The Descendants and the Missing Guardian

Chapter Two

When Seth finally got home his toes were cold from the slush on the ground seeping into his old sneakers; the air was cool and crisp, burning his nostrils and stinging his eyes; and the storm clouds had dispersed, leaving him alone with the dusk, allowing a few stars to shine through the dimming sky.

The house was dark; everyone must be asleep. A twinge of loneliness ached in his chest. Why did I run away? He'd done it so much lately that they didn't wait up for him anymore. But he didn't know how to control his temper; life was so frustrating at times. It wasn't like this before-not when Dad was still alive.

Seth punched the side of the porch and an old wooden ladder rattled against the boards. He used to come out here with his dad and watch the night skies. He missed that. He grabbed the ladder from its hooks and put it up against the lean-to and then quickly climbed its rounded rungs, up to the roof.

Exhaling, he watched as his breath formed white clouds around his face. Through them, he could see the red blinking light of a passing satellite, and then to its right a shooting star caught his eye. Seth smiled and pulled out the old pocket watch he always kept in his pocket, and tried to forget about his day.

It wasn't long until Seth saw another star fall from the opposite direction. He turned his eyes and immediately saw another, followed by another, until there were hundreds of stars falling at once as if they were raining from the skies. Seth gasped and the cold air bit his tongue and throat.

The pocket watch cut into his hand as he gripped it. He opened his fist and the top popped open, showing the inactive hands now surprisingly spinning out of control. He snapped the watch shut and shoved it back into his pocket.

Within seconds the stars stopped and the skies were calm again. A satellite blinked past as if nothing had happened. His chest hurt again, but this time it was because he'd been holding in his breath. He let it all out in one gust, but it didn't form white clouds-the air was warmer. Even the tip of his nose felt warm. What's going on?

A rustle in the bushes below made him jump.

"Who's there?"

"Good evening!" Mrs. Ogle said stepping out into the open. "Well, perhaps it is more like goodnight. In fact, I am not sure what you would call this, an in-between or perhaps a good-eve? Ooh, I like that. Good-eve to you."

Seth stared at the strange woman. "What are you doing here?"

"I chased something back here," she said looking worried. "You haven't seen anything odd have you?"

"No," Seth said. Except for you. "I was about to go to bed."

"Oh yes," Mrs. Ogle said. "I prefer to be awake. That way I don't miss anything."

"Aren't you going to leave?"

"I don't think so," she said. "I'm trying to figure out what's going on. There's something a little bit off, don't you think?"

"Like what?"

"It's something in the air; something not quite right."

"The calm before the storm?" he asked. "Isn't that what you said earlier?"

"Yes the calm before-" she paused and pointed into the sky. "There, I saw it again. Did you see it?"

"A falling star?"

"Not a falling star," she said. "Falling stars. I think you should take a look."

Seth followed her finger and looked straight up. For the second time that night he saw hundreds of falling stars shooting from the sky, disappearing into the dark atmosphere.

"I think it's a meteor shower," he shrugged. "It happened just before you came over."

"Strange and stranger," she said.

"Not really," Seth said. "Dad told me they happen from time to time."

"You've been speaking to your father?" she asked, tilting her head.

His chest tightened as he stared wide-eyed at Mrs. Ogle. "Of course not, he's gone." Seth climbed down the ladder and walked past her. "It's time for me to go."

"Good-eve," she called out after him.

He went through the back door and locked it behind him. Mrs. Ogle's outline was still visible through the window, as she stood on the back deck, staring up at the stars. He shut off all the lights on the main floor and went to his room.

As he stepped into his bedroom, Colonel Whiskers ran out from underfoot. Seth tripped, falling onto the floor, and was about to yell at the cat when Jared's snoring got a little louder. Seth threw his hands over his mouth to keep himself quiet.

"Good save, young sir," an unfamiliar voice came from the computer desk next to the window.

Jumping off the floor, Seth scrambled toward the door. "Who's there?" he whispered, hoarse, as his voice caught in his throat.

"It doesn't do us any good sitting around here in the dark," the voice said.

Seth saw the back of his desk chair move as the light clicked on. A thin tuft of blue hair stuck out above the top of the chair, wiggling as the occupant leaned back.

*** END OF CHAPTER TWO ***************************************************************

1. Ahh!! Belvedere is back! What do you like about his character?

2. Do you like how the story is told from Seth's POV, or would you prefer it be directly in his head (I instead of he?)