Small Instruments

Chapter 4

"I still don't get it" said Nate as he was picking up all of the white lanterns in his back yard.

"Don't get that all these lanterns end up here or why Tara keeps persisting we shouldn't stop doing this instead of just calling the Takers?" asked Sam as he too, picked up yet another white lantern.

Every year on 1st of June the city of Gorgon, and every other city in the Shadowlands and Icelands, would light white lanterns, while praying to the gods for the return of the successor of the throne. And every year a bunch of them would be stuck on the large oak tree in the backyard of Nate's house.

"These lanterns end up here 'cause of the stupid tree" said Nate with a face. "I was talking about Tara. She's up to something."

Sam grew silentinstantly. He was really getting uncomfortable now that he knew. And Nate kepttalking about it constantly, apparently relived that he could talk to someoneabout it, unlike Nate, Sam hated this secret. Probably because he couldn't tellTara, and he told Tara everything, ever since they were both six. 

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"Sammy don't go too far away from the house!" yelled his mother.

"I won't!" he yelled back.

Sam got on his little silver bike and started going down the street. He loved riding his bike, he loved the air in his face, the freedom that came along with it. He turned to the corner, his little cloud bouncing on his right handle, changing his colors, but kept coming to bright, neon green-excitement.

Sam knew that at the end of the turn there was a little hill, so he sped up and finally released the pedals so he could go freely down the road. He smiled.

But his happiness was short lived. He lost control of the bike and stumbled down the street, scratching his knees, arms and cheek. He groaned. He was lying face up. His adrenaline vanished and was quickly replaced by pain. He groaned louder, feeling the pain fully.

He tried to stand up but couldn't. Until a small arm hooked under his elbow and helped him up. He looked up at the girl. He could see she was his age, but she was really, really tall. With a long dark brown hair and silver eyes, she looked mean.

"Thank you" mumbled Sam, avoiding the laughter from the other kids on the street.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked, her face looking disapprovingly at him.

Sam nodded. "I'm fine, but I'd like to go home now" his voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

The girl nodded and without a word, she took his bike and started going up the hill. When she saw that Sam wasn't following her, she turned around with a confused face.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

Sam snapped at that, and quickly walked towards her.

"Thank you" he said again, still looking up at her.

She shrugged. "You would've done the same to me."

Sam frowned, thinking. Actually he wouldn't, he thought. He would have laughed with the rest of the kids, calling her names, making her cry just like they're doing it now to him. He looked at her yet again.

She saw that he wasstaring at her and she tightened her hold on the bike, her body going frigid. "What?!" she snapped.