16 Houses Of Normality

Chapter Two

Screaming woke me up, I got up and ran in the direction of the scream absent mindedly about my appearance, or the lack of one, I approached the back landing door and ran outside. I ran outside and looked about but i couldn't see much, I heard voices from the flats from above. I searched frantically but everything was silent, a bit too silent for my liking. There was no sound, not even the feral cats' or the traffic and no noise was coming from the harbour that was around the corner. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and listened closely. There was a small light breeze that made the overgrown grass move, but once the breeze was over the grass continued to move.
I opened my eyes and looked closely to where the grass was moving. I seen a glimmer of something green and shiny, a long moment passed then I heard a small cry coming from the furthest corner of the shared garden. Followed by some small whispers that seemed to travel miles on the breezes that came and went on and off. I couldn't hear everything the whispers said, the only thing I could make out was "choices are not as easy... change is here... the fears come true, as the unknown happen... the journey you take will not be what you expected... trust should not be given easily... keep the Aingealag secret... death follows in every corner ... life from dark" it left me feeling confused and somewhat scared of what I was hearing.
"Richaela" I heard a voice cry softly with tiredness filling it
"Aingealag?" I asked in a loudish whisper
"Help me" cried a familiar voice
Without thinking I ran down the stairs and into the grass, not paying attention to the long discoloured grass brushing against my thighs and the sharp stinging sensations that seemed to happen at the bottom of my calves and on my ankles. I didn't care about that I just had to find Aingealag and make sure she was OK. As I approached the garden wall I was completely engulfed in darkness. I could barely see in front of me. I could hear something to my left so i followed the wall towards where the noise was coming from. A small glowing light appeard blinking on and off as i approached it, with fear trying to take over me. I gasped as i seen Aingealag in a heap shaking violently between gasps of air. I bent down do her but she couldnt seem to see or hear me.
"Aingealag?" I whispered as i knelt down beside her. "Aingealag? Whats wrong? What happened? Aingealag? Please talk to me"
"It hurts so much. It burns too much, is this death?" She asks opening her eyes and looking in my direction
"What the..." I gasped with shock her eyes were pure white and was glowing like a flash light, she was blinking normally which explained the blinding light that led me here. I didn't know what was happening but i knew that no one else could see this. I stood up and looked around. All the living room lights were on in the block of bedsits where we stayed. I had to think fast before some came to see what was going on. I picked up Aingealag making sure her face was burying in to my neck and shoulder so no one could see her eyes.
She was burning up, the slightest touch made me flinch with pain but I gritted my teeth and moved as fast as I could to get her back in the cellar where we have stayed the past year. I trembled up the stairs to the back door, the heat that radiated off of Aingealag was unbareable. I managed to get her in and close the door quietly, not sure how I managed it but I did. I took her down the stairs, her body was shaking so much I thought I was going to drop her. I put her down on the mattress that we used as a bed, she stopped crying and seemed to be asleep but she was still burning up.
I used my water and dampened a T-shirt and folded it to use as a cloth to try and cool her down a bit. Hours passed before she started to cool down I sat by her side trying to sooth her. As time when by she seemed to settle down her breathing was normal, her temperature was a little warm but not concerning and she seemed peaceful enough. I stifled a yawn trying to stay awake. The alarm went off making me jump I crawled over to it and tried switching it off, it took a minute before I could. As I turned around to crawl back to her she started to stir.
I froze not sure what to do, I was down on my hands and knees, a few feet away from her when she shifted and faced my way. I held my breath not sure what to expect. her eyes flickered opened slowly, adjusting to the light that shone through the cracks of a misfitted cardboard used as a blind for the cellar window. I waited a moment more before moving, I sighed with relief when i noticed that her eyes where normal. She smiled at me for a second before frowning. She gripped her head with a small groan.
"Whats wrong?" She croaked
"How you feeling?" I asked avoiding the question.
"Like i have been hit by a bus" she replied trying to laugh but ended up coughing in pain "What happened?"
"Nothing but I think its a good idea if we take a day or two off school" I replied avoiding eye contact
"Don't lie to me" she replied with a slight pang of pain in her voice
"I'm not" I replied "you hungry?"
"I'm hank marvin" she smiled
"I will go get some food what would you like?" I asked standing up grabbing my bag from the door handle.
"A hot fresh roll with melted butter and jam on it and a steak pastry but I will settle for coco pops with a splash of milk" she smiled faintly
"I will see what I can do" I smiled "try and rest I will be back soon"
As I left I could hear her mutter something but couldnt make it out. I managed to sneak out of the bulding without being caught but as i approached the bakery one of the flat tenants bumped into me and grabbed my arm for a brief second his touch was ice cold. I jerked away from the touch with shock and pain and looked at him. His face seemed familiar but that wasnt what grabbed my attention. His expression was a mix of confusion and fear. He ran off muttering sorry, as he did i watched him go, then i just stood there for a moment lost in my thoughts, then I smiled as I noticed what was in my hand
"Thankfully bad habits are hard to forget" I smiled to myself as I walked into the bakery that was just down the street.