Hey guys! I'm Ally. I wrote this when I was young, I am young, but younger then I am now. I started World of Danger in October 2008 and finished in April 2009. It was self published, but I decided against it, and thought I really need the help and inspiration from here before I go that route. I could only find the horribly edited version, and the fact I don't have ANY spelling skills doesn't help the matter. The begining here is a little slow, but it gets much MUCC better. I swear this book is a YA/fantacy/romance/action/drama/horror its insane, so if thats your thing your going to LOVE this anyways enjoy!!

PART ONE

1

The Beginning

I LOOKED BEHIND ME. THE TRAIN WAS leaving the station making my long blond hair ruffle in the wind. I watched it slowly drive away until it was only a dot on the horizon. Behind me I heard the clock chime one, two, three times. It was afternoon.

I didn’t turn around to see where that big clock was because in my eyes turning around would mean seeing the place I had been avoiding and denying for so long. In my mind if I waited here long enough a train would come and take me back home, but sadly this wasn’t my mind, it was our world.

It was unfair how my mother was forcing me to stay here. It seemed as if everyone and everything had turned against me. It was hard to know I have nothing left, nothing to remember my old life other then the memories.

Father and my brother Richard’s death had been the most tragic thing that has ever happened to me. My whole family has lived in high class for so long, my whole life, or at least what I remember of it. Without their income we couldn’t afford the house. We were forced to move here, to middle class.

I had heard rumors about this place, all of them not good. My mother assured me that none of it was true but how would she know? She had never been here herself.

I finally took a deep breath and turned around. I’m sure I must have looked weird just standing there. There wasn’t much to see; we weren’t in town yet, only a big open road, some people and my family hitching up their horses. Mine was waiting for me.

My horse’s name was Bella, named after my younger and closest sister Isabella. She did the same with her horse only she named hers Beth after my name, Elizabeth.

Isabella was tiny, well smaller then I was; 5’3’ maybe. Her hair was a dirty blond, a few shades darker then mine. She was growing it longer, to match my own but right now it sat just below her shoulders.

Her eyes were a light green. It was a strange colour to be seen with blond hair but it gave her an elegant look.

She kept her head up through everything that has happened, doesn’t let any emotion show, but I have stayed up with her countless nights talking and crying, but that was when we had a place to go out to, here we would have nothing of the sort.

Isabella was fifteen, but acted a little older. Father and Richard dying have forced us to grow up.

I approached Bella and ran my fingers through her mane; at least we didn’t need to leave her behind. I hitched up the sattle and the rains so that I could get on. We would need to ride thirty minutes on horse back to get into town, into middle class.

I pulled myself on her back slowly. She took my weight well, even though there wasn’t much of it. Mother kept on nagging me to put on more.

I looked ahead of me to see my now oldest brother Charles start us off. Charles was my older brother by two years. He was eighteen. He had a sandy brown hair that could easily pass as blond. His eyes were a dark brown.

He was around five foot nine. We used to call him Charlie, but that seemed like years ago when in reality it had been two short months. He dropped the nickname after Richard and father passed away.

Richard and he were best friends, as close as Isabella and I are. They were also one year apart, Richard being the older one. We were all incredibly close to each other, the way ideal brothers and sisters were supposed to be, but that was then. This is now.

Anthony was my youngest brother. Being only nine he didn’t exactly know what was going on but he knew enough to get by.

He had dirt brown hair and the same coloured eyes to match. He had that witty personality that was ready to argue anything. Sometimes I did because he seemed like the only one of us that didn’t change.

Mother with Gracie on her lap followed behind him. Mother offered me a sad fake smile as she passed by. I didn’t return it to her.

I missed the way she was, way back when. I never saw when her when she wasn’t smiling, all there is left of that now is her laugh lines.

Her hair is still the same, sandy like Charles’ tied into a tight bun. She was gripping Gracie tightly whispering some of her favourite stories.

Gracie was the youngest in my large family, she was ten years younger then I was.

Her hair was curly, blond and sun bleached. We never used to be able to take her from outside. She claimed the corn field by our house.

Her crystal blue eyes made her look angelic. You couldn’t deny her when she asked for something, well other then when she asks for “daddy” to hold her.

I shook away the thought. I didn’t notice that Isabella had gone past me; I was the only one that was left at the station so I started down the narrow dirt road.

I was quite a ways behind everyone else, but that was the way I liked it, I hardly talked to anyone anymore. There was nothing to talk about. I was happy looking at the farms around us. The only problem with looking at scenery is it gives me time to think about everything. Mostly I try to think about before everything happened, clear my mind, but a dark thought always crossed my mind and ruined everything.

Thankfully Isabella slowed her horse so that she was beside me.

“Elizabeth?” she whispered.

“Yeah?” I asked. It came across as rude when I wasn’t trying to be.

“Did you see Charles?” She asked. I knew what she was referring to.

Ever since Charles became the oldest male in the family, he has really stepped up into the fatherly role. It helped the younger ones and mother but it hurt us to see him try so hard. He never had fun anymore, and even when we asked him to come outside and such with us he always declined, saying that he needed to do this and that.

“Yeah, he is only trying to help.” I whispered.

Isabella nodded. I said what she already knew but she asked me once a day now.

“Are you excited to see the new house” I asked trying to change the horrible mood.

“Yeah I guess.” Isabella said. “But I don’t want to leave everything behind you know, we grew up in high class, it would be like leaving memories there.”

I understood her again. Leaving there was like leaving everything, our home, our friends; our whole lives were left there behind us. We could never go back, there wasn’t enough money to.

Charles said that he doesn’t think that father and Richard are dead since they only disappeared, but what other explanation is there? There is no way that they are living somewhere else, not without telling us. But if by some miracle father and Richard were alive, they would have no way to find us again. This was a new beginning that nobody asked for.

Isabella sighed beside me. “Lighten up.” I said. She looked at me, I knew how weird it must have sounded for me to say that, down right Charles like really but I couldn’t see Isabella that gloomy anymore, there had to be a way to make her smile.

“Because.” I stopped. How? How what I going to make her “lighten up”?

“Remember back a year ago when you entered the high school and had that big break down before you did?”

“Yeah.” Isabella shrugged.

“Well think of this like that, you loved high school and it turned out to be a good thing right?” I asked hoping I was getting some where.

“Yes it was a good thing.” Isabella agreed. “But you can’t compare that to this, you’ve got to know that this is much different.”

“It is.” I said choosing my words carefully. “But it could turn out to be a good thing… considering.” I said. Isabella turned away for a minute. When she turned back her face was as hard as stone again.

“I’m glad you think so, you should go tell Charles your outlook on the things.” Isabella whispered as she started to speed back up.

“You know I didn’t mean it like that.” I yelled. Charles looked back with a puzzling and desiring look. I could tell that he wanted to be part of this argument. Mother didn’t turn; she was used to our bickering which unfortunately had increased.

It was quiet from there on out, not that I minded but I hated making Isabella upset.

I watched the farms go by beside me. Wheat, and corn were the most common but I occasionally saw some green shrubs. When I could finally see the town in front of me a jolt of excitement went through me. I wanted to see this new home of mine as much as I hated to admit it.

Isabella looked behind her, but quickly turned back around. Her eyes were wide with excitement.

The city seemed huge from a distance and only got bigger as we came closer. My first thought was that it might be a lot like high class, the bigger the better there.

Soon the noise came with the town, it started out as a low rumble and then became louder as we approached this weird town.

I was right this was bigger then high class but in all the wrong ways. There were five story buildings all falling to pieces and stores everywhere you look, people were screaming at each other, selling various objects. There was no happiness, everyone was out to do something and I guessed they wouldn’t stop until they get that something done.

The first few buildings started to pass by us.

“Try and keep up!” Charles yelled. I nodded, but then realized he couldn’t see me nod.

“Yeah sure.” I called.

I led Bella into the crowd, and the noise of the town, the people all moved aside for us to pass through.

It seemed the people weren’t used to having horses pass through because they all starred at us like we were some sort of freaks. I guess to them we were.

Charles led us through the crowds with ease, but that still didn’t change the fact that it was clear that we didn’t belong.

A few people started yelling at us to get off of their streets. That fact only made us go faster. I was happy when mother told us to pull in at a little house near the out skirts of town.

The house looked more like cottage. It was two floors tall but I knew that the bottom floor would be for the store we would be running.

The outside was in red brick with white doors. It was cute… for middle class that is. We went around the back and tied up the horses on two small poles sticking up from the ground. Charles lifted Anthony down and mother did the same for Gracie. Isabella and I walked up to each other, one look could tell all. We were scared.

Mother led us around to the front of the house, our house. She stopped at the front door with the key in her hand.

“This house will take some work.” She said. “So don’t judge.”

She stuck they tiny key into the lock. With a click the door opened. Isabella and I gave each other a shy smile, all that we needed to have the confidence to enter.

We walked through to what will be the shop. Everything was dust covered. I walked in and brushed my finger across the table in the middle of the room. It left a streak of mahogany wood in the middle of grey.

It seemed like the whole store had the same wood, on the floor, the walls and the tables. This would need a lot of work.

Mother was looking around all of us in the doorway with Gracie in her arms.

Gracie was wide eyed looking around at the new scenery. Isabella was the opposite, no emotion at all.

Charles came up behind me. “Don’t look so disappointed.” He whispered. I turned around to face him; he offered me a small smile.

“Don’t pull that with me.” I warned before he got the chance to tell me his out look on things.

Charles gave a frown. “For the little ones.” He persuaded.

“Since when do you care what they see us doing?” I hissed at him.

“Since they started to care.” Charles said and turned around. I felt bad I had been so rude to him, but he needed to have someone to go against him.

“Upstairs?” Isabella asked.

Mother nodded and led the way. He started up a stair case that creaked with every step we took.

Once we got up stairs the house opened up for us. We walked in to what I guessed was a family room. A small sofa was sitting in the corner with two chairs by either side.

The walls were white, a nice change from the wood paneling downstairs.

Off of the family room there was a small kitchen, just big enough to fit the stove and our dining table. There wasn’t much to see in there so I went back to the family room.

There was a small bedroom that led to what I guessed was the bedrooms. There were four in total. One for mother, one for Richard, one for Anthony and Gracie and one for Isabella and I to share. Mother had gone over the arrangement with us many times.

I followed the hall and peered into each of the rooms, they were all much the same, white walls, red wood floors and a closet.

I found what must have been Isabella and my room. All of our things were already there; mother came with them at least a month ago. I opened up our closet to see a few dresses for each of us. It was sad to see.

I sat on what I claimed as my bed, it was closest to the small window at the side of the room. Isabella walked through the door. Her face looked slightly flustered.

“Some house.” She whispered. I nodded my head and looked outside; it must have been seven o’clock because the sun was just setting. We hadn’t had dinner yet, but I wasn’t hungry, I only wanted to get to bed.

I turned as I heard a knock on the door. Charles was in the door way.

“Hey.” He said and came to sit on the bed beside me. Isabella sat on her bed. I turned around to face them.

“You like the new house?” Charles asked.

“It’s okay.” I mumbled.

Isabella didn’t say anything.

“Trust me after a while things will get better.” Charles said.

I looked up at Isabella. I knew even that was enough to push her over the edge. “Don’t.” Isabella said as she got up and left the room.

Charles looked over to me with a puzzling look. “Anything can set her off.” I whispered. “Especially you right now, so do us both a favor don’t try so hard.”

I said as I got up as well. I stopped in the door way. I knew what I said was the complete truth but that still didn’t make it right to talk to him that way. I kept on going out the door, I wouldn’t turn around now.

I felt so upset that I had been too rude to him twice in a row now. Everything changing seemed to be setting everyone off, unfortunately that included me.

I heard the door close down stairs. “I’m going out with Isabella!” I called out as ran down the stairs. I could hear Charles behind me.

I left the door open as I left incase Charles wanted to follow me out, that’s what Charlie would have done. Instead Charles stopped at the door.

Finding Isabella wasn’t that hard. She was under a tree in our unusually large backyard. She was looking at the ground, making mindless swirls with her finger in the dirt.

I came and sat down beside her. “I told him.” I whispered. “I feel horrible.”

“Don’t.” Isabella told me. “I didn’t have the guts to tell him, one of us had to.”

I nodded. “I don’t think he is going to change.”

“No.” Isabella agreed. “Too much has happened.”

I looked up at the now grey sky. The sun was almost completely down. I could learn to love it here, I’m sure I could.

Charles did come out that night, our first night, but only to tell us that we needed to go to bed.

We did with out argument, and without talking. But that night was the last thing I would have expected.

I woke up in the middle of the night to some muted whispers. I got out of bed to see what was going on. I looked into Charles’s room first, seeing as he was the closest to ours. He was gone.

I looked into mother’s room, she was fast asleep. I looked into Gracie and Anthony’s room last, seeing it was the farthest from mine. Anthony was asleep. Gracie was in Charles’ arms crying short sobs. Charles was rocking her back to sleep, I wasn’t sure if he saw me or not.

