I fell to the ground, my muscles tiered of running, my feet tired of moving. I had run as far as a mile and into a lonely alleyway corner, littered with heaving bin bags and deserted trash bins.
The fences around me were high, blocking all sight of the gardens or homes inside and the Balamory-like garages, marked with scribbled swear words and drawings were abandoned left with only empty spray cans and rubbish.
I perched on my bum, catching my breath and regaining my energy.
I knew it was all useless though; Kye would find me and tell me everything was ok, he’d persuade me to come back to insanity with his cool smile and hot presence. I knew I’d go as well, my heart went soft when he was around, my mind wasn’t my own, I’d just listen to his silky voice and do whatever he says… just like all hair-brain girls- I’m no different.
There was a rustle around the corner, quite but in this empty silent place any noise was clearly recognised. Without thought I knew it was Kye, who else could it be? The silhouette appeared against the blaring sun, odd for this time of year. The figure came closer, much like the first time I’d met Kye but he stopped far off.
“Why did you run?” He was angry. I’d never seen him like this, his voice fierce and determined.
“I had to, I don’t cope with pressure…”I could tell my voice was shaky but steadying it was impossible.
“So run for miles? Clever, clever.” the sarcastic tone in his voice annoyed me but I held it in, I was too tiered. “There’s no pressure! God! How many bloody times?!”
I tried to pull back but the fence pushed me away. Again I felt the cool tears in my eyelids trying to escape,
“Our people don’t expect that much! Not many believe the prophecy anyway, we just need to settle the story… to complete as the tradition says.”
“You don’t understand, everything’s different here.” He could hear the upset in my voice but didn’t comfort me. “Earths people have never even welcomed me, as soon as my mother and father left that changed everything. I was completely different apparently, no-one wanted to come to my house when I was younger, no-one called my mum Ebony’s mum or my dad Ebony’s dad. None of the other parents spoke to either of mine, because we were apparently different. So we moved, I entered a new school and it got worse. I had to get A*’s to make my parents proud, get a good report, please my teachers and I actually did. But then everyone exiled me, people began to stare and whisper when I walked by but then it got even worse Kye, you wouldn’t believe it! Everything I did was funny or weird; when I fell people would laugh, when I was pushed people would whisper and when I actually did well or succeeded in something I was called names and thought strange.”
I sniffed as more words rambled out in my anger.
“Doing well has always been treated as a bad thing in my life! When someone laughs or points at you how do you think it affects my self esteem? You tell me there’s no pressure but what if I come and ruin anything instead!”
Tears began to fall, leaking out of my pained expression.
“I can’t do this Kye.”
Kye came down, his strong body holding me tight, his dark eyes staring into my tear-ed ones.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have got angry… you’re right, I…” I looked up as he spoke his calming words, “ I don’t understand your life here but it doesn’t sound nice, Glea is a new start… people wouldn’t laugh or whisper unless they’re saying- look there’s that girl from Earth who’s totally brave and pretty.”
I nudged him jokily, I knew he was teasing!
He pulled me up back onto my feet and as we walked away from lonely-town he unlocked his phone screen and dialled. Soon enough a cab appeared and we began to drive the few miles back to Kye’s.
*****
Kye seemed different now then ever before, he’d always been the hot, gorgeous model like guy who was sent to help, but now he was also someone who understood me. Does that sound clichéd or what?
Kye was sitting on one of the breakfast bar seats, finishing his lunch, as I stood, admiring all his features, at the other side of the kitchen, “Your place is nice! How the hell did you afford this?”
He looked up, a wide smile on his smooth, silky face, “Didn’t I say unlimited credit card? That what magic can do!”
I smiled walking over to Kye, trying my best to not look like a total idiot. Then Kye threw me a new look, sort of a glad but impressed or maybe jealous- it was hard to tell. He keeps this look as I came over to the matching chair.
“Stop it” I mumbled.
“What?” said Kye, with a childish look in his eyes.
“That look, you keep on staring at me, like I’m some sort of delicious desert you want to eat.. It’s weird.”
“Sorry.”
“Kye, so what’s the actually court thing like?”
