Life became a strange sort of place when you suddenly lost everything that ever existed in your own little corner of the world. He had only been six years old at the time when his entire family had been killed. The man’s face had been forever etched in his mind and he could remember it more clearly than the sound of his mother and father’s voices. Even the voice of his sister was like a dull echo in a flooded hallway, and it existed only in air bubbles trapped beneath the clear blue surface; left over from her drowning last breathes. Her face was still picture perfect and clear in his mind. Whenever he had managed to hurt himself while playing she had been right there to calm him down and clean him up, all concern upon her face and then a smile to assure him the world was not going to end with any single bruise or scrape.
It had ended, but like she had said, not with a single bruise or scrape.
He closed his eyes and listened to the distant voices in the tavern that, from where he stood outside, were like scattered whispers. He pretended that they were more familiar sounds. That they were the voices of his family in the distance.
Elem imagined his sister laughing with her friends outside in the spring rain, when they would all play a game that involved leaping from puddle to puddle and whispering each other secrets. His parents would make him stay inside, because Elem had always been a sickly child. So he would watch his sister and her friends play. To him they were like magical fairies that couldnt be harmed by anything, where Elem was just a frail mortal stuck in his gilded cage. And Elem wanted to be like them.
Then Elem imagined his parents talking in hushed whispers. The laughter that trickled through was from his father being clever and his mother entertained by his rambling thoughts. But then the hushed whispers broke and he could hear footsteps. Instictively he turned in their direction and waited, but only a drunken man passed him by, stumbling out of the tavern.
Lately every corner he turned was filled with dark shadows clinging to the walls. Each and every one of them starred down at him and watched as he passed. He could almost feel them reaching out to pull him closer. They wrapped around him as he passed them, hiding him from the rest of the world. Promising to keep him safe and be there around his shoulders until it was over and done.
Elem had never been so very close. He’d had to give up much to get here, but it was all worth it. Nothing at all mattered to him anymore except this. Every breath, every whisper and word. Every person he had killed along the way to get where he was.
He looked up then and a pale, but lovely woman stood in from of him smiling. Her beauty was quite infectious. But it was not her only talent, she was quite adept at other things. “Good evening Fern.”
Fern pulled back the hood and flashed one of her lovey dovey smiles, mostly to annoy Elem. She enjoyed watching him fidget. “I found what you wanted Elem.”
“Good, I do not need anything else at the moment. You should probably return to Simon before he notices you missing.” Elem bowed.
She curtsied in return. “Are you sure there is not something I can get you?”
“No.” His voice was calm, cold and collected as always. “I am sure he will notice if you are gone too long. I hope I have not inconvenienced you too much Fern, or should I call you Alice?”
There was a glint in the corners of her eyes and the smirk formed on her lips. Deep knowing eyes danced along his face and it unnerved him slightly. Even if her magic had no effect on him, he could still feel it crawling along his skin. “No inconvenience at all. I can make him disappear again any time I want.”
“I never quite understood what you need him for.” Elem said plainly.
Again she smiled. “It is not quite any of your business actually.” She returned his inquiry with a verbal door to the face. “You are quite lucky I enjoy helping you, Mr. Elem Rosewood. You don’t have to be so rude.” She pouted then, and turned to walk away.
“Apologies.” Elem said in a flat tone.
She turned her head for a moment and smiled enthusiastically, “Apology accepted!” then turned the corner and disappeared.
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