Charles looked up at me. He got up and tucked Gracie back in. “Sorry to wake you.” He mumbled as he walked in.

“Charles.” I whispered so I wouldn’t wake anybody.

“Look I am not sorry for everything I’ve done. Do you really think I don’t notice every time I do something you and Isabella exchanging worrying glances at each other? What I’ve realized is that these kids need a father more then a brother, you need to grow up and see that things will never be normal for us but it might be someday for them, but not if you two go the way you are going on this.” Charles stopped to calm himself down. I took a deep breath, he made more sense then Isabella and I did with our bickering.

“And don’t worry about me, I’m getting along.” Charles looked to the floor.

“Getting along? What is that supposed to mean? Getting along well or only getting along, Charlie you can’t void yourself of fun at the age of eighteen, no matter how much better off it will be for the smaller ones.” Charles grimaced at the sound of his old nickname, but I decided I couldn’t give it up now; it may be the only part of him that I liked at the moment. “It isn’t like they are going to forget father or Richie any time soon.” He flinched at the sound of their names too. “You need to let mourning run its course, they understand more about what’s going on then you might think.”

Charles looked up at me. “They shouldn’t know what is going on they are much too young, anyways do you think that mother is going to take care of all of us by herself? Beth.” Charles stopped, he was using my nickname now to but he quickly caught his mistake. “Elizabeth this is part of who I am now, and I am not changing myself.”

“But that still doesn’t answer my question. Are you getting along fine? If you can’t answer me truthfully then don’t answer me at all.”

Charles thought about it for a minute. “Yes.” Charles finally said. “Yes I guess I am.”

“Okay then.” I had to believe him, Charles wasn’t one to lie. But what if the person that didn’t lie was the old Charles, and not the new one. I could never be sure anymore.

“Lighten up.” Charles said as he turned around and slipped into his room.

I smiled lightly and once again lied down in my bed. Things could be a good thing. But could is a very big possibility. One that I knew I wouldn’t be getting around to for a few years.

2

Preparation

I OPENED MY EYES TO GRACIE TUGGING ON my arm. “We are cleaning up the shop!” she yelled and ran to another room. I got up and frowned to myself, waking up in this room was the last thing I wanted to wake up to.

Isabella was already gone. She had always been an early riser. I looked into my side of the small closet to see what I had packed.

I chose a regular green dress, and slipped it on easily. I would have never worn anything like this in high class, but this was a different place. I was sure that even this would look like it cost a lot.

I brushed my hair and the tied it into a tight bun, that would do for a day of work.

Some bread was on the dining room table. I took a piece and ate it fast. I ran down stairs with a new rush of excitement.

“Mother and the kids are gone.” Charles said. “Off to get some things from the stores.”

I nodded. “Do we need water?” I asked. Isabella nodded. “I’ll grab it.” I said as I grabbed the bucket.

I walked out of the house to see the busy streets of middle town. I still wasn’t used to our surroundings. Back in high class I would walk outside to see carriages and people walking in the streets. Everyone would say hi to each other. Here I walked to the back of the house in silence. This is how it was going to be for the rest of my life. Like a constant night sky.

I sighed and made my way across the lawn to the well. I pulled up the bucket that was inside and took it off its hook. I took the bucket I was holding and put it on the hook.

I picked up the full bucket and made my way around the house with my head down, making sure I don’t trip on a pebble.

“Hi.” I looked up. A young girl, maybe fourteen held her hand out to me.

I was clutching the bucket with both hands unable to move. For some reason this unexpected nice gesture had me in shock.

“You look like you need some help.” She took the bucket from both of my hands and held it in one of her own.

She held out her hand again. “I’m Sara-Lyn.” She said. Sara-Lyn looked and sounded nice enough so I took her hand and shook it.

“I’m Elizabeth.” I introduced myself. Sara-Lyn smiled.

This girl defiantly wasn’t shy but her looks said differently. She had dark brown hair that went down just past her shoulders and hazel eyes. Her skin was tanned to a perfect bronze colour. She was pretty I guess in a unique way.

She was tiny and short, anyone would assume she was incredibly shy.

She wore a blue dress with a white apron. The dress would have been very beautiful by its self, but aprons seem to some how be in style here.

“How do you like it here so far?” Sara-Lyn asked.

“It is different then what I am used to.” I whispered. Sara-Lyn nodded in agreement.

“Moved down huh?”

“Yes.” I admitted.

“Your secret is safe with me.” She promised. “While you are here, you might as well get to know the area, would your mother mind if I gave you a tour of the area?” Sara-Lyn smiled, I wondered why she would want to help me.

“I have chores.” I said and pointed to the bucket.

“Well then I might as well make myself useful and help you then.” Sara-Lyn said.

“That would be great.” I said pleased.

“I’ve got to go tell my father. You think you could take this?” She asked and held out the bucket.

“Yeah.” I said as I once again clutched the bucket with both hands. Sara-Lyn ran off into the busy streets. I hurried as quickly as I could back to the house.

Isabella opened the door for me as I came in. I set the bucket down carefully, but some of the water still spilled out on the floor.

“What took you so long?” Isabella asked looking annoyed. Charles was across the room from her, what happened with them?

“I met someone.” I said. “She is coming to help.”

“Leave it to Beth to get reinforcements.” Charles laughed as he stuck a cloth into the bucket.

Both Isabella and I looked at him surprised, partly because he laughed, partly because he used my old nickname. It wasn’t something we were used to hearing anymore.

I grabbed a cloth and stuck it into the cold water. I started at the table that was in the middle. I wiped the cloth across the table top. I was surprised to see that the red wood underneath was beautiful, unexpected. Everyone else seemed to have the same surprised expression on their faces.

“Knock, knock!” Sara-Lyn called from the door and walked in. Isabella and Charles stopped their work to see who she was. Charles just about dropped his cloth when he saw her, but I didn’t know why.

“Sara-Lyn, this is my brother Charles and my sister Isabella. Siblings this is Sara-Lyn.”

“Pleasure.” Isabella said and then turned around back to work.

“Nice to meet you.” Charles just about choked out and also turned around and got back to work. I could have gone up to him and hit him.

“Hello!” Alyssa called out.

She grabbed a cloth and started wiping shelves down.

To clean up the whole store it took two hour, it was awkward; no one was talking to each other. When we were done the room glittered, the red wood was beautiful.

“I was just wondering.” Isabella said to Sara-Lyn. “How old are you?”

“Seventeen.” She answered. All of us turned her way in amazement. She was older then I was! “I look young for my age.” She shrugged.

“You look younger then I am.” Isabella muttered.

I shot her a look. Sara-Lyn only smiled.

“You are fifteen right?” she asked. Isabella nodded. “So I thought.” She turned to me. “Sixteen?” and then to Charles, “Eighteen?” We both nodded.

Sara-Lyn smiled wider. That smile never left her face. My mother walked through the door with Gracie and Anthony. They both ran straight upstairs ignoring Sara-Lyn completely.

“Why hello!” Mother said holding some bags as she came in. Charles took the bags from her hands and took them upstairs.

“I’m Sara-Lyn.” Sara-Lyn once again held out her hand. Mother took it at once with a slightly surprised look fixed on her face.

“I’m Sandra, or Mrs. Parker if you would prefer.” Mother said.

“Mrs. Parker.” Sara-Lyn said. “Would you mind if I took Elizabeth for a tour of town, and anyone else who wants to come as well of course.” Sara-Lyn asked.

“Of course you can I think that would be a splendid idea!” Isabella gave mother a look. “But Elizabeth only, I have something that Isabella needs to help me with.

I frowned but let it go. “Great!” Sara-Lyn said. She grabbed my hand and literally dragged me out the door.

“Be home before supper!” mother called out.

We entered the busy streets of middle town. I tried to pay attention as she told me what all of the shops were but it didn’t interest me. I didn’t want to know about this new town.

Sara-Lyn turned to me. You aren’t into this are you?” she asked me.

“No.” I admitted.

Sara-Lyn took me down an ally-way in between two shops. On the other side was a wide country side.

“Why did you take m here?” I asked.

“It reminds me of the fields from high class.” She smiled.

“You lived in high class?” I asked. I was trying to remember seeing her there.

“Yeah.” I was young. Sara-Lyn frowned. “I moved here when I was seven. But I still remember running through the corn fields.” She said and ran forward a little bit.

I walked towards her. “But that was a long, long time ago.” I said.

“Doesn’t mean we can’t still run through a field. She disagreed and ran ahead. I looked around. No one else was here so I ran too. She was right it did feel fun to run

The fall wind was wiping my hair every which way and my dress was flowing with the wind behind me.

I laughed, really laughed and stopped running. By now town was a line on the horizon.

Sara-Lyn turned around and came back to where I was.

“Told you.” She said.

“You did.” I agreed. We both flopped to the ground to sit.

“Are those all of your siblings?” she asked. My eyes darted to the ground. She saw the discomfort in my eyes.

“I have a brother, he is nineteen. He lives far away from here now; I haven’t seen him for a while.” Sara-Lyn whispered.

“My brother would have been nineteen.” I gulped. “But he and my father both died two moths ago.

“I’m sorry.” She said.

“It isn’t your fault.”

Sara-Lyn got up again and ran to a tree with low branches. I followed carefully behind her. She started to climb up the tree.

“Sara-Lyn don’t make me do this.” I pleaded but she ignored me and continued.

I kicked my shoes off and followed her up the tree. It wasn’t a very tall tree, but high enough to get me terrified. When I was at the level that Sara-Lyn was at I hugged the trunk for balance. She laughed.

I looked out, there was forest as expected.

“Do you ever wonder what’s out there?” she asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Beyond middle class.” She asked looking to the forest line like I was.

“High class in to the south where it is warm, and low class in to the north where it is cold.” I answered. That was what they taught us in school, one of the first things they taught us.

“But what about to the east and the west?” Sara-Lyn asked. “Or to the south of high class, or to the north of low class?”

I shrugged I never really thought about it. “Forest and farms.” I said.

Sara-Lyn shook her head. “I think something is out there.” She said. I carefully climbed down the tree. Sara-Lyn jumped off.

“Like what?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but I can’t believe we are the only ones on this earth.” She said.

“Do you know something that I don’t?” I asked.

Sara-Lyn shrugged but then smiled. “I’ve heard stories.”

“May I hear one?” I asked. Sara-Lyn looked up at the high sky.

“I suppose.” She sat down again. I followed her example.

“One theory is that the world ends.” She said.

“But that isn’t what you believe.” I contradicted.

“No.” she laughed. “I think there is another world out there.” She said.

I smiled, she sounded like a young child.

“A magical world.” She continued. “That is more advanced then our world. They would have new technologies. And the people there have magical powers.” She said. “Except there are bad guys as well that use their powers as weapons, but the good guys make everything good again.” She said and smiled at the thought.

“Their world would be a beautiful. A big green forest, a jungle in the middle of civilization.”

I smiled and shook my head. “Then how come we never discovered this other world.” I tested.

“Because everyone who went there loved it so much they never bothered to come back.” She said.

“Spooky.” I said. “Why haven’t you looked for it then?” I asked.

“I could never leave father behind.” She said.

I nodded. I knew I could. I could go look for this place and then come back and tell her it wasn’t true, and then I would have a friend here for life. That was what I needed. And even by miracle the world was real; I don’t think anyone would mind too much if I disappeared, well Isabella would but no one else really. Besides I hated it here. This so called “new world” couldn’t be any worse.

“I’ll go look for you.” I said.

“You will!” Sara-Lyn yelled,

“You got me curious.” I explained. Sara-Lyn’s smile could have lightened up this whole field.

“I knew you were going to be such a great friend.” She said and hugged me.

“You have had a lot of time to think about this haven’t you?” I asked.

“I made some stupid mistakes when I was younger.” She looked down and then up. “The days passed by and that was all I had to do. Make up stories and run the shop.”

“I’ll stay your friend.” I said and then realized how cheesy it sounded.

Sara-Lyn laughed. “I’ve got to get you home or else your mother might not be so accepting of us being friends.” She said as I ran back to town with my first friend here.

3

Berries

THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS WENT BY quickly. The supplies for the store had come in. Sara-Lyn, Charles, Isabella and I all unloaded everything. Sara-Lyn out shinned all of us in her organization skills. She said that her father and she used to own a store. She missed working there everyday. Mother offered her to come and work with us. She said she would think about it.

Every chance we got we would go out to that field and she would tell me stories about what she thought could be out there. Every time we went out the more I believed there had to be something out there, the world couldn’t possibly only stop.

Sara-Lyn never took me to her house, which I found a little strange. She said it was a run down little place and it was nothing to show off. I told her it didn’t matter, but she much preferred to stay in our little field.

