Power

Chapter 3: Art

I went downstairs to greet my dad; he had made his way to the couch but left the TV off. I walked behind his chair and tapped on his head he looked up at me and smiled. "Hey, when did you get home?" he asked me. I told him the same old time and that he needed to get a watch. "I'll start dinner ok?" I told him he agreed and turned the TV onto the news. I went to the kitchen and looked for something to eat I decided on a salad and some macaroni and cheese. I reached for the chicken then stopped I felt some thing I've never felt before. Someone was about to ring the doorbell. It rang out and it made me jump. "How did I know that?" I asked myself quietly, "Will you get that hunny? I'm too tired to get up," my dad called from the living room, "Sure thing dad." I called back. I walked over to the door and opened it, I found a guy about my age standing in the doorway with a nervous look on his face. I smiled at him then I felt that I shouldn't trust him, but I pushed the feeling aside, "Can I help you?" I asked friendly. "Hi, I'm your new neighbor across the way just in front of your house and I was wandering if I could borrow a couple things." He said still with a nervous look on his face, "Sure what do you need? We've got plenty of everything here!" I laughed, 'except for a loving mother…' I thought to myself. "Great can I borrow a match, a leaf, a small glass of water and some soil from your rose garden?" I looked at him oddly. Why does he want dirt a leaf, water and a match? He could get the exact same thing at his house new or not. I was about to ask him what the materials were for but then the door slammed all on its own! "Hey!" I yelled, "What is it?" my dad called to me, "Nothing I accidentally shut the door with my foot or something…" I told him trying to pry the door open. It wasn't going to open any time soon and the guy had started knocking. "Open!" I yelled and then it opened. He looked at me, "Why did you slam the door?" he asked, "I'm sorry…I slipped…I just mopped the floors." I lied, 'I just mopped the floors? What was that?' I asked myself. I invited him in, "Daddy! This is our new neighbor…"I stopped he never told me his name, "what's your name again?" he looked at me and smiled with a sort of relief, "Ryan, Ryan Willis. And you are?" he held out his hand towards me I reached for it and shook his hand, "Erin Hollow. Nice to meet you." I said, "Hi new neighbor!" my dad called from the living room holding his hand in the air waving. We laughed and I led Ryan to the kitchen. I got him a match, a cup of water, a fresh mint leaf from the plant growing in our kitchen, and went out to the backyard and got him a small container of dirt from mom's old rose bush. I handed them all to him and he thanked me as if it had just saved his life. "No big deal. If you ever need anything else just ask," I reassured him.

            After dinner I went to my room to do my homework and left dad fall asleep on him chair. I got to my room it was colder than usual. I turned on the light and found the book on my bed. Didn't I put it under the bed earlier? I closed my door and walked over to it. I sat next to it then placed it into my lap. I wasn't as dusty as I used to be when I last saw it. I looked under the bed to see if the dress was still under there. It wasn't. "Ok…now I'm officially freaked out." I said to myself out loud sitting up. I opened the book and read the first page over and over again in my head. 'To this day it is known,

North, East, South, and West. All now know the power I possess… I call upon the power of goodness and of light, to let me now take control of day and night. Three times the evil, Let it fold, to this promise I will hold… Come to me wondrous gift, come and release my truest power...? What is this?' I repeated it over and over again in my head. "MEOW!" I looked up from the book and looked around my room. I heard scratching coming from my window. "MEOW!" it called again. I pulled up the shades and saw a cat sitting on the sill. "What in the world?" I opened the window and it let itself in and looked around as if inspecting my room. "Tisk, tisk, tisk…this is your room? Pitiful." It said, "Excuse me?" I asked with disbelief. I looked over at my alarm clock. Eight thirty on a Monday night, and I'm already delusional. "Name's Art. Nice to meet ya, Erin." That's it, I walked over to the 'cat' or whatever the heck it was and picked it up and walked back over the window, "what are you doing?!" he yelled, "I'm not crazy. I'm not delusional. And a cat is NOT talking to me right now!" I told it. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait a second!" I didn't wait I threw it out the window and closed it and walked over to my desk and began my homework.  I heard it scratching at the window. "Go away, I have Geometry!" I told it. "Open the window Erin," it called from outside. "Please go away…?" I told it politely.  I heard the window slide open. I looked over my shoulder and watch it crawl inside. "What the?!" I exclaimed. It sat on my bed next to the book cleaning his paws. "How did you get in?!" I asked him, "I'm a cat." Is all he said and continued to clean his paws. I turned back around and began my homework again. "You're already done with that," he told me. I looked at him again, "I just started," I told him. He stopped and looked at me shaking his head, "Check again."  I turned back to my desk and found my homework completed. "How did you-What did you-?" He laughed as if it was a joke. I double checked the answers they were right! "Oh my-'' I stared and a furry paw stopped my lips from moving, "Gods." I looked at the cat who had taken his paw away from my mouth. I looked forward and gathered my book and placed it in my backpack and got up from my desk and walked to the bathroom calmly and splashed cold water on my face and returned. "Feel better?", "Oh much!" I told him. "Good, now let's get to the real work." He said jumping off my desk. "I'm going to get some water," I stated and was about to walk out the door, "Just think about it," I heard him say, "Think about it?" I asked facing him again. "Hold out your hand, and see the water in a glass." I looked at him oddly, "Just do it." He was getting frustrated. I held out my hand in front of me and imagined a glass of water. Nothing. "Its not working," I told him, "You didn't even try! How am I supposed to teach you if you refuse to learn!?!" he yelled, "Teach me? You're a cat! I'm obviously going crazy because I think you're talking to me! So if you excuse me, 'Mr. Talking Cat', but I'm going to get me a real glass of water." I opened the door and went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. It didn't taste the same it was different somehow. I ignored it and went back to my room leaving dad still asleep on the couch. I got my room and saw the cat reading the book. "Did you read this?" he pointed to the first page, "Yes earlier today. Why?" I asked him taking another sip from my glass, "Today's your fifteenth birthday?" I nodded, "Well then! Let's get to work!" He Jumped from my bed again and walked over to my foot looking up at me as I looked down to him. I could see him frown when I just stood there. What else am I supposed to do? I took a big gulp of water finishing it out and holding the empty glass at my side. "Can we go now?" he asked irritated, "Go where? It's nine o'clock…past my curfew." I explained to him. "I'll be right back then. You stay here and read the note your mother left you. I'll be back in the morning." He said heading for the, "it's a good thing I love your mom or else I wouldn't come back." He scolded and left.

            I walked over to my bed and read the note my mom left me it said the same thing it had said earlier. Why did I need to read the last part out loud it just doesn't make any sense. But it's my birthday and today seems to not want to make any sense at all for some odd reason…so what the heck? "A circle of protection, a heart of love. To this day it is known, North, East, South, and West. All now know the power I possess.  A circle of protection, a heart of love. Let this be unbroken, Guard me from above."  I laughed at the last part and closed the window. I turned off my bedroom light, got comfy in my bed, "A talking cat… 'ugh'," I said and drifted into sleep.