"Hello," he said, quietly. She'd heard the boards creak seconds
before, so she was aware of his presence. He sat down on the edge of the
wooden pier, dangling his feet over the edge, inches above the water. She
remained silent, only glancing at him momentarily through her peripheral
vision. "My name's Jonothan. What's yours?" Still, she said nothing.
He felt hurt, but something inside him - determination, maybe - urged him to get a response. He did not know about her - no one had bothered to tell him. They'd probably all forgotten she existed once they chose to ignore her. So, he tried again.
"What's your name?"
She held up a hand to silence him and peered out across the lake, as though looking at something. He joined her gaze, trying desperately to see what it was. But there was nothing there. She turned to face him, finally. He shifted his position so that he could stare clearly into her translucent green eyes. In them alone, he was already lost.
"Death."
Startled out of the stupor, he shook his head. "What?" he asked. She turned away again, looking bored and more than a little frustrated. "I'm sorry," he begged. "I missed that. What did you say?" He leaned closer, trying with all his might to get her to acknowledge him again. But she didn't.
Deciding not to give up so easily as he had done in the past, he stayed by her side in silence for the next few hours. The sun slowly sank in the sky, casting shadows all around them, leaving a gorgeous hue of pink and orange and purple settling across the lake. It shimmered. He stood. "Fine," was all he said. And turned to walk away.
"My name is Death." He froze.
"What?!" She looked away again, upset. "No, I heard you," he whispered. "It's just that.that can't be your real name." She sat stone still on the pier, not turning to meet his gaze again. Tediously, he eased himself back down, only this time on his stomach. Gently, he laid a hand on her thigh. She jumped slightly underneath the pressure, trembling. He removed it, letting his fingertips end contact last, remembering in his mind how she quivered.
"You don't have a heart," she whispered. Startled, he pierced her with his eyes. Then, his face softened with mild understanding.
"I know. My powers destroyed it. As it will eventually do to the rest of my insides. The only thing keeping me alive then will be the damn curse that's trying to kill me."
He lowered his gaze, folding his hands in front of him. He could feel her stare on the back of his head and he loathed it, not knowing if it was pity or just curiosity. He hated people to pity him.
"How could you tell?" Sniffing, he glanced over one shoulder. Logan was looking at him from a picnic table among the group of people still gathered on the lawn. He turned away, pretending to look out towards the lake again as he waited for an answer. The girl seemed to be taking an awfully long time to answer any of his questions - almost as if she hadn't spoken for a long while. Deep down, he realized that maybe she hadn't.
"It's part of my powers," she hesitated. "I.kill people." She choked, breaking the stare down with the horizon, beginning a new one with her balled fists. Carefully, he placed a hand over them, cautious not to invoke a negative reaction. He began to relax into her tremble, allowing it to lull him slightly.
"I'm.sorry to here that."
Abruptly, she breathed in sharply and stood. Her hands slipped from his grasp in one fluid motion.
"It appears we both have curses on our lives." She turned away and walked back towards the mansion. Stunned at her sudden exit, he stayed where he stood and stared after her.
The professor wheeled up after she'd left.
"Jonothan. How did you get her to.do that?" he forced out through gritted teeth, obviously upset about something, yet genuinely interested.
"Do what?" he spat, pent up emotions sparking from his tongue. He thrust his hands out to his sides in askance before shoving them deep into his pockets.
"Get her to talk? She hasn't spoken for months since she's arrived here. None of us even know her true capabilities."
He felt hurt, but something inside him - determination, maybe - urged him to get a response. He did not know about her - no one had bothered to tell him. They'd probably all forgotten she existed once they chose to ignore her. So, he tried again.
"What's your name?"
She held up a hand to silence him and peered out across the lake, as though looking at something. He joined her gaze, trying desperately to see what it was. But there was nothing there. She turned to face him, finally. He shifted his position so that he could stare clearly into her translucent green eyes. In them alone, he was already lost.
"Death."
Startled out of the stupor, he shook his head. "What?" he asked. She turned away again, looking bored and more than a little frustrated. "I'm sorry," he begged. "I missed that. What did you say?" He leaned closer, trying with all his might to get her to acknowledge him again. But she didn't.
Deciding not to give up so easily as he had done in the past, he stayed by her side in silence for the next few hours. The sun slowly sank in the sky, casting shadows all around them, leaving a gorgeous hue of pink and orange and purple settling across the lake. It shimmered. He stood. "Fine," was all he said. And turned to walk away.
"My name is Death." He froze.
"What?!" She looked away again, upset. "No, I heard you," he whispered. "It's just that.that can't be your real name." She sat stone still on the pier, not turning to meet his gaze again. Tediously, he eased himself back down, only this time on his stomach. Gently, he laid a hand on her thigh. She jumped slightly underneath the pressure, trembling. He removed it, letting his fingertips end contact last, remembering in his mind how she quivered.
"You don't have a heart," she whispered. Startled, he pierced her with his eyes. Then, his face softened with mild understanding.
"I know. My powers destroyed it. As it will eventually do to the rest of my insides. The only thing keeping me alive then will be the damn curse that's trying to kill me."
He lowered his gaze, folding his hands in front of him. He could feel her stare on the back of his head and he loathed it, not knowing if it was pity or just curiosity. He hated people to pity him.
"How could you tell?" Sniffing, he glanced over one shoulder. Logan was looking at him from a picnic table among the group of people still gathered on the lawn. He turned away, pretending to look out towards the lake again as he waited for an answer. The girl seemed to be taking an awfully long time to answer any of his questions - almost as if she hadn't spoken for a long while. Deep down, he realized that maybe she hadn't.
"It's part of my powers," she hesitated. "I.kill people." She choked, breaking the stare down with the horizon, beginning a new one with her balled fists. Carefully, he placed a hand over them, cautious not to invoke a negative reaction. He began to relax into her tremble, allowing it to lull him slightly.
"I'm.sorry to here that."
Abruptly, she breathed in sharply and stood. Her hands slipped from his grasp in one fluid motion.
"It appears we both have curses on our lives." She turned away and walked back towards the mansion. Stunned at her sudden exit, he stayed where he stood and stared after her.
The professor wheeled up after she'd left.
"Jonothan. How did you get her to.do that?" he forced out through gritted teeth, obviously upset about something, yet genuinely interested.
"Do what?" he spat, pent up emotions sparking from his tongue. He thrust his hands out to his sides in askance before shoving them deep into his pockets.
"Get her to talk? She hasn't spoken for months since she's arrived here. None of us even know her true capabilities."