by Rue Volley
I wanted to tell her everything, I really did. I imagined myself sitting her down and just letting the whole mess just fall out of me but Sara is not that friend. I loved her but ‘serious’ was never part of the equation of our friendship. She was the only link I had to being normal, yea normal, I laughed out loud.
“I missed you too Sara.” She hugged me again and I sighed, relaxing in her arms… normal never felt better.
Theodore looked towards the stairs. He yelled out in his loudest voice, “Get up...! I did not cook all this food for myself!” He looked at us, “Now sit...! The boys will be here soon and I fear there will be nothing left to eat, once they come.”
I heard doors opening and we were about to have a breakfast as a family. I need to get used to that.
Johnathan came down first, his hair looked disheveled, but in true hottie fashion, it looked amazing on him.
Sara looked up and smiled. “Ohhh, Johnathan, Hellllooo.”
I looked at Theodore, who winked at me. I am not going to engage her reaction, because I have no idea what glamor he had spun about him.
Johnathan smiled at her, “Hello, Sara.”
“Oh I swear, your family is so a vaunt guard, leaving for Europe and letting you stay here, to do what you want with your summer.” She sighed, “God, if only my parents were so cool.”
“Yeah, my parents are ahead of their time, I guess.” Johnathan winked at me and sat down.
Kai and Sam came walking in. Sam spotted Sara at the table. “Ahh, good, the male/female ratio in this house is evening out.”
Kai laughed, “We still win.”
Samantha laughed and looked at Theodore. “Yea… well, Theodore here is on the fence, so we are evenly matched.”
Theodore sat down. “This is true, I will not lie.”
Josh jumped down, skipping the last two steps on the staircase.
Sara's eyes went glossy. “Hi Josh.” She smiled that girl smile, the one that lets a boy know that he is in.
“Hey.” he said.
He looked at me and grinned.
“So Rue... what are we doing today?” I glanced at Sara, as I was shoving a bite of pancake in my mouth. I had to raise my hand over my mouth to talk.
“Ummm, I don't know,” I mumbled.
“Well, I think we should all go for a hike in Red woods! The weather is so awesome. What do ya think girlie?”
I swallowed and looked around the table, “Well, I don't know.” I said.
Theodore took the helm. “I think that is a wonderful idea Sara...! You should all get some fresh air!”
Everyone looked up, Josh broke the silence.
“Sure, why not.”
Sara grinned from ear to ear, you would have thought that he just asked her to the prom.
Johnathan reached under the table and took my hand. I looked at him and he smiled.
“Sure, sounds good Sara, why not.”
Sara scooted her chair back and stood up. “I have to run back home and get dressed”
Josh looked up at her, “Get dressed…? You look fine.”
She laughed, “Oh my god, no I am not wearing these shoes in the woods, that's crazy!”
She winked at Josh and he grunted and continued to eat.
Theodore laughed, “I agree Sara… your shoes are…”
Josh laughed, “I would suggest boots... thick ones.”
Sara grinned, “Thank you Josh... That’s exactly what I'll wear.”
He didn't look up at her, she turned and headed for the door. “Be back in an hour!”
Josh laughed again, “Why is it going to take you an hour to put on boots Sara?”
“Don't be ridiculous… I have to match my clothes to the boots.”
He grinned and looked back down at his plate. “Cute,” he muttered.
She gave a wave and blew kisses at me. I half smiled, and she was out the door.
I looked at Josh. “You know she likes you... a lot.”
He pushed his chair back and took his plate to the sink. “I know,” he said.
“Well she's my friend.”
He turned around and leaned against the sink. “And?”
“Well I don't want you leading her on.” I said with a blank look on my face.
“Who's leading anyone on?” He started to walk across the kitchen towards the stairs.
I put my fork down. “She's my friend.”
He turned around. “What do you think I am going to do?”
“I know you.”
He grinned that wicked grin, god.
“You don't, it's not what you’re thinking,” Josh muttered.
