(Aiden's POV)
I had been running for what seemed like an eternity. Trying to reach the only place I could think of that she would have run off to. My heart was beating out of my chest. It felt like I couldn't breath, and my eyes stung from the air whipping around me. But none of that mattered. I had one thing on my mind. Finding Ali.
When I reached the bridge, stopping only for a moment to catch my breath, then ran down the hill where the water met the rocky shore. I ascended the ladder that led to a small space under the bridge. Ali and I had came here, when we wanted to be alone. We had kept blankets, pillows, and some snacks in the little space. We had even hung pictures of us on the wall. This was our secret place. When I finally reached the top, I seen someone sitting in the corner facing the wall.
"Ali?" I said as I quickly rushed over to the person.
She turned around, but I could tell something was wrong. I was greeted with a sad smile. Just as I went to hug her, she disappeared in my arms. It was as if she had evaporated into nothing. I hit my fist off the ground in frustration.
A part of me knew something wasn't right. I couldn't feel her presence, like she was gone. The tears swelled in my eyes, and a tight feeling in my chest made me drop to my knees. Clutching my chest with one hand, as the other held me up. It felt as if my heart had sunk, and the walls I built had come crashing down with it.
This unusual feeling of pain felt like an open wound. My whole body was shaking, and my sobs were stifled at first as I attempted to hide my grief. Overcome by the wave of my emotions, I broke down entirely. All of my defenses washed away in those salty tears. Not tears of pain, but of suppressed rage.
I was more angry at myself than anything. To not know where she was or what had happened to her, burned in my chest. I choked on my sobs, as I tried to take a deep breath and collect my thoughts. There was a static in my head.
For a moment I thought it was Ali, but I was wrong. It was him. The man who has been talking to me for as long as I can remember. I never knew who he was. It had been a while since I had last seen or heard from him.
"Aiden. What's wrong?" The man asked.
I turned around slowly, and there he was standing behind me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I wiped the tears off of my face.
He studied me for a while, shifting his head side to side.
"I heard your cries. It seemed like you needed some help," He said as he held out his hand.
I hesitated as I stared at him.
"I can't do this right now. Get out of my head. I have to find her," I said as I walked past him.
He grabbed the sleeve of my jacket, and stared deep into my eyes.
"Oh I'm very much real, my boy. You're going to have to face me sooner or later," He said.
I pulled away, almost losing my balance, but gained my composure.
"I don't know who you are. What do you even want?" I asked in confusion.
"Ask your mother," Was all he said before disappearing just like Ali did.
The way he said mother caught me off guard. I shook my head as I made my way to the ladder, climbing down it carefully. My head clouded with so many questions. Some I didn't even want to know the answers to. This wasn't the time for this. I need to find Ali. I began to run as soon as my feet touched the ground.
When I got home, everyone was in the living room. My mother and Anna stood up, as if they were hoping I'd brought good news. I just shook my head, and Anna sunk back to the ground. Alex wrapped his arms around her, as he looked up at me. She pushed him away, before standing up and storming off into the kitchen.
"Aiden," My mother said, but I walked past her and followed Anna.
When I got into the kitchen, Anna was at the counter pouring herself a drink. Her hands were shaking. I could sense that she was hurting just as much as I was.
"You going to stop staring at me?" She asked as she turned around.
"Anna... I tried, but I just can't find her," I tried to explain.
"I just want to know why she left without saying anything. Has something been bothering her? Is there something you're not telling me?" She asked as the tears swelled in her eyes.
I sighed and shook my head.
"You have to know something, Aiden. You spend the most time with her. If there is something you're not telling me, I will be so angry," She said as she gripped her glass.
Her knuckles turning white from how hard she was gripping the glass. I was surprised that it didn't shatter.
"Believe me, I wish I knew where she was. I want her here more than anything," I said as I crossed my arms.
She looked away, as she took a long sip of wine from her glass. That strong feeling came back. The rage boiling in my blood. I clenched my fists, trying to hold my ground.
"This just isn't right. Something happened and I wanna know, god damn it!" She yelled as she turned her attention back to me.
"I honestly don't know what happened. I wish I did. You're not helping this situation. That's you're daughter! You shouldn't be drinking. We all need to be in our right minds, and work together to find her. Fighting with me isn't going to help Ali," I said as calmly as possible.
"Are you saying this is my fault?" She asked as she narrowed her eyes at me.
"I'm not blaming anyone! I just want to find her. Why are you so against me? What did I ever do, to make you feel this way? I love your daughter. She loves me. We are happy. Why can't you just accept that?" I asked as the filter came off.
The bottle holding all of my emotions, had finally broken. I did not regret what I said. Her expression changed from shocked to angry. A steamy tear fell down her cheek, as she took a deep breath.
"I love my daughter. I will do anything to protect her," She said as she closed the space between us.
I bit my lip as I thought carefully about what to say next, but that didn't stop the next words I said from escaping my lips.
"Protect her from what? Me? Why would you need to do that?" I asked.
I wasn't ready to hear what she had to say. Her temper had overpowered her. Without hesitating she said the most unbelievable thing.
"Because I don't know what you're capable of. You don't even know what you're capable of doing," She said before my mother interrupted.
"Anna! Stop this. This is not the time," My mother said.
"What is she talking about?" I asked as I turned my attention to her.
My mother stood there silent for a moment. Anna was quiet too. That's when my dad came in the kitchen, and put an arm around my mother. He whispered something to her,while her eyes never left my sight. She nodded her head, as a tear trickled down her face.
"Aiden will you come with me?" He asked.
"Not until someone tells me what is going on," I said as I shook my head.
"That's why I want you to come with me," My dad said as he held out a hand to me.
It reminded me of earlier, when that strange man tried to hold his hand out to me. I shook the thought from my head, as I walked towards my dad. He put his arm around my shoulders as he led me down to the basement, the place everyone did their training. He closed the door behind us, and I could hear faint arguing on the other side of the door. Was there really something I should be worried about?
Once we descended the stairs, my dad went to the mini fridge they kept down here for drinks. I had never done any real training except combat fighting. I wasn't like everyone else. I didn't have any special abilities like everyone else.
"Want a beer?" He asked.
His question shocked me. He had never offered me alcohol before. I nodded my head, and he handed me the bottle. He popped his lid off and took a big swig, before taking a deep breath.
"What? What is it? Is there something wrong with me?" I asked as I ran my fingertips around the lid of the bottle.
"No! No, there's nothing wrong with you," He said.
"Then what is it?" I asked as I looked over at him.
He sighed and took a moment to collect his thoughts.
"This is about where you came from," He said.
Those words echoed in my head. It felt as if I was having a nightmare. As if my life was in a never ending spiral. Almost like a comet, as it hurtles to the ground.
(Pic is of Anna)