By the time the store was completely set up I had already set out a plan to go see what was the beyond the tree line, if anything.

I obviously couldn’t tell my family what I was going to do; they would all think I had gone mad. That means I needed lie, which was not something I did very often. Sara-Lyn helped me a bit.

She was going to advise a berry patch on the outskirts of town and I was going to go see if I could get some berries for the shop. Simple, and easy as she said it. I told her it wasn’t very believable but I would try my best.

The morning of my quest came quickly. I went my quietest into the kitchen where I would get some food for the trip; after all I didn’t know how long I may be gone for. It seemed all very childish to me but Sara-Lyn assured me that I would need it.

I looked through our empty shelves and gave up fast. There was nothing here that didn’t need to be cooked.

I quietly took the stairs to the store underneath our house. I looked around the shop for something I could take with me. I found a dress in my size. I would have grabbed one of my own but my closet was very loud to open.

I looked around for something I could eat on the way. I took some bread and some candy two of the few things that wouldn’t parish if I was out there.

I found a bag to put everything in and swung it around my shoulder. I wanted to get out of here, I wanted to discover something new. I knew it was crazy but part of me knew something was out there. Part of me knew that I wouldn’t be disappointed.

I ran out the door with out one look back. Now I knew I needed to move quickly. All of the doors in my house were exactly the same, noisy and small.

I ran out back and hitched up Bella with shaking hands. I think she felt that I was scared because she looked like she could loose control any minute.

I considered on leaving a note for the family to say where I was but I didn’t have the time or the paper. I would just have to come back soon.

I was about to jump on Bella when Charles came running outside. I panicked. He would make me go in. I know he would. Then I remembered Sara-Lyn’s cover story. I would need to use that if I had any chance in leaving.

“Elizabeth!” he called out. “Where are you going this early?” his eyes were full of innocence. I knew he hadn’t over heard Sara-Lyn and I talking. I knew it had to be okay.

“Sara-Lyn told me about this berry patch on the outskirts of town and I thought if I could get some we could sell them here in the shop. She said the people love them.” I lied.

Charles looked at me long and hard. “I will go with you.” He finally said as he started walking towards his horse.

“No!” I blurted out a little too quickly. “I want to go alone, to get away from everything here.” I jumped up on Bella. “Thank-you Charles for the offer.” Were my last words before I pulled on the rains and Bella trotted into the street.

I wouldn’t be in these busy streets for much longer. Soon I would go off in that ally way and make my way to the forest line. According to Sara- Lyn it shouldn’t be far from there.

I decided to take a small detour at Sara-Lyn’s house, to at least say thanks and good-bye. I pushed my way through the already busy streets to a house on the other end of town. I had never actually been inside. Sara-Lyn never wanted to disturb her father.

I tied Bella up on the fence post of the house and ran up to the door. I knocked on the door three times. After there was no answer I knocked once more. I was about to turn around when something came over me. I opened the door of the house and stepped in quietly.

There was nothing inside. The dirt was covering everything. It looked like no one had lived here in years. There were a few pieces of old furniture dispersed throughout the large living area. I took a few more steps in. There was no way this could have been her house, but I was sure that this was the one that she had told me about.

I peered into a few more of the rooms. All of them were the same, dusty and inhabited. I was about to leave when I saw a piece of paper on the ground. I blew off the dust. It had said: EVICTION NOTICE. I didn’t need to read the rest. If she had lived here she had been evicted and by the looks of it, it had all happened years ago. I knew what that felt like.

I guess she had been living on the streets for a while. I shuttered. I would have been embarrassed too. She could have told me. I wouldn’t have been mad, but maybe, just maybe I would have over reacted.

I closed the door to that house behind me. I was afraid that it would shatter into a million pieces from the impact luckily it didn’t.

I took the rains once again on Bella and went into the busy streets again. I knew it was a risk going back towards home but it was the only way I wouldn’t have to go around the whole city.

I ducked into that ally way the first chance I got. Bella seemed relieved to get out of the massive crowds.

As soon as Bella and I were out in the open field we broke out into a run. I forgot how much I loved to do this. In high class horse back riding had been my most favorite activity. There was so much open space to ride around. Unlike it is here, now. I loved the way the horse and I moved as one, the way we cut threw the wind forcing my hair to flap in the wind.

I carefully took the ribbon out of my hair so that I could feel the full effect. I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned on Bella’s neck. We were going fast, really fast, too fast. I would be to the forest line at any time now but I didn’t want to open my eyes. I wished I could have stayed there forever. I knew I couldn’t.

I forced my head up in a jerking motion. My neck started to sting a little but it wasn’t too bad. The forest line was approaching fast.

I didn’t see anything special about it. Trees were standing tall. Leaves were scattered on the ground. You average everyday typical forest. But as I came closer something didn’t seem quite right. It looked as crazy as it sounds like everything had been shifted to the side. Like when your mother surprises you by cleaning your room. Nothing is where it was afterward.

Sure there were the leaves scattered on the ground, and the trees standing tall but it almost looked like everything should be a meter to the left. I shook my head. I must be seeing things. What would it matter if a tree was here or there?

I slowed Bella down to a walk. I was hesitant to go into that forest. Something didn’t feel right, but another part of me was telling me I had to for Sara-Lyn.

Of course I could always go back now and tell her there was nothing here, but I am not about to spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been.

I walked Bella in to that forest. My eyes were darting all around me. I half expected Sara-Lyn to jump out and say boo. She didn’t. Instead I felt a rush of energy rush over me. Almost like an adrenaline rush but so much better.

I gasped at the sudden feel of it. I didn’t understand it. Then I heard a constant ringing in my ear. It was loud, dreadful. All of a sudden I heard a penetrating bang that seemed to stop all time. That bang echoed in my head. I knew something big had happened.

Bella started to panic and then just like that I was falling. I knew I had been hit.

Thoughts were raceing. How was I going to say good-bye to my family? What were my last words to them? Is this the magical world, only an adrenaline rush and ringing in the ears? So many questions that I needed answered but then my head hit the ground and everything went black.

4

New World

IT WAS DARK, COULDN’T SEE A THING. MY eyes were closed. For some reason I was afraid to open them.

Underneath me the ground was hard and cold. Every part of my body had a dull ache to it, my head hurt the most. By instinct I reached my hand up to hold it just to have to it pulled back down by someone else’s hand. My hand shot away at once, also by reflex.

“No you don’t.” an unfamiliar voice said, he was male, and his voice was smooth, but that was all I could tell of him. I opened my eyes at once.

There was a boy, no rather a man sitting next to me.

My eyes were immediately drawn to his face. His features were so unusual, so beautiful like nothing I had ever seen before. His jaw was square set, it should have looked sharp, but it looked soft. His lips were full. His cheeks were set, but still looked young. His hair was messy, and so black it almost looked blue.

His eyes were green, emerald like Isabella’s, but deeper. They were his strongest feature against his black hair. His skin was pale, with the slightest hint of a tan. Everything you expected he was the exact opposite. He had such features that could only look good on him.

He held out his hand. “Seth Kennedy.” All I could do was stare at his hand until he finally pulled it away. I didn’t know what to do here. I could run, but if he was really dangerous he would never let me get away. “I found you on the field out there.” He continued. “You were unconscious.”

The gun shot, that was the last thing I could remember. “So you take me into a forest?” I asked.

“It is where I was camping out.” It hurt to look behind me, but sure enough there was a tent set up.

“Why are you out here?”

“I don’t like the city, I much prefer things at a slower pace.” He answered.

I took a deep breath. “And you might be?” he asked.

“Elizabeth Parker.” I whispered not being able to build up my voice to more then that.

“Wait is your father Michael?” he asked.

I nodded slowly being careful not to shake my head around too much. “Did you know him?”

“I do.”

He was talking about him in the present tense, like he was still alive so I said, “I didn’t see you at his funeral.”

“Funeral?” Seth asked puzzling. He really had no idea.

“My… my father died three months ago.”

“Your father isn’t dead Elizabeth, I saw him just last week.” Seth said. My heart gave a small leap.

“Did you work with him, how about Richard? Did you see him too?”

“I didn’t work with them.” Seth said in a whisper. “But your brother is also alive.” I wanted to cry, laugh, scream, and do anything really. Charles was right! They just never came back. They could be lost looking for us.

“Do you know where you are?” Seth asked.

“Outside of middle class.” I said at first guess.

“No.”

I looked down. There was no way he could have brought me all the way to high or low class. It looked like we were within that forest line, the one that Sara-Lyn and I always fantasized about. Was there a possibility she was right?

“The magical world.” I whispered.

“Yes.” I took a few more deep breaths. There was so much to ask, but he asked me before I got the chance.

“Did your father tell me about this place?” His eyes were filled with curiosity; it was hard to concentrate with him looking down on me.

“No… no a friend told me stories about this place. Maybe you know her, her name is Sara-Lyn.” I hoped he did I wanted her to explain this world to me again. She would be so thrilled to know she was right, unless she knew all along.

“No I don’t know her.”

I was the one to break the drawn out silence. “Before I talk to you anymore, tell me who you are really.”

He was the one to take a deep breath now. “Well like I said I’m Seth. I’m nineteen years old. I was travelling across the boarder line when I heard a gun shot. I rushed over to see what happened and I found you on the ground unconscious with your horse beside you. I took you here so I could take a look. With a fall that big you are lucky to have your life.”

“Boarder line?”

“Between your world and mine.”

“Right.” I said trying to sound like I wasn’t completely clueless. “Do you have an extra quality?” I asked in fear. I remembered what Sara-Lyn had said about them, they could be scary but I imagined they could be nice too.

Seth laughed a beautiful sound. “We all have qualities, more like abilities that we can use to our advantage. They are activated in this world. If you stay here your power will develop as well.”

“But what is your power?” I insisted.

“My senses are a hundred times more advanced then yours are. I can hear your heart beating now, and smell that there are daisies over there.” I looked - there were daisies. “No weapons here.” He explained.

“What makes you think that I will stay here anyway?” I asked, I wondered why he was so fascinated in me.

“Well for one thing, you went looking for this place, which you wouldn’t have if you were happy with where you are living. Second you don’t seem like you want to go, and third I need you to stay.” Seth smiled smugly, he was teasing me after all this!

“Why do you need me to stay?”

“You are sort of, well famous here. Your father is terrorizing our world, trying to take it over, and we think there is a chance that you will be able to stop him, if you have a useful power that is.”

“What do you mean by terrorizing it?”

“I mean he is trying to take it over and is killing thousands of people along the way.”

“He wouldn’t do that.”

“Your father isn’t the same person you knew.” He said and looked down to the ground. I couldn’t bring it in myself to believe him, but it wasn’t something that someone would dare to make up either.

“Why don’t you?” I challenged.

“Because I can’t, I’ve tried but your father… has an incredible power, the only way is you.” If Seth couldn’t bring down my father how does he expect me to?

“And you’re expecting me to use these powers to… kill my father.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t, I’m really sorry but I can’t help you.” I stuttered.

“I need you to Elizabeth. This whole thing it is out of my hands, if there was anyone in this world that would be able to stop him it would be you. We need you to save the world.”

“What makes you think I am going to believe you?” I asked but I already did. If you looked into his eyes you could see so much hope and in his voice you could hear the remorse. No matter what I knew I had to stay here. I needed to see my father no matter if he was evil or not. Before I knew it there were tears in the corner of my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to push them back they remained.

“I don’t need you to kill him, just talk to him.” Seth compromised.

I nodded. That’s all I would have done anyways. Seth gave me a hug and the tears fell down my cheek on to his shirt. Much to my enjoyment he didn’t let go. It was me who finally pulled away. Then I realized that Seth was still a stranger, a stranger who I somehow trusted with my life. I had a stupid crush on this boy I knew nothing about. I thought I had more sense then that.

“I still know nothing about this world.” I reminded him.

“What do you want to know? I will answer everything.” He promised.

“Why don’t people have powers in my world?” I asked choosing my first question carefully.

“There is a barrier around your world that deactivates your powers. That’s as much as I know, I don’t know how it works but it works well. Sorry my expertise aren’t up to par.” Seth said. He couldn’t tell a joke well, he was too serious, something was troubling him. He looked sad, almost depressed. I could tell that something had happened that had made Seth this way. This wasn’t his true personality.

I could also tell that he was trying hard to make it all go away. To escape from whatever depression had come amongst him. His expression reminded me of Charles’s.

I nodded and quickly continued with my questions. “Do you know what my power will be?”

“No. No one will until it reveals its self.” Right. I realized that he had already said that.

“And how does it do that?” I asked picturing something coming about my body. I shook the thought away.

“Well it is different for everyone, but for me I started hearing things. I thought I was going crazy, but then all of the other senses came in, it was obvious I had developed my power.

“One girl I know, her power is flying, woke up one morning in the air! Most times they appear when you get scared or anxious, but once you get your power it never goes away, but of course they need to be trained. For instance I learned how to zero in on one voice and to let the others fade into the background, it is harder then it looks.” He explained.

