A Love Like No Other

Part 4

Iris sits on a broken tree branch in the woods. She wanted to use some of her power. Use her power just enough to keep her healthy and strong.

She closes her eyes and focuses on the moonlight that shares space with the dim sunlight. Bringing it close to her, envisioning the light to form a ball in the palm of her hands.

When she opened her eyes, a small ball of moonlight emulated from her palms. She smiles at it. Being able to use her power is a rare occurrence. Having to stay hidden and away from the others in order to keep safe. It can get draining, so being able to get away to Summon, even for a second, is a life changer.

"Hello?" a voice calls from behind her. Iris quickly loses focus and the light vanishes as quickly as it came. 

Jumping off the trunk of the tree, Iris spins around and is met face to face with the strange boy. It's strange. Standing next to him makes every characteristic of this boy from before was completely wrong. He was inches taller than her. The top of his neck reached to the top of Iris's head. But when she first saw him, she swore he couldn't be this tall.

And his eyes. They weren't white, they were a gorgeous grey. And his features were fairly sharp for being a boy.

"Hello?" Iris answers.

"I saw you yesterday," the boy said. "You were hiding."

"I wasn't hiding. Just watching."

"Why?"

"I like to know if there is danger." Iris shrugs and picks up a stick. The boy lifts himself up on the broken branch that she occupied a couple seconds ago.

She thought it was strange that this boy found her and wasn't saying very much. Usually people ask about names or how the weather is. At least that's what the adults ask other adults. Maybe it was different now?
She can’t remember the last time that she has had a conversation with a new person.

"Shouldn't you be at the camp?" Iris asks the boy.

"I wanted to look at the stars."

"And you couldn't do that at camp?"

The boy's grey eyes met Iris's. "Shouldn't you be at the camp?"

Iris looked away, pushing some of the leaves on the ground with the stick. Trying to come up with a convincing lie about why she is actually wandering around in the woods this late at night. Everyone at camp should be getting ready for sleep anyway.

"Who was that woman you came with?" Iris asks.

"That's my mama," the boy said, avoiding eye contact. "She's actually expecting me back soon."

"Then you should probably go. It can get confusing on the way back. Even since you're new here."

"You're not going back?"

"Oh, I will be later."

"Why later?"

"I have some things to do before tomorrow."

The boy nods his head and jumps off the branch. Nodding his head he starts heading in the direction to camp. Iris's brain yells at her to say anything that will bring him back. He was the only person she has had a conversation with that didn't end with her being annoyed. Even if he doesn't come back, maybe she could get him to say one more thing before the memories will be carried towards the stars.

"What's your name?" Iris calls after him.

The boy turns around with a faint smile playing on his lips. "Eryk. What's your name?"

"Iris."

Eryk nodded and continued his journey back to camp. These strangers weren't going to be dangerous. If anything they might be outcasts just like her. Maybe Iris would finally make a friend.