The Past

They were sitting on the half-broken wall near that dungeon building. Catherine kept staring at Jack with a loving motherly gaze "you look a lot like your father. He had the same blue eyes and that sharp nose" Catherine tried to cover the space between the two. Jack kept looking at the ground and did not answer her neither did he look up. "I know you want to know the reason" Catherine continued. "I think that by this time, you have seen and observed that we are not common people. We may look like humans but we are different. We cannot sleep like them. We cannot eat like them and we cannot live freely like them. We are Illuminators. There was a time when we used to live with humans. Our community was free to live like their community and we were on good terms". Jack looked up at her face and his expression made it clear that he was not getting his answer and he was not interested in hearing the stories. "I know what you want but it's important for you to recognize yourself first" Catherine tried to calm him but he just looked away. "your father was a common man" Catherine continued "he was a very kind and generous person. It was he who brought us closer to humans in the very first place as we were always living like a secret of nature. We used to heal humans from terminal illnesses of mind and body as the light we are gifted with is a healing source. We only absorb light. It's the only thing that gives us energy and increases soul-healing powers. Everything was going well until a few of us started drinking blood. We are forbidden to drink blood and if any of us decides to drink blood then the good inside turns into evil and the healing energies turn into evil ones. They started to destroy human villages and drank blood because blood made them more powerful. They were expelled from our lands as they were few in numbers and we could chase them out but the trust between humans and us was broken and they no longer wanted to live with us. Your father and I were madly in love and never imagined that we would be apart. Your father gave us the idea to build a dungeon as being architect, he could come up with a great plan. I was expecting you when one day the evil ones that we chased out of our community and from other communities, all united and decided to fight against us. They were more powerful than us because they were surviving on blood. We fought back and succeeded in securing our place but lost your father and many of us in return. He was a common person and Rosa killed him for personal grudges as she liked him. But he always sensed the evil in her nature and never wanted to be with her. You were born on the same day we lost your father. I could not see him for the last time and he could not meet you. Our children grow faster. We give birth in only three months but I held you in my belly for nine months as humans do. When you were born, your growth was slow, unlike our other newborn children. After losing your father, you were my only hope to survive but the war was not ended between evil and us. I wanted to protect you so I left you to be raised by a human so that nobody will ever doubt that you are my child." Jack who has been listening to her quietly now looked up at her with more anger than before and Catherine could not sum up the courage to tell anymore. She started to cry "please forgive me, that was my only option to see you grow up safely, I was always around you" Jack remembered his painful nights when he used to wake up from his nightmares and wandered alone in dark "no you were not" he said ignoring his mother "you just protected yourself and gave up a human child to lower your burden" Jack said angrily " no that is not true" Catherine objected" do you know how much I cried in pain in those lonely nights! Why didn't you come and hug me then? Where were you?" he cried. Catherine wiped her tears from her cheeks and stood up straight "it is time for you to come back to your community," she said authoritatively "we are under attack. We need you as you have amazing powers that are stronger than any of us" she added "oh, I see why you remembered your son all of the sudden" Jack laughed ironically. "it is your responsibility to protect our community, your mother's and father's community" she replied. She changed herself from a desperate loving mother to an authoritative community president all of a sudden. Jack was confused about her behavior but he did not say anything. He just got up and left. Catherine looked at him from the back and took a deep breath. She was trying hard to control her tears as she sensed that somebody was standing near and watching her.