The Narrator

Chapter Four

Only seconds seemed to pass before I heard a stampede of footsteps getting louder by each passing moment. Managing to sit up, I watched as the door flew open and a horde of people flowed in. Trying to wipe the sleep from my eyes, I joined Cole in the front of the line.

Everyone was eager for food, even me. The smell was getting to some people as they tried to barge in front of the line. Long story short, the people who attempted were all met with a fist to the face.

That had to have hurt. Was all I thought as the man got thrown out of the line. Clutching his face as he retreated to the end of the line. I felt sorry for him... but then again he was kind of asking for it anyway. The dummy literally watched a man that