Changer's Blood (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  Connor and Sarah each grabbed a hand and together, using their ability’s over Pressure, they brought her high into the sky for her first flying lesson. Kara was just as frightened as Sarah was when she fell, but Kara steeled herself and wanted to try again so she didn’t look weak in front of her mate. Mark turned into a Fwen as well and flew alongside the guiding Balancers. She started beating her wings as they released their grip on her clawed hands. She tumbled in the air until she spread her wings as far as they would go. It was then that Sarah saw she had somewhere between an eighteen to a twenty foot wingspan. She finally figured how to level out properly and tried sticking to an idea. She was terrified to flap her wings and start falling again so she decided that gliding was a good start.

  Sarah on the other hand decided that she needed more incentive to learn quicker. Sarah flew around to Kara face and grabbed her hands as she pointed her feet at an angle between the ground and Kara’s leveled body. Sarah increased the force through her legs and brought Kara higher in the air. When she released her claws at a decent altitude Sarah forced her to learn banking to one side or another by tucking in one wing or flapping with the other.

  It took her close to a month to learn how to fly properly. Kara mastered liftoff first, but she always hated landings. Once she tripped and tumbled over forty yards and snapped a sapling in half. Kara came out unharmed of course. During that month of learning to fly, Mark, Connor and Sarah taught her aerial acrobatics and special combat maneuvers. It gave a whole new meaning to a dogfight. She did very well and learned quickly.

  Then school restarted started for Sarah again in August. She was still able to teach senior history at the high school. It felt good to have something to occupy your time when you don’t have much to do during the weekdays. This time she was able to meet every faculty member that works at the school. When she first arrived at this town there were only three months left of the semester and Sarah couldn’t get a chance to introduce herself. Now she’s made some new colleagues.

  During the weekdays Connor would spend most of the day either in his workshop, inside the cottage, or he would work outside making the house winter worthy. Some days he would even bring home lumber he found in the forest to reinforce the house, make firewood or make something in secret. One day Sarah felt him using his energy, she opened the door and asked her mate “What are you making in there?”

  He smiled from the desk he sat at, holding nails and changing their structure into screws. “I’m just keeping a promise.” He said simply.

  Three days later, he slung a massive bag over his left shoulder that was filled with wood and other things as he exited his workshop. While Jillian was away for the weekend, doing her things as a wedding planner, Connor brought the bag over to Jack’s house. He brought the sack from their home, through the woods and dropped it onto the front porch. Jack opened the door, looking suspiciously at the heaping bag. “What’s in there?”

  “Let me inside and I’ll show you.” Connor smiled and then his father-in-law allowed him and Sarah inside. It was tedious work trying to fit such a large bag through the front door of her parent’s home, but working together they managed to squeeze it through and not break anything.

  Connor opened the bag and her father started laughing approvingly. Soon after a good laugh, Jack allowed Connor to get to work.

  The next morning someone knocked on their front door; hastily and continually. Sarah walked into the living room as Connor opened the front door. Her mother leapt through the entryway and hugged Sarah’s mate with motherly love and affection. “Connor, thank you for making such an exquisite a bed frame for me. It’s perfect.”

  When Connor showed everyone the cottage he made for himself and Sarah, for the first time, Jillian wanted a custom made bed frame, like the one she saw in their bedroom. Sarah’s mate said he would make one for Jillian and he always strived to keep his promises. He built his mother-in-law a handcrafted four poster bed with an intricate design of waves and fire dancing around each other. For the headboard, Connor amused himself. On one side was the large symbol of Fire and on the other he engraved a teardrop which represented Liquid. Jack laughed once he saw the headboard for the first time and smacked his son-in-law on his back in a playful style. Connor liked making ironic jokes.