I looked at Theodore. “What has he been doing while I slept?”
Theodore looked at me, “Training… like all of us.”
“Training? For what?” I asked.
“Listen, I know you are still absorbing things, but the true reality is, we have to be prepared for anything. Do you not remember...? Many Valon guards met their demise in the library that day.”
I pushed away from the table. “I… I remember everything, I'm going to take a shower.”
Samantha looked at me, “Listen Rue, we can go on this little hike today but this evening you start to train. We've lost enough time with you understand?”
I nodded and took in the reality.
Truth is, it was nice, just having breakfast and seeing Sara, but I need to start to accept that I am living a visible illusion. We all were.
***
We reached the woods and I looked up at the trees. The wind was blowing lightly and they swayed from side to side, the leaves were flipping from top to bottom, looking like a shimmer of dark to light green. I stood there and closed my eyes, breathing in the air. I felt a warm hand in mine and I looked to see Johnathan smiling at me. I smiled back and we started to walk forward. I could see that Sara had caught up to Josh. She was waving her hands side to side, obviously chatting away to him, in Sara talk. I grinned, remembering that I had told her that he loved to talk. I saw him nod and look at her. He seemed to want to talk. I guess, with my absence, maybe he had learned to stop just sucking the information out of people and let them communicate to him normally. Sam and Kai trailed behind us. They seemed to be talking too. Weird how things change I guess. We walked in silence, along the trail until we walked into a clearing and I noticed the grass was tall, waving like water on the ground. I looked out across the open field and stopped.
“I've been here before… I mean I think I have.”
Johnathan squeezed my hand, “What?”
“I recognize this field Johnathan. I've dreamed about it.”
I let go of his hand and started to walk forward. He followed me, close behind. I looked out ahead and looked up. A flock of birds flew overhead and I watched as their shadows raced across the top of the grass.
“We need to go this way,” I said.
I started to pick up my pace and Johnathan sped up too.
“Where are you going Rue?”
I made it to the top of a small hill and looked down, more grass waving in the wind.
I scanned the field. “We need to go right.”
“What are you looking for?” he asked me again.
I stopped and turned back to him, “A tree, there should be a tree, standing alone. It has white bark, it's huge… looks like it is very old.”
He looked out across the grass and back to me.
“I'm sorry, I don't see anything Rue.”
“It's here… I know it. We just need to keep going!”
I started to run. He caught up with me and grabbed my hand, spinning me around.
“Rue, I've been here a hundred times, there is no tree.”
I started to look around. He was right. I saw nothing, but grass and the edge of the woods on all sides.
“I… I'm sorry I thought it was here. I could have sworn it was.”
He stepped toward me and took my other hand. “Rue, sometimes a dream is just that, a dream.”
�
��But, it was so real Johnathan. I ate fruit from it, I could taste it, I could.”
He put his hand to my face and ran his hand along my cheek. “You are so stubborn, when you think you are right… you know it?”
“Maybe if we walk a little further, we will find it.”
“Rue. It’s not here, trust me.”
I sighed, “You’re probably right. We can walk back, I'm sure they are wondering where we went.”
“I'm not in a hurry,” he said as he squeezed my hand.
I looked up and he was grinning at me. I should have started walking, but I got caught up looking into his eyes.
“Okay.” I whispered.
Johnathan leaned down and put his hand on the side of my neck, I felt his fingers trace along my skin, on the back of my neck. I closed my eyes.
“Don't do that, we are all the way out here alone.”
He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I know.”
He backed away from my ear and stared at me. I touched his face and traced my fingers across his lips. I felt his breath pull in, under them. My face relaxed, not a smile, just a look of understanding. I knew he felt as I did, completely engulfed and drifting.
“I wanted to save you Rue, I did.”
I looked at him and raised my eyebrows, still holding my hand on his face.
“What do you mean, Johnathan?” I searched his face while he hesitated.
“I fought him. I fought Josh when he insisted that I wouldn't be able to offer my blood to you. I told him… I wanted it to be me.”
