The Club

Sixteen

I stood outside of the pub as my left eye twitches at the name. The Mojo Pub. Seriously? What's up with them naming everything that has to do with magic? They aren't even trying to hide the fact that they use magic here. I let out a groan as I shook my head. It doesn't matter right now as what matters is finding this Craig guy. I walk towards the door, and the moment I step inside I was shove back out. I stumble but caught myself before looking up and seeing a big buff guy glaring at me. Great. It's a bouncer.
"Go play somewhere else, kid." The guy scoffs.
"No wait! Please, I need to get inside!" I yell, trying to get back inside, but he shoves me back away.
"No kids allowed! You must be twenty-one or older to enter. You look like you're fourteen." The guy scoffs at me again.
"Fourteen? No! I'm seventeen! Wait, that doesn't matter. Please listen, I just need to find someone who comes here often." I plead with him.
"Sure you do, kid." He says before waving me away dismissively.
"No, seriously, I do. I'm looking for Craig Lawson and I heard he comes here often." I tell him, practically begging him to let me in.
"Craig Lawson?" The guy asks, stopping as he stares back at me.
"Yes. I heard he comes here often. I promise that I'm only here to see him. I'm not here to cause any trouble." I tell him honestly.
"If you're here to see Craig Lawson, then you're looking for trouble." The guy huffs.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"If you're smart, go home and never return." The guy warns before walking back inside the pub.
I let out a sigh, feeling defeated. What do I do now? I need to see that Craig guy to help me learn this other type of magic. I need to defend myself from Mr. Dubuik and Tynan. I can't give up, but they will not let me inside either. I could wait out here for him, but do I really want to wait for that long just to see him? Also, I don't trust these townsfolk. I turn around as I notice some of them were still watching me and whispering. It made me uncomfortable, and afraid that if I stay here any longer, something bad will happen. I guess I should just leave and figure something else out. I'm not sure what else I can do, but I need to figure something else out quickly. I let out a sigh as I turn around and head back towards the school. This day was such a bust and I feel so defeated.
I didn't make it far when I felt like someone was watching me. I ignored it, as I figured it was just the townsfolk still staring at me. But, after a while I heard footsteps following me and it made me nervous. I stop as I glance behind me and nearly jump when someone is actually behind me. I can see them standing away a little away. I swallow as I turn back and quicken my pace, but didn't make it far. I crashed into something, but there's nothing in front of me. I place my hands out and I touched something, but it's invisible. Is this an invisible barrier? I thought, shock. I heard the footsteps coming closer and I turn around to see a man in a trench coat and cap standing behind me. I didn't feel afraid, even though I should be. I didn't have to be because I didn't feel that cold aura of power from him. I felt that warm feeling like I do with Iridiana and the other blond students. Who is this guy?
"Are ye the lass whose lookin' fer me?" The guy spoke up in a Scottish accent.
"I-uh are you Craig Lawson?" I ask skeptically.
"Aye lass." He says, nodding his head.
"I-I thought you would be in the pub by now." I say, confused.
"It's not eight, lassie, so no pub fer me yet." Craig tells me like it was obvious.
"Oh. Well, that's true." I say, scratching the back of my neck awkwardly.
"What do ye need, lassie?" Craig asks, returning to the main reason I was looking for him.
"Oh! Yes, right, um, I heard you can help me learn another type of magic. To help me defend myself." I tell him hopefully that the rumor was true.
"Aye lass, but do ye think ye can handle it?" Craig asks seriously.
"I-uh yes I can." I tell him determined.
"Hm. If ye so sure, then fine follow me lass." Craig says turning and walking the opposite of where I was going.
I hesitated for a moment, but soon followed him to wherever he's leading me. I know it's not a good idea to follow a stranger, but as of right now, I know he's the only one who can help me learn how to protect myself. I just have to hope that he's telling the truth and he won't be a kidnapper or a murderer. I really hope that I'm not making another mistake. I've been making them a lot, and it's hard to know who I can trust. I just wish I knew who I can trust or who I can't. It would just make everything so much easier. I took a deep breath as we passed the pub and kept walking. I stop though as I realized we were walking out of town. Craig stops before turning towards me. He tells me to keep following him. I hesitated once more before I stupidly continue to follow him out of town.