“I hope I’m luckier then that girl you knew.” I whispered under my breath.

“Yes I hope you are too, for your sake.” I looked up at Seth. No normal human could have heard what I had said, but yet he had, this was going to take some getting used to.

“What did you mean by useful power?” I asked.

“Some people have powers that don’t effect them at all. For example one girl in a town near here can make a rainbow. That wouldn’t help us at all here.”

I laughed. “But it might be pretty.”

Seth nodded and I decided to go on and not get caught up on the little stuff.

“So why do you need to stop my father, why doesn’t someone else?” I asked knowing I was going deeper.

Seth hesitated but then answered. “I sort of have to. It is my… obligation.”

I was confused by his answer, was some one forcing him to kill my father. I decided it didn’t really answer.

“You want me to talk my father out of killing people?” I clarified.

“And to stop trying to take over the magical world.” Seth added.

“How do you suppose I am going to do that?” I asked thinking of how to start. ‘Hey dad can you please stop killing people and stop trying to take over the magical world.’ didn’t seem to cut it. In fact if he was killing so many people what was stopping him from killing me other then the obvious connection between us.

“Some sort of reason might work, if he really loves you he will listen.” Seth explained. I hoped he was right. For both of our sakes.

“What power could he possibly have that can make him so dangerous?” I asked.

“He can give people hallucinations, it isn’t really something you can explain, but he uses our own strength against us. He isn’t the only one though, he has your brother Richard” Seth scowled at his name. “As his right hand, he can… move things. And Keaton his… left hand” another failed joke “Can go really fast, and when I say fast, I mean speed of light fast. Then there is Taylor and Lauren, they are twins. Taylor can remember everything, to the extreme. She could read a book and then recite it word for word and Lauren can produce some sort of gas that if we breathe it in we will pass out.” I flinched.

“Weapons.” I whispered thinking back on how Sara-Lyn described them.

“Yes, we can be weapons if we use our powers in the wrong way.” Seth answered. “Most people are respectful of the laws, but like every other society, there are law breakers, only there is more danger, and bigger consequences.”

Their way of life wasn’t much different then ours, maybe this is what my world will be like in a few years, utter chaos.

I looked back to the way he was dressed. He was wearing jeans, cut up at the bottom and worn out. He wore a green shirt, plain with no designs. His sleeves were pushed up above the elbow. No person in my world would be caught dressed like this. If he was seen, he would be ridiculed, but this look suited him, I couldn’t picture him any other way. My head was resting on a grey sweater, I guessed it was his.

I struggled to get up. He held out his hand and I took it. In one easy pull I was up. My head instantly was pounding in pain. I put my head back down on his sweater.

“My clothing right?” He guessed. I nodded. “How can I put this, our world is more… advanced. Every discovery you find out about, was found by us first. Every year one of us comes into your town and act as if we discovered something new- clothing included. A lot of women now are wearing pants and a shirt, or a skirt for more traditional wear, of course the ones born in your world, most often prefer dresses, such as the one you are wearing now.”

“We didn’t invent anything?” I asked. I was confused. We learned in history about all of our major discoveries, but now that I think about it, every one of those discoverers disappeared after a few months.”

“Occasionally you get the smart person; I think the sewing machine was made of one of your kind.” Seth laughed. I frowned. He just insulted our whole civilization in one sentence.

“How big is your world anyways?” I asked. I secretly hoped for a small number. Less space means less people.

“About eighty percent of the earth, it’s so funny, you guys think that your world is so big! But really you have no idea.” Seth boasted. I looked across his face. He seemed proud of the size of his world, seemed being the important word. Seth was using a big act. I could tell this wasn’t who he was, even with me laying on the floor half unconscious. He was a very good actor, but whatever happened to him wasn’t something that could be hidden with the best actor. His eyes said it all.

“So do you like the magical world so far?” Seth asked and smiled; he helped me up and steadied me. This was the first time I paid attention to where we were. Trees were all around us, a forest. There was none around Middle Class. I had travelled nearly all of them. Beautiful flowers and wild life surrounded us. I looked up. The trees were just parting perfectly to see the bright blue shy above us. The trees made the sun come through in little patches. The trees looked so more full then they did in my world. Everything was so much bigger!

“It is beautiful but where are we?” I asked.

“In one of the many forests of the magical world. This one isn’t too far off from Middle Class.” Seth explained. I wanted to look around some more. I pulled away from Seth support. Again a head rush came over me. I stopped and held my hand to my head until the spinning stopped.

I started walking around taking a look at every single detail, the colours of the flowers, and the ridges in the bark. The way they all came together to make one beautiful forest.

Seth was following close behind me, examining my every reaction. He looked puzzled, confused maybe.

“What?” I asked.

Seth stared at me for a minute and then answered, “You are so fascinated in every little detail. I guess when you grow up here you never really appreciate the beauty of things.” I was taken back by his answer. It sounded like something a guy in his thirties would say, not nineteen. He seemed wise beyond his years. Intellective was the word I was looking for.

There was so much about him I wanted to learn, but I assumed asking wouldn’t bring me anywhere. He didn’t seem like the type of person that would tell me his life story.

“I guess I’m only marveled by its beauty, because my world was nothing like this.” I defended. It was true though. The trees seemed the fuller, and the colours seemed brighter.

“And here I was thinking that your world was lacking, but I can see where you are coming from.” Seth smiled, and looked towards the tree line. I didn’t know what he was looking at but he was looking at something, most likely with his ability.

“It’s all about perspective.” I muttered, knowing that he would be able to hear me. Seth turned.

“So you are going to stay.” He confirmed.

I smiled. “As long as I have the option to leave. Or am I being held against my will?” I teased. Seth obviously didn’t get my tone.

“No, no of course not you are free to leave when ever you want to.” He promised.

“Then I will stay.” I promised in return. After all it wouldn’t be for too long and mother would hopefully understand if I returned with father and Richard.

“All right, well night is falling, and we don’t have time to get to a town, do you have any opposition to one tent?” He asked, “And one bed, it’s rather large, but is all I have, I wasn’t expecting to acquire an extra person along the way.” He explained.

I nodded, it made sense. “No I don’t mind.” I said.

Seth smiled. “Do you want to help set things up?” he asked.

I nodded.

“You know how to build a fire right?” Seth asked.

“No, I never learned.” I said.

Seth shook his head and laughed. “Again, another thing I took for granted.”

“I’m guessing you know how to make a fire.” I said reacting to his dry mood.

“Everyone here knows how to make a fire. We learned it in school.” Seth answered.

“Well we learned normal things in school. You know math, reading, writing…”

“Yeah well we learned stuff that we will need to survive.” Seth said and then went quiet. What was wrong with talking about school?

“Go get some of that dry grass over there.” He instructed.

I nodded and did. I brought it over and put it down where he said to. He showed me how to arrange some sticks and logs so that they stayed up. He called it a tipi. Seth watched me as I tipped some of those sticks over, and laughed when I tried to put them back up again. I found myself laughing at how funny he found all of this.

By the time the sticks were in place it was nearly night. Seth took out some matches and lit up the sticks. I was much too close when the fire jumped up at me. I jumped back and fell over.

Seth laughed at me. After everything I found myself having a good time out here.

Seth told me to stay near the fire while he put the tent up. How did he put it ‘We would never get to sleep tonight if I helped.’ But I didn’t mind. Before I knew it the tent was up and Seth came and sat beside me.

“So you actually live out here?” I asked.

Seth smiled and nodded. “I’d much rather live in the wild then be stuck in some house in the city.”

“Why is that?”

“In the city everything is always so rushed. Here you can take everything at your own pace. And also there is the fact that out here the world is the limit, in town you have to the city limits.” Seth said and then looked over tom me.

“What about your parents?” I asked.

Seth looked down. “They died… when I was very young. My step parents were very kind but… when I could I got away.” Seth whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

I looked into the fire, the various colours of red, orange, and yellow circulating around.

“But now you travel alone?”

“No usually I travel with others, four others but they went back to visit their parents for a little bit.” Seth answered.

Seth was so strange. Being out here alone didn’t seem to bother him one little bit. His life seemed so sad though. Was that what was bothering him? I couldn’t come out and ask him though so I kept quiet.

“What about your family?” Seth asked.

I smiled. I have three brothers and two sisters, a loving mother, and well right now I am not sure about my father.” I said and frowned.

“Tell me about them.” Seth encouraged.

“Well my oldest sibling is Richard.” I said and then stopped. What was I going to say? I had no idea what he was like anymore. “When I knew him he was the best big brother I ever had, apart from Charles that is.”

Seth frowned when I mentioned Richard. I would ask him, later. I continued until I told him all that I could about every member of my family. I only then realized how much I would miss them here, but I couldn’t leave now. I couldn’t wait to see their faces when I brought father and Richard back home.

“And what about you?” Seth finally asked me.

“What do you want to know?”

He paused. “What’s your favourite colour?”

“What?” I asked what kind of question was that?

“I’ll answer every question I ask you.”

I smiled. I liked the idea of that. “Purple.” I said and then looked up.

“Why?”

I shook my head. “Back in high class there used to be a lilac bush by our house. Purple reminds me of home.” I said.

Seth smiled at that. “Mines blue.” He said. “It can represent almost anything.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Well it can represent sadness, and at the same time blue can be peaceful.” Seth said and then looked down.

I smiled. He was right of course but his answers always surprised me. They were wise beyond his years.

“Full name?” Seth asked.

“You first.” I said.

“Why.”

“I want to see if yours is as embarrassing as mine is.” I laughed.

“Seth Edward Kennedy.” He said.

“Seth Edward Kennedy.” I repeated. It suited him, and was much better then mine was.

“Your turn.” Seth said.

I frowned. “My name is Elizabeth Jessica Mariella Parker” I said. Seth laughed.

“How did your parents come up with that? It sounds like something a Queen would have.” Seth laughed.

I glared at him but then answered, “Well they thought I was going to be their last child and my mother had two sisters. Jessica, and Mariella. And thus…”

“Elizabeth Jessica Mariella Parker.” Seth said.

I nodded.

“I like it.” Seth finally said.

“Yeah right.”

“No really I do, it is nice if you get over the length of it.” Seth laughed.

“Well thanks, you are the first one apart from my mother who said that to me.”

“Your father…”

“Hated my name. If he would have had it his way I would have been Victoria Lynn Parker.” I laughed. “He was thrilled when we had Isabella, her middle name is Victoria. Isabella was always his little Vikki.” I whispered.

Seth smiled. “You had fun when you were young.” He said.

“That’s what child hood is.” I said.

“What sort of stuff did you do?” Seth asked.

I smiled. “We lived next to this huge field. In the summer we would run through the corn stalks and get lost. We would all eventually find each other. We ran by the river that ran near the edge of town. Richard, Charles, Isabella and I were always making up the silliest games, we were nearly inseparable.” I stopped. “In the good days.” I added quickly. It was hard but soothing at the same time to talk about all of this.

Seth smiled. “The good days could be just beginning.” He said.

I smiled ignoring his proclamation. “What about you?”

“I didn’t have much of a child hood.” Seth said. His whole face went down.

“You must have had some fun.” I said.

“Hardly.” He said is barely more then a whisper. “Are you tired?” Seth asked avoiding any other conversation.

“Yes.” I said as I got up.

Seth threw a bucket of water on the fire. I went into the tent and got under the covers of the large bed that was inside. I couldn’t see it well as it was dark.

It wasn’t long before Seth’s breathing got heavier and he drifted to sleep. I still lay awake in bed not knowing what to think of the day. When I woke up this morning I was ready for an adventure, but nothing could have prepared me for this. I never expected to be falling asleep beside a guy like Seth. Or know I would be out in the “Magical World.” After all the stories I heard today I knew my life would never be the same.

5

Power

I WOKE UP WHEN THE SUN WAS LOW IN THEsky. The tent didn’t block out sun very well. Seth was already outside. I stumbled out of the tent. My eyes still weren’t used to the brightness of the outdoors. I shaded them with my hand.

It had been three days since I first came here and it seemed Seth and I had known each other for years. I could tell you everything about him, everything except his past. It wasn’t that I needed to know. It was hat he avoided the subject all together. Not bad… just weird.

Seth saw me and got up from where he was sitting. “You’re up… early.” He said as he grabbed one of two coats and threw it to me. I still didn’t have anything but what I packed.

“Thanks.” I whispered, but I didn’t put it on. I just grasped it in my hands. We stood there awkwardly for a minute. My eyes were looking to his coat until he ran his fingers through his hair and then blew out hard. Just a crush, I found myself thinking once again. It had to be. I mean if this goes like he said we would be… well living together and that is… weird.

“Breakfast.” Seth said as he set a fire in the pit that was already set up. He looked around and sighed at the selection of only fish. “I think I will find some berries.”

