a moment, her warm brown eyes meeting my gaze.
Her questions never failed to surprise me. She always asked me things that made me think about what I wanted to do. I wasn't used to it, and I was afraid that I always took a long time to reply.
Did I want to go outside?
I frowned, trying to remember what it was like outside this room. I thought of the trees that were taller than anything I had ever seen. Then I thought of all the little noises and hurried breaths of the creatures that watched us in the darkness.
My breath quickened.
I was afraid of going out there, not knowing what to expect, but I also wanted to learn more.
Looking back up at Aurora, she observed my hesitation with that knowing gaze of hers. Sometimes it felt like she could see right through me, reading the words that always died on my tongue. She comforted me in a way that nobody else ever had, and for that, I trusted her with my whole being.
I nodded. She flashed me that brilliant smile, holding out her hand for me. I took it immediately. She wrapped her fingers around mine, and I pressed our palms close, letting her warmth comfort me once again and push away all my negative thoughts.
Slowly, we walked to the door that we had entered yesterday. It looked so different during the day and I briefly pondered what else would look different with the daylight. I waited patiently as Aurora opened the door and gently guided me through it.
Immediately, I was overwhelmed by the brightness of day. The sun's unforgiving rays temporarily blinded me as my vision fought to adjust to the unrestricted light. I clutched Aurora's hand like a lifeline as she guided me further outside.
Eventually, my eyes began to adjust, and I looked around. From what I could see, there were various large lodgings similar to the one we had just left. Unlike last night, people were outside, walking around and talking to one another.
I observed them, seeing if they would notice me, if they would come after me and drag me back to the place with the white walls and never-ending darkness. The place with no light, no Aurora.
I stiffened when a man sitting in a chair outside of his home noticed us. Clutching Aurora's hand, I readied myself to take her away if he came near us. A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my face as I watched the man stand up, keeping his eyes on us. My heart raced as he lifted his hand in the air and moved it, smiling at us.
I stopped walking, pulling Aurora back towards me. Her surprised expression turned into one of understanding when she saw the worry on my face. She grabbed my face, forcing me to look at her and only her. I do, drowning out the rest of the world.
"It's okay, I'm right here," She whispered, brushing my cheek with her thumb. I stared at her calm expression and focused on slowing down my breathing.
"He was just trying to say hello. I don't think he wants to hurt us," She said, letting go of my face once she saw that I had calmed down.
I let out a breath, glancing back over to the man who had sat back down, watching us in confusion.
"Why don't you try waving back?" Aurora added, reclaiming one of my hands.
I looked at her in confusion, and she smiled, "Like this," She said, raising her hand like the man had done and moving it back and forth.
I looked back at the man who was still in his chair, and raised my own hand, copying Aurora's movements. I watched his expression lighten as he returned the gesture, smiling at us once again.
After that was over, we continued to walk through the town, passing various people. Some of them would smile at us while others barely noticed us. The more people we passed, the more I felt at ease that they genuinely meant no harm. Once I felt more comfortable, I began looking around and admiring my surroundings.
This place was unlike anything I had ever seen. All around us, there was green. From the grass surrounding the path we walked to the trees that towered above us. I was in awe by the beauty of such untamed nature. Looking up to the bright blue sky, it looked endless. My wings twitched at the thought of taking off, flying as high as I could with nothing stopping me.
The more I saw, the more I didn't understand. My mind threatened to burst with all the questions I had conjured, but I stayed silent.
Holding Aurora's hand a little tighter, I knew I'd be able to ask her one day.