The Familiar

by Tatiana G. Roces

  Louise shrugs. “I was wondering the same thing. Maybe they’re supposed to guard the place while we’re away. I guess someone has to stay behind right?”

  “Guard the place? I thought this whole area was safe, like Fort Knox or something.”

  Louise raises an eyebrow. “Hazel, in our world, nothing’s ever 100% safe… ‘Safe’ is a word we rarely use, it gives us a false sense of security, and to be honest, that’s a dangerous attitude to have… I don’t mean to sound harsh or anything, but you should really know about these things.”

  I stop, and adjust my backpack, feeling the weight of it pull on my shoulders as I walk. “Well, yeah, I’ve kind of figured out by now that things are pretty unpredictable, but I didn’t think there was really any reason for us to feel threatened here at camp…”

  Louise lowers her voice so it’s just one decibel short of a whisper. “Hazel, have you actually thought about why we’re really here? Why do you think they’re teaching us all this stuff? We’ll be expected to fight, and put our lives on the line… Look what happened to my parents, and even Samir’s parents.”

  I consider what she says, and suddenly I feel childish. Louise is right. What did I really think we were doing here?

  “Can you tell me about what happened to your parents?” I ask, meeting Louise’s serious gaze.

  She pulls a bottle of water from the side of her backpack, and takes a long sip before replying, “They died doing what they were prepared for. They died protecting your grandmother.”

  I stop on my tracks, shocked by what she has just said, the word “grandmother,” lingering in air making my ears ring.

  “Seriously? Louise, why didn’t you say anything before?”

  She looks down at her feet sheepishly. “I was worried about you. I probably should have said something, but I knew you’d be overwhelmed… That first day when we met, your mom didn’t even know that my parents were gone, so I knew that you had no clue. It’s just that, you’re new to all of this so I just decided not to mention it.”

  I feel foolish.

  “I’m sorry, Louise. All I do is whine about the stuff going on with me. I’ve hardly even thought about what you’ve had to deal with. And I haven’t even bothered to ask you about it till now… I’ve kind of been a crappy friend, huh?”

  Louise shakes her head. “No, Hazel. You’ve been a great friend. In fact the best one I’ve ever had,” she says, reaching out for a hug.

  I pull away feeling grateful for her friendship. “I honestly don’t think I could have survived this experience without you.”

  Maya shouts at us from a distance, interrupting our heart-to-heart. “Hazel, Louise! Pick-up the pace!”

  “Promise you’ll tell me about your parents later, okay?” I say to Louise as we speed hike through the forest. She nods at me, too out of breath to reply.

  Once we catch-up, I realize that we’ve reached a trail, leading us between the two mountains. As we climb higher, the path gets narrower until we’re walking single file. I’m grateful for all those years I spent exploring the woods and cliffs of Safe Harbor, as I maneuver my feet steadily from rock to rock. When we finally reach the highest point of the trail, we stop to take a breather. Maya, Brad and Alicia look cool and composed, and haven’t even broken a sweat.

  Alicia walks precariously on the edge of the cliff and motions for us to follow her.

  “Come, everyone. Take a look at this.”

  We follow her until we reach a viewpoint. She points down, and in front of us is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Mirror Falls sits below us, and true to its name, there are two identical waterfalls facing one another, both falling into a crystal clear blue lagoon. Next to the lagoon is a clearing surrounded by a forest.

  “Come on, everyone! It’s a twenty minute walk down to the falls,” says Maya, gesturing for us to hurry. We hike down the path, and before we know it, we’ve arrived at the site. Up close, the place is even more enchanting. The waterfalls are unusually quiet, giving the place a slightly eerie ambiance.

  Maya must have read my mind, because she pauses in front of the waterfalls and speaks, “You will notice that the Mirror Falls are almost silent. That’s because when they were first discovered, the founding members of the camp put a Serenity Spell on this place. They wanted to create a peaceful refuge for us, a place of respite while in the midst of the strenuous training.”

  While Maya speaks, Brad begins handing out egg shaped pods. When I get mine, I stare at it perplexed. He faces us with an amused grin, and holds one up.

