Alayke Tru lost everything in her life with a single bullet. All her family is dead. She's ignored by almost everyone. All she wants to do is go home but home doesn't exist anymore.
If Alakye is willing to take the risk, she can disappear in...
Ουπς! Αυτή η εικόνα δεν ακολουθεί τους κανόνες περιεχομένου. Για να συνεχίσεις με την δημοσίευση, παρακαλώ αφαίρεσε την ή ανέβασε διαφορετική εικόνα.
Two weeks later...
I didn't run away, I ran home.
Behind the huge hedge, my hiding spot obscures the white van pulling up to my drive. A hooded man exits the van. He walks up the drive to my old house but it's blocked by a rainbow color shield. The man's green hood blocks his eyes as he scans the area and looks over the barrier. He's done this almost every other day since I've been staking out my old home.
This wall of light blocking all entry wasn't there when my family owned this place. We never had any magic to put any shielding up. We live so close to the pocket of deep magic, you just live with all the magical creatures moving through.
The hooded man chants at the barrier blocking his way extending his hand. Viscous green sticky magic coats the barrier. The smell of hot burning flesh wafts down the street to my hiding spot. He brushes his awful glowing hand against the barrier. The beautiful multicolor rainbow lights wiggle covered in green goo and strain against his hand.
He pulls his palm back then brings it back down hard slamming it against the barrier, spreading his magic at the same time. The chanting from him never stops. The words are liquid as he speaks faster, the barrier ripples with stress. A burst of rainbow magic launches from the barrier slamming into the hooded man. He's knocked all the way back to his van and crunches hard into the door denting it.
I hold my breath waiting for him to move, twitch, hell something. Peeking only a tiny bit from behind the bushes that block me, I make way too much noise. The man twitches then lurches up roughly. He sways on his feet and his hood falls back. Our eyes lock together for just a moment and he uses the back of his hand to wipe the blood from his lip. He pulls the hood back over his head covering himself. Wobbling he stumbles to the van door and spits blood on the gravel before getting in. The white van peels out spinning its wheels and kicking up the gravel on the road.
Breathe out, "shit."
That was crazy.
The gunk on the shield is gone. It's almost as if the shield healed itself but it looks less bright. The rainbow light doesn't dance as fast as it did before.
The puppies peek out from their hiding spot. Shit, shit shit, we spent almost two weeks with no one spotting us then, busted. Someone has been sending people to bring down that barrier around my house, for the whole two weeks I've been watching the place. A witch once, a mage, and a warlock. It sounds more like a cross the road joke, I keep waiting for the punch line.
"That was freaky," I say to the puppies. They couldn't care in the least. Riverh and Rhain play with a small rock. Tossing it back and forth in that kind of puppy glee that can't be stopped even if I bothered trying.
Down the driveway is the old converted barn I grew up in. All my memories of anything happy is wrapped up there. The last of my stolen supplies are running out and with two puppies to feed more will be needed. This area is on the borderline of magical pollution as some folks call it. Places near heavy magic were pretty dirt-cheap back in the day.
"I wonder what they will send next to get the shield around the house down?" I say to the puppies.
The puppies are more interested in playing together then my musing. "When they get the shield down maybe I can squat on the property for a few days before they tear it down? Get anything I might have left behind when my brother died. I bet I can clear out before anyone notices?"
Most of the drug withdrawal has past but the want for the next pill is still there in the back of my mind. I itch my cast as I try and avoid thinking about hazing out and giving up. I know it's not what I want but I think my body might crave it.
I walk past the mailbox for everyone at the start of the dead end street I feel the prickles of magic. Magic near deep magic isn't heavy it's more like a glow. Similar to a warm day with overcast sun. It can go completely unnoticed unless you have sensitive skin.
Deep magic feels like the hot sun on your skin and almost has a slight physical weight like extra gravity. The longer you are exposed to it the less you notice and the more it becomes like background noise. I walk past the foreclosure sign on the gravel road. Riverh and Rhain play with a rock they steal from each other back and forth. A second sign on the road next to the foreclosure sign says.
DANGER
This structure is declared unsafe for human occupancy or use. It is unlawful for any person to use or occupy this building.
Any unauthorized person removing this sign.
WILL BE PROSECUTED
I picked up a rock and throw it waiting for the rock to bounce off rainbow lights. The rock plops down like any other rock going past whatever shielding is there without setting it off. Picking up another rock I throw it again but Riverh is going after the rock. She is quick as a flash her little body extends in an attempt to grab the stone from the air.
The shield starts to light up with magic almost sensing her approach. I step in front of Riverh into the light blocking her path from the rock and the shield. The magic of the shield stops activating under my feet settling down calmly into a line of rainbow light.
I am standing directly on the line one foot on either side of the lights expecting the worst and nothing is happening. Riverh streaks between my legs retrieving the rock before it hits the ground. A dopey slobbery rocked filled puppy smile on her face now that she has the prize that almost got her hurt.
If I didn't know better I could have sworn Rhain just shook her head at Riverh. Rhain cross over the threshold with dainty grace my body standing between her and the rainbow lights. I guess I can go to the house. I lick my dry lips and wipe the sweat from the back of my neck.
I thought I was going to be split in half sci-fi movie style. Cautiously, I follow the crunchy gravel path to the grown over barn. The old wooden door peeling cracked worn down without the coat of sealant paint my brother put on it year after year. I get the extra key out of the flower put near the door and step through the dust and gravel strewn all over the floor. I look around at my life.
The before time.
The before pain, before uncertainty, the before life.
It's frozen with my brother's work boots still covered with crusty construction concrete next to the school lockers he salvages for mudroom storage. The concrete I didn't clean up like he told me to. My dried old bloody and muddy footprints from his death. I had to run inside and grab everything I could before CPS took me to my first foster house.
Everything is stopped in the moment. The cup left out on the kitchen table. My mother's red kitchen aid mixer with a layer of thick dust sitting out on the counter from the last time I used it.
Her book of recipes cracked open with the faded writing which was once clear and bold. I practiced the recipes because I wanted to remember her so badly when she was gone. Every day the memories faded except when I was going through her book.
The picture of my dad in full military dress next to my brother on his basic training graduation day. He was so proud of him in the picture it shown through his eyes.
I can feel the before time drowning me with each step on the dusty ground. My footprints trail almost like snow that I will never see in hot Sacramento. Turning around in the kitchen slowly I look at my before time. I release the longest breath I've been burying in fireflies.
This is home.
[A/N: This might read a little slow to some. I like rolling things out like an onion. I enjoy layers which hopefully you guys won't mind too much. Thank you for everything & Happy Holidays :) -O]
