The Black Doors Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Yellow Bird

It was like the first morning all over again. The same amount of light pouring in streams through the open window. The same, well rested, safe feeling. Only this time, Destiny had a pair of bruises on her knees, and the heels of both her palms were bandaged, as well as were her elbows.

The clock read “Ten A.M.” Outside, everything seemed so much brighter. She even bothered opening her window to smell the fresh, outdoor breeze.   

Amber, Dylan, and Markus were all waiting at the card table downstairs. Amber was the first to notice Destiny as she walked sheepishly down the stairs, “She’s awake!” She announced, and she ran up the last few steps to embrace Destiny, “Oh we were so worried about you! Don’t ever, ever, ever do that again! I don’t care what stupid thing Adriel says to you. He’s always saying stupid things. Don’t you dare do that to us again!”

She sounded angry and overjoyed all at once. Much like how her mother would have sounded in that situation. Well, maybe her mother a few years ago, back when her mother had really felt like her mother.

Dylan looked serious, “But we’re glad to have you back,” he said. Markus hung back at the table. He was barely even looking at Destiny.

Amber shrugged her head a little in his direction, “He’s a bit upset,” she said, “You might want to talk to him.”

Destiny separated herself from the others, and looked directly at Markus. Markus wasn’t paying her any attention now. He was playing with some poker chips, pretending to examine them closely as he drew them out and replaced them, “Markus?” Destiny said, “Markus,” she called to him.

Markus didn’t look up. He kept his head bent, looking more like his brother than she’d ever noticed before, “Why did you go?” he asked, his voice cold.

“I was upset Markus,” she answered. She had taken a few steps towards him. She stood there now, waiting for him to acknowledge her in some way.

“Why did you go, Destiny?” he asked again, this time his voice failed him a little as it cracked, “Why do you always have to go?”

His hands came up to his face and he was crying.

Destiny ran over to him, and put her arms around him, “Aww,” she was saying, “There there, sweety,” she held him tightly as he cried, “I’m not going anywhere right now. I’m sorry I left like that last night.”

“But you’re always saying how you won’t be staying very long,” Markus said between tears, “I don’t see why you can’t just live here. I thought you liked it here? Sammy likes you, and I always play your favorite pieces on the piano. Didn’t you notice? And I help you with the cooking and cleaning, too.”

Now Destiny was crying, pressing her chin into Markus’s hair, “Of course I like it here,” she said, “And I love Sammy.”

It dawned on her that moment how incredibly selfish she had been behaving. She had the right to want to go home. She had the right, she told herself. But why did she have to keep throwing that in peoples’ faces? Why did she have to keep reminding them of it; reminding them of how she didn’t belong here, and of how she never would.

“So how long are you going to stay?” Markus asked once both their tears had dried.

“I don’t know, Markus,” Destiny said, “But I promise you that I’ll let you know before I ever leave again.”

Markus nodded, “Okay,” he said, realizing that he couldn’t ask for anything more.

The others had left them alone while Markus was crying. After a few more moments, however, Amber reentered, “He’s upstairs,” she said, “Just so you know.”

Destiny nodded, and gave Markus one more squeeze before moving towards the stairs.

* * *

“Come in,” his voice said through the door. Slowly, Destiny opened the door, and entered Adriel’s studio.

A canvas was set up as usual, along with a various assortment of paints. Surprisingly, Adriel wasn’t painting at the moment. He was staring out the window, apparently interrupted from a very deep train of thought, “Hello,” Destiny said.

“Good morning,” Adriel greeted her gently.

Neither of them spoke for a while. Destiny found it difficult to hold his gaze, “Thank you for saving me last night,” She finally blurted out.

Adriel didn’t say anything. He was looking at her with an expression she couldn’t quite understand, “I know how far out of your way you must have had to go to find me there, so...”

“You’re welcome,” Adriel said finally, and it came out a little forced, like he had been struggling over the right thing to say, “And trust me, saving your life will never be out of the way for me.”

Destiny felt a little jolt of hope as he said the word “will”. “I don’t understand something though,” she began, “How did you manage to find me?”

“I told the bus driver who dropped you off where it was that I wanted to go,” for a moment, his expression looked dark as he mentioned the bus driver, “I told him I wanted to go wherever it was that you had gone, and when he gave me my ticket, I forced him to tell me where it was he had taken you. It so happened that the place he took you to was just on the other side of the bay, a few miles inland. So I borrowed a motorcycle, hoping to get to you as quickly as I could.”

His face grew very serious for a moment, “Don’t ever ask them to take you just anywhere,” he advised her,

“You aren’t the first one to make that mistake, but I doubt few who have chosen that route have ever survived to live decent lives.”

Destiny nodded, “I guess I was desperate,” she said, “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry,” Adriel said, and she looked up at him, “I should never have spoken to you like I did last night. You were trying to help me and I told you off. I am sorry.”

“You were tired,” Destiny said, “You were barely awake. I overreacted.”

Adriel’s mouth twitched, but he didn’t say anything else. Destiny wondered if it was hard for someone usually so talkative to keep his thoughts to himself, “Well,” she said, “I guess I’d better go.” And she turned to leave.

“Destiny?” Adriel’s voice asked. Destiny turned back around.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Do you know anything about painting?”