“I don’t mind fish.” I contradicted.

“But I do.” He said at once. “Not that…” he started but then sighed and walked away. There was a lot for me to learn about life out here. I dropped his sweater on a log and followed him to get berries.

He started to take some berries off. Realizing he didn’t have anything to put them in he started to go back. I placed one hand on his shoulder. I had been doing this since I was a little girl. All you had to do was pick up your skirt a little and it was the perfect place. He laughed when I told him and went back to the berries.

“You know this is how I escaped.” I said. “To um… here I mean.” I reached into my pocket and took out one of the ribbons I always kept there. I tried putting my hair up with one hand when Seth came around and did it for me. His hands lingered at the back of my neck for a minute before he dropped them. I was about to thank him when he spoke.

“You escaped your family by picking berries?” he asked with a playful confused face. He made his way around me to start picking berries again. He looked up to me again. He looked like he was starring, but I didn’t know why.

“What?”

He dropped a few berries and then ran his hand through his hair again. “The berries.” He said and then turned back around.

“I told my family I was going to pick berries.” I whispered. “I… I think we have enough.”

Seth nodded and we walked back in silence. We had never come far but the walk back seemed long. Neither of us talked. Seth seemed completely confused or uncomfortable about something and I didn’t know how to bring it up.

I dropped the berries in a bucket that Seth found in his bag. I didn’t know why he had one. We snacked on them for a while until Seth finally set them aside.

“We need to start your training.” He said as he stood up. He motioned me to do the same. “Now this might be a challenge since we don’t know what your power will be so… close your eyes.” He instructed. I did and he moved me out of the way of the log. He was pacing back and forth until he finally stopped in front of me.

“I’m not very good at this.” He said. “So don’t expect anything today.”

He took my hands and held them out in front of me. “Now clear your mind of every thought. Live in the moment.” He whispered.

I kept as still as I could. Seth kept on talking. Saying things about powers until he went silent. If I did things right and Seth did things right I should get my power today. Then again, it could also take weeks. Most people don’t have this problem. If they were born here they would have had them from then on. For me it was different and as far as I could tell, Seth didn’t know why.

I felt a jolt of energy pass through me. Not the kind when you get electrocuted, just enough so that I was more alert and then I felt water on my finger tips and the wind pick up around me. I opened my eyes slowly. Water was coming out of my hand and dripping on to the ground. It looks like it was coming down from the pours of my skin. I gasped and it was done. I didn’t know how to react.

“Just do one more thing for me.” Seth whispered as he came closer slowly. I couldn’t look up though. I just kept on starring at my hands. How? “Elizabeth, I need you to think of fire, and the worst thing that has ever happened to you all at once.”

I didn’t deny him and for some reason I didn’t think anything of it. I held my hands out in front of me like before and thought about what he had said. I remembered when mother told me father was dead. I had been so mad I ran away from home with Isabella by my side. We spent that night in the corn field. Charles came and found us but never told mother where we were. He understood.

“Elizabeth stop!” he yelled and my eyes jerked back open. Seth was holding his arm close to him. “What did I do?” I asked and ran the close distance to him.

“Elizabeth, you made fire.” He whispered.

“But I just made water.” I contradicted. Seth showed me his red arm. It was burnt, only a little bit though. All I could do was stare. I couldn’t have. I really couldn’t have. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody. Leave it to me to be the end of someone. Seth has a power that could never hurt a soul and I have the killer.

I had never understood shock. How could someone blank out and have no idea what’s going on? In that moment I realized shock was not something that could be understood, it is something to be experienced and I was getting it first hand.

If I could do that by accident, I could kill someone if I ever lost control, if I ever…

Seth was talking to me, asking me if I was okay. He was the one who was hurt! He picked up the water bucket and dumped it on his arm. His teeth were clenching trying to hide the pain. All I could remember is running and then ending up here, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the forest.

I felt like I needed to protect Seth from me. I never wanted to do that to anyone ever again. I was breathing heavily and finally slumped down to the ground. I closed my eyes as the wind picked up again. I couldn’t be sure if I was making it happen or if nature was just making its course.

Once I had calmed down the wind slowed down as well and I felt drained. I guessed that using your power for the first time could be physically draining. I lay back in the grass and tried to stay still. I ended up drifting to sleep.

I woke up around noon. The sun was high in the sky. I could see his figure out of the corner of my eye beside me and I jerked up and away from him. “I could have killed you.” I whispered.

“So?” he asked. All I could do was look up at him.

“You want to die?” I hissed.

Seth hesitated for a minute and then made eye contact with me. “You wouldn’t have killed me.” He said simply. It didn’t escape me that he never actually answered my question but his answer didn’t mean anything to me right now.

“You don’t know that.”

Seth sighed and handed me a knife. “Do you want to kill me, right here, right now?”

I looked down at the knife in my hands. “No.” I whispered.

“Then you never could have never killed me.” He said simply. He was tugging at some grass with his hands. His hair was in his face. I couldn’t see his expression.

I relaxed a little bit and waited for him to continue but he never did. We kept quiet until Seth had made a pile of grass in front of him. He scattered it like a child would with their blocks and then finally looked up at me.

“I think you have one more power.” He said. I couldn’t possibly! Didn’t Seth tell me once that you can only ever have one power? I tried to think back to the day before, to remember every bit of information that I may have forgotten throughout the night. “Breathe.” Seth reminded me.

I sucked in a huge breath of oxygen and blew it out again. “What makes you think that?” I was hardly speaking the words at all.

“In this earth they say there are four elements, water, air, fire, and earth.”

“So you think I might have earth as well?”

“I think it is a possibility.”

It was silent again, but this time it wasn’t as harsh. Seth got up and helped me up too. “Race you back.” He said as he looked over to me with a wicked smile. I swear I could almost see what Seth would have been like as a child, before he could have ever gotten involved in all of this.

I started running without answer. I had the head start but he caught up with me easily and just when I though he might have fallen behind he grabbed me from behind around the waist and swung me around so that I was facing the other direction. He made me blush so hard but I don’t think he ever saw.

He was already at camp by the time I got there. We were both laughing and catching our breath.

“I think… I think I may have over reacted.” I said realizing it was true.

All Seth did was laugh at me. I think that was the moment I knew that everything was going to be okay.

For the next week all day Seth trained my power and trained me in combat as well. I was making good progression in water and wind but fire was my sore spot. I could never control it. Seth said it was because I never relaxed when I used fire. I always countered with ‘how could I when I might set you on fire?’.

Much to my surprise I enjoyed the sword fighting aspect of battle as well. It was basically like dance. You had your parries, your lunges, and your stances. Those were all easy; it was getting to them quickly and in all different orders that was hard. I thought it would be so much easier to use guns, Seth said it wasn’t how they did things here.

I spent my nights relaxing and talking with Seth. We ask each other everything from our family to our favourite foods every night. During these past two weeks, it has become tradition.

I finally knew why Seth didn’t want to eat the fish. After the first week it tastes like the worst thing in the world.

I would never tell Seth but the outdoors was growing on me. I loved that if I walked out at night I could look up and see the stars looking through the tree line, and if I couldn’t sleep I could listen to all of the sounds of the forest. I came into this thinking that Seth was a little bit crazy to want to live out here but I can see why now. I never want to leave.

I used to love the “what if” game when I was child, but now it scared me. What if father and Richard really have gone evil? What if I went home right now? What if I loose control of my power and burn someone? I never wanted any of them to come true. I did want to go home, but not yet. I don’t think city life is for me anymore.

My heart jumped like it usually does when Seth comes around and whispers in my ear like he does so often. I don’t think that he realizes how close he actually gets. “Come into the tent.” He whispered this time. Usually if he tells me to go somewhere he lets me go myself but this time he took my hand and dragged me until I was in the tent with him.

“There are people coming. We need to get up and move now.” He said as he turned around and started to strip the bed. By the time I was done packing my bag with my unsteady hands Seth had the rest of the tent packed into bags which he threw outside. He grabbed my arm and led me out in a hurry.

I didn’t have time to think about what I was doing. I only listened to Seth‘s instructions on how to take down the tent. We were miles away within an hour. Seth had me running half the way and walking the other half. He kept on talking about whatever came to mind to try and keep me calm. I had tuned him out long ago.

“Seth who was coming?” I whispered finally cutting him off in midsentence.

I counted ten steps of silence before he spoke. “It wasn’t your father if that was what you are asking.” He said. I had a feeling that he wouldn’t tell me, and I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know. Seth didn’t talk until we stopped to set up camp again. I was exhausted and dehydrated by that time. We must have been walking for five hours straight!

The first thing I did was find the closed river and drank as much water as I possibly could. I couldn’t be sure that the water was clean but somehow it didn’t matter. I took some back in a bucket for Seth to drink.

Seth had found the loaf of bread in my bag. If we put off eating it any longer it would go stale. We snacked on bread until the stars were over head. Seth had somehow got me laughing that night. I guess this was just another day in the magical world, I guess running was always better then fighting.

6

Homebound

“I NEED TO GO HOME” I SAID TO SETH one morning as I was boiling some water over our tiny fire. I made the fire bigger, well the best I could. I was afraid that every time I did some water would shoot out instead and ruin everything.

“I told you Elizabeth, I can’t take you home just yet.” Seth said as he came up behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. Something so natural still made my heart race.

“Seth please! I need to tell my family I am okay. I will tell them I am in high class. They won’t have to know a thing. I need to get some of my things anyways.” I whispered. I had been here for a month now. All the training was a good distraction but at night I felt especially home sick.

“Elizabeth, the moment you step foot into the censored world people will come after you.” Seth said.

“My family thinks I am dead Seth. I can’t let then think that anymore.” I persuaded.

“They don’t think that.”

“I have been gone for a month. What do you expect them to think?” I asked. I didn’t want them thinking I was dead. First father and Richard, loosing me was sure to set Isabella off, and everyone else who happens to be in her path for that matter.

“You will need to lie.” Seth whispered as he came and sat down beside me.

“I can do that.” I promised. “I have one in mind.”

“Really?”

“I will need your help though of course.”

“And what did you need me to do?” he inquired.

I smiled as I thought of it. “Well I will be mentioning your name several times during everything. I just need you to go along with whatever I say, not that you will be there to contradict.”

Seth smirked. “So you need my permission to use my name?”

I laughed at the sound of it. I guess I didn’t really need his permission. “I will need a new dress as well.” I said thinking of the look on Charles’ face if I came back with one of the two he saw me carrying.

Seth rolled his eyes. “And where do you suppose we get you a dress? Isn’t that the whole point of going back? To get a few dresses?” I heard him mutter something else to himself.

“No I am going back there to inform my family I am not dead.” I told him. Seth smirked again.

“They don’t think you are dead. It took your family four months to accept your father and Richard being dead. You have been gone for one month.” My head immediately shot up questioning how he knew. “You told me that.” He said. I could have in all of the many conversations we have had over the past month, but you would think I would remember that one. Especially if it has anything to do with my family.

“Yeah sure.” I said. “So we will start heading back tomorrow?” I asked.

Seth nodded. “We will need to wake up early if we are going to get there by tomorrow night. Then we can spend the night outside of town and you can go home the next day.” Seth said as he took the water off the fire and replaced it with the fish we were to have for dinner that night. At first I thought that fish tasted delicious, after a month of nothing but I dreaded meals. Neither of us rather liked hunting and Seth didn’t carry a gun anyways. Hunting was nearly impossible.

“Then we better get to bed early tonight.” I said.

“Right as soon as the sun goes down.” Seth agreed. I smiled. After a month he had finally caved in. to letting me come home. I wonder why he was having a sudden turn around now. If I knew anything about Seth I know that he is a very stubborn person, one of the qualities about him I adore actually, it made no sense for him to let me have my way. Not that I was going to bring it up.

I watched as the fish turn brown and grimaced at the familiar taste of them. Seth laughed at my face. “We could try our luck at hunting.” He suggested. I ate the rest without making one single face. Hunting was not for me.

“Would you mind another question period tonight?” Seth asked. Question periods have been going on at least three nights a week so that we knew each other better. We both ended up laughing every time, but now we pretty much knew everything there was to know. The questions have gotten pretty stupid and irrelevant.

“Sure.” I agreed. “But only if you come up with the questions, I think I may have run out.”

Seth laughed. “Fine but next time you owe me.” I laughed up to the sky and took my hair out of its uncomfortable bun. Seth was looking at me the whole time.

“I do have one question.” I said. Seth nodded waiting for me to go on. “Do you like my hair down better?” I asked playfully twirling my long hair flirtingly. He would think I was playing around, if only he knew.

Seth pretended to think about it for a minute. “Unquestionably.” He came and whispered in my ear and then backed off laughing. This was all a game to him! Although I could play that game too.

“What about me?” Seth asked pushing his hair up. “Do you like my hair better up or down?” he asked.

