“Olivia, you ok?” I could hear Mark asking.
“I think we need to go,” I said quietly.
Aiden still sat there staring at me.
“I don’t feel well, J. Can we go?”
“Yes,” she exclaimed and stood up.
I studied Aiden’s face, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. My body was weak as I rose unsteadily. I swayed a bit and a strong hand grabbed me. Aiden looked up with a smirk on his face. He was gripping my side.
“I’m sorry, maybe we can hang out another time,” I said.
He nodded and let go. I saw J and Mark looking worried at the end of my aisle. I stumbled my way to them. My mind cleared more the further I got from Aiden.
Scott
Sebastian wanting to go anywhere with me was strange. My family had been spacy ever since I informed them about The Crimson Calamitous, but Sebastian hadn’t seemed to care. But he rarely seemed to care about much. I was surprised he hadn’t wormed his way out of our family night. The car ride to the little convenience store on the corner was not pleasant. Sadie sat between us, because Sebastian and I couldn’t get along. I pulled into the parking lot, sighing while stopping the truck. “We’re here, guys,” I said trying to break the awkwardness.
“Let’s get our stuff. I’m hungry,” Sadie exclaimed and gave me a push.
I hopped out of the truck with Sadie following suit. I glanced over and Sebastian was still in his seat. “Are you coming?”
“Nope. I only wanted to ride in the car,” he said without looking up from his phone.
“Ok.”
I looked at Sadie and raised my eyebrows, but she shrugged. I slammed the door behind me. We hurried into the store grabbing peppers, onions, and tomatoes. The trip took less than five minutes. While standing in line, I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer.
“Sadie…he’s up to something.”
“We don’t know that, Scottie.”
“Sadie…come on.”
Sighing, she pursed her lips together. “We don’t know anything for sure, Scottie. Maybe he’s trying to be a part of us now,” she stated with a touch of hope in her voice.
“Perhaps, little sis. Perhaps,” I said, grabbing her under my arm for a light hug.
“Oh, crap,” she said and pulled away. She was looking out the front window.
I turned around to watch what was happening. Outside my truck stood Sebastian. He leaned against the door, his leg bent and smearing dirt on it. There was a couple in their thirties a few cars away, loading groceries. Every time they picked up a bag, it slammed to the ground. This happened three times before Sadie threw the peppers in my arms and made her way out the door. She sauntered up to Sebastian with fire in her eyes and grabbed his face. She was trying to make him lose his concentration so the spell would be broken.
She grabbed his arm and dragged him away. Before I could see anything else, it was my turn. I paid for my purchase and hurried to the truck. The couple had finally gotten their things in their car. But they kept looking around in confusion. I shook my head in disbelief at my brother doing something so stupid in public. Jerking the door open, I threw my body into the driver’s seat. “What the hell were you doing, Sebastian?” I yelled in frustration.
He shrugged, and a look of boredom covered his face.
“Sebastian, seriously, what is wrong with you? Sorcerers could have been exposed just now.” Sadie said.
“I was bored. So, I thought I’d have some fun.”
“Fun? You call that fun?” I questioned and threw my hands up in defeat.
Sadie simply shook her head. Her hands clenched into fists over and over again. “Let’s just go home,” she said with a look at Sebastian that spoke volumes about how she felt right now.
“Yes, let’s go home to our lovely family dinner,” he said in a mocking voice.
It took all I had to not throw him out of my truck right there in the parking lot. But I controlled my anger and drove back to Grandma’s house fuming inside the whole way.
Olivia
My senses were heightened. I had no idea what was happening to me. As soon as I got in the car with J and Mark last night, my mind hadn’t seemed so foggy. But...everything was startling me. I heard the gears in the engine moving, the grooves on the spinning tires, and my own heart beating. Loudly. J had been really worried and wanted to come home with me, but I insisted she and Mark go and have fun. I had ruined their almost date.
