Defying Alta

Falling Rain

In which secrets are revealed and the family dynamic gets slightly awkward.

Starriex, after considering her options for getting out of the broom 

closet decided it would be best to try to teleport again. She focused

 on what the lounge room looked like, mainly focused on directly

 behind the chair where she saw Phydren was reading a book.

 It took a few minutes but soon the falling sensation took over

 her again, she closed her eyes not sure of what she'd see if she 

opened them. Before she knew it she felt her feet hit the ground.

 Phydren spun around at the sound of Starriex giggling quietly.

 "What!? Where did you-!? You weren't there a second ago..?" 

He looked genuinely confused for a moment before the two of them 

burst out laughing. Starriex, no matter how hard she tried, had never 

managed to be able to surprise Phydren before. Grandma slowly

 looked up from the magazine she was reading to happily watch 

Starriex and Phydren enjoying themselves. Dad, more quickly, 

glanced up at the clock to see it was 11:29. He cleared his throat

 and said something to the effect of "It's getting late" or "we should 

get going to our next stop" the rest of the family in their own way 

would concur and Mom brought a stack of books up to the front 

to be checked out. Starriex hung to the back of the crowd while 

the normal pattern of talking began again. Grandpa carrying the 

conversation, Grandma and Phydren making remarks to support 

the topic while Dad did the questioning. The crowd ambled its

 way towards the front and Starriex stopped just short of the 

doorway to the front and said to Phydren, who was next to her, 

"I think I left something on one of the seats, I'll be right back."

 Starriex scampered off to the lounge room. I can't let that 

dragon guy see me, he'll want to know where Meiko went. 

She stood around for a while waiting for the familiar bell's 

goodbye ring and then focused on a tree outside of the building,

 just out of view from the front counter. Then, quicker than last 

time, she felt the falling sensation again. This time she focused

 on the feeling, trying to understand. It felt less like a free fall,

 and more like she was being pulled through syrup. The kind of 

fall you feel when you're asleep. Before she could consider it 

anymore she landed right behind the tree. She opened her 

eyes a few seconds earlier then she normally would and

 saw what looked like holes everywhere, quickly sealing 

up to hide dark empty voids. Starriex didn't think much of it 

and ran to catch up with her family. She knew they wouldn't