I looked down and ran my fingers across the top of his hand. I could see color start to swirl on his skin, bright red.
“Johnathan,” I whispered.
“I would die for you, not even a second thought Rue, I would.”
He raised my head to him and leaned in, gently kissing me on the cheek. I closed my eyes and felt my heart speeding up.
“Johnathan. I wouldn't want to ever have to live with that thought, I couldn't do it. I just couldn't”
He slowly pressed against me and started to pull me towards the ground.
“I don't think this is a good idea, Johnathan.”
He pressed his lips to mine. I accepted it and slumped down, letting him wrap his arm around my waist.
I tried to talk, but he kissed me harder and I felt a vibration start to well in my body, causing me to hold him closer to me. He put his hand at the base of my back and ran his hand up under my shirt. I could feel the heat from his hand caressing the small of my back. I gasped at his lips and he groaned and whispered my name. I lay on my back and he half rolled on top of me, his hand gently moving down my side, until he rested it on my outer thigh, then he squeezed at it and I gasped again. I arched my back, with my head falling back and he put his mouth to the front of my neck. I felt his teeth graze my skin. I opened my eyes and noticed that the skin on my arm was swirling, with a deep ocean blue. He rose up inches from my face and grinned.
“It makes it so hard for me, when I can see you reacting this way Rue.”
I couldn't help myself. I started to kiss him like I had never been kissed before. He groaned inside my mouth as I pushed him on his back and sat on top of him. I squeezed my knees against the sides of his hips and he squirmed underneath me.
“You need to tell me to stop, Rue,” He whispered.
“I wish I could do that, Johnathan.”
I looked down at him and could see the energy swirling on his skin. My mouth became dry, like I hadn't had a drink in weeks. I raised his hand to my mouth and I bit him on the inside of his wrist. I could feel the warmth fill my mouth. He arched his back, lifting me up off of the ground. “Oh my God… Rue,” his voice was shaking. I could feel a need filling me. It started in my chest and radiated out, in my whole body. I lowered his wrist from my mouth and wiped my fingers across my lips. I held them out in front of me and I could see traces of blood.
He looked at me and sat up, with me still on his lap. He wrapped one arm around my waist and put his free hand behind my head. He pulled at my hair and kissed me hard on the mouth. I felt his teeth bite my lip and I tasted metal in my mouth. Our blood swirled together and I felt a flash of light leave my body. I groaned and so did he.
“There you are!”
We stopped and looked at each other. “Oh god,” I whispered. I rolled off of him and tried to focus. The color started to fade, from my skin. I looked at Johnathan and he looked like he had just been hit by a truck. He ran his hands through his hair and cleared his throat.
“Well, that was interesting,” he said.
I stood up and saw Sam and Kai coming our way, across the grass.
I waved. Don't know why, I guess just because.
Johnathan stood up and kinda staggered. I looked at him and grinned.
“Yeah... okay, I'm good,” he said.
I looked down and had to laugh… had to.
Sam stopped a few feet from us.
“Hey, we are heading back now,” she said to both of us.
I looked at her. I know I looked guilty, I could feel it on my face.
She grinned at me and looked back to Johnathan. He still had traces of red on his neck and I saw it, but I turned and started to walk. He reached up and wiped his neck, rubbing his hand on his jeans.
“Okay, let’s go, I'm hungry,” I said.
Sam started to laugh. “Yeah, looks that way Rue.”
Kai jogged to keep up. “What's so funny, Sam?”
He looked back at Johnathan.
“You were not taking advantage of my sister, were you?”
Johnathan caught up with him. “No… I wouldn't say that.”
“Better not dude, I will kick your ass.”
“You don't have to worry about her. Trust me, I think she could kick my ass… I do.”
I heard him and I smiled looking down, looked over and Sam was grinning at me.
“What?” I said.
She flashed away from us and we all started to flash after her.