Aiden smirking at me as I left last night was still on my mind. It disturbed me that he seemed to think my confusion was entertaining. He hadn’t contacted me to see if I was alright, either. I turned in my bed and propped my chin on the pillow. I drummed my fingers on the blanket and I tried to figure out why I felt so…odd. I should be angry with Aiden. But I wasn’t. Not really. He made me crazy and frustrated yet still managed to confuse me greatly. He was just Aiden.
Sighing, I buried my face in the pillow and screamed to the top of my lungs. It was relieving. Rising from the bed, I couldn’t help but notice everything I touched was like new to me. The fabric was softer than a lamb. My phone was heavy and smooth under my fingertips. The wool on my blanket was thick and full on the my skin.
Everything seemed clearer. It’s like my eyes were brand new. Shaking my head, I grabbed my phone to text J that I was doing ok. I knew she was worried. I wasn’t ok, though. Things were changing around me but wasn’t sure why. Or what exactly was happening. I decided it was time to talk to my parents.
I climbed out of bed, put on my robe, and shuffled to the kitchen. The room was empty, which was surprising for a Saturday morning. I took an orange juice and a granola bar and made my way to the living room. “Mom,” I called.
There wasn’t an answer.
“Dad,” I called louder this time. Still not an answer.
I ran up the stairs and knocked on my parents’ bedroom door. “Mom? Dad? Are you in there,” I yelled and pounded again.
Frustrated when I didn’t get a reply, I ran back down the stairs to look out the window. My father’s car was missing from the driveway. They apparently went somewhere and forgot to leave me a note. Anger overtook me, and I kicked the wall with my bare foot. My toes crunched as they hit the now splintered wood. I stared at only my heel showing. I stepped back when I realized it didn’t hurt. I wasn’t even sore. But the wall…well, there was a small hole in it where my foot impacted.
I stumbled back and fell into the chair. I was unsure of how long I sat there and stared at the hole, but it felt like eternity. My arms lay on the rests and my back was slumped near the cushion. I couldn’t really move from shock. Something was wrong with my body. And my mind. My whole being felt like a stranger to me.
My phone ringing startled me to the present. I jumped up and ran down the hall to my room and grabbed my phone from the bed. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby, we forgot to leave you a note,” my mom said. Her voice sounded crackly like she had bad service.
“I just noticed, actually,” I said shortly.
“Please, don’t be mad, darling. We had to meet with some of your father’s associates. We won’t be home until dinner.”
“Ok. It’s fine, really. I’ll see if Juniper wants to get lunch or something,” I said in a fake happy voice.
“Baby, I’m sorry. I know weekends are usually our time to be with each other, but this is a big deal. He really needs to talk to these people.”
“It’s ok. I understand, Mom.”
“We’ll talk later, then. Call us if you need anything,” she said and hung up before I could say bye.
Staring at the phone, I just shook my head in disbelief. She could have at least let me say bye. Disgruntled, I threw the phone on the bed and took my computer to the living room. I needed to figure out how to fix the wall before my parents got home. Since I had time to do that now.
Scott
Sadie and I hadn’t told anyone else in our family about Sebastian’s antics. It seemed more trouble than it was
worth. He just wanted attention, and I wasn’t eager to be the one to oblige. I was helping Grandma out at the store today. She made a bunch of dresses in the past week. It was up to me to tag and hang them so they’d be ready for the sales floor. This was my least favorite part of the job, because one wrong move, and I would ruin her hard work. When I’d first started tagging, I’d ruined a few dresses. She used a machine for tagging and it got caught in the fabric. It unraveled the neckline the first few times I used it. Grandma had been really upset, and I’d had to figure out how to fix them without making her angrier. I wasn’t allowed to use any sorcery in sewing because the magic sometimes lingered.
I was a little discouraged while working. I’d been thinking about getting another job now that Sadie was old enough to come help. But I didn’t know how to tell Grandma, though. I didn’t want her to think that I didn’t like working for her. I just wanted something more interesting.