We were heading into the woods, and I noticed a couple of signs saying to keep out. I became afraid that this was a big mistake. Why is he leading me into forbidden woods? I wonder, terrified, as we walk into the woods. I thought I'll feel afraid or feel powerful magic in here, but I felt nothing. It just felt normal. It was just like any other woods I've walked into at my old town. If this is just a normal woods, then why is it forbidden? I then noticed a log cabin in the distance. My eyes widen when I didn't understand why there's a single house all the way out here. I glanced over at Craig and wondered if he lives all the way out here, and all alone? That sounds sad and very lonely.
"Welcome to my home lassie." Craig says turning towards me.
"Do you live out here all by yourself?" I ask him as we walked inside.
"Aye lassie. I used to live with my wife Eloise, but she passed away six years ago." Craig tells me as he walks up to a picture frame.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Lawson." I tell him genuinely sorry.
"Dinnae be sorry, lassie. It was a long time ago. I'm keeping up with her classes, so her memory is staying alive in my heart." Craig tells me as he sets the picture back down on the fireplace mantle.
Dinnae? It must be a Scottish word, and considering the sentence he used it in, I'm going to guess that it means don't. I shook my head as it makes me wonder why a Scotland man moved into this sort of town. Did he know about this dark wielding town before he moved or after he moved? What is this class that he said that he's continuing with after his wife's death? Is it a class that will help me defend myself? I honestly hope so. I don't know what else to do and I'm already out here in the middle of the woods with a complete stranger. What might go wrong with that?
"Um, are you able to help me?" I ask awkwardly.
"I am, but only if ye are up for the challenge lass." Craig tells me as he turns back towards me.
"I am. I want to learn this other type of magic." I tell him seriously.
"Follow me then." Craig says as he heads towards a door.
I follow him through the door and down the stairs. I became worried that this is his basement, and he's leading me to my death. No. I can't judge everyone badly just because of this town's bad rep. I have to give this guy a chance and hope that he's not a kidnapper and a murderer who's leading me down into his cellar. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves when Craig opens another door at the bottom. I widen my eyes in shock as this wasn't what I thought I'll find in someone's cellar. Of course, what did I expect? A torture chamber? Whatever it looks like, it's a gym down here. They cover the entire floor in a blue mat, and the walls are half covered as well. It's like a training gym of some sort. I saw some equipment in the corner, and it looks like there's a bit of everything over there.
Craig took off his trench coat and cap before placing them aside. He then turns towards me and tells me to take my shoes off before stepping into the middle of the mat. I listened as I took my shoes off and setting them aside before walking to the middle. Craig stood there tall with his arms crossed, and I felt suddenly nervous about how this was all going to go.
"Have ye used magic before, lassie?" Craig asks.
"No." I answer sheepishly.
"So we are starting at level one. Figures. Okay, lass, this is what ye need to do first. Close your eyes and concentrate on your magic, and try to feel your magic." Craig tells me seriously.
I nod as I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate and feel my magic. Do I even have magic? I wonder, as I probably should've asked him that. But would he even know the answer to that? I shake my head as I try to concentrate and see if I can feel my magic somewhere hidden inside of me. Right now, I'm feeling nothing. I crunch my nose up as I tried to concentrate harder, but still I felt nothing. I let out a sigh as I opened my eyes and look over at Craig as he's still standing in his spot staring at me.
"I can't do it. Do I even have magic inside of me?" I ask, letting out another sigh.
"Everyone has magic deep inside of themselves, lassie. It's just up to that person if they want to use it for good or evil." Craig explains to me.
"But I can't even feel it. How can I feel it and bring forth this magic hidden inside of me?" I ask him.
"It's hard to master, lassie, but ye can do it. Just keep concentrating. Clear ye mind and try to feel your magic." Craig explains to me.
I nod before doing just that. I closed my eyes. Cleared my mind and concentrated on where my magic was. At first, I felt nothing again, but after I took a deep breath, clearing my mind, I felt something. It was faint at first, but I saw something flicker in my mind and felt a small warmth. But it was also cold. In my mind, I saw a small image appear, and it looked like a small blue flame. I reached my hand out to touch it, but retracted when I felt the heat and coldness radiating from it. The more I concentrated, the brighter it seemed to glow. I felt my mind become cold and warm all at the same time. I felt afraid, but something about this felt familiar.
I don't know what was happening, but I suddenly started gasping for breath. I felt my body tremble, and I figured it was because I've been concentrating for a long period. I didn't want to stop, though. I wanted to get closer. I wanted to see more, to feel more. I reached my hand out again when the flame moved around to form into a silhouette of a person. My hand was inches from the flaming silhouette when I lost focus. I tried to keep my focus, but I couldn't. Before I disappeared from my mind, I thought I heard someone saying something to me.