She laid there next to me, facing away as I tried to touch her bare back. She flinched away with a sort of surprised anger. I looked at her large tattoo of a red and black fish that swam up and down her spine, using her skin as a shallow pool. Jade was always an impulsive person which explains the expensive moving tattoo that I did not approve of at first but has since grown on me.
Jade was given the gift of change before birth. Her mother wanted her to be safe so she asked the doctor to add the Shifting gene to her DNA. Jade hasn't changed on me yet, though. I can tell by her thoughts that the form she was showing me was the one she was born with. I don’t know why she would change.
I was given the “gift” of reading minds. It seemed important to my parents that I wasn't affected by the thoughts and words of others. The down side is that everything is always so loud until a person is going in the ground. The brain always talks. But Jade has such a calm mind, even now when she’s mad at me for whatever we fight about, she is sometimes totally silent. She is unpredictable too. Her thoughts don’t go along with her actions all the time which makes it hard for me to listen to everything she thinks. I feel sorry about that.
I dreamt that a cat was drinking milk from a silver saucer in the middle of the street in the middle of a thunderstorm. The tabby did not move and when it noticed me looking at it, the cat walked pass me and disappeared. Thunder snarled like a gray lion as lightning stabbed the ground with a purple flash. The boom and the flash were so loud and bright that they woke me. I jolted from my bed and looked back upon it. Jade had gone.
I called her name twice but there was no response. I ran from room to room looking for her. “Hello Mr. Wald.” and then “Goodbye Mr. Wald.” as I peaked in and out of the doorways. My thoughts were so loud and scattered that it sounded like all of New York was screaming in my head. How could she leave me like this? We have money, shelter, food, running water, and even if she doesn’t know yet, a child on the way. She wants to name it Ariana but I know it will be a boy. I have to find her. We have so much right.
My arm clock read 7AM. and flashed a bright lime green through my skin. The sun wasn’t up yet and wouldn’t be for another hour but no hour is too early or too late for Jade. I grabbed my heat regulation jacket and shoes and slammed my door behind me as I stumbled to my car to search for her.
I knew her well enough to know she didn’t leave a note. She would know that I would be able to find her within minutes then. I wish I would have listened to her more. I shouldn’t treat her thoughts like white noise on an old television. If absence makes the heart grow stronger, why do I feel so weak and empty? Jade, if this distance somehow repairs our non-existent wounds, I won’t be mad. I just want you back.
My search went on for weeks until I missed her too much and went to a small coffee shop we used to go to. I sat alone in a booth with my mug and my frown until the waitress asked me if I would like another cup. Her thoughts sounded unclear and quiet. I figured it was just me missing Jade but as I handed the woman her tip, I noticed something red and black flicker across her thumb.