Destiny tried to force back a smile, “A little,” she said, “I took a class on it sophomore year. Why?”

“Maybe you’d like to paint something?” Adriel asked almost nervously.

Destiny nodded, “I’d love that.” she said. Adriel grinned at her.

He looked the happiest she had ever seen him.

Timidly, Destiny walked over to his canvas. There was already a painting being started on it, “I could just watch you for now,” she suggested, “That would be interesting...Unless this is an important piece...”

Adriel grinned, “No, it’s not important,” he said, and he stepped in front of the canvas, light shining all over him through the blinds over the open window. Gingerly, he picked up a brush from his art stand, and began painting again.

“This one’ s just for a friend, so I’m not getting paid so much, and it’s quite an easy one to do,” he said.

Destiny nodded. She just sat there watching him paint for a while. His movements seemed freer in front of the canvas. His eyes were fixed instead of restless, “How do you stand it?” she asked.

“Stand what?”

“Painting so much?” Destiny said, “Don’t you ever get tired of it.”

Adriel dipped his brush into a can of water, “Yes, sometimes,” he said, “But, to tell you the truth, I find myself easier to be around when I’m working on something. Creating something.”

Destiny was listening, “I don’t find you hard to be around,” she said truthfully.

Adriel was fighting back a smile, and Destiny realized how much this statement must contradict with what she had said last night, “Things don’t bother me when I’m painting. Everything just vanishes, and I feel like I’m really doing something important.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that no one other than the people in this city will see your work, though?” Destiny asked.

“It would,” Adriel said, “If I painted for reasons other than I do. But I paint because I love it. The only thing I regret about my art not reaching farther than this city is that I won’t be able to share my gift with more people who might want to share in it.”

“Why don’t you leave then?” Destiny asked, “There are lots of people to see your paintings out there.”

Adriel seemed to have gone cold for a moment, “I can’t,” he said finally, “I can’t leave. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“You’re a prisoner too,” Destiny said, though she must have realized this before. Adriel didn’t say anything. He just kept painting.

* * *

She spent most of the day with Adriel in his studio, and walking with him through the garden when he left to take breaks. When the evening came, they all left together, and went into town. Evenings had to be the busiest time of day in the city. The streets were much more filled than usual, and there was a long line of people waiting outside the movie theater.

As they waited in line, Amber and Adriel argued over which movie to see. Dylan chimed in every now and then, while Markus didn’t really seem to care. When they finally reached the ticket counter, they had come to a compromise.

Watching the four of them made Destiny smile. They seemed so happy to have each other. “I don’t have anywhere to go,” Adriel had said. That statement made Destiny realize something. The same thing had to be true for all of them. They were each other's family. They didn’t have anyone else. Even though Adriel could summon a mansion full of people to his Christmas party at the flick of his wrist, he didn’t belong to anyone.

He belonged to his friends, and maybe, increasingly, to her.

The street lights, and hung Christmas lights cast a romantic, sentimental glow on everything. Inside the theater, Destiny really didn’t care what movie they watched. She was just happy to be with them. Grateful to be so easily accepted by them. And whenever she met Adriel’s gaze, he smiled gently.

The next day they went to the beach together. The weather was surprisingly mild that day, but the water was still cold. The overcast in the sky made the water gray, but it still sparkled. It was even more beautiful this way.

“Come on, Destiny!” Adriel was shouting from the water, waving for her to take his hand, “Come on!”

She watched the surf hesitantly. Adriel’s feet splashed water up around his bare legs. He was smiling that smile that he showed those few times when he was looking at her, like he hadn’t a care in the world for himself. She watched him for a moment, and the water splashing, and the sound of the waves rushing against the beach, and the wind blowing into her ears, playing across the sand.

She ran forward, and felt his hand take hers. It was hard to feel a care in the world for herself at that moment. They went running and splashing. They made the waves roll, and the breeze kiss their skin. They tasted sea salt. It all belonged to them.

Adriel took her arm to steady her as the tide rushed in, and let her lean against him as the surf bobbed around them, “It’s beautiful,” Destiny said. Adriel nodded. Destiny could feel his gaze fixed on her.

Dylan and Amber stood staring into the horizon a short way off. Markus was building a sand castle just out of reach of the tide, but where the sand was still wet.

The blue sun dress she had taken from her dresser floated on the wind as the water ebbed away to just knee level. With Adriel’s arm to steady her, she felt so peaceful. So safe.

“Where did you come from?” Adriel asked. His voice sounded almost in awe, as if she, not the beautiful ocean, had captivated him.

“A bus, remember?” Destiny said. She met his gaze for the longest time, and did not look away.

“I’m glad you came,” Adriel said, his voice soft, “For a long time I guess I’ve sort of felt alone.”

A yellow bird came flying out of the sky. It was small, and vulnerable, but it hung on the air just out of Destiny’s reach. Slowly, Destiny stretched out an open palm to the bird, and let it rest in her hand, “You aren’t alone,” she told him, “We’re all here for you. Markus, and Amber, and Dylan, and me. We all believe in you.”

Slowly, Adriel smiled a little shyly, and let the yellow bird take flight again before spreading Destiny’s arms out behind her and saying, “Spread your wings, and you’ll fly.”