Free The Mortal Fringe by Jordi Ribolleda Page A

and sits back again,
she makes everything look so easy. Has she ever been here before?
Or is she just another fan of the films? When the film starts and
her green eyes are fixed on the screen, I realize that both answers
are —yes—.
    I am actually enjoying the event, and
everything that goes with it. Elizabeth, the beauty I thought would
never notice me, is sitting right here and has even touched my hand
a couple of times, I really need to keep remembering myself that to
her, this is just business, but hell, I like it. Every single time
I look at her I find her more attractive and I know her beautiful
face is now printed in my memory forever.
    When the movie ends, we walk out
following the screams of those who are clearly eager to repeat the
experience. She looks so happy and free that only for a second I
forget everything and think that we are out on a date. She then
takes my arm and puts me back in the room of our
arrival.
    "I want to show you
something."
    "What?" my voice clearly shows that I
am terrified. The teleportation thing didn't go well the first
time.
    "Trust me" she says, and then she
takes both my hands and I feel like flying again. There's no
ground, there's nothing around me but Elizabeth's green
eyes.
    Suddenly, I feel cold. The wind pushes
me away from her and I almost fall down the moment we reach our
destination. I keep my eyes closed for a short moment, and then she
gently whispers to me.
    "Open your eyes, Alex."
    Barcelona, that's what I see. I am on
top of some building and the image of the whole city at night warms
my heart. I am speechless, and the only thing that I know for sure
is that I am still holding her hand. The view is one of the most
beautiful things I have ever seen. Obviously, this is no New York,
but there is something in this city that no other place in the
world has.
    "This is…amazing" that's the only
thing I can say, I still don't believe that I am up here with
her.
    Then I start to go back to reality as
the cold wind caresses my face.
    "It is, right? I come here sometimes,
when I want to think."
    "Really?" for some reason, I am
surprised.
    "Yes", she smiles "we like high places
to gather, or think, or you know, be ourselves."
    Then I remember some
mythology.
    "Like your own Olympus?"
    "Sort of, but Olympus isn't precisely
what mortals are taught."
    I would ask more about that, but her
face tells me that she is not willing to tell me all about her
history, so I remain silent until she talks again.
    "Thanks, for everything. I know this
must be hell for you. "
    She got that part right. But being
here now, with her, it isn't that bad. Still, I have to come to
terms with all of it.
    "Well, it was not my life plan, if
that's what you mean" I really have to thank Jay for showing me how
freeing it can be to speak your mind.
    "How old are you?" her voice is full
of sorrow.
    "I would be nineteen in about six
months" I know that my face shows many things but happiness right
now. "What about you?" shit, I can't believe I just said that. She
starts laughing and I can't do anything but start laughing
myself.
    "Oh, well I will be one-thousand
February the second" She answers, still laughing, "a grown
up."
    Suddenly my face goes white, I have no
expression. I feel terribly unhappy and almost furious.
    "I can't believe you joked about that"
I feel terrible, not because I have said it, but because she made
me feel completely expendable. "Can you take me home now,
please?"
    "Alex, I…"
    "Please."
    She puts her hand on my shoulder this
time, not on my hand. The city does not look like it did when we
got here.
    "I'm so sorry I said that" and that's
the last thing I hear before I get to my room and go to
sleep.
     

CHAPTER 14
    I'm lying on mud again. The
floor is extremely wet, more than any other time, I can't breathe.
Then the same green eyes come near me, and suddenly, I wake up.
    I know that I have been screaming, and
probably moving dangerously because Jay is standing right next to
me, looking