I was walking towards the front with my arms full when I noticed a movement near the counter. There was a petite girl with curly black hair who looked familiar. She and a tall guy were talking to my grandma. The guy, about seventeen, had an aura. I stopped in my tracks realizing we were in the presence of another sorcerer. The girl laughed, and it hit me. She was Livvie’s best friend. I realized now I’d seen her when I espied at their school.
I moved slowly and deliberately through the racks, hanging the dresses where they needed to go. I tried my best to hear what they were saying, but only caught bits and pieces.
“…a tux…one to match my dress…”
“…must….size…measure you…”
“…speed delivery…next week…”
I finished the racking and moved to the behind the counter with Grandma. I nodded and smiled politely and shuffled some papers to make myself look busy. I inspected the couple in front of me. The girl was really pretty and seemed to have a bubbly personality. She was smiling a lot, but I sensed a tension between her and the sorcerer. He was somber and looked nervous. His eyes kept darting from me to Grandma. He was unsure of what to do.
“Hey, man, why don’t you leave a number where I can text you when the tux arrives. It’s an extra service for express delivery,” I said, sliding him a piece of paper.
I gave him a slight eyebrow raise to let him know I wasn’t challenging him or anything. He nodded and wrote his number. “Markus Lowe 942-846-9347.”
I thanked him and took the note to the backroom where I tacked it on the bulletin board. Markus Lowe was a complete stranger, but there was a chance he could help me with The Crimson Calamitous. I had to keep it in mind and see if I could make friends with him before his tux arrived.
Olivia
I ended up at Juniper’s house that afternoon. Mark had bailed on her after ordering his tux. She was disappointed, so I headed over after I fixed the hole in the wall. It hadn’t been as difficult as I thought, but there was still a little dent. Hopefully no one would notice any time soon.
I walked over to J’s a little after noon. The trees swayed in a rhythm that seemed to speak to me. The birds chirped a familiar tune. I felt like I was an important piece in the puzzle of nature while strolling along the sidewalk. Halfway there, I decided to cut through the thick trees in a neighbor’s yard to shorten my journey. I ducked under limbs and stepped over sticks, hurrying through the clump. Just when I saw Juniper’s backyard, a movement to my left caught my attention.
Five feet away, hidden behind a tree, was a large raccoon. His masked eyes studied me curiously as he sat on his hind legs. He appeared to be a little person. I stopped and watched him. We both stood silently regarding each other with intensity. After a few very long minutes, he seemed to nod his head and went on his way. I watched him scurry into a thicket.
I sat on the nearest rock. Sharp angles protruded into my skin, but I didn’t mind. Something weird was going on with the animals in this town. They all seemed to want to be around me. While I did love animals, now that they were so intent on reciprocating was scary.
I got lost in my thoughts and wasted too much time on that rock. Juniper called wondering where I was. She was still worried about me because of the Aiden incident last night. I reluctantly stood and finished my journey to her house. She was waiting for me on the back porch, looking fierce with her hands on her hips and a glare on her face. “You were in the woods the whole time?”
I nodded.
“I was freaking out thinking you passed out on the way over,” she yelled while her hands flew around in the air.
“I was…I was watching a raccoon.”
“A raccoon?”
“I know it sounds crazy. But it was watching me first, so I stopped to share in the staring,” I said trying to play it off as humorous.
She laughed and bopped down the steps to link arms. She led me up the stairs to the house. “You are crazy, Liv. It wasn’t watching you. Anyways, I took Mark to Anna’s today. I think her grandson was there and he is c-u-t-e,” she said as her eyebrows rose up and down.
I laughed at her expression and pushed her away. “Stop. Not you, too.”
“Oh, come on, Liv. He is seriously hot.”
“No. Now, let’s talk about something else. Why did Mark bail on you?”
Her expression turned sour and I could almost see the fumes coming out of her ears. “Something to do with his mom. I think. I wasn’t really paying attention.”
