Balancer's Soul
Balancer's Soul
Midpoint
Balancer’s Soul
Published by H. LeeMorgan at Smashwords
Copyright 2012 H. Lee Morgan
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ISBN 978-1-4661-6271-6
Stop and Go
An ancient and powerful race known as Balancer’s have lived among humanity for many millennia and rarely been noticed. They are human in most physical aspects, but are truly different in others. Our ancestors called them at one time or another; Witches, Sorcerers, Wizards, Demons, Monsters and so on. In reality they bring balance back to anything that they deem needs it, with the use of their abilities. That also includes balancing themselves.
All true balancer’s are born female, and are innately immortal. The power of a female Balancer is not in harmony, being single, so they require male mates to regulate their imbalanced energies. When an unbreakable pact is made, their mate also becomes a Balancer as well as gaining supernatural attributes themselves.
***
“Welcome to our new home.” Jack confirmed stoically to his daughter over the hand held radio that linked the two vehicles. Sarah had been following behind him in her little blue car as he drove the moving truck to their new residence for nearly two mind-numbing days. Jack left a few weeks earlier to come and get things setup beforehand for their new life, in a new town and recently returned to retrieve his daughter. Now it’s Sarah’s turn to get settled in. Not that there isn’t much choice. He bought an old cabin home that had been on the market for a few years, but in the economy and area it wasn’t appearing to sell anytime soon. Finding such a place seemed perfect for them so he bought the property outright, after looking it over. The electricity and phone lines had previously been installed and supposedly from what he explained it had been built sturdy. After the paperwork had been finalized the phone lines and power was reactivated. Jack had even found Sarah the ideal job that would suit her for the time being. She hadn’t protested.
The sun had just begun to set as the small convoy of father and daughter arrived, with no city lights lining the road it became dark rather quickly. Just the way she liked it. The calm and quiet of rural areas suited her nature.
Pulling into the driveway just after her father, Sarah thought about the drive over here. They left Washington State early yesterday morning, well before the sun came up. It took well over twenty hours to drive the distance and they had no more than an hour or so of sleep. Jack was in a perpetual snit and wanted the long drive to take his mind off of a particular matter, thereby forcing Sarah to keep pace or be left behind. The Brandersons’ new home is now in Minnesota, in a small town that has a name that she’ll hopefully forget one day. Jillian, her mother, will catch up to them in a month or so to because she forgot to tie up a few loose ends. Sarah’s parents loved the city life, but for her they always move to quiet and small towns, but were always no more than an hour from a large city. To Sarah, nature is more beautiful to her than an environment of concrete, crowds and annoying noises at all hours. Plus crime is lower in less populated areas and easier to deal without outside interference or law enforcement.
Before moving to this small town, they had work to do. Sarah and her family and had to create new identities and legitimate references. Those were easy to make or bribe. They kept their normal names, but had to change the year of their births to a more recent and believable date. Three elaborate backgrounds were also created so that they could remain inconspicuous to some level of scrutiny, but if need be they had enough pull to keep someone off their trail, if someone caught on to their secret. They like privacy like so many others, but they have other backups just incase and even create last minute exit strategies to get out of any local danger.
Getting out of the car and looking around at the scenery of the new cottage, it reminded Sarah of her thirtieth home. Wild and uncut grass wrapped itself around the house and the entire property. Small pine saplings peeked over some of the hip high grass, almost as a welcome sign. The single story dwelling connected to an open two car garage that stood before her. She closed the door of her small blue car, that her father built a few years ago. Growing up without any modern conveniences was not a pleasant time for anyone and she adored her personal mode of transportation. Still, Sarah couldn’t wait to take the burden of travel out of the vehicle and spend some time soaking in a bathtub of hot, bubbly water.
Jack opened up the house like he had been living there for years, after turning off the Do-it-yourself rental truck, and turned on all of the lights. She sighed thinking how boring this move has been, like all the others. “Couldn’t there be one place I would feel content to live?” Sarah though hopelessly and opened the back door. Grabbing her luggage out of the back seat of the car she casually walked through the front door of the house.
Firstly she began to look for her new room for the next few dreaded years.
There were three bedrooms, one bath, a fully stocked kitchen, a living room and an empty study, which her mother already claimed. All of the walls were painted a bland and ancient color that was peeling off the old surfaces. The living room needed new carpeting and the ceiling fans all need to be dusted as well and every window in every room needed to be scrubbed clean. It was easy to tell that this residence has been vacant for quite some time. Word is, the previous residents moved south to a warmer climate. The floor had been crafted all from hardwood, but it needed to be swept and refinished. The first bedroom room Sarah opened was the largest, so she knew her parents would occupy it and she didn’t want to cause a disturbance. The next room held far too much light, when the sun would come up in the morning, so that wasn’t an option. And the last room felt perfect for her. It is isolated from the rest of the house and doesn’t need too much work. The air tasted slightly stale, but it wasn’t musty thankfully. She opened the window to allow fresh air to circulate and a smile barely touched the corner of her mouth as she peered into the failing light. The bonus to this residence for her was that it felt really dark and it pointed to a wild, natural tree line. What new wonders did those trees hold?
