ELARA
I spent the whole day with William. He was clinging to me like I was about to disappear from the planet. I had to admit, he looked cute like that.
We stayed in my room most of the day. Every time I looked at the broken door, my blood started boiling again. I still couldn't believe that idiot had actually kicked it down. Later, when it was time for dinner, my first instinct was to refuse. But then I remembered I couldn't exactly punish my body just because I wanted answers.
At the table, everyone was silent. My parents tried to make conversation with me, but I barely replied, so eventually they gave up.
"This doctor seems interesting," my grandma said out of nowhere.
I lifted my head immediately and looked at her.
"What do you mean?" my dad asked.
"I don't mean anything. I'm just saying."
"Just because he's friendly, you find him interesting?" I asked.
I really needed to learn to keep my mouth shut. Especially when it came to Dr. T.
"He is overly friendly with you," my mom added.
Great. Add fuel to the fire. Now Grandma would overthink it even more.
"I noticed that too," William said.
I gave him a look sharp enough to kill.
"What? He is almost flirty with you. No, not almost. He definitely is," William added.
"From my point of view, I think he's a great guy," my dad said.
Finally, someone said something positive.
"Why? Just because he made Elara come out and eat?" my grandma snapped.
"I think you forget that you and Jessica went and asked for his help. And now you're talking badly about him," my dad shot back.
So Mom and Grandma really had gone to ask him for help? Then why were they acting like this now? Why talk about Dr. T like he was some problem?
"I think Elara should keep a little distance from Dr. T. That's all," my mom said.
"I agree," my grandma said.
"I agree too," William added.
"I'm still here," I said coldly. "And since when do you all get to decide who I should keep my distance from?"
"Sweetheart, we don't want to decide anything," my mom said gently. "But something feels off about him. We just want to be safe."
"Safe?" I started laughing. "Safe from what? Please explain. Elaborate."
"Baby, they just want you—" William started.
"I asked them. Not you," I cut him off. "You should stay out of this. This is between me and them."
"Why should I stay out of it? I agree with them. They have a point," William said.
"When it comes from you, I understand. You're jealous." I pointed at my mom and grandma. "But when it comes from them… I need a better explanation."
"We're just looking out for you," my grandma said.
"Oh really? And how exactly will you do that this time? Move us again? Transfer my uncle to another hospital just because you think something is off about Dr. T?"
This time, they stayed silent.
Only my dad spoke.
"Why would we move your uncle to another hospital? That would be a really lame excuse," he said.
But they remained silent.
"Since I was little, you've dictated my life. I never had a choice in anything. Why is that? I really want to know."
"Elara—" my mom started.
"I want to talk to Mom and Grandma alone."
I stood up. Mom and Grandma stood too. I followed them into Grandma's room. The door closed.
I leaned against it, waiting for them to speak.
It didn't take long.
"Why would you talk about these things in front of William?" my mom asked, annoyed.
"I don't care anymore who hears me asking these things," I said. "Because I know you two don't just find him strange for no reason. So come on. Talk."
"Later on, you'll understand," my grandma said.
"It's always later on. Until when are you going to keep this up? I'm an adult now, and you still treat me like a child."
"We're trying to protect you," my mom said.
"I don't need your fucking protection. Your protection is what keeps hurting me, and you don't even see that."
"What do you want to know?" my grandma asked.
"Everything. I want to know what you're hiding. Why won't you let me take the necklace off?"
"The necklace is for your protection," my grandma said.
"Protection from what?"
Silence.
"So you're not going to explain? Because this damn thing hurts me every birthday. And when it turns hot on normal days, suddenly we move. Why? What are you running from?"
"Everything positive has a little negative in it," my mom said weakly.
"Next question. Why is my blood black?"
"That—" my mom started.
"We don't know," my grandma cut in.
"You don't know?" I repeated.
"Yes," my mom said instead.
"And you want me to believe that?"
"It's the truth," my grandma insisted.
"I know you know something. I'm not stupid."
"We never said you were."
"God help both of you if I find out by myself."
The look on their faces told me that line hit harder than I expected.
