The Seer (A Novel of Fantasy and Future)

CHAPTER 2.1

"Time to go, Rico," Elda said, still watching out the window. She had her hands buried in her pant pockets, studying the scene on the outside. The haze of the showering rain had cleared from the atmosphere. It was now pure, washed, clear, like the rain had just given the atmosphere a fresh, refined bath. The slurry dropping of the water lines were zigzagging on the window glass, and in turn zigzagged her view, so she pushed the glass to the other side.

Earlier Ray had phoned back with the information that from the results given the authorities now assumed it was safe to come to school.

Pew! Phew! Whoosh! Psh! Psh!

"Rico?!" she snarled, turning round after closing the glass. She swaggered over to him like her mother did when he refused to listen. "That's enough gaming!" she snatched the toys from his hand with one lightning move. "You can continue at Mrs. Freya's place, okay?"

She dumped the plastic things into a small bag she'd picked from Rico's room and drew Rico by the hand out of the couch. "James and Marcus would be there. I have to go to school."

"Can I come with you?"

Elda raised a brow.

"Please?"

"Nope, out of the question."

"Please...!" he cried and tilted a sad face up for Elda to see, probably hoping it would soften Elda's mind like it had always done.

Elda looked down at her cunning little brother and only scoffed. If only he'd known better. Since her father's death, she'd developed a solid immunity for some certain things.

And Rico's innocent, pleading face with popping eyes was one of them.

Instead, Elda inserted one finger into the arc handle at the head of the bag, lifted it up for Rico to see and let it wobble before his face. "Here are your toys. You can choose to easily comply and go with them, or stress me out and go without. Both way, you're going to Mrs. Freya's and you're not coming to school with me, period!"

Rico mouthed a whimper. She shook the bag again. "What will it be, little bro?'

Rico's small, tentative hand slowly reached up and gripped the handle of the bag. Releasing it, Elda smirked as he sadly put it on and turned away.

"Good move, Rico. Good move."

She nudged Rico by the hand towards the main entrance, the giant oak doors, and led him out of the house. Then she tapped a tiny button by the lintel. One, by one, by one, the light bulbs went out as the lights began to trip off, grayish darkness spreading as the lights went out section by section, until the last. Then, with a little effort, she pulled the doors towards her, joining them together. Then she took out a bunch of keys from her back pocket, she inserted the appropriate key into the keyhole and flicked her wrists twice.

Down in the still darkness of the hallway, they were bouncing as they bounded down the stairs. Rico's fingers' grip tightened around hers as they travelled earthen darkness. The lights in hallway had tripped off the first day of the pestilence after a very abnormal power surge. And since then, the electricians employed by her mother to fix things had sweated out nothing.

The thick blanket of the darkness was blinding, knotted their eyes in a way they couldn't use it even if they tried, and by the time they got to the end of the hallway and opened the door, the light pounded against their eyes with great force they had to half-shut their eyes, until their brain processed to adjust the light.

The skies were grey, dull. Their skin shivered from the sting of the cold of the atmosphere. Elda stripped Rico into a small thick furry coat and stripped into one herself. Then she took him by the hand and led him out of the gate, out of the compound.