In the new room sat a new single size bed, an antique dresser and a full length mirror. She sighed thinking: “It’s just perfect for my plain and inconspicuous looks.” Sarah looked in the mirror and thought “How could anyone would want to have a boring woman like me. My looks are bland and my mirrored wardrobe matches my outlook. The chipped paint has more personality than I do.”
Knowing how little sleep she received during this trip and her first day of school started in the morning, she took that heavenly bath and quickly went to sleep on her new bed mattress that hadn’t been broken in.
***
“Another start to a great and terrible day!” Connor yawned airily while walking into the lit kitchen to first notice his mother, Jenny, and his little sister, Kara. Kara was sitting at the dining room table eating a scrambled egg and cheese omelet and a piece of wheat toast. Jenny was already busy cooking eggs on the skillet for h
erself. They both turned to look directly at him.
“Awe… Quit your bellyaching and have some breakfast!” Remarked Jenny with a light laugh. Jenny is your typical mom of two young adults. She’s fun, loving and relentlessly overprotective. She is of average build of a forty three year old woman, but that is all that’s typical about her. Just keep out of her way when she is in a hurry… if you know what’s good for you. Being the son of the head nurse at the biggest hospital in the county, you learn to move out of the way when she needs to do something immediately.
“Brother! Why don’t you do something about those bullies at school? I know for a fact they won’t be a match, you need to stick up for yourself.” Blurted out his rambunctious eighteen year old sister, Kara. It wasn’t the first time she expressed this sentiment. She is barley five foot one and, dripping wet, weighs one hundred and five pounds. She has three hobbies that she is passionate about; cheerleading, painting and annoying the life out of Connor. She is a true master of all three. Her personality is akin to a Jack Russell terrier who mainstreams caffeine. She is small, annoying, won’t be quiet for more than a thousandth of a second and he somehow adores her very much. She makes his life just a little more interesting and difficult at the same time. An odd balance.
“Because Kara. If I fought those guys, nothing would ever be solved.” Connor answered blandly with a yawn at the end of the sentence.
“What do you mean, Brother?” She asked somewhat innocently. She then threw an apple at him from off the counter and he caught it mindlessly. Also ever since Kara was little she has only ever called Connor, Brother. She’s never once called him by his given name since she was born.
“He means that he is nineteen, six foot and two and weighs 240 pounds. He’s larger than your average high school senior, even for a football player, not to mention he’s built like a tank.” Jenny leaned closer to Kara and lowered her tone meaningfully. “Think Kara, what would happen if Connor so much as punched one of his classmates without holding back?” She asked while being serious and looking Kara in the eyes with a quizzical expression.
“Hopefully the bully will get a concussion. Better yet! Brother would knock him into a coma. Oh, and maybe Brother will break their bones like dry twigs.” Kara squeaked and grinned up at Jenny innocently.
“And? What else would happen because of his actions, Kara?” She asked, waiting for more. Kara started shrinking away because Jenny started to give her The Evil Eye when she realized her mistake.
“I would be suspended or worse, expelled. Then Granddaddy won’t take me out camping because of our agreement to not fight for myself. Also this is our last semester as high school students and then it will all be over. I can put up with their pointless and childish drama until then, Sis. Besides what would I have to gain if I hurt them?” Connor had to speak to get Kara out of Jenny’s spotlight. “Hey Kara! Go get my things ready, I’m in the mood to run this morning. Get a move on.”
As Kara gladly left the kitchen she said under her breath “Yes! This is going to be a fun ride today.” She said it obviously not only to help in Connor’s training, but to get away from Jenny’s piercing glare.
After Kara left the kitchen, Connor felt his mom’s eyes on the back of his head burning a bald spot there. He could always tell when someone was watching or something strange was about to happen. David, his grandfather always called that his Sixth Sense or as Connor calls it, Instinct. To this day it has never been proven wrong. “What’s wrong, Mom?” He asked without turning around. He then took a bite out of the green apple in his hand. “Yea… What a great morning breakfast…NOT!” He thought to himself. Not a moment later the toast popped up out of the toaster, he caught it in midair, without looking, and took out a large bite in one fluid motion. He has always had exceptional reflexes.
“Why do you always help your sister out when I try and ask her a serious question? I’m trying to teach her that she can’t always be so rash and impulsive.” She asked in a tone that was quite obviously annoyed.
