All Alone

After the Mayor meeting with Geb was easy. He knew what was going on. I started spelling some metal and once we got the hang of it and the spells took when someone else drew the runes I left. it was all well and good but it was time to make lunch. Griffin followed me to Alex’s place but he stayed down in the lobby. No one was allowed inside unless things changed for the worse and Alex needed help. That typically didn’t happen but it could.

Lunch was usually the same thing, sometimes I’d make Alex pancakes since he loved them so much but usually it was just some kind of home made sandwich. Today I was doing chicken salad on rye. Alex’s house keeper still kept the fridge well stocked, though less stocked than usual since we only used it for lunch. But it always had what I needed and she seemed to get me better than most people – though we had never actually met.

Halfway through grilling the chicken my phone beeped with a new voice mail. Which was odd, since it hadn’t even rang. It was from Alex and my heart sank the moment I heard it. “Hey Pretty Boy, I can’t make lunch. Benji and I have a meeting I can’t get around. See you tonight.”

That was the problem with meeting up before Alex got here. Now I had more than enough food for the two of us and no one to eat with. I sighed as I finished the meal, ate and then I crawled into Alex’s bed.

Or on top of it rather and pulled his pillow into my chest. The problem was it didn’t smell like Alex. There was a lingering of his cologne in the air, and the soft scent of citrus but Alex hadn’t actually stayed her in years. The smells were covered by layers of dust and pollution. The scent of his house keeper was more present than he was.

There was no point staying in, so I went home. The walk was easy and the stairs made me breathe heavy. But no one was home. All our things were moving out – all except our bedroom. I guessed they were waiting on me. I didn’t know, but I needed Alex and I missed him.

Our room was near empty – even the bed was gone. My things had been moved and I sighed. Even home wasn’t home.

I collapsed on the floor and sat with my arms around my knees in the middle of the room. Griffin stood in the doorway. “You alright?”

I shrugged. “Not really.”

“Want me to find Ryan?”

I shook my head, “No, I’m going to go for a run.”

He nodded, “Are you going to lose me?”

I smirked, “Yes.”

He walked over to me and offered me a hand up and as I stood up he reached into my back pocket and took my phone. He tapped a few things and then slid it back, “Okay. That tracking rune you have is great, but I like tech too.”

I smiled, “You aren’t going to get angry with me?”

He sighed, “There is no point, Nox. I can only protect you so far, and I really don’t want to go for a run. But I know you need to do something. I see the strain on you and I’m not an idiot.”

“I never said you were.”

He grinned and nodded, “Run, relax, and we’ll meet you at the new house. Don’t come back here without an escort. We still aren’t sure of the security now.”

I nodded. I could do that. Though there was nothing here anyway. No Alex, no room, no home. It was just empty and it felt like I’d lost something but didn’t know what it was.

I didn’t have to change I ran in my jeans on a good day so this was just like any other. I had no destination so I just started running. My mind wandered, my power I pulled in around me. It wasn’t something I intentionally did, but I was feeling small and broken, and Alex had ditched me for Benji. My family had moved everything without my help. I was feeling useless. If I didn’t have all this power would anyone even miss me?

That was the question I had and kept pushing my legs forward as I ran through the streets of my home. No one would even notice. I was this all powerful ruler and no one would notice I was gone. 

All that power was locked up inside me, what little good it did. I found myself running through Central Park and stopped to look out over the small lake. There was bench near by and I sat down staring out onto the water. No one would even notice if I was gone, kept running through my mind.

I don’t know how long I sat there. It didn’t really matter, Griffin knew where I was. And if anyone cared they’d find me. 

Hours went by and the only things that cared I sat there were the ducks begging for a few scraps of bread which I didn’t have. Even they left me as I wasn’t worth their time. The sun was setting and night was falling in the park and no one came looking for me. I glanced at my phone and there was no missed calls. No messages from Alex. I should have sent a text but I didn’t. He could find me better than anyone else.

The sun finally dipped below the horizon and a woman sat down next to me. She felt like nothing, I saw nothing around her. That alone should have said something, but I recognized her as the woman who had helped Alex. A pretty blonde who I’d met once. She smiled at me and put her hand on my knee. “You should sleep now.”

It was more than a suggestion as I closed my eyes and I drifted into nothingness.