I laughed and stood up to face him. He let his hair back down for me to compare. I went up to him and pushed his hair all the way up. He looked like what the kids at my school in High Class did to look cool in fifth year. It was ridicules, but adorable. “Defiantly up.” I teased.

“Agreed.” He said taking my hands down from his hair. He held them that extra second too long.

“Now did you want to ask me about your hair, or was there something else?” I asked looking into those stunning green eyes. I had to tell myself that this was only a crush and it was bound to go away. He was only a friend. But sometimes I found myself wondering if it might be something more.

Seth gave a little chuckle as he looked to the ground embarrassed. When he looked back up the smile was gone again. Just like every other time.

This time I forced it back on his face. When I went to sit down I completely missed the log, it wasn’t what I had in mind to make him laugh again but it worked none the less.

He held out his hand to help me up. I took it of course but Seth couldn’t stop laughing. “What?” I asked. Seth only shook his head and then sat down beside me.

“I haven’t known you to be so clumsy.” Seth stated.

“I just missed the log that’s all.” I defended.

Seth merely laughed at me trying so hard. Then it took a while to calm all of us down. Then it was quiet. It was like the mood changed all together, only this time Seth’s face wasn’t sad, or happy for that matter. It was like whatever emotion he had was over so soon. It wasn’t forced to look cool, it looked like the way he had always been.

Seth ran his hand through his hair a few times. When his hair moved like that it glittered blue in the sun light. It was such a stunning color to have naturally.

“Okay first question.” Seth finally said. He seemed to think about it for a minute. “What are you going to say, I mean to your father.”

I was surprised he had asked. I had thought about it almost every night and still haven’t come up with an answer.

“I don’t know.” I muttered. “What is there to say?”

“I am only asking you to help you because if you freeze up on that battle field for on second you could get killed Elizabeth.” Seth said. I looked down. He was right. I had nothing to say, and I was supposed to help him.

Seth kneeled down in front of me and lifted my head up to face him. “Pretend I am him, what are you going to say?”

I thought about it for a minute. Seth grabbed both of my hands. “Come on.” He encouraged. “Close your eyes if it helps.”

I did as he said. I tried to imagine father there but all I saw was darkness. I decided to speak what ever came to my mind. I wasn’t afraid of Seth judging me after all he had told me.

“Why didn’t you come home?” I asked speaking the obvious. I thought I would feel stupid saying it all out loud, but it all started coming out like it was the real thing. “We thought you were dead. I would have gladly taken you dead over this. Tell me it isn’t true. Tell me you haven’t been killing innocent people. Tell me that you will come back home to mother and your family. If you started this I know you can end it. I know you can turn everything around. Come back home with me, say you will stop. Please. Please daddy if not for anything else do it for me. Please daddy.” I whispered. I opened my eyes. I couldn’t believe what had just come out of my mouth. I couldn’t believe I had just called my father daddy in front of Seth.

“I think that would do a fine job.” Seth said and I gave a small smile. I hoped it would. It seems we could only hope for anything now.

“If he really is a killer you really think I could ever be able to make him stop?”

“I think it is possible.” Seth said.

I nodded. I guess so. No one could ever know for sure. I looked up. Night was falling. The first few stars had appeared in the sky.

“Bed early.” I whispered and offered a small smile. He let go of my hands and I got up to go to bed. I was tired. The outdoors tends to knock you out after a bit. I would never admit it to Seth but I was starting to really love it out here.

As soon as my head hit that pillow I was asleep. I didn’t even feel Seth climb into bed beside me.

---

After a long walk the day before I was eager to get home. I was jumping up and down that morning after Seth had woke me up. We walked me up to the boarder. He told me to expect a drain in energy as I entered the censored world.

Seth refused to come in. He said he hated being with out his power and he would meet me here later tonight. I ran into the censored world and instantly my powers were drained.

I could still see Seth on the other side. No one would ever be able to know anything was there. Seth started laughing as I tried out my power to see if they were really gone. They were. I smiled and started away to my house waving at Seth with a huge grin on my face.

As soon as the house came in view Charles leaning over the well came into view as well. I ran up behind him and put my hands over his eyes like Isabella used to do. “Guess who?” I teased.

“Isabella do you really think now is the best time…” He cut off the second he saw me. I threw my arms around him. It was the same Charles. “Elizabeth where have you been!” He asked in his stern voice.

“Nice to see you too” I said playfully and pulled away.

“Elizabeth you know it is always a pleasure to see your sister after a month without word but where were you?” he asked.

“Now would it really be fair to tell only you and not everyone else in the mean time? Where is Isabella? And Mother?” I asked smiling; Charles on the other hand did not look amused. He took my hand anyways and ran into the house. The store was empty, I wondered if Charles was supposed to be running it. He ignored that fact and ran up stairs.

“Mother I brought someone home!” he yelled out. I laughed wondering what Mother thought he meant by that.

“Charles what do you mean…” Mother said as she came out of the kitchen. She saw me and ran toward me. “Elizabeth Parker just where have you been!” she yelled in a high pitched voice that hurt my ears.

“Elizabeth?” Isabella peeked her head around the corner and then came running at me. Instead of hugging me like everyone else she hit me hard in the arm.

“You idiot! You had all of us thinking that you were dead! A month without word, honestly Elizabeth!” Isabella yelled.

“Isabella!” Mother yelled back appalled at her language.

Isabella merely glared at me with her arms crossed. “I can explain.” I whispered. “It is good news trust me.” I assured.

“Yes well, everyone into the sitting room. We do not need to discuss this here.” Mother said being the sensible one. Even after I had explained everything I didn’t think that Isabella would ever forgive me.

“Where are Gracie and Anthony?” I asked.

“At school.” Charles answered sitting down on the couch.

I turned to Isabella. “Why aren’t you at school?”

“She refused to go with out you.” Mother answered.

“Isabella!” I yelled.

“You promised we could go together.” Isabella whispered.

A lump welled up in my throat. I had said that. “Isabella that was a long time ago.”

“Still doesn’t change anything.” Isabella said as she left the room I heard the door to our room slam, or rather her room now.

All attention turned back to me but I couldn’t stop starring at the place where Isabella was standing. I didn’t expect to come back to things being this bad. “I need to talk to her,” I whispered not knowing what else to do.

“No you need to talk to me first.” Mother said in her stern voice. I nodded. Here was the time to say my story, and not mess up.

“When I went out that day I had an accident. I guess I went too far because Bella got shot.” Mother gasped but I continued. I needed to get this out. “A man found me unconscious and took me back to his sisters. I woke up there. The man, Seth, or rather Mr. Kennedy was here visiting some of his family. He is newly acquired money. He had moved to High Class only a week before we moved here. He told me that he needed some help in the house. Seth was staying with his grandmother and she couldn’t do everything. He was leaving that evening and it was already after dinner. I of course accepted. Anything to get back home right?” I asked looking around. Mothers face had softened. I was grateful for that. Charles’ was still as hard as stone.

“I just wanted to get back so badly. We all know how much I hated it here… so I said yes. I told him I would go. This is the first chance I have been able to get back.” I whispered. I looked up with big teary eyes. At least the tears were real. I hated lying to all of them. “Did I make the wrong choice?” I wined.

Mother hugged me like I hoped she would. “No of course not honey, you did what is best for you. I only wish that you had had enough judgment to write a letter.” She said.

I smiled. “Mr. Kennedy really is such a pleasant man to let me in, even if it is to do house work. He doesn’t expect me to do much, only the cooking mostly.” I said. “He only gave me until tonight though. He said that should be plenty of time to explain and gather my things. After all autumn is a rather busy season.

“Yes it is my darling.” Mother whispered. There were tears welling up into her eyes. “I know I have done you well to have the dignity to get a job as a house keeper in front of all of your old friends. I never thought I would need to send you off at sixteen though.”

I smiled. If I had my way none of this would have happened. “Don’t worry mother. I will visit whenever possible. Now I really do need to talk to Isabella.” I whispered and ran down the hall.

I opened the door to our old room slowly. Isabella was curled up in the window frame with her arms crossed and her head facing out the window.

“You can save the explanations.” Isabella whispered obviously trying to hold back tears. “I heard everything.”

“And?” I asked.

“And it doesn’t change anything. You are still going to leave tonight and it will be like you weren’t even here. Only this time you will take away everything that you own so that we have nothing to remember you bye.” Isabella whispered. I took a step towards her. None of this was supposed to happen like this. If only she knew that I was trying to get father and Richard back, she would have been right there cheering me on.

“Isabella I didn’t have a choice. That job was everything I wanted. I get to go back. Are you trying to tell me that you wouldn’t have done the same thing?” I asked. We both knew very well that she would have been gone in a heart beat.

Isabella turned from the window to face me. Her eyes were a little red but other than that you would never be able to tell that Isabella had been crying.

“You think that you leaving is what this is about?” Isabella accused. I didn’t move. “You don’t come home that night. Everyone here assumes you are with Sara-Lyn. I didn’t think you were. You would have told someone. I go and check your regular spot and you weren’t there. So I go to where you were headed that morning because I had followed you a ways there to see Bella laying on the ground dead. Elizabeth you didn’t even leave a note!” Now Isabella was crying openly something she rarely did. “I didn’t tell a soul about Bella but I knew you were dead. I didn’t think… I didn’t think there was any way you could have survived.”

“I’m sorry Isabella.” I whispered. What more could I say?

“I thought that the people that had gotten Richard and father had gotten you too. The reason I didn’t go to school was because I was scared. I... I thought they would come and get me too.” She whispered between tears.

I walked towards her slowly and hugged her. I didn’t know what I could say to make her feel better. I wish I could take her with me. I knew that Seth would not like that one bit.

Isabella wiped her eyes. It looked like she was going to look past this. Not forget it but ignore that it had happened. That is what Isabella seemed to be really good at.

For the rest of the afternoon Isabella helped me pack all of my things into bags. Charles and mother shifted in and out of our room questioning me about what had been going on at Mr. Kennedy’s. The more I made up the story the more I realized that I would have loved if this was true. It was what I wanted in my life well what I would have wanted if none of this Magical Word stuff had happened.

Mother started on dinner and Charles left to go get Gracie and Anthony from school. My bags were packed so Isabella and I went to go help mother in the kitchen. It was crowded, but no body seemed to mind.

“Elizabeth tell me, how old is this Mr. Kennedy?” mother asked. I knew things were going to lead to this it was only a matter of time.

“Nineteen.” I whispered. Both mother and Isabella looked up from what they were doing.

“You like this boy!” Isabella accused.

“Isabella.” Mother said softly but less angry then usual. They were both curious.

“Mr. Kennedy is a very handsome man but I have no interests in dating him any time soon.” I tried to say very grown up like. I knew the secret was already out and they would both see through my act.

“Mhmm.” Isabella whispered and looked up to mother. I continued to cut the carrot for the stew mother was making for dinner.

The bell down stairs rang at about five o’clock. Charles still wasn’t back with Gracie and Anthony. Mother told me the school was quite far away.

Isabella ran downstairs to help whatever customer might be down there. “Elizabeth!’ she yelled. I ran down the stairs to meet face to face with Mr. Kennedy. He had some how managed to find a suit. He fit in with every other guy on that street, okay maybe he stood out a little bit.

Isabella was smiling up at him and then to me and then back to him again. “Mr. Kennedy says the eight o’clock train was canceled and that you need to catch the five thirty one.” She informed me before Seth could.

I was so surprised Seth would come all the way out to come and get me. He said that he hated the censored world. “Yes of course, let me get my bags first.” I said. I was disappointed that Seth wouldn’t give me at least until Gracie and Anthony came home.

Mother came downstairs with my bag before I could turn around. It felt like a moment from Pride and Prejudice the man walks in and all goes silent.

“Good evening Mrs. Parker.” Seth greeted.

“Mr. Kennedy.” Mother acknowledged.

I could have laughed at the sight. Seth was never one I could imagine in this sort of climate. He would forever be in the Magical World for me.

“Sorry to cut this visit short. I assure you I will get Elizabeth home when ever I can.” Seth said. I smiled at him and blushed a bit.

I turned around and hugged mother and kissed her on the cheek. “I will try to write.” I whispered knowing I would never get the chance.

Isabella hugged me for a short moment and Seth grabbed my bag. “Say good-bye to Gracie, Anthony, and Charles for me.” I said. And then said my last good-byes to mother and Isabella. Seth and I left towards the far forest cutting through the corn field.

“You couldn’t even give me until after dinner?” I accused.

“People were looking for you.” Seth whispered. “I needed to get you out before they found what they wanted.” Seth picked up his sword from a tree near at the boarder. I felt my power come back in one wave. I felt stronger all together.

Seth looked relieved and like himself again. “I can see now.” Seth whispered.

“You can’t see without your power?” I laughed.

“No, but I do need glasses with out my power.” I tried to imagine Seth with glasses covering those stunning green eyes. I couldn’t.