  “If you’ve never seen one of these before, we call them porta-pods. These will be your accommodations for the night.” There are several giggles in the group; even I can’t help but chuckle under my breath as I study the egg shaped pod, wondering how I’m supposed to sleep in something so small. Brad shakes the pod a few times, rotates the two halves then tosses it on the ground about six feet in front of him. It lands with a popping sound, and almost immediately, grows into a large igloo-like structure that camouflages itself perfectly with the green hues of the surrounding forest. I can’t help but gasp at the ingenious thing.

  “You guys can share one pod, so pick a roommate, and go ahead and plant your pod wherever you like.”

  I grab Louise’s hand and we choose a nice shady spot near the lagoon. I shake the pod just as Brad did, then examine it closely, looking for its seams. Once I locate the part to twist, I give it a turn, and carefully toss it away from us. Just like it did before, it lands with a pop, before miraculously inflating itself. In a few seconds our humble abode is ready. I knock my fist on its surface. It feels pretty solid, almost like a hard foam shell. There is a button next to the circular door, and when I press it, the door slides open, revealing the interior. We bend down, and walk into a small room, about six feet wide and eight feet long. The floor is covered in a soft cushiony material that reminds me of a yoga mat, and there are throw blankets and travel pillows tucked into a compartment on the wall. There is a strip of LED lights at the base of the floor to provide ambient lighting.

  “Now this is how it’s done,” says Louise, impressed.

  “Tell me about it. Camping will never be the same after this,” I say, in awe.

  There’s a knock, and Akiko walks in smiling. “If I knew it was going to be like this, I wouldn’t have made such a big stink.”

  Samir pokes his head in. “Guys, it’s time for lunch.”

  We leave the confines of our pod, and join Samir outside. There are picnic blankets laid out next to the lagoon, and baskets of sandwiches, chips, cookies, muffins and fruit.

  “Anyone up for a swim after lunch?” asks Samir, in between bites of his sandwich.

  Louise’s eyes light up. “Me! That lagoon has been calling my name since we got here.”

  Akiko scrunches her nose. “Maybe later. I’d rather explore the forest first, I don’t really like swimming on a full stomach.”

  “I’ll go with you,” I say to Akiko as bits of egg salad fall out of my sandwich onto my lap. I brush the bits off with my napkin, and continue eating my sandwich, feeling too carefree to worry about a silly stain.

  By the time we finish, there are kids already swimming and splashing around in the water. Brad is floating on his back, relaxing with the sun on his face.

  I nudge Akiko lightly with my elbow. “You ready?”

  She takes a sip from her water bottle, and nods. “Yup, let’s go.”

  We leave Louise and Samir on the picnic blanket, lazily watching the others swim as they digest their lunch. I take the lead into the forest, and guide us towards the brighter side where the sunlight’s rays are piercing through the dense treetops. We walk in silence, enjoying the stillness around us. After about fifteen minutes, we come upon a clearing in the trees. I take a peek to make sure we aren’t about to walk off a cliff, and see an enormous meadow filled with wildflowers. I shriek with delight, and pull Akiko through the clearing until we’re amidst the fragrant colorful
blossoms.

  “Wow! I’ve never seen so many flowers. They’re so beautiful,” says Akiko excitedly. We run through the meadow, acting like little children, until we’re too tired to run anymore. We plop ourselves down on the ground to rest and hydrate.

  “Akiko, is it okay if I ask you something?” I ask, taking deep breaths and massaging a cramp in my side.

  “Sure, anything.”

  “What happened to Samir’s parents? How did they die?” I ask in between sips of water.

  Akiko takes a deep breath, as if she’s told this story many times before. “Well, Samir’s parents were pretty rare in our community. Both of them were physicians specializing in shape-shifter medicine. Instead of becoming familiars like the rest of us, they opened up a practice with funding from the Council. One night, in the middle of a snowstorm, one of their neighbors heard a baby crying nonstop. When he saw that all the lights in the house were out, he got worried and broke in after calling the police. Inside, he found blood all over the floors and the walls, and even on the snow covering the backyard. The blood was tested and identified as belonging to Samir’s mother and father… There was so much blood, that even though their bodies were never found, they were presumed dead. Samir was only eight months old at the time, and with no other living relatives, my parents decided to adopt him.”