“You see the court is like a court here except you don’t have to be on trial, it can decide a decision though, usually an important one… like this. There will be a bunch of witnesses and then there are the people in question then, depending on importance, they’ll be an honoured, which is like a knight-hooded person on Earth, who will overlook- like a judge. You’ll have the most important… Queen Aphrodite.”
“Isn’t that our Greek god of beauty?”
“No-one knows, some say yours was named after ours or the opposite, or there’s this one theory that they were both named after the first name for beauty.”
“So what’s this Aphrodite like? Nice?”
“Well, she’s the queen so she is, respected. But she is as you put it nice, she is kind hearted and in her 40 years as queen never been at war. She is also; well, as her name puts it, stunningly beautiful in ever single way. She young and…”
“What? You said 40 years as queen? How can she be young?” I interrupted.
“Oh, didn’t I say? We are frozen. On your 16th birthday you will be frozen, no more growing or changing always frozen.” He bent down and whispered, “Unless you’re pregnant that is!”
“So, except from kids, everyone’s our age?”
“Yup” He took a second to rewind his steps, “Aphrodite is young and flawless, she had perfectly pale skin, with blushing rosy bright red lips and long dark lashes framing her lime green eyes. Her hair is blond and slim, flowing from head to toe on her thin figure .And moves in sleek, flowing actions. She is what an angel is like.”
“How do you know?” I let out a small laugh.
“Because nothing could improve on her, nothing in the universe! Duh,”
In my head I imagined her like my mother, she herself was impossible attractive. With shimmering curly brown hair (like mine) cut above her shoulders and spotless green eyes too, but her best feature was her voice, light and sweet, clear and beautiful in everyway.
My mothers name was Amy, my father’s Daniel; they married young, as soon as allowed by law. They were always together, I remember them never working when I was young, we’d always play. In the summer we’d go to the park for picnics and ice cream, in the winter play in the snow and build men, in the spring we’d garden and grow plants in the light or in the rain sit inside and play board games and in the autumn we’d jump in the leaves and collect the acorns. Life was always better before they left, I’ve always remembered that.
I actually remember more that normal people do my early life, first steps, first friends, first invisible friend…
Kye looked at me, “What are you thinking?”
“About everything. Mostly my parents… before…” I pulled myself away from having to say my thoughts.
“Do they do it a lot?” I asked.
“What, the…” he paused.
“Murder” I pushed out the word even though it made my throat ache and hurt.
“No. Not for a thousand years but your parents were exceptions. They broke all the rules and created the myth.”
“So they made me the into prophecy? They made me recognized… special.”
Kye nodded,
“New view on it isn’t it. So they had to be punished and death was the most painless extreme punishment. They couldn’t have a normal one, they weren’t equal. Do you understand now?”
“Yes. Will I ever see them again?”
“Well it depends on what you believe,” He took my wrist and yanked me over to the big window of the main room, “I believe we’ll see them again, above the sky, above the universe, that’s were I believe heaven is. Right…” He wiggled his finger above and nudged his arm slightly every now and again until he stopped. “There.”
His deep brown eyes found mine again, searching into my thoughts. I met his gaze as always, I couldn’t resist his creamy eyes. I giggled slightly at the clichéd thoughts going through my head.
“What?” Kye said with a cheeky tone.
“Nothing.”
“Seriously, stop laughing at me… I thought you said you didn’t like people laughing at you!” He himself laughed before he saw the expression on my pained face. “Sorry, that wasn’t funny”
“It was not.”
“I’m gonna make something sweet for desert.” He strolled over the fridge swinging the door open and stepping forward. He pulled his head make and looked at me, “Want some?”
I nodded, as Kye fished out a bunch of colourful berries, vanilla ice cream and a few commercial sauces. My mouth began to drawl as he concocted the treat.
Kye smiled watching me watch him, and for once in my life I actually felt completely happy, safe and…
The thought was so shocking I couldn’t believe it, how could I not of seen it? Was I completely dumb or something? I looked at Kye, with some fear in my eyes, with shock and worry.
I was in love.
In love with Kye.
I was in love with my guardian.