“So did you have fun?” Seth asked. I looked down.

“I’m just glad they know I am okay.” I whispered. It wasn’t that I didn’t have fun, I did. I only wished I could tell them all. I was now officially living a lie and I hated it. I was going to miss my family, I was going to miss having a normal life but if went back now I would miss all of this.

Set put his arm around me as we walked back to camp. “It will get easier over time.” Seth assured me. I sighed. I hoped it would, I really hoped it would.

7

Surprise

"STEAL ME AWAY IN THE NIGHT THEN.” I countered through laughter. This whole argument was completely idiotic. I said I wanted a day off training. Seth had said no. I said yes. He said he would make me. I asked how, and he said he would steal me away in the night.

It wasn’t like I wasn’t making progress, because I was. Water and air came easy to me now; fire was still my biggest challenge. Earth had yet to show itself.

I threw some water on Seth which sent him chasing after me. It seemed everything was fun and games now, and it was exactly the way I liked it. Seth caught up with me quickly and spun me around like crazy until I was begging him to stop. It was like we were ten again, without a worry in the world. Except when he stopped turning me and set me down I was back on earth again with the world on my shoulders, but somehow I couldn’t stop laughing.

“Well if you aren’t going to co-operate we need more fish. Are you coming?” he asked grabbing the net and bucket.

“No you go.” I answered. Some time alone at camp might be welcomed. Seth shook his head and smirked, but then left without another word.

I found myself lying back on the grass watching the clouds go by. I made the wind pick up. I found myself wondering if Seth could feel my wind where he was, or if it would go as far as middle class. They would have never known it was me, but it felt good that I could secretly share that part of me with them.

I drank some water that I made from my hands because it made me feel self-reliant as stupid as that may have sounded.

I lied in that grass for what seemed like hours, until I decided to get something done. I got up slowly being careful of every step I took and made my way into the tent. I hated being in here. It was brown and dusty most of the time, sometimes if we opened the doors it was decent, but we didn’t want the bugs getting in. They were bad enough as it is.

I folded up what ever excess blankets we always used but never needed. There was an excess amount. I couldn’t believe that five people used to share this tent. It was hardly manageable with only the two of us!

I fell back on the bed when I was through. You never noticed how hard putting up a tent until you have to do it in the horrible winds all by yourself. It had been only once, but it had still happened. I heard Seth get up that night to fix the tent. It figures I wouldn’t have gotten it right.

I tried thinking back to all of the good memories. I found myself thinking of more with Seth in them then more with my family. I guess I have really adapted to life here, at least more then I ever would have thought.

Thinking of Seth somehow led me to thinking of father, but not father now, father when I was a child. The more I thought about it the more I realized that he was never there. He was always out at work and in more recent years Richard was out with him. Mother had single handedly raised Isabella, Charles, and I. It was up to us to help raise Gracie and Anthony. We were much too young for the responsibility but that was the way it was, that was the way it had always been. I guess that was why father and Richard leaving us didn’t affect us like we thought it would. Everything around the house still got done without reminders, it was just… routine.

I wanted to ask Seth what it was like to have a real father but then a lump welled up in the back of my throat. He wouldn’t know. His father and mother for that matter died when he was three. I couldn’t imagine life with foster parents either. It must have been just horrible to go through, but I guess like every other family, it was just what he was used to.

I stepped back out of the tent and took a big breath of fresh air in. It was only when I went into the city that I realized how much fresher the air is out here, in the city I felt like I was going to suffocate, of course I couldn’t bring that fact up to my family without blowing my whole cover.

I wanted to tell them everything about what was going on, but if I did mother would never let me leave the house again. I would be permanently grounded until I was eighteen and allowed to go off on my own, a legal adult at last.

There wasn’t too much of a leap from seventeen to eighteen other then the fact that in everyone’s eyes I would finally be seen as an adult, but best of all I would finally be seen as an adult in Seth’s eyes. I knew it shouldn’t matter and I shouldn’t be looking forward to it as much as I was, but if Seth saw me as equal to him it might lead… where I hoped things would.

I was starting to get over the idea of this being a stupid crush on him. What if this was the real deal, what if I was really falling in love with him? I had no idea where to take that. I could keep on flirting like I was now, but how long could this go on? I wanted to make a move but I had no idea how. Or if awkwardness would set in if we did start dating.

I had only dated one other guy, and back then I swore it would be my last. It didn’t turn out well, not at all. As Isabella put it he would always be known as my first love and kiss, which is the one thing I knew I would always regret.

With Seth I had to do things differently. I needed to make this better. More then whatever happened before. I couldn’t pin point why this mattered so much to me, but it did, it did a lot.

I figured that if I found Seth right now, and told him, or kissed him or whatever came to me first it would all work out. No second guessing myself and no getting nervous.

I walked off in the direction I knew he was when I saw him coming back with someone else, someone that made us impossible.

“Look who I brought home.” Seth said. Isabella came rushing into my arms for a full out hug.

“I followed you.” She said quickly and with a hint of nervousness. “I knew you wouldn’t have left without telling me unless it was something important.” I didn’t let her go until long after she had let me go.

“You knew and didn’t tell me.” I accused looking up at Seth. He shrugged it off like it was nothing.

Isabella looked up at both of us. “How would he know?”

I bit my lip, how could I tell her that Seth could hear everything within a kilometer radius. “You are going back home.” I whispered.

“Elizabeth.” She whispered pleading with me. “Don’t make me go back there, you don’t know what is like.”

Seth slowly walked away, mouthing ‘I will leave you two to talk.’

“You don’t want to live here.”

“It can’t be much worse then living there.”

I took a deep breath and held it while I made water come out of my hand. It didn’t matter anymore if she knew; even if I sent her home she would follow me again, and again, and again.

“Elizabeth what are you doing?” She asked starring at my hand.

I finally stopped holding my breath. She didn’t scream which was at least something. “This is a magical world.” I whispered. I snapped my fingers for effect and fire was on my finger tips. “Everyone that is here for more then a week will develop some sort of power.”

Isabella only stood there starring with wide eyes. “I knew, I knew something was strange about you camping but… but… Elizabeth this can’t be real.” She whispered.

“That’s what I thought too, before I could control the wind.” The fire in my hands stopped and the wind picked up around me. I couldn’t believe the control I was having. I took Isabella’s hands in mine. “And to top this all off, father and Richard aren’t dead, they are here.”

Isabella looked as if she was going to faint. I stopped the wind I had created and lead her towards camp.

“That’s… that’s a lot to take in.” she whispered. I thought she would have been in denial, but the evidence had been on my finger tips. It is hard to argue with your sister that all of a sudden makes fire.

We sat down on the log by the fire. “You live in the same tent.” She said. I laughed it figures that would be the first thing she noticed.

“We aren’t together.” I whispered.

“Too bad.” She said and of course I knew exactly what she meant, she had seen how gorgeous he was too. Suddenly I caught her looking at my hands again. “Does it… hurt?” she asked.

I shook my head no. “Will my power hurt?” again I shook my head no. I didn’t want Isabella to have a power, but I guess it was inevitable now.

“What are you two talking about.” Seth sat down beside me and asked.

“Like you don’t know.” I said. Isabella looked up at him.

“My senses are one hundred times more powerful then yours are.” Seth said tapping nose as if she was a child, weirdly enough it made Isabella smile.

“Isabella is going to stay here with us for a while.” I said to him.

He smiled and didn’t seem like he cared. Isabella smiled too. I think I had made her day, maybe her month, and it would stay that way, until I brought her to see the inside of the tent.

8

Relations

SETH HAD ME TRAINING FOR AT LEAST FOUR a day. It was exhausting but my progress kept me going. I could now fully control water. Fire and air were tough. On good days I could control those too. I couldn’t tap into earth. I doubted I even had the power, but Seth said if I doubted my power it would never come to me.

Isabella’s power still hadn’t shown its self. To make sure Isabella wasn’t left out he was teaching her how to use a sword – she wasn’t very good.

The past few nights Seth and I explained the magical world to Isabella. She had many questions, some of them I was curious about myself. Seth answered everything he could. I tried to absorb as much knowledge as possible, but I know I will end up asking some of the questions again.

Seth and I get closer and closer each day. Sometimes I wish he would ask me to be his girlfriend, but days go past and he never does. I go through option after option of why he hasn’t asked, I can only think of one logical one- he doesn’t like me.

I gulped, even thinking that made a lump in my throat. What if he thinks of me as a little kid? After all I am two years younger than him, but I can’t see him think of me that way.

I opened my eyes, to see Seth over me.

“You can sleep when the sun comes up?” he asked me. Seth seemed to be amazed by this concept. “I never could.”

I looked around. “Where’s Isabella?” I asked. It wasn’t like her to leave without me.

“I asked you first.”

“Seth!”

“She went to get us some water.”

“You let her go alone.” I asked wondering what would make Isabella want to go alone anyway. She was terrified of this new world.

“She won’t have any trouble.”

“How do you know that no one is out there?” I asked. How could Seth be so calm when I was clearly upset!

“She got her power.”

“She what!”

“Isabella got her power.” I starred at him in a state of awe. I shook my head.

“What is her power?”

“She can… stop hearts” Seth said barely more then a whisper.

“She can what!?”

“Stop hearts, she stopped mine when I made fun of her hair, did you know that your sister has a temper?”

“Wait she stopped your heart.” I asked stopping his games.

“Yes”

“Shouldn’t you be… dead” I could barely manage to choke out the last word.

“She didn’t stop it for long, but I did pass out” Seth said then laughed.

“Are you okay?” I was asking not only because he passed out but because he was laughing about it afterwards. I was confused with his lack of interest that Isabella has the potential to kill someone on the spot.

“Yes I’m fine, are you okay? You have been sleeping for a long time.” Seth asked. He tried to turn the questions around on me, for once I let him.

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

“I know any reasons for that?”

I shrugged I guess he would have heard me tossing with his high powered ears. “A lot on my mind I guess”

“Like what?” Seth asked as I sat up beside him, his face inches from mine.

“I don’t know”, I said. What was I going to tell him? I was thinking of you, because I think I might be in love with you. “Are we doing training?” I asked changing the subject.

“I thought we would take a day off, I want to show you something”

“But what about Isabella?” I asked. I was worried about her.

“She will be fine, now come on!” Seth pulled me up. My muscles were tight from being in bed; they ached from the sudden movement. I followed him with a little hesitation. “Isabella is on her way, stop worrying, she will be in my ear range.” I nodded; everything for a mile around was in his ear range.

“As long as you can hear her, she doesn’t know the forest like you do.”

Seth smiled. “Come on.”

I couldn’t deny him when he used his smile, but it wasn’t like him to take me away to talk to him. Then again, Isabella was never here.

I followed him into the forest. We didn’t go far, just a little ways. He stopped where the forest started to get denser, and looked down on me.

“Why did you bring me here?” I asked. This part of the forest was completely unremarkable, the only reason I could think of is a private conversation, which can mean almost anything.

“I told you everything about the magical world right?” Seth asked as he sat down on a log, I followed.

“As far as I know”

“Okay, then can I tell you about me?”

“You don’t need my permission.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Of course.”

Seth took a deep breath in before he started. “There are these five… they are chosen to protect the magical world. The past five picks the children that go into training from the age of three.” I gulped three was so young to start training.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I was one of those five. Along with Caitlyn, Sam, Lillian, and Alyssa.”

“You and Sam are the only guys?”

“Yes, its not so bad, they are like an honorary family, we grew up together, trained together and worked together.”

“Have you been with any of them?” I asked secretly hoping for a no.”

“Like together with?” he asked, I nodded. “Yes two of them.” I gulped. One was a lot, two was unimaginable.

“I’m not together with them now” Seth whispered.

I was going to ask him which ones but it didn’t really matter. “Was there more?”

“Yes, we five have certain duties; our main one is to keep the magical world a secret.”

“From the censored world?”

“Yes”

“Why?”

“If everyone came here it would be a much different place, for the worst. Even telling you this now is a risk, but a risk worth taking” His face broke into a frown. What does Seth mean ‘a much different place’? I didn’t bring it up.

“That must be hard” I whispered as I put my hands on his knee.

“Yeah it is”

I looked from Seth’s knee to his flawless face. His dark eyes were looking far away. I could tell from his facial expression, this was somewhat of a difficult thing for him to talk about. I felt strangely sorry for Seth. Especially that he had been training from the age of six. I was touched that he told me that though, no matter how sad it was.

Being beside him now I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about now. I liked the thought that he might be thinking of me. We spent so much time together, but there was a wall between us, around Seth that I couldn’t break through. Only he had the key but he lost it in himself.

Seth stood up and walked around in circles. I stood up after him and leaned against the closest tree. I watched him for the longest time, the way he traced the same circle, they way he walked, the way he moved, until his circle deformed, he came to face me. Seth stood so close. I could hear is slow steady breaths. My breathing slowed to match his.

