As the rain continued to paint the window glass, I began by prepping the vegetables to the appropriate size. Starting with garlic and shallots, I minced them and plopped it into the sizzling pot with oil sputtering around the aromatics. I quickly added flour and whisked thoroughly for no clumps or burning. When the flour was about cooked out I added cold milk in, bit by bit, watching the liquid thicken and emulsify together with the flour and fat. Lowering the heat, I gave it one last mix. Focusing back to the cutting board, I began cutting potatoes to add to the chowder that was planned for dinner. Still cutting them into chunks a loud thud and grunt hollered at me from behind. Uncle Earl is home. I was startled and accidentally cut my finger from it. The cut wasn’t deep but it was enough to have blood bursting out and dripping down my fingertip. Firmly pressing down the injury with my right thumb, persistent, small drops of blood spilled to the kitchen floor. I moved to the sink to avoid making a mess. Turning on the faucet, I tested the water for cold temperature and began to rinse the cut under running water.
A humming was buzzing around the corner “Is that you bleeding all over, or is it the time of the month”, smirked Uncle Earl. I paused and muttered, "I cut myself…”. I rinsed my cut under the cold running water focusing on the faint blood trickling into the kitchen drain. Wiping off my finger, the open wound stitched itself together until there was no evidence left to prove the injury.
I call him my Uncle Earl, he is my guardian. On one of his usual bar-hopping nights, he heard a baby crying behind the pub in the alleyways. He found me crying beside where the businesses and residents throw their garbage for pick up area. I guess he felt bad so he brought me back home. From what he told me, I was such a charming lady he kept me by his side since. Now, it’s been fifteen years since the incident. Growing up he would show me how to fish, read a compass, cook and clean. Though, there were a couple of times where there were scary moments since I didn’t know how to control my powers very well. When I say powers, I mean mildly telekinesis with water? I don’t understand myself, but Earl said, “Not to tell anybody else.” Maybe the thought of me wielding these powers can cause trouble.
There was a time, during my toddler years, where my powers did go out of whack because I didn’t know how to control it. Uncle Earl and I were in the kitchen, making pasta together. Kneading the yellow dough, covered in flour, I wasn’t kneading, more like treating it like play-do. A pot of water was on the stove ready for the pasta to cook when I was done playing with it.
Suddenly, shakes were trembling all over the house causing everything to fall to the ground. Uncle Earl was out of the kitchen to use the washroom. As the house was shaking the pot of water fell to the ground. The water was just suspended in the air. I felt, such a prickling sensation it caused, goosebumps all over my body. The prickling continued even more intensely until I heard Uncle Earl bellowed my name when he walked in, he grabbed my body and pushed me down to the floor and slid me under the table. The water suddenly busted into the snow. At least that’s what he told me happened, I don’t remember.
Focusing back on dinner, I added the cooked clam meat to the chowder. Dinner was ready to be served. Gathering all the dishes and pots that needed cleaning, I stacked it up in my hands and placed them into the sink with running water. After, I began setting the table carefully. I put down the two bowls of chowder with other accompaniments. Finally, it was ready and I was starving. I untied my apron knot that was behind my back pulling it off from the back of my neck. Walking towards the pantry, there was an empty hook that they apron belonged to but it was taller than me. Using only my toes touching the ground, I struggled to place it on. Grunting, I managed to get it on. I turned around and called Uncle Earl for supper time.
Uncle Earl invitingly wandered into the kitchen and pulled out a chair to sit. He had brought a bottle of scotch as a beverage. “Juvia, can you be a dear and fetch me a shot glass?” Uncle Earl wanted. I walked where the dish racks were and grabbed his small little shot glass. He fills it with liquor every night. He likes to swig his shots back till his head tilts backward and belches out a big sigh each time. I giggled the thought of his satisfied face after a shot of scotch. Settling down into my seat, we both began to eat the food.
While eating Uncle Earl began to boast about the trophies of the day he caught at the docks, as he sips his scotch. Every shot he took he gulped and let out an accomplished sigh and smiled. He asked about my school work, I had gotten an ‘A+’ in my English essay. Not surprised, he continued eating his chowder, since I was always good at keeping my grades up. Dinner continued smoothly while Uncle Earl talked about funny bar stories he heard or saw at the pub.