  Later on, Connor worked on the house before the first heavy snowfall in November. Connor reinforced the roof and made the point of the roof somewhat sharper before he sealed every miniscule crack and crevice. By the time he was done she’d bet their home became hermetically sealed. He even chopped enough fire wood to line the backside of the cottage and was as tall as he was. He cut a little too much wood and gave what they had leftover to his mom and her parents for their fireplaces. They didn’t turn down his offer because they needed it too.

  When the first of the snowfall rolled through the state, Connor surprised Sarah as he brought home a bicycle frame from the junkyard and a large bag slung over his shoulder. It didn’t have any tires, but it still had foot petals, chain and gears that didn’t have much rust. She just had to ask in a half amused tone “Just what are you planning to do with that?”

  He smiled as he gently sat the frame down on the hardwood floor. As he adjusted the pack on his shoulder he answered the question. “Pretty soon the river that runs along the side of the house is going to freeze solid. Making another wheel isn’t easy when I can prevent the one we already have from deteriorating too quickly. I’ll need to take the waterwheel down before it too freezes with the water. Without the water wheel, we lose our main source of electricity. I saw this the other day.” He put his right hand on the bike frame. “This will supplement the energy we’ll require until the stream thaws.” He brought the pack around and pulled out a small generator. “I have six of these small electrical generators and when I hook all of them to the batteries, we’ll be set for the winter.” He smiled her favorite, private smile and she caved.

  He hooked the bicycle frame and generators together with a long bike chain inside the power room. Then he attached the wires from the generators and plugged them into the six electric sockets that feed directly into the batteries.

  He was right about the stream freezing over. Luckily he pulled the pins of the axle off and pulled the waterwheel out of the water just the day before.

  The school is out now for winter break due to winter storms and she’s been stuck home for two days. Connor left early this morning to see her father’s garage for the first time. He seemed so excited to go into the city and see what kinds of gadgets her father has made. He also wanted to see where his truck was built.

  Sarah continued looking into the fire as she laid across the sofa with her head on the plush armrest. She adjusted the thick blanket and started thinking yet again, but this time on herself.

  For the past three or four weeks she noticed she’s been feeling a little off. Being a Balancer has many benefits and the best is that she’s never gotten sick. She knew something was wrong if she did. The regenerative stem cells in her body are so advanced that she’s never had a single cold in her whole life. She checked and knew her energy level wasn’t the cause of the fatigue and strange sensations. She even felt a weird reflex, like her stomach was lurching. It was also odd that she had a craving for apples. Sarah smiled to herself, knowing she had already eaten them all. They were just so appetizing.

  A knock at the door broke the streak of boredom. Sarah pulled the cover off her body and swung her legs, she stood up. She walked to the front door and unlocked it. As she opened it she saw that the snow was still coming down and Kara stood close, wearing a red parka along with thick pants and waterproof hiking shoes. Her nose and cheeks were pink from the cold. “Come inside and sit in front of the fire, you look almost frozen solid.”

  Her teeth chattered as she said “Thanks.”

  After she walked in Sarah shut the door and locked it.

  Sarah turned to see Kara kneeling in front of the fireplace and she began warming up her cold and shaking ha
nds. Sarah walked to the couch and threw her warm blanket over her sister’s shoulders. “Would you like something warm to drink?” Kara nodded and shook simultaneously. Sarah walked over to the kitchen and put some water in the pot to boil. As the stove did its job, she pulled out two packets of hot cocoa. Two mugs were then filled with the hot water and she mixed the powdered cocoa with a spoon. Handing her a mug Sarah said tenderly “This’ll help, Kara.”

  As she sipped on her drink Sarah sat beside her and rubbed her back. “Thanks for that Sarah.” She sighed when the warmth finally gave the desired effect. “I would have been here sooner if I hadn’t lost my way. I tried following my usual trail, but with all this snow, it’s all so very confusing with all this white. Luckily I made my sense of smell stronger and I followed your scent here… Man, it’s so cold out there.” She shook again. “Even when I turned up my core temperature it was still freezing. Thank you for calling me by the way. Mark had to go work at the diner today and Gerry picked him up from the apartment. I didn’t want to stay home all day and watch TV and I like spending time with you.”