“Kara, rash? Who could ever put a muzzle on that mouth of hers… one that would ever work?” Connor said as a joke. He turned around and saw Jenny wasn’t even humored. “Ok. Ok Mom. The reason why I always help her out is because I can’t stand her not smiling. Also Granddaddy has always called me a protector, but with Kara, I try to make her smile so that she isn’t tormented… like me.” With that said Jenny’s face softened and became both proud and sad at the same time. Then he added “Kara is annoying, innocent and blunt. She keeps me on my toes. Just worry for her future husband. He’s screwed.” He finished with a wide grin which made Jenny smile eventually.
“BRRROOOOTTTTHHHHEEEERRRR!!! I’M WAITING!” Kara yelled loudly from the garage. “Yes she is exactly like a Jack Russell… Oh well.”
“Get going you big ox, before I find a way to get mad at you too!” Jenny said in a sigh, while throwing his heavy backpack at him. And yes they always throw things in his family.
He waved goodbye to his mom with a piece of toast in his mouth.
Walking into the one car garage, Connor spotted Kara already sitting in the wagon he built for her thirteenth birthday, with the help of his grandfather. She was waiting very impatiently in the wagon, it wasn’t out of the ordinary. Connor tossed his backpack to her and she handed him his chest harness. The harness was made in the shape of an X so that when he pulls it, the weight will be evenly displaced over his entire chest. On the back of the harness, a rope tethered to a metal ring and is attached to another metal ring at the fore of the wagon. For the past two years Connor’s grandfather has made him run to school every day. Actually Connor hinted that it would be a good idea, but made it seem as if it were his grandfathers. And their school laid just over eight miles away from their house, luckily only three houses are on the way to school. No one really see’s him doing the difficult training. And he felt happy that his grandfather will be here in the morning to take him camping this weekend. And during this past summer the two of them stayed out camping for a month together, for summer break.
It was fun just hanging out with him.
Kara just looked at Connor as if he had lost his mind as he simply stood there daydreaming, but all she said was “Well?”
“Are you ready?” He asked trying not to look too pathetic.
“Well DUH!” She said in a mocking voice, dramatically crossing her arms.
Slowly, Connor began walking out of the garage, effortlessly pulling Kara in her wagon while trying not to jar her. Springs underneath greatly absorbed the road. At the end of their driveway he saw a moving van and a light blue car sitting across the street. What seemed strange was that he didn’t know the make or even the model of the blue vehicle. The house had been vacated for over five years after the original family moved. “Cool, it’s about time we get some new neighbors. He thought expectantly.
Then he stopped cold when a voice from across the street yelled.
“SARAH! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!” Yelled a tall man who Connor guessed to be middle aged, like his mother. He had a slim yet muscular build as he stood in the front yard. He wore blue jeans and a light blue t-shirt. Long silver hair cascaded over broad shoulders and came to an end at the base of his shoulder blades. He was clean shaved with very sharp masculine features. He was very handsome, yet all the hairs on the back of Connor’s neck stood on end, his instinct said that that man was extremely dangerous.
Then came another voice in answer. One completely opposite.
“Over here, Father!” The sound of the voice was like the softest of velvets. If he did not have extremely sharp hearing Connor wouldn’t have been capable of hearing her unique melody. It was impossible to see just who the voice belonged to though. And for some reason Connor felt very disappointed.
The silver haired man turned to her voice and yelled again. “You are going to be late! Get a move on it…Girl!” He said in a condescending voice.
Several things happened in the next frightening moment. The silve
r haired man turned and looked directly at Connor. He sneered at him with cold malice in his eyes and a chill shot down Connor’s spine. “What was that?” Connor instinct was telling him to run away, run away now, but couldn’t even draw breath under those deadly azure eyes. Then Kara kicked her brother and at last broke eye contact. He then turned to look at her. “Thank you!”
“Go, Brother or I’ll tell Mom not to give you any supper tonight if we’re late to school.” She said while trying to look serious, which never works out for her. All it made him do was laugh. Kara hasn’t really had any dangerous issues to deal with because she’s so cheerful, or Connor settled the problem without her being aware. She wouldn’t be in any of those situations if he had any say.
Without saying another word, Connor took off running at his fullest, while pulling Kara. All she did was giggle at the change of pace. What she didn’t know was that he was really trying to get as far away from that man as possible.
Connor blazed down the long dirt road, almost out in the middle of nowhere, making nigh a sound or kicking up any dirt. The wagon was the only thing that gave them away. Here in this area all of the trees, plants and animals still thrive in harmony, with very little human interference. Twenty to thirty minutes away sat the local town, so it’s not too bad. Almost half of the year the trees are healthy shades of green and the other half is snow white, but it is so peaceful that no matter how bad a person’s day has been, the scenery just washes all the problems away.
Their high school is about eight miles away from their house. Connor ran there in under an hour, barely breaking a sweat in the crisp spring air. About a mile down the road laid an old trail through the woods that he always used instead of running all the way down the street to get to school. Not only did it take unsuspecting eyes from them, it also felt great to run along a path instead of a manmade road. Running like this is a piece of cake thanks to daily training. It was the only way to burn off much of his stress and pent up energy.
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