The Mortal Fringe by Jordi Ribolleda

the previous
day.
    I know that Constance will have
answers to the green eyes, for sure. What I don't know is if I want
to know them. I fill myself with valor and slowly rise both my
hands and take the sunglasses off.
    I will forever remember her going pale
after seeing me.
    "This class is over. Everyone out.
Right now" She is almost screaming, and I know that «everyone» does
not include me.
    I see all my classmates leaving while
Constance studies my face to the millimeter. Ingrid waves at me
from the door and mouths something I can't understand.
    "So, after all, you bonded" she says,
being very proud of herself. "It seems that our final conversation
did work after all."
    "What are you talking
about?"
    She starts laughing, in a rather
hysterical way.
    "Green eyes are distinctive for our
kind, boy" she grabs my face and opens my eyes with her fingers.
"There's no stopping it now."
    "But I don't understand.”
    "Cheer up, you are finally worth
something. You are Elizabeth's catalyst now, officially. I bet you
can already communicate mentally" she looks at my expression as I
blush, she then scrams of joy "Yes! I won't fail again, we will
have to toast for that."
    A toast for my own and sure death
scene? I am getting used to her way of treating people, mere
mortals, as she calls us. But I will never know how she can bear to
look at me and say such things to my face.
    "I will make sure you don't fail, Mr.
Stills" She says, grabbing my face again with both hands with too
much strength. She is not euphoric anymore, she is more like
furious. "My Elizabeth is not going to fail this, young man. If you
try something, something that could put her in the danger of
becoming a Tartar. I will have you both killed."
    The words hit me like nothing has ever
hit me before. Kill us both?
    I force myself away from her. I'm
sweating again, and I can feel my body full of rage.
    "Kill us both you say?" I am
screaming. Suddenly all the windows in the class shut down, so does
the door. We are completely isolated. I ignore it "You would kill
her?"
    "Yes" she says with no trace of
hesitation “she is like a daughter to me. I love her. I will not
let her go awry."
    "A daughter! I see you know nothing
about loving nor being a mother. You and your disgusting kind. You
may think we mortals are worthless, but we will always have people
to fight for, people we love."
    "Did your stupid mother tell you
that?" she jokes
    Then my fury explodes. I jump right on
her.
    "Never insult my mother again, never!
You have no idea of what she has gone through" I have both my hands
around her neck.
    And she is still smiling.
    "Oh, but I do" she gasps.
    I let go. And my body starts trembling
again.
    "I don't think you have been back on a
car ever since, have you? Oh wait, yes, your mortal friend drove
you to the airport. If you can call that a friend, of
course."
    I can't move.
    "Who was it, Alexander? Do you
remember what happened?"
    "Stop" I whisper, but I am not asking,
I am begging.
    "Oh, but are you sure you don't
remember?"
    "Please" I shut my eyes again and try
to breathe slowly.
    I can hear her walking around
me.
    "You are no better than me" she
whispers.
    "Shut up!" I hit her as hard as I can
and when she hits the floor I leave the classroom. I am not
sorry.
    I can't see clearly, I'm shaking,
there's tears coming down my face, and the fury I feel inside me is
beyond imaginable. I know now that she will stop at
nothing.
    I know now that she has condemned
me.
    The worst day is back, and with it are
the memories of what turned my life into hell. I remember
everything I was hiding from.
    I can't get away, not this
time.
     
     

CHAPTER 17
    Hello mom,
    I need to tell you that you were
right about this, about all this, as always. I wasn't ready for
it.
    What I thought was going to be
tough just turned out to be hell. Everything I tried to keep away
from my mind is back. I should not have come here, running away is
not as easy as I thought it was.
    Officially, I am not