Reflections; a KOTLC fanficion

Chapter 7

Caroline hurried out of the airport to the nearest bus stop. The wind whipped around her head, sending her hair flying like ribbons. The air was dryer and less polluted than in St. Louis. It seemed more like the crisp air of Eternalia.  She could see sharp mountains jutting out of the ground. The peaks were nowhere near the height of the enormous mounts surrounding Eternalia, but impressive all the same. The transition from flat land to mountains was very sudden. The sky was a striking blue against the jutting peaks of the mountains. Pine trees released their sweet smell to her as she took a quick breath. Caroline sighed longingly. They had only been lost for a week, and yet Caroline felt as if she had been gone years.

"Okay, I'm guessing we are running because this is your government's fault?" Amelia asked, a confused expression on her face.

"More or less," was Caroline's reply.

"Thank goodness we were held up at the airport. I wasn't planning on dying today," Kyreen said.

Thor sighed. "Who wants to bet they figured out where we were going." Everyone rose their hands.

The group arrived at the crowded stop. It was a small bench that barely fit all of them. Paint flaked off the wood, giving them all splinters. Caroline lost the familiar feeling when she brought her eyes from the wispy clouds and towards the city around her.

Amelia studied a map posted nearby. "This is going to be a long trip through the mountains."

"That's just great, more traveling, and I thought I was done," Christian complained.

A blue bus pulled up to the stop and at least seven people got off, but even as they got on, the bus was still overcrowded.

"If I have to spend more than two hours in this vehicle, I'm going to scream," Thor said.

Amelia sat down next to Kyreen. "Well, then this will be a very annoying trip, cause it's going to be thirty-some hours."

"Ugh, now I'm going to scream," Eve commented.

"Please tell me that we're going to get on different buses during our trip?" Caroline asked.

Amelia nodded her head and stared out the window. This was going to be a very long trip.

It was five o'clock by the time they were able to get off the bus. Caroline was sick of being cramped in the small bus for so many hours. Warm colors streaked across the sky creating a vivid sunset. They had stopped in a small town in the Rockies with a few houses snaking up the mountains, a few shops, grocery store, and a gas station. The only problem was, it was a little too desolate.

"Where are we going to stay?" Caroline asked. It was a bit too cold in the state to sleep outside.

"Don't worry," Amelia replied. "I have it all planned out." She led them towards a cluster of houses on the mountainside.

It was eerily quiet except for the rolling of Kyreen's suitcase. As it got darker, the few people they saw disappeared into their homes or shops, and more shady personnel creeped out of the alleyways.

"This place gives me the creeps," Eve whispered. Kyreen gave a jump when a man with yellow teeth grinned evilly. Christian sped in front of her and held out a pocketknife, protecting his friend from unwanted attention.

"I feel a little out of place here, don't you?" Thor told Caroline under his breath. Caroline couldn't help but notice that from the beginning of their trip, they looked a bit different from the humans, with more noticeable features.

"Just be glad you don't have pointed ears."

Amelia picked up her pace and they arrived at a small neighborhood at the base of a tall mountain. No one was there, but a barking German Shepperd that Thor calmed down.

They ended up at a small house with a plum tree at the end of the road. Vines crawled up the stone chimney and the windows were made with small stained-glass borders. The house stood out from the others in a fairytale-like way.

"Why are we here?" Eve asked.

Amelia smiled and rang the doorbell. "Do you remember me telling you about being shipped off to my relatives? Well, I kept track of where I went and created my own underground railroad of relatives for times like this. I have routes across the states that I planned. This is my grandma, Kirk, so she is generally really nice, just don't touch her glassware."

Caroline was surprised she had so much of this planned. It was like she had prepared for this even before she ran away.

The door was opened by an elderly woman holding a bowl of cookies. "Oh Amelia, what a nice surprise. Sorry, I did't come out sooner. I saw your friends and I thought I would give them the traditional Kirk welcome." She held out the bowl and Caroline and her friends dove right in.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kirk, they're delicious," Christian managed from a mouthful of cookie. Caroline proceeded to elbow him in the side.

Mrs. Kirk held the door open for the teens and they filed inside quickly. "It's dreadful outside nowadays," She muttered. Then promptly going towards the kitchen, Amelia's grandma started cooking dinner faster than Edaline. Soon, the entire room smelled of roasted meat.

"How long are you staying Gumdrop?" Mrs. Kirk asked.

"Just tonight," Amelia told her. "We're just passing through."

Mrs. Kirk smiled. "Ah, you're on a mission." She winked at Ameillia.

Five minutes later Mrs. Kirk served them all in record time. The warm lighting of the house cast long shadows across the room and highlighted the glistening food. Double-baked potatoes, roast beef, and cooked vegetables sent delicious smells the group's way. They hadn't eaten anything this nice in a while.

Everyone immediately sat down and dug into the feast.

"So," Amelia's grandma started. "What are your names gumdrops? Leave nothing out, I hardly get news."

Caroline opened her mouth to start but Amelia beat her to it. "This is Caroline, her brother Thor, and friends, Eve, Christian, and Kyreen."

"You gumdrops have some interesting accents, where might you be from?" Mrs. Kirk asked. Caroline didn't realize until now that they had been speaking English. She was a polyglot, and Thor was taught English, but it was still a mystery as to how her friends could.

"They're from...Iceland," Amelia replied, saving Caroline from the awkward situation. Caroline had no clue what Iceland was, but it must have been far away.

"Interesting, well the bedrooms are upstairs. There are two of them, so boys in one, girls in the other. No staying up past nine."

The teens shared a look, there was no way they were going to bed at nine. Not with what was going on.

"Now, now, don't give me that look, you all look terrible. You will be going to bed at the said time. And please bathe." Kyreen looked up with surprise when Mrs. Kirk finished, and touched her hair, which had gotten much more messy than normal.

"Oh no, this is bad, very bad. When was the last time I bathed?" Kyreen asked hurriedly.

"Last week?" Christian replied. At this comment, Kyreen promptly thanked the host for the meal and ran upstairs.

"Sorry Mrs. Kirk, our friend is a bit... enthusiastic about her appearance," Eve tried.

"It's totally fine. You all should follow after she's done. But please be quick so there's hot water for everyone," Amelia's grandmother told them. Caroline didn't complain one bit and hurried into the bathroom the moment Kyreen came out. The rest of her friends took their turns and found themselves on the living room couch watching Harry Potter an hour later. The boys were glued to the screen as brilliant flashes appeared from the ends of the character's wands.

Caroline forgot how nice living under a roof was. After spending a week on the ground, the plush surface of the couch felt amazing under her. Her stomach was actually full, and the laughter ringing from her friends was better than music. She was never going to take any of it for granted.