Chapter 4 17th Night

The complexities of life is what actually makes life worth living. Imagine a life with nothing to strive for, nothing to fight for, nothing to look forward to, everyday appears the same, nothing defines anything and ultimately we will end up feeling left out of the very life we were meant to live. This is why it takes sickness to cherish health, lack to cherish the littlest of things and eventually death to cherish life. For this very reason I remain of the opinion every life event is significant, nothing just happens.

I was on the roof top of our school, it's a cool place where we sometime go to have a a really good view of Scarville, and there was Cassidy, She smiled at me and I reciprocated. She wore an elegant looking red gown that made her beauty even more ravishing. As I walked towards her, I realised I was on uniform so I asked " why ain't you on uniform, is anything happening today?" "No Travis, I wore this dress just for you" she replied as she took hold of me and made to kiss me, I was looking forward to the kiss when she suddenly threw me off the roof top. I was falling non stop until I began hearing a continuous beeping sound like a bus on reverse. I gradually began to open my eyes, my vision was blur, my head was aching badly and the more I try to make sense of my environment the harder it ached, I had to close my eyes. I felt warm so I knew I was in a duvet and on a bed, I could hear someone whispering some words, then I could also hear people having a conversation quite far from where I layed, I couldn't just make sense of the words. However, I noticed that the closer I listened, the farther I could hear, suddenly a door was slammed. It sounded so loud that it made me jerk out of bed, I felt people trying to hold me down and then I passed out.

I opened my eyes again, this time around I felt much more better. I could see and make sense of my environment. I realised I was in a hospital, there was a bandage around my stomach and some syringe connected to different parts of my body but I wasn't feeling any pain whatsoever. I looked to my left and saw my mother, she was asleep by my bed side. I used the pulse oximeter connected to my index finger to caress her hair, she raised her head and looked at me with a very deep smile which was followed up by tears, her face turned reddish as she made to kiss my forehead, she had really been through a lot. "How do you feel baby?" She asked amidst tears "Very ok Mum, I feel totally fine, why am I here?" "Wait, let me get the doctor ok" she said as she left.

I tried recollecting what must have finally gotten me hospitalised, but I just couldn't lay my hands on it. Could it be the push by Cassidy?, but i knew that was a dream. I was still trying to recollect what actually happened when I saw the doctor walking into the room with Dr. Elizabeth, Julian's mother, I then thought of Julian, how he sprained his ankle after the final and how the wolf had attacked us.

"Mr. Travis Kent, Wow, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Xavier asked as he examined me "I feel very ok doc, I feel no pain whatsoever" "is that even possible?" He asked looking surprised ''you were brought in here unconscious three days ago with three fractured ribs, except you are something beyond science you should still be in pains at least from the surgery''. Dr. Xavier reached out for my left ribs and applied pressure at different points to see if I will express any form of discomfort but I felt nothing except the tickling feeling that comes with having your ribs being touched. I was taken for two different x-rays and Dr. Xavier was dumbfounded as he explained how my ribs have realigned perfectly. The tagged my recovery a miracle of some sort since it couldn't be explained medically.

I was discharged the following day which was coincidentally August 17th, my 17th birthday. On getting home, there was Julian who hugged me tightly, he was still limping from the sprain meanwhile I had recovered from a fracture. How strange? Julian led me inside where I met my dad and a host of friends who had a surprise welcome back party planned for me, it was a memorable day for me. I got a lot of advice from members of our church who felt like I have to start making better life choices as I wasn't growing any younger. I got gifts as well but they were outweighed by the advise.

Immediately after cutting my cake I noticed my parents became withdrawn from the whole party and I could tell the reason, I shouldn't be the only one cutting the cake, Tamara should have been there with me. What can I do, somethings are just not in our power to change, we have to keep pushing regardless, we can't allow the hurt of the past keep us from living the present to it's fullest. My mother appeared more sober than my father and from where I stood I could somehow hear the the question she was asking him in the balcony even with the whole party going on " what's it with our family and wolves?" At this point I began to ponder, I knew there was more to this whole madness than meets the eye.

I discharged the guests and got into bed when I got a video call from an unknown contact, I picked up and it was Cassidy Williams. I couldn't believe my eyes, her face looked pale she was obviously still in the hospital after she fainted on the first day of resumption. "Happy birthday T.K" "who is T.K?" I asked trying really heard to distract her from whatever pains she might be going through. "You of Course" she answered laughing "or are there any other Travis or Kent having their birthday today" "hmmm for a Travis Nah but for a Kent, supposedly" I answered laughing really hard to hide the pain. She laughed as well as she asked what I meant by that. There is no way I was going to tell her about my twin sister, at least not yet.

"I would come see you tomorrow ok?" I would keep you company and ensure you are outta there in no time" "alright T bring, your sketch book along please" she answered as we ended the call. There was something about the way she talks and calls my name that makes it really difficult to refuse her anything.

I had barely dropped the call when my father walked into my room "hmm who was that?" He asked clearing his throat "It's a classmate dad; she had called to wish me a happy birthday" "don't worry Travis" he chuckled softly as he continued "i'm not here to judge you, I just want you to know that you are unique and not like other kids, you are getting older and things are gonna change around you. You are going to have friends as well as enemies who would relentlessly come for you but in all, never you loose yourself". There was something different about the way my father spoke to me that night like he was almost in pains and regret.

While my father spoke to me, the clouds began to rumble. As he turned to leave there was a lightening strike which brightened up the room, revealing a marking behind his neck. It was the same with the one behind my neck, the Thunderbolt, and according to my mother Tamara also had the same markings.

I have known my father for seventeen years of my life, how then am I just noticing this markings today?