Rose

Chapter 12

We didn't have classes today as it was our Moon Circle tonight so Willow suggested a trip into town. I jumped at the chance to see more of the island and its inhabitants.

We grabbed one of the bikes outside of the Foundation gates and started pedalling towards town. I remembered Willow's comments about the paths and was eager to learn more about the energy storage system she'd spoken of.

When we got closer to the town we parked the bike in another of the purpose built shelters and started walking towards our destination. I was definitely getting my cardio in these days. Each step I took felt a little bouncy and I looked at the path underfoot. It certainly wasn't the paving I was used to; it reminded me of the surface they used in kids playgrounds, like recycled rubber or something. I stood and just bounced on the spot for a moment. It wasn't like walking on a trampoline or anything quite so ridiculous, but there was definitely a slight bounce, like wearing Air Jordans for the first time. Willow was watching me with a huge grin on her face. "What is it?" I really couldn't work it out.

"Underneath the paths is a system of pressure plates. Each step we take moves the plates slightly, the energy produced is stored in the power system." She explained.

"Just like with the bikes." I nodded starting to get the picture.

"The paths aren't everywhere, just in high traffic areas like in town and various parks; kids running around creates loads of energy" She smiled.

I nodded. "Fascinating system." I could have listened to Willow explaining it in more detail but we were soon into the main part of town.

The streets were all pedestrianised here, the floor giving us a bounce in our step, literally. There were various communal spaces down the middle of the pathways - a grassy area with benches beneath large trees, miniature playgrounds for kids so they didn't get bored while their parents shopped, a lovely statue surrounded by water shooting out of the ground in patterns that had the kids laughing as they ran through it followed by dogs with wagging tails. All sorts of shops lined either side of the space - there were your normal clothing boutiques, butchers, bakers, (no candlestick makers that I could see though) coffee shops, book stores, and so on. But amongst them were shops that were a little bit different than what I was used to. Right next to the bank was a shop called Blood and Vine. According to Willow they specialised in special wines that the Vampires enjoyed - "...different vintages and different blood types." She'd explained. That was something I couldn't unhear.

We passed an amazing smelling herb shop, and headed into a shop selling all kinds of crystals, some of them as tall as me. Merlin's Cave was a treasure trove of crystals and the vibrations hit me all at once as soon as I crossed the threshold. I started to feel dizzy and hot, very hot. I turned around and walked straight back out again. "Are you OK?" Willow asked, obviously worried.

I tried to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth until the feelings cleared. "I'm fine." I nodded, feeling much better already. "That was just a lot." I explained pointing to the shop.

"Oh sorry, I didn't think." She shook her head.

"Don't worry about it Willow. I'm fine now. It didn't occur to me either." I shrugged and smiled.

"Will you be alright here if I just pop in quickly?" She asked.

"Of course," I nodded. She ran in and I took a seat on one of the benches to people watch. With all their differences to Humans the thing I noticed the most about the people in this realm was they all seemed to be content. Everybody seemed to have a smile on their face and a relaxed vibe about them. There was no rubbish on the floor, graffiti on walls, or broken shop windows anywhere that I could see. People seemed to genuinely care about where they lived - just as they should. That was something I could never understand about Humans.