  Sarah waited for her to finish her drink and stop shaking before she asked question. “Did you find out what I might need?”

  Kara smiled weakly as she sat up straighter on the floor. She unbuttoned and unzipped her Parka. She then reached inside the jacket and pulled out a plastic bag full of small boxes. “If you don’t mind me asking; why did you want me to get you all of these things? You told me to get you anything that might help figure out what your symptoms mean. Can’t you tell what’s wrong?”

  Sarah grabbed the bag as she handed it over. She shook her head slowly and said “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never been sick before, like a human I mean. It’s strange, I’ve never had such strange sensations before.” Kara’s brow came together and became a frown. “From now on, you’ll never get sick again either.”

  Her frown became a grin. “Sweet.” She finally stood and Sarah joined her. “So what are you feeling?” and she told her everything about how she felt. A slow grin crept on Kara’s expression face and she said “Better go and find out what your ailment is. If it’s bad we might need to see a doctor.”

  Sarah nodded and sat her mug on the table. She had a firm grip on the bag as she walked into the bright bathroom alone. She shut the door and turned on the lights. The white tile bathroom seemed to greet her warmly, but it wasn’t for fun. She sat each box on the counter without reading any labels.

  Sarah looked into the mirror and felt like she was cold, but she was slightly perspiring. Pulling a strand of loose hair behind an ear she picked up the first box. It was a thermometer and she checked to see her temperature was strangely running normal. The next box came with a cup, a test strip and a guide. She read the manual and followed the instructions to the letter. The cup was filled halfway with urine and she stuck the test-strip in. A few moments later, she pulled the strip out and matched the color with the guide. She said in her mind, well that told me I’m clear of an infection. Sarah threw the strip away and picked up a tongue depressor. As she pushed her tongue down with the wooden depressor she looked at the back of her throat and easily spotted her tonsils. Pink and healthy… What is wrong with me then?

  She went from one testing box to another and another without getting a single clarifying answer. Sarah picked up the last box and about choked on her tongue as she gasped once the label registered. Oh my! Kara this had better be a sick joke. Otherwise I’m liable to throttle you.

  In her hand sat a home pregnancy test.

  Sarah breathed deeply as she opened the container and tilted the box until a plastic rod slid out. There was still a small sample in the cup from the first test. She popped the cap to reveal the thin testing area. She took a deep breath and dipped the rod into the cup. As she pulled it out she fastened the cap back on and waited.

  For the next three minutes she sat on the toilet seat lid and waited like a bundle of shaking nerves. All of her thoughts were stunted like her breathing. She took maybe six deliberate breaths while her heart continued beating so rapidly it felt liable to leap from her chest and run away.

  The three minutes were finally up. She looked down at the rod and her heart seemed to have stopped altogether.

  When Sarah’s heart finally restarted it was firing off faster than the pistons of a drag car with the accelerator slammed to the floor.

  Ten minutes later her heartbeat began to slow along with her shallow breathing. Sarah threw away all of the boxes and tests off the bathroom counter. She sighed as she managed to finally get the door to open.

  She walked into the living room in a daze, not acknowledging anything. Kara turned her head and asked in a not so innocent voice. “Did you find the source of the problem?” Sarah nodded because she was afraid of how her voice would sound at the moment. “What’s the verdict? What do you have?”

  Without saying anything she handed the little rod over to her sister-in-law’s eager hands. She took it cautiously and then studied it. A grin came over her lips. Kara spoke in a buoyant voice “It’s…”

  Jack called Connor the night before and asked if he wanted to go see his shop. Connor couldn’t have turned down this unique opportunity.