As we both were near finishing our meal, I looked up to Uncle Earl. His cheeks and ears were rosy pink. His eyes were drifting out of focus. “Juvia…” Earl smiled as he finished the rest of his chowder all in one go. “I’m going to bed after dinner. Cause yaw Uncle EARL had a little too much today.” Earl stammered, while he wiped his mouth with the side of his shirt sleeve and let out a deep sigh. He clapped his beer belly twice, smiling he exits the kitchen back while rubbing his back. I shook my head and cleaned after him, and creaked up the stairs to my bedroom.
In the corner of my bedroom lied a laptop, desk and chair. Picking up my school bag, I unzipped it and pulled the textbooks and homework that I was going to work on. Pulling my chair out, I seated and pulled my school notes out that were labelled with my full name “Juvia Elias” on the top right corner. Starting with a math worksheet my teacher assigned, I wrote my name and began to solve the numerical equations. Quadratic equations weren’t my forte. After a couple of hours, I finished all my assignments. I yawned and stretched with the thought of taking a bath in mind. Closing up the heavy textbooks, I placed my assignments and books back in the school bag. Finally walking out the bedroom with each step creaking eerily, I opened the bathroom door that was also located in my room.
Turning on the faucet in the bathtub, I wanted it hot so I turned it to the left almost to the end while plugging the drain. Wandering back to the bedroom, I went through my wardrobe to see which outfit I should wear to school for the next day. Since its Tuesday tomorrow, it means that I have P.E. Probably something easy to change in and out of was best. Being nitpicky, I decided on olive green joggers, black short sleeve crop top, with a red zipper hoodie. It was very cute but basic. I like to dress in black. It was a comfortable colour for a school loner that was what I am. The bathtub flashed in my mind and I returned into the bathroom. I stripped my clothes that I was wearing.
I tested the temperature of the water with my foot, it was perfect. So I sat into the bathtub, dunk my head underwater and closed my eyes. This was my best way to relax. Rising back up from beneath the water, I rocked my head back as models do in the commercials. Giggling to myself, I picked up the water in both my palms and blew on it as ice crystals started to formulate. The water droplets spilled out and transformed into snowflakes. Each one different than the other, I was the one who creates them. Twirling my index finger, the snowflakes began to dance above the waters before they fell and disappeared. It’s almost like Superman. My powers were like a hero in a comic book, can I even protect anyone? Rolling my eyes, I began to wave my fingers and fountain sculpture of Superman paraded before me. He flew all around me. Doing flips and circles, and then knocking my head back it causes a banging sound against the bathtub. Collapsing, Superman’s figure fell apart and the water dropped on to the floor. I then grabbed the back of my head that was stinging in pain. Great, I made a mess. Consequently, I drained the water and turned on the shower and washed my hair and body. Before rinsing my body I cleaned the luffa from leftover bath soap under the running water and started scrubbing my body lines.
After I rinsed off, I turned off the shower-head water. I then stepped out of the bathtub on to the very damp towel, due to the water incident during bath time. Sighing, I swiped my hands together, all the water spills that were on the floor all rose and suspended in the air. Waving my hands to the direction of the bathtub, the water moved in line back to the bathtub to fall into the drain. It was dangerous to not clean up the mess right away. Uncle Earl popped in my mind. I was imagining a “what if?” incident if he were to walk into my bathroom and fall headfirst to the ground. Scared, I rushed to get dressed.
My body was able to soak up water, well better explanation is, and my body cannot get wet. The water that I showered, and soaked in the bath have all been absorbed into my skin. Still, to keep my skin ‘hydrated’. I do use facial products to clean my skin at least. After getting dressed, I rolled into bed and grabbed my phone that was on the wire charge. I set the alarm for the school and fell into a state of unconsciousness.
In my unconscious state was envisioning me in a sea of water as I dove in like a mermaid. My surroundings turned into a room filled with beautiful plants and waterfalls. As I walked by the waterfall, it shimmers with a hue of rainbow colours on the course of the fall. Enlighten I walked closer towards the water and a shadow began to form, then a woman grabbed my shoulders through the water and screamed, “JUVIA RUN!!! DON’T LET THEM GET YOU!!! YOU HAVE TO PROTECT OTHERS!” I tried to pull away, tears began streaming down my face but my voice couldn’t even creep out. Who is she referring to? Who are the others? Who am I protecting? No one is out to get me…I woke up with my alarm blaring beside me. “Caedenbitus” rolled off my tongue. I didn’t understand what this was.
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