“Are you ok?” He asked me.

“I’m fine why do you ask?”

“You look a little pale” Seth responded.

“My skin is normally pale”

“Paler than usual” he said as he brushed his hand against my cheek. It took all my will to act calm and not react.

“Maybe it’s you?”

“My vision is much better than yours is, now what’s wrong?”

“Really I’m ok”

“Fine don’t tell me” Seth said as he leaned over and kissed my forehead. Seth then backed away and turned around. Now I had made him mad. At least I didn’t babble on like an idiot.

“Do you like it here?” Seth asked me.

“Here in the magical world?” I asked. I had no idea where he was going with this. We had a moment and now he was asking me about location.

“Yes” Seth answered and smiled.

“You know I do.”

“Do you think you will go back to the censored world?”

“Not as of now I can promise you a few more months at the least.” Seth seemed to consider that for a minute.

“Okay, it is good to know.” Seth said. We stared at each other for a while. I memorized everything about him but now he seemed different, for the better. This moment was so amazing it hurt to blink knowing I had missed even a second of his beauty. Seth walked towards me slowly until he was standing in front of me. I closed the gap between us, still not taking my eyes away from his. He lifted my chin and lowered his. Seth had one moment of hesitation but then he kissed me. His lips were hard but I wouldn’t trade them for anyone else’s. For that moment there was no awkwardness, no shyness, nothing but me and him. Seth pulled away quicker then I would have liked him to. He stared at me and I stared back, not knowing what to say but wow.

Seth nodded his head and turned away from me. He started to walk away. I stayed for a moment to catch up with myself.

He broke his own brick wall, he found the key! I didn’t know what he was thinking now, or why he walked away, but he was here, out lips met, that much I was sure of. For whatever reason, he had kissed me, and that meant that he liked me too. He liked me too, and possibly loved me. Seth loves me, Seth loves Elizabeth!

I took a deep breath and started to follow him deeper into the forest. We walked for about a half hour, until he finally stopped. I took this as my chance and ran out in front of him.

“Does this mean we’re together?” I asked hopeful.

“Only if you want to be.” Seth said. Such a gentleman, leaving it all up to me. Instead of giving him a straight up answer I stood up tall to kiss him again. I was relieved when he kissed me back. This one lasted a little bit longer but still…

“My answer is yes, I will be yours Seth Edward Kennedy.” He exhaled in relief. I did too.

“Yes”

“That’s what I said”

“Yes”

“Seth. I said yes. I’m all yours, use me wisely.” I said sarcastically.

“Elizabeth you don’t know how complicated this just became.” Seth smiled like a mischievous child. Only I didn’t quite know what he meant.

“How?”

“Isabella.” He answered. A wave of realization came over me.

“Right.” I hoped she wouldn’t feel left out. With there only being three of us things might get a little awkward.

Seeing my expression change Seth said “You worry about her too much”

“I care about her.” I argued.

“I know you do, but she can care for herself.”

“She is my little sister.” Why was he being so pushy?

“I know what you mean, but sometimes you need to let her go, like a mother with her child.”

“You have a younger sibling?”

“I did.”

“I’m sorry, but you know what I mean. It is hard to see her struggle with everything out here.”

“No matter how much you keep an eye on her she will do what she wants.” I had the feeling that Seth wasn’t talking about me and Isabella any more.

“What happened?”

“I killed her”

“You what?”

“She was jealous that I was in the five and she lunged at me with a knife. In self defense I pushed her away from me as hard as I could. Her head smashed into a building and she never woke up”

“Seth...”

“Are you sure you still want to be my girl… because that’s not the only person I’ve killed.”

“In self defense?”

“No”

“Then why?” I was shocked at his past. I never pictured Seth as evil, but it was obvious on his face that this was just as hard for him to say it as it was for me to hear it.

“They were threatening the magical world, trying to take it over, like your father is now. Sometimes they can’t be locked up, so we need to kill them, all of us in the five have at least killed three people.”

“How many people have you killed?”

“Five.”

I considered his answer for a minute. It was clear on his face that he didn’t like killing these people. Could I not date someone because they were forced to kill some people? I could think of him as a police officer for the magical world. To protect things he had no choice but to kill people, but if he hasn’t told me this I have no idea what else he isn’t telling me.

All relationships had risks and I was positive he wasn’t going to come and kill me in my sleep so I said “I’m still yours.”

“You don’t care?” he asked a little puzzled.

“No I care, but you had no choice, so I have no choice. It would be silly to call it off because of something you were forced to do. Unless you did this on free will…”

“I was forced.”

“Then I’m ok as long as you promise me one thing, if you are forced to kill me or Isabella, you won’t.”

“Elizabeth” Seth said taking my hand. “I would never hurt you or your sister.”

“Then I am ok.”

“You are amazing to still be ok with all of this.”

“I am amazing.”

Seth laughed and I took a deep breath. Seth still held my hand in his. His hand was cold from the morning chill, but I imagined mine was too.

I stood in disbelief, throughout the past hour Seth had gone from being my friend to being my boyfriend, to being a killer, to being my boyfriend again! I would defiantly remember this day.

“You ready to go back to camp?” Seth asked me.

“How far are we?” I asked having no idea where I was. Seth listened for a second.

“About ten minutes” Seth answered. “If you are too tired I could carry you if you would like.

“I can walk” I mumbled, although I liked the thought of Seth carrying me.

We walked silently hand in hand until the edge of the forest. I slowly let go of his hand.

“Not ready to tell her yet” Seth guessed.

“Yes I don’t know how she will react, give me a bit?”

“Sure, but you do know this makes our relationship secret now. Do you not want me to tell anyone else?”

“Like who?” I asked liking the idea of a secret relationship.

“I need to go see the five in a bit.”

“You can tell them” I wanted to make sure that his ex’s knew he wasn’t single.

“Okay I will”

I walked out into camp to see Isabella by the fire boiling water.

“Where have you been? I got my power!”

“I know!” I ran up and hugged her. Well I hugged her the best I could with all of her jumping around.

“Can I show you?” Isabella asked.

“NO! You will kill someone.”

“I won’t kill you I will only make you unconscious for a little bit, Seth catch her.”

“No I’m not going to be some sort of test subject!”

“Fine” Isabella pouted. “But now you don’t get to see my power.”

“I’m okay with that, I can imagine what it would look like.” I said, and shuddered at the thought of seeing Isabella make someone pass out. No matter how many times I had burned Seth, stopping his heart or my heart for that matter would be too dangerous for my liking.

Isabella smiled and asked “We should do training today, who wants to fight me!” Seth looked over at me and I nodded encouraging him to do some kind of training with her.

“Okay, but Isabella you are not using your power” Seth held out a sward. “Only this.”

“You always take the fun out of everything.” Isabella grumbled.

Seth ran over and got his own sward and held out in front of him with both hands. His sward was quite a bit larger then Isabella’s, but I was confident that he wouldn’t hurt her. “Attack me.” instructed Seth.

“Okay!” Isabella laughed; she always loved to attack people. I hoped she wouldn’t like it so much if it was a life or death situation. I don’t think she would last long in a life or death situation.

I gulped back that thought, and watched Isabella go at Seth. Every strike she took Seth was one step ahead of her. Every lunge took so much power behind it and Seth stopped it with out any effort. He looked like he was gliding and Isabella looked messy- inexperienced.

It made me think that if he hadn’t been able to kill me father with all of his skills how would I be able to kill him. I could use my powers but they can’t stop a sward coming at my throat. Would my powers even be at full potential by the time we first attacked? Would Isabella be able to last, and what if we were out numbered?

Seth and Isabella had stopped. Isabella was out of breath and Seth seemed perfectly fine. I kept my distance as Seth told her some more instruction.

“Better” he said. “But I still want to try something, what if I go at you? I won’t hurt you but all of this practice would be for nothing if you don’t know how to block.”

“Seth.” I started.

“No” Isabella interrupted. “I want to do this” She then turned to Seth. “Don’t hurt me.”

“I won’t.” Seth promised.

I frowned I didn’t like this.

Seth started out slow, so that she could clearly see where he was going. She blocked everything. Then Seth started to go faster. That’s when it got scary. Isabella barely got there in time to stop him from cutting her up. I kept my hand over my mouth to stop form screaming. Seth took a cut at her throat; she didn’t get there in time. I screamed and closed my eyes. I heard Isabella scream as well.

“Elizabeth you did it!” Seth yelled. I opened my eyes. A tree had grown in between where they were standing.

“Did I grow that?” I asked amazed at the size. It was a full grown tree!

“Yes you did.” Isabella said.

Seth walked over to me.

“You could have killed her.” I whispered.

“I could have stopped myself.” Seth contradicted.

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes I do” Seth said as he took my hands. “I won’t hurt her.”

“Seth, Isabella is right there” I whispered very quietly so I knew only he could hear. He let go of my hands at once.

“Lets see if you can do it again.” Seth said as he winked at me.

“You know what; I think Elizabeth needs to see what my power looks like.” Isabella said to Seth.

“Fine stop my heart.” Seth said.

“NO!” I yelled but it was too late. I looked at Isabella, she hadn’t moved but suddenly Seth was on the ground passed out.

“Elizabeth, do you have something you want to tell me?” Isabella asked.

“Is he okay?” I asked running over to Seth to listen to his heart. It was still beating.

“He is fine; he’ll wake up in a couple of minutes.” Isabella explained. I wasn’t so sure so I listened to his heart again. It was still beating.

“Isabella.”

“You and Seth are together aren’t you?” She asked.

I hesitated for a minute, “Yes” I admitted, there was no point of hiding it now that she suspected something. Our secret relationship had lasted a whole hour.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” Isabella asked and frowned.

“We just got together an hour or two ago, I was going to tell you but I didn’t know how you would react, I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“By saying you are going out with Seth, that wouldn’t hurt me, give me a little more credit than that. If anything I would be mad that you got him first, he is gorgeous! You don’t need to protect me.”

“I know, wait you wanted to go out with Seth?” I asked.

“No, but only because I saw he really liked you, and you liked him back, I thought it would only be a matter of time before you two got together.”

“…and you never told me this.”

“I thought you might say I’m crazy or something.”

“No, I wouldn’t have, I would have asked if you saw that he liked me too. I wasn’t sure until two hours ago.”

“He defiantly likes you, he circulates around you unconsciously.”

“What do you mean?”

“Seth is always around you, I don’t think I have seen you apart throughout the time I’ve been here.” Isabella said. She notices little things that I never saw. Why had I not told her my crush from the beginning, she would have been a lot of help. No matter how slow Isabella is a grasping the big picture, she always sees the small things.

“Maybe I stay around him.”

“No he defiantly stays around you.”

“Okay, I believe you, when will Seth wake up?”

“Soon, he might be a little dizzy; he was quite funny this morning.”

“What did he do this morning?” I asked a little concerned.

“Feel his head.” Isabella instructed. I did. Near the top there was a bump. Seth flinched when my hand rubbed over it.

“What happened Isabella?” I demanded an answer.

Isabella shrugged, “He got up too fast and fell back down, and he hit his head on a hammer.”

“A hammer! Isabella how could you let that happen he could have brain damage or gotten killed like that, do you have any idea how dangerous this is.” I yelled.

“Of coarse I do, that is why you are here to make sure he doesn’t stand up for a while. He wouldn’t listen to me before, and see the hammer is all the way over there.” She said pointing to it.

“I should go get that hammer and smash it over your head right now.” I threatened.

“We both know you wouldn’t do that, and also that would be inflicting the same danger you said that I needed to prevent, what kind of big sister and role model would you be if you did that to me. Besides I didn’t hit him with a hammer he simply fell on it.”

“NO! If you hit him with a hammer you would be going home right now.”

“It isn’t my fault!”

“Anyway how can you ‘simply fall’ on a hammer.”

“Well you fall…”

“Not what I meant Isabella, I mean what are the odds.”

“He isn’t too badly injured.”

“He is a very lucky man.” I said as Seth rustled. He opened his eyes.

“I’m sure that gave you quite a scare.” Seth joked and started to sit up.

“Slowly” I cautioned. He sat up beside me. Once he was up I said, “She knows.”

“Everything” Isabella smiled.

“Not everything” I told her and turned to Seth.

“You held out for a while” Seth said.

“Yeah, a long time.” I played with his accusation.

“Well let’s see a kiss.” Isabella said.

“Isabella!” I whispered.

“Make it official, in my mind, because right now I can’t see you together.” I turned to Seth.

“Fine” Seth said. “But only for you.”

“Right because you really don’t want to.” Isabella said. Seth looked to me and leaned closer. I followed and we kissed for our third time. This one was fast and quick, but the feeling I got when he kissed before me never went away. I hoped it never would. Seth smiled.

Seeing him, Isabella and me here, together, no secrets. I wondered what I had been worrying about before. Why I was worried that it would be awkward. If anything this was a good thing.