Chapter Forty Three
Now, that’s what I call playing dirty…
My mind was reeling at the possibilities that had just been tossed into my lap. I could be a junior or a senior. I could learn about sacred Vaydem customs and rituals from the people who had lived them. This was one of those rare, precious opportunities that no one else on earth would ever have a prayer of being presented. I wanted so badly to scream, “…yes, yes, yes” without thinking about it.
My brother had nearly fried his brain getting me out of trouble at school today. Almost the entire student body had suddenly become worse than the paparazzi and more than one strange occurrence should have had me jumping at the chance to start again. Added to the enticement was the fact that I had always wanted to skip my freshman year.
I considered all the exciting possibilities.
“So you’d be my younger brother now?” I asked incredulously when my mind raced with the thought of my being a senior at the Vaydem School.
Tray was currently posing as a junior. No matter how powerful his obliteration ability is – NO ONE would believe that he is my baby brother.
“Okay that’s a hilarious vision, but no. I’d get to work at Sunridge full time. You’d be safe at the Vaydem School so I wouldn’t have to attend with you. I’d still have to enroll you and I’d continue providing all your transportation. During the school day, you’d be on your own,” Tray replied – further tempting me.
I sat in speechless wonder and searched his eyes for the slightest bit of deception or exaggeration although I knew I wouldn’t find any there. He would never deceive me. Still, it was difficult to believe the words coming out of his mouth.
Tray is forced to attend high school because of me. The guilt of this knowledge formed a big lump that lodged tightly in my throat. My brother is twenty one years old – well beyond his high school years. Suddenly, the chance to allow him some freedom to pursue his own life, career or even a serious relationship dangled like a golden carrot on a stick.
This transfer wouldn’t necessarily be so different from the hundreds of transfers before. If anything, it would likely be the best move I would ever make. I would select my grade and my classes. I could learn some fascinating, new things. Tray also believed I would be safe attending that high school. That meant I definitely would be.
“What about my friendship with Krista?” I wondered aloud.
“Krista spends almost every night with us anyway. I could just drop her off at her school on the way. She’s not just friends with you because you go to school together – you realize that right?” Tray inquired, candidly.
Once again, I knew he was correct. Krista is my friend – probably the closest friend I’d ever have. She would be disappointed about my transfer, but in the end we would definitely remain close. I could still keep up with all the school gossip through her. I considered the endless conversation topics we would have while attending to different schools. I couldn’t think of any reason to decline the offer. I prepared to tell them yes and turn to a new chapter in my life. But, fate would spin the crazy wheel, yet again…
I opened my mouth to accept, but the only answer I managed to produce sounded like a gag. I cleared my throat as they looked at me intently, with bewildered stares. Boo was the only one in the room that didn’t pay any attention to my sudden inability to speak.
I attempted again, but this time all I managed was a fit of coughing worthy of a chain smoker. The cough subsided after a few tortured minutes, but it left me red-faced and breathless. I tried to call on my spirit light to give me some assistance. For the second time that day, it would mysteriously fail to appear.
Ticked off and highly annoyed, I refuse to give in to my body’s hysterical fit. I tried to just nod my head to let them know that I would agree to the idea. I hadn’t learned yet that divine guidance would always win out in the end. It didn’t take long to figure it out…
The low heated internal fire attempted to incinerate me when I tried to nod my head in agreement. I instantly grabbed my chest as the inner fire blazed, unmercifully inside my body. I couldn’t even scream out in agony although I desperately needed to.
Tray, Celeste and Rave all looked at me in horror because they didn’t know what was wrong or how to help me.
I jumped up from the floor. Then I ran over to the kitchen sink and put my head directly under the pouring faucet. I gulped the water down, fast. It didn’t help extinguish the internal incinerator even though the water was being fed from a natural spring that was so icy cold that it made my teeth hurt.
The fire burned hotter and started to spread. It seemed to consume my lungs. I held my breath and fought against the inevitable need to exhale. I was terrified that the expelled air would come out in a wave of molten lava.
The sliding glass doors led out onto a garden patio. They rattled and threatened to shatter as I forced them opened in my mad dash. I had barely reached the edge of the concrete walkway before my own personal survival won out.
I fell forward and exhaled – no smoke, no fire – just air. If I had banked on any relief though, I would have gone broke. The frigid outside air that I inhaled didn’t help at all. The fire continued to rip through my lungs.
Nothing could extinguish the internal furnace. I considered how far it was to the nearest cliff, but it wouldn’t matter much. At the rate that the flames were consuming my insides, they would surround my heart soon. That would certainly end this torture, once and for all.
Boo rushed to my side wearing his bright yellow boots and grabbed me by the hand. I tried to keep up as he pulled me along. I repeatedly stumbled although we kept moving. Somehow we climbed the huge mountainside in record time. Then he led me directly to the creek bank that had remnants of snow still dusted on both sides.
“Ember swim…” he instructed and I watched as his blue aura streamed into the flowing water.
I obeyed and crawled into the creek. The rainbows appeared around me before I submerged my face beneath the cold surface. The icy liquid and Boo’s essence fought against the raging flames inside.
Steam started rising from the creek and I rolled over onto my back. The usually high, free flowing water had evaporated. Even the rainbows had disappeared because no water was left in the creek bed. The waterfall that feeds this creek is cascading from what currently looks like an overflowing, rushing river. But all the liquid was being boiled away the instant it touched any of the rocks near me.
Boo’s aura appeared to be absorbing through my skin and then released back into the atmosphere. It created a thick fog of unearthly blue mist. Rave, Celeste and Tray stood in stunned silence on the creek bank. They watched the ethereal steam as it continued to rise like celestial smoke from the water.
The creek is deep enough to fully cover my body, typically. But all that could reach me was an occasional drop or two of water. Small trickles were all that could escape from the boiling heat.
I continued to lie in the steamy creek bed until the inferno receded. The now, low heated flames of my inner fire reminded me that I still had something missing inside. Perhaps it was a piece of my soul or something more, I didn’t know. Somehow, in my distraction I had forgotten all about it. I believed that the missing part of me was located somewhere at my current school. It was a fact that the blazing inferno reminded me of with a vengeance. After almost being burned alive I finally understood that I couldn’t just wander around the world – or the Vaydem School for that matter – with a part of ME missing.
I could never afford to forget it again. I need to find my missing piece and then, figure out a way to retrieve it. All the best reasons in the world can’t convince me to transfer anywhere. The internal fire responded to my choice by lowering the flames.
Although my body definitely approved of my decision, I was still disappointed about having to choose it. I looked up into Tray’s eyes and felt the sadness wash over me. I didn’
t think it was possible to have guilt stack on top of more blame, but unfortunately, it is.
Boo’s aura swiftly faded as I cooled down – well, as much as I could chill given that I had a fire burning inside me. I climbed out of the creek bed and onto the bank with my brother’s assistance. I turned around and watched the icy water start to flow freely once again. The water rose back to the same depth it had been before I had boiled it. But I could still see the imprint of my body where I had been lying in the creek bed. It would be indelibly scorched into the mud – a permanent reminder of this incredible event.
My Boo-bear had started to play with his toys the second his aura faded. He didn’t even look up at me as I knelt down in front of him. I placed one finger under his small chin and tilted his head up so I could look him in the eyes.
“Thanks, my little Boo-bear Honey – you saved my life,” I whispered to him.
“Ember likes water…water likes Ember…” Boo said before he pulled away from my finger.
“You’re right – you’re so right,” I said softly and kissed him on the top of his head.
Ember Rising Light (Book One) Page 47