I didn't stay to hear more of their bullshit. I walked out, shut the door behind me, and pretended I had left. But I stayed outside. Listening.
"What do we do now?" my mom asked.
"We need to find out if Elara knows something," my grandma said.
"And how do we do that?"
"We need to think of something."
"I'm wondering if we're overthinking Dr. T. Maybe he really is just friendly," my mom said.
"We need to be careful about everyone around Elara. We can't let them meet."
Them? Meet? Who exactly am I not supposed to meet?
"What if the monk was right and they will meet anyway?" my mum asked.
A monk? If I knew which monk she meant, I could go ask him myself.
"We went to great lengths to protect her from him."
Who are you talking about? Say a name. I'm begging you.
"But what if they meet anyway?" my mom pressed. "What do we do then?"
"That's why we have to be extra careful about the people around her," my grandma said.
"You make it sound like it's easy to spot him."
"You think I don't know it's not easy?"
"We should tell Elara everything. Maybe then she'd help us too. It would make things easier," my mom said.
"We will tell her nothing. At least not now."
"You really are stubborn."
"My stubbornness is protecting her!" my grandma snapped.
"Protecting her? Or pushing her straight into his arms?" my mom snapped back.
Okay. I loved that my mom was pushing this. At least this way I could hear more.
"How am I pushing her into his arms?" Grandma demanded.
"By not telling her anything! If she finds out by herself, who knows what she'll do? What if she runs away?"
"She won't."
"And how can you be so sure? What are you going to do, lock her away?"
"If I have to, then yes."
What the fuck?
"You're crazy," my mom said.
"Maybe. But I'll do anything to keep her away from that monster."
"If that time comes and you lock her away, do you think he won't find her? Then what? What if he punishes our family?" my mom asked.
"He won't find her."
"You're so fucking sure! You're the one who told me he's powerful and ruthless. And now suddenly you think you can outplay him?"
"I can try."
"You know what? I'm done playing this game with you. I don't want to be punished by him."
"Now you believe in him? Before you said I was crazy for believing in him. For believing he exists."
"The moment I saw Elara's blood, I knew you were right. But don't forget, we still don't know why her blood is black. I gave birth to her and she still has black blood. What if she isn't human?"
"How could she not be human when you gave birth to her?"
"Think about it! The monk said I shouldn't keep her away. They are destined to meet."
"But the other one said that if they meet, doom will come."
"And you think he's right?"
"You think the monk is right?" Grandma shot back.
"You see? We don't even know who is right and who is wrong. We've been living by what others said, but what if we're wrong? What if everything we've done until now was wrong?" my mom said. "Please. I don't want my daughter to hate me for life. Put your stubbornness away. I'm begging you."
When I heard footsteps, I ran back to my room. I didn't want to get caught. Eavesdropping was bad, sure. But this time it helped. Not much, but enough. At least now I knew they were running from someone. Someone not human. Someone I was apparently meant to meet.
But why?
Who is he?
In one thing, my mom was right. They shouldn't blindly believe others. Sometimes things aren't what they seem.
When I entered my room, William was waiting for me in bed.
"Did you have a good talk with them?" he asked as I lay down beside him.
"It was everything except good."
"It couldn't have been that bad. I mean, they want you to be okay," he said.
I turned on my side to face him.
"Look, I appreciate your concern. I understand that you want me to be on good terms with my family. But it's not as simple as you think. This isn't something that can be solved over a family dinner or a day out. So please, stay out of it."
"Then explain it to me so I can understand."
For one second, I almost told him everything. But that would mean telling him everything. And I didn't think he'd take it well. Just my blood being black would freak him out. And I didn't want him running to doctors or whoever else, only for me to end up as some lab rat they'd cut open for answers. And maybe…
Maybe I really wasn't human. Thinking that now felt less impossible than before.
"Some things are better left unsaid," I said finally.
"But—"
"Maybe one day. But not now. Let's just sleep."
"Okay," he said quietly. "But I hope one day you can open up."
He can dream. For now, it's better if he knows nothing.
God.
I sound like my mom and grandma.
But in my defence, I actually have a reason for not telling him.