  The story gives me chills up my spine, and I begin to wonder if I’m really prepared for this kind of life. I feel the internal struggle of wanting to hear more and being too afraid to actually deal with the information. I decide to just take this in for now, and tackle every other thing later on.

  I get up and hold out my hand to Akiko, helping her to her feet.

  “Let’s go, they might be wondering where we are.”

  We head back the same way we came, entering the forest, which is darker now that the sun has shifted its position. We walk carefully, and I glance at Akiko every so often to make sure she’s doing okay.

  About halfway through our walk we reach a precarious, narrow edging along some rocks.

  “Hey, be careful here, okay?” I tell her and she nods.

  We maneuver around the boulders. Some are unnaturally jagged, cracked in half leaving shards pointing upwards. Others are flat and slippery. I take soft steps, barely putting my foot down to make sure it’s secure before I put all my weight on my leg.

  Suddenly, I hear a loud crunching sound, and whip my head around as Akiko cries out in pain. My heart stops when I see her foot lodged in a narrow crevice between two rocks. I run to her, and sweep all the debris aside to assess the situation. When I see her foot and ankle, I almost scream, but I stop myself because I don’t want to freak her out. Her ankle is broken; a large jagged bone sticks out of Akiko’s skin. I quickly debate whether I should run and get some help, or try and pull her foot out myself.

  I take one look at her face, and see how scared she is. She grips my arm tightly. “Hazel! God it really hurts! Is it broken?”

  I decide to tell her the truth. “Yes… Maybe it’s best I go back and get some help.”

  She panics and grips my arm even tighter, leaving white pressure marks on my skin. “No! Don’t leave me! Please!” she says in agony.

  I take a deep breath, and try to calm down.

  “Okay. I’m going to try and pull it out, but it’s probably going to hurt like hell. Do you understand?” She nods, the terror and anguish in her eyes making my hands tremble. I bend down and look at her foot, studying the angle in which it’s lodged itself into the crack. I manage to shift one of the rocks slightly, and I pick Akiko up from the ground, moving her so that her ankle has less pressure on it. When I think I can dislodge it without causing any additional damage, I pull, gently at first, then with a bit more force.

  Akiko gasps when her foot is finally freed, and stares down at her ankle in shock. “Oh my god… Oh my god… Oh my god…”

  I panic and wonder if I can even carry her without dragging her injured foot behind. I place my hands on her ankle, trying to gauge the extent of her injuries. Slowly, I move my fingers over the bones and cartilage. As I do this, my hands begin to get warm, first at the tips of my fingers, then covering my palms and traveling up my arms. I’m startled, but I instinctively keep them on Akiko, spreading the warm energy across her foot, then around her ankle, and over the protruding bone. She stares at me wide-eyed.

  “Hazel, what are you doing?” I don’t answer her. Instead, I close my eyes. After a few minutes, the warmth suddenly disappears, and my hands feel limp. I open my eyes, and stare down at Akiko’s foot, then at Akiko.

  “Hazel… What have you done?” she asks as we both stare in disbelief at her healed ankle.

  25

  When we get back to the campsite, Louise and Samir are in the lagoon playing chicken. Louise sits on his shoulders unsteadily, wobbling from side to side as she attempts to topple another pair. She’s laughing hysterically, as Samir desperately tries to keep his balance. We approach, trying to look as normal as possible. I keep staring at Akiko’s perfectly healed ankle, amazed and shocked at what I’d done.

  Though Akiko looks casual enough, I know by staring deep into her eyes that she’s shell-shocked. “Hey, guys… Looks like fun,” she says, her voice wavering slightly at the end.

  Louise splashes some water our direction. “Come on in! The water is amazing.”

  Samir suddenly loses his footing, and they both go tumbling underwater. A few seconds later, they surface, sputtering water as they laugh.

  “Okay, we’ll go change into our suits,” I say, even though I’m lying. I signal Akiko with my eyes.

  Akiko smiles awkwardly, shuffling her feet from side to side. “Uh, yeah, I’ll go change. Be back in a few.”