  Connor woke up early this morning and got out of bed. Sarah was sleeping soundly so he was able to get out of bed without disturbing her. He first walked outside in the freezing snow and brought in some firewood and added a few logs into the mouth of the fireplace. Fifteen minutes on the bicycle were enough to charge up the batteries for the day. As he was cooking breakfast Sarah walked into the kitchen with the blanket bundled snugly around her. She looked sick, but she ate quite well. It was odd to see her in such a state and more so for how long she’s exhibited those symptoms.

  He gave her a quick kiss before leaving to go over to Jack’s. When he showed up on Jack’s doorstep he was all ready to go. Jack came out wearing a red shirt and a brown leather jacket along with blue jeans. His silver hair lay behind his shoulders and almost reached the bottoms of his shoulder blades. They used the truck because it could run better in the snow than Sarah’s blue car.

  It took about two hours to reach the destination. It would have taken about an hour if it wasn’t for the snowstorm and the black ice on the road. They had an idle conversation during the drive with no significance. It was nice to talk to a man who wasn’t related by blood. Jack leaned forward in the passenger seat and pointed “That’s the place.”

  Connor turned the wheel and pulled the truck into the parking lot and Jack told him to park in his executive parking spot. The snow covered ground crunched underfoot as Connor stepped out. He became dumbfounded when he saw the size of Jack’s shop.

  It was a three story tall grey concrete building. Nineteen lit windows showed that they were as tall and wide as a man on this side of the building; per floor. Connor walked with Jack around the side of the building and saw twelve more windows per level. In his head Connor automatically calculated that there were one hundred and eighty six window panes. The sign for his shop said Jack’s Custom Automobiles; the letters were all written in bright red neon lights with a flashing white background.

  As they walked towards the automatic double doors made of glass, that large vehicles could easily fit through, Jack spoke. “What do you think, Connor?”

  The doors slid open with a rolling hiss. He answered as they stepped into the building. “I didn’t expect something this big.” Jack simply smiled. “So this is where you built my truck.”

  “It sure is. I own this entire building and all of these employees are some of the best that I’ve ever seen. Each one of them are experts in their field. I also had some of them transferred here from Washington, from the last garage I owned.” Behind them, the door’s hiss shut.

  The inside of the building looked exquisite and felt like walking into some future science lab. The floor, ceiling and walls were all pure white and glossy. Not even a speck of dirt could be seen. All of the employees wer
e all wearing white suits and Connor knew this place would be one of the cleanest establishments he’s ever seen before. The desks and work stations were all made of either stainless steel or polished aluminum. A fresh fragrance of pine gave the air a calm atmosphere. There was a very large and open path that came from the elevators in the back, all the way to the automatic doors. There weren’t any ceiling fans, but there was a gentle and warm breeze coming in from the vents. Off to the left sat a waiting room that was enclosed by glass. In there were fifteen plush chairs that looked quite comfortable. Also inside was a television along with a vending machine for both drinks and snacks. There was a man and a woman in their early fifties and they looked like they could afford just about anything.

  Jack led the way to the front desk. He whispered “I just hired her about three weeks ago. Let’s see if she can remember my name this time?” He smiled.

  The young lady looked up after setting the phone back on the hook. “Good morning, Mr. Branderson.” Connor recognized that face from school. She wore a long sleeved red shirt and her hair was tied back in a bun. She wore the look of a seductive librarian to be sure.

  “Good morning, Caliegh. It good to know that you’ve finally remembered my name.” He silently chuckled.

  Her face flushed in embarrassment and it looked like she wished she could disappear. “I’m sorry about that…” She finally saw his companion standing right beside her boss. She arose out of her chair saying “Connor, is that you?” She batted her eyelashes seductively, but she didn’t have a speck of attraction that Sarah has. Connor saw that she also wore a brown miniskirt which is a ridiculous choice in this weather.

  “It’s good to see you too, Caliegh.” He extended a hand and she shook it cautiously.

  As he pulled his hand back she sat back down. Jack said “Caliegh, where do you know my son-in-law from?” Connor saw that his expression said that he already knew. He was anything but subtle.