The Elementals : Incantation

The Departure

I was surprised that my ability to lie was almost starting to convince me that I was telling the truth. No one had suspected anything strange about me at school and that made me happy. I sighed in exhaustion as I sat on my beaten up suitcase that I had kept hidden in my closet for years and pulled my dark red hair away from my face and tied it up in a pony tail. The heat in my room was making me sweat at my nape.

"Are you almost done?" My mother asked as she poked her face through the door way.

"Yes, just about. I need to fit my shoes and some of my things and then I'll be done" I answered as I stood up and looked back down at the suitcase that lay on my messy bed. My mother smiled and closed the door behind her, leaving me alone to my thoughts. I stared out the window at the ashen sky above Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was mourning my leaving just like I was deep inside. My eyes took me to the window when I heard a car coming down the quiet residential street. My fathers black SUV was pulling into the driveway and my stomach tied itself in knots, my leaving was getting closer and closer each minute. I watched as my father was received by a warm embrace and a kiss from my mother. They were each others first love and everyone knew it. I quite admired them for that and I hoped that deep down it would be the same for me. I pulled away from the window and continued packing the last few things I needed to take with me. The hour went by fast and before I knew it I was showered, changed into new clothes and was heading out the front door of the town house I had grown up in.

"Here, I can carry that out" my father said as he took my suitcase from my hand. I let go of it and turned around to see the red brick house with white window frames and black balcony in front of me. I was going to miss home. I was going to miss my parents.

"Right! We're ready to go!" My mother called out as she clicked the black door and galloped down the stairs and towards the SUV. I got in and buckled my seat belt with dread. I looked out the window, feeling my heart breaking as the house slowly disappeared from view and before I knew it we were now on the free way and on our way to the airport.

I let my head fall against the tinted window and focused at the never ending yellow lines on the side of the road. The repetitive scene started to make me feel car sick and I looked up toward the mirror only to see that my mother and father looked at one another exchanging looks that we're followed by a smile. It made me feel angry, made me feel like they were hiding something from me. Most of all I still didn't understand how this didn't bother them at all. How could they let their only daughter leave?

"Remember that when you get to the terminal, someone with a sign will be there to pick you up. Make sure you go up to them" My father said as he glaned over at me with his eyes. This had been the third time he had mentioned this to me. I sighed, frustrated. 

"Yes, I got it. Person with a sign will be there to pick me up" I replied in a mockingly matter. I squinted my eyes as a bright light shined through the front passanger door, reflecting on my mother, causing her red hair to pop in the sun light. 

"Oh, Levi. You're going to love this place. It's amazing" She said reaching her hand over the arm rest and squeezed my knee gently. There was a sort of thrilling shriek in her voice that made me wonder why she kept saying things like that.

"How do you know? You've never even been to the place..."I replied. My eyes focused on the front mirror to see her reaction to my reply but there was no surprise, she only smiled. Things we're a little weird and I couldn't quite make out why. 

My father parked the SUV and I sat still in the back seat realising that it was time to step out but I physically couldn't let myself step out of the car. I forced myself to get out of the car, one leg at a time. I was now even closer, a few steps and I'd be off. The thought of it made me sick to my stomach. My mother wrapped her arm around me and headed ahead with me to the check in desk where an elder woman in her fourties stood behind and welcomed us with a friendly smile, a smile that I wasn't quite buying. It was obvious that she hated her job.

The airport was quiet for it being morning, there were a few people walking around and a few foreigners who looked lost. I looked over at my mother and father who held smiles across their faces as they walked me over to the security check. This is it. You cross that line and you won't ever come back. A voice in the back of my head whispered inside me and I somehow believed it.

I stopped and looked at my mother, who held a grin on her face.

"You're going to love it, I promise you Levi" she said as she pulled me in for a hug. I bit my lip trying to fight back the tears that fought to surface and I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist. I wanted to believe her that I would love it, but I knew that I couldn't.

"I'll try to"I whispered and then I felt a warm substance run down my neck. She was crying. My mother was actually crying. I pulled away to see her wipe away the tears with the sleeve of her sweater. "Mom..." I said feeling heart broken.

"It's nothing, it's for the good of you, you will see" she said. There it was again, her promising me it was for my own good. I looked over at my father his light brown hair was combed back neatly. His young face looked exhausted, perhaps from lack of sleep. He smiled boldly and his blue grey eyes glistened as he leaned in for a hug.

"Love you kiddo"

The words stung me like shards of glass. I hugged into him tighter, afraid that this might be the last time I would see both of my parents.

"I love you too" I whispered in a quiet voice.

I pulled away and with that only to hear my mother's voice calling after me.

"Levi, wait!" She cried out.  I stopped walking and stood in place, hoping that the reason why she was calling after me was because she had changed her mind about letting me go. I exhaled, afraid that it might let the tears fall down my cheeks and turned around with a forced smile that twitched at the corner of my lips.

"What is it?" I asked. My voice sounding weak and I knew that I couldn't hide it any longer. I was going to crack. I watched as she reached into the pocket of her black coat and walked towards me, extending her pale hand towards me. 

"Here, take this with you" Her voice sounded like she was about to start crying at any given second. I  slowly looked down to her hand to see a small picture of all of us, when we had gone camping. I smiled as the warm tears crawled out of the corners of my eyes. "So you can have us close to you" She added. I held the small picture in my hand, staring at it with such sadness, with such anger and regret. Why did I have to go? How I wish I could stay. I wrapped my arms around my mother and hugged her tight.

"Thanks" I said as I let go of her. 

I forced myself toI walked to the security check and turned around to see that they were now gone and I was alone waiting to board the plane that would take five hours to reach the Rocky Mountains airport, and where I would be on my way to what waited ahead for me at Thorn Roth Estate Academy, whether it was good or bad.