***
Home, thank god. I ran upstairs and slammed my door shut. I turned the lock and leaned against my door for a moment, rubbing my arm. I could still see faint color swirling on the surface. What the hell just happened? I reached up and rubbed my finger against my lip, it was sore from Johnathan biting it. I blinked a few times and started running the shower, with cold... very cold water. I climbed in, clothes and all, and sat down in the corner of the tub, pulling my knees up to my chest and just let it chill me to the bone. My teeth started to chatter and I reached for the knob to shut it off. I just sat still, letting the water drip from my hair, over my parted lips. I sighed. What am I? A knock pulled me from my stupor.
I stood up. “Who is it?”
“It's Sam, Rue... let me in.”
I stepped out of the tub and almost slipped on my linoleum floor. I walked to my door and flipped the lock. Sam stepped in and laughed at me. I knew I looked like a drowned rat.
“Wow.” She said, “Okay, well, I brought you something.”
I looked down at her hand and noticed a bundle of white. I met her eyes, with questions in mine.
“I made it for you. It is your hunters gear Rue, every protector owns it. I'm sure it will fit. I had a lot of time to measure you, while you were sleeping.”
“Hunters gear?” I asked as she placed it in my hands.
“Yes, you are a hunter and a warrior by nature Rue. This is your protection gear, helps you heighten your senses and also helps protect against attack.”
“Thank you Sam…but I don't think I'll be fighting anyone anytime soon.”
“You need to put it on. We are going to the woods to train. You need to start to understand who you are.”
I felt like arguing, but when I looked in her eyes I did not see frustration or anger, just calm.
“Okay… Sam, I'll put it on, let me dry my hair.”
“Oh I wouldn't worry about that, it looks like rain, just leave it.”
She turned
and walked out of my room. I looked at the pile of leather in my hands and got nervous at the thought of it looking ridiculous on me. There was no way that I would ever look as cool as Josh or Sam in this, no way. I shed my clothes and dried off before I started to pull the pants up over my hips.
They fit like they were meant to be part of my body. I ran my hands over my legs. The leather was smooth and flexible, not what I expected. I stood up and moved in them and it felt like I was wearing nothing at all. I pulled the white leather chest piece over my head and adjusted it down to my waist. It felt like a tank top, just as soft. Then I picked up the last piece, a long sleeve leather shirt that reminded me of a thermal only at the end of each arm a piece extended and covered the top of each of my hands. It strapped around my palm with a thin piece of white leather holding it in place.
I turned to the mirror and looked at myself. I looked like my mother did when she fell through the mirror in the library. I rubbed my hand over my arms and felt at the leather straps that criss crossed, in a random pattern, across my chest and around my waist. Straps adorned the pants to. Once I had it on, I couldn't even see where the top stopped and the pants began. It was almost as if they were molded together, now molded to me. I took one last look and walked out of my room, ready for the jokes that may come my way.
I reached the bottom of the stairs and Theodore looked at me, seemed he was the only one in the house.
“Ohhh… RUE! You look just amazing! Let me see you!” He flashed up to me and spun me from side to side checking me out. He grinned with excitement.
“Oh Sam is the only female wizard, I swear.”
“Oh… yeah, are you sure that I don't look ridiculous?”
He hugged me. “No, you do not. You look exactly as you should.”
I smiled and shrugged my shoulders up a little.
“Now, go and play Rue… I promise the food will be amazing this evening.”
I stepped out onto the porch and closed my eyes. I listened for their heartbeats. A colorful trail opened up to me and I flashed toward them.
Chapter 10
Damn Rabbit
I moved through the woods, with the fluidity of water. I felt so at peace with my surroundings that I could have laid down, at any point along the way and just sank into the dirt. The tree branches creaked, as I passed them by, not out of protest, but almost as if they wanted to push me along, leading me to my intended destination. I followed the swirling colors in the air, they drifted effortlessly, rising and falling with the pattern of the wind. I focused in on each one, white, red, yellow, and black. I looked at my hands, blue swirling on my skin. What did Josh say… it's never blue? But that's my color, mine alone.