  We manage to get away without rousing suspicion, and once we’re far enough, we split up without saying a word. It’s obvious that the incident has us both wanting to be alone. When I arrive at my pod, I close the door and sit down, taking deep uneven breaths. I’ve never had a panic attack, but I imagine it must feel something like this. I lie down and try to relax, closing my throbbing eyes and doing my best to tune out the thoughts in my head. I’m really tired, like the energy’s been drained out of my body. My limbs, especially my arms and hands feel limp, almost numb. I slowly drift, my body shutting down, all my senses fading until I pass out cold.

  It doesn’t feel like I’ve been out for that long, when I feel Louise shaking me gently. “Hazel? Hazel? Wake-up! It’s almost time for dinner.”

  My eyes flutter open, and sit up groggily. “Really? It’s nighttime already? I can’t believe I slept that long.”

  “Geez, that hike must have been rough,” she says with a slightly raised eyebrow.

  I nod, feeling kind of guilty about lying to her. “Yeah, I guess I must be more out of shape than I thought.”

  I wipe the sleep from my eyes, and pull my hair up sloppily. When I stand, I feel my muscles spasm, and realize that I’m still not fully recuperated.

  Outside there are several bonfires roaring throughout the site. The smell of hotdogs and beans makes my nostrils tingle and I follow the scent, hoping that a warm meal will bring back my strength.

  As we approach the largest of the bonfires, Maya points out a platter on the buffet table. “There are some soy-dogs over there, and the beans are vegetarian,” she says, the flames crackling behind her.

  I smile back appreciatively, feeling my stomach grumble. “Thanks, I’m starving.”

  I serve myself three soy-dogs with buns, mustard and a heaping pile of beans, the sticky sweet sauce glistening on my plate. Akiko and Samir are sitting cozily on a log, their empty plates on the floor in front of their feet. The smell of hot cocoa lingers in the air, creating an odd but not totally unpleasant smell of chocolaty hot dogs.

  Akiko looks up at me, as she cautiously sips her cocoa. “You okay, Hazel?”

  “I’m fine… Just tired, that’s all.”

  I stare at her ankle again in disbelief. Akiko catches me, grinni
ng and wiggling her ankle in circles.

  “You guys up for some S’mores after dinner?” asks Louise, before greedily biting into her ketchup covered hot dog.

  Samir chuckles. “Seriously, do you really have to ask?”

  As I sit with my friends by the blazing fire, enjoying my food, and trying my best to joke around, laughing and giggling with them, I can’t help but internalize everything. It’s a constant battle to push what happened to the back of my mind. I feel myself trapped in a cycle. I’m thinking too much. Thinking about my powers, and if they’re anything at all like Mom’s, who I should trust, what this all means for my training, and then I get overwhelmed and have to force it all out of my mind. I leave it alone and enjoy myself, then something reminds me and I run through all the questions again. I finally push my worries aside one last time and decide to enjoy the rest of the camping trip as much as possible.

  After we’re done eating, we join the rest of the group around the largest bonfire. There are logs surrounding it, and a table filled with all the ingredients for S’mores. I grab a long stick, and poke several fat, fluffy marshmallows on the tip. I find an opening by fire and slowly roast my marshmallows over the coals.

  When we’re done stuffing ourselves with the gooey confections, chins and fingers sticky, we huddle around the fire, and warm our hands with mugs of hot cocoa. Even though it’s still summer, there is a slight chill in the air, the kind that catches you by surprise, leaving goose flesh all over your bare skin. As I finish off my cocoa, I shiver, then yawn, feeling exhausted again, and ready to curl up in my cozy pod.

  “I think I’m going to hit the sack.”

  Samir looks disappointed. “Already? I thought we would stay up all night scaring each other with creepy stories.”

  “Don’t worry big bro, I’ll stay up with you as long as you get me another hot cocoa… with marshmallows please,” says Akiko.

  “I think I’ll join you,” says Louise to me, standing while stifling a yawn.

  We walk back to our pod, which is glowing like a firefly in the night sky. When we get inside, the LED lights illuminate the room, making it bright enough to navigate the pod. I change into leggings and a sweatshirt, then crawl into the soft sleeping compartment. Louise does the same, and pulls the blanket up to her chin. We lie there silently for a few minutes, enjoying the stillness.