“Oh, I’m sure you weren’t,” I accused with a giggle. “If it counts for anything, I still think he likes you, J. Maybe something really did come up.” I rested a hand on her shoulder.
She looked at me with the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “What if he doesn’t?” she asked quietly.
“Then it’s his loss. Now, come on. We need to practice our makeup for the dance next week.” I pulled her to her room, dancing and making funny faces to cheer her up along the way. After the pampering and primping got underway, Juniper’s mood brightened. We laughed and gossiped the afternoon away.
Scott
I’d put Markus Lowe’s number in my phone before I left work this afternoon. I wasn’t sure what to say, but I knew I had to contact him. I spoke with Grandma after he and Livvie’s friend left. She said he seemed to be as anxious as I was about contacting him. She didn’t voice it, but she was extremely worried about The Crimson Calamitous.
I sat on my couch with my feet propped on the end table. There were school books strewn around the floor and sorcery books on the coffee table. My phone lay beside them. It seemed to mock me and taunt me. I wanted to call this other sorcerer but I didn’t know how accepting he would be. Clenching my eyes, I drummed my fingers against my forehead. Finally, my heart won the war, and I grabbed my phone. I tapped my foot in anxiety while the line rang. Five rings and still not an answer. After the sixth I was about to hang up when I heard the phone click on.
“Hello?” a male voice said.
“Hello, is this Markus Lowe?” I asked.
“Yes, it is.”
“Hey. My name is Scott Tabors. I work at Anna’s dress shop…” I said cautiously.
“Oh, yeah, the other sorcerer.”
“Yeah, that’s me. I wanted to ask if you were from the area. I don’t meet many of our kind,” I said.
“Yep, I am. And please, my friends call me Mark.”
“Ok, I’ll call you Mark then. I’m wondering if you have encountered any other sorcerers besides me or my family,” I asked him.
He was silent for too long.
“Mark?”
“Dude…I’m not sure how to put this. But…there’s this kid at school…he seems to have a red aura.”
Groaning, I tried to process what he had told me. We’d seen the same thing.
“The Crimson Calamitous,” we said in unison.
We sat in silence. My mind was reeling while I processed the information about another sorcerer coming in contact with this evil. “Does he seem to be after something?” I asked Mark.
“Not really anythin
g in particular. He does seem to have interest in my friend, Olivia, though.”
Livvie.
“Alright, man. Thanks. I just wanted to call and see if you knew anything about this. I’m not sure if we should be worried or not.”
“I know, dude. I am worried but I’m not sure why. I’ll keep in touch if anything suspicious happens.”
“Thanks, Mark. See ya.”
I disconnected and sat clenching my fists. The Crimson Calamitous was definitely planning something in Arrow Rock, and it seemed it was up to me to figure out what. I must protect Livvie.
Olivia
Sunday mornings were always the same with my parents. My dad sat at the kitchen table with his left leg in the fourth chair while he read the newspaper. My mother cozied next to him with a cup of coffee in her right hand and a health magazine in the left. They didn’t talk. They didn’t ask about my week. They didn’t ask about school. They did their own thing.
I shuffled my bunny slippers down the hallway from my room to the kitchen. I pushed the door open and made my way to the refrigerator. I glanced back at them to see if they had even noticed my entrance. Nope. Inhaling deeply, I grasped at the cup nearest to me and barely got ahold of it. I poured myself a half a glass of and walked to the table. They still didn’t acknowledge me. “Good morning, parentlings.”
My mother glanced up and smiled. “Good morning, darling.” Then she went back to reading her newspaper.
I tapped my slippers while contemplating my next move. Striking as quickly as I could, I grabbed her magazine and his newspaper in one swoop.
“Olivia…”
“What are you doing?”
“Listen. I need to talk to both of you. It’s serious. Why aren’t you ever around anymore?” I asked.
My mother glanced at my father, a silent discussion passing between their eyes. “Dear,” my father started, “we told you we were busy with work. That’s all. I’m sorry.”
The White Aura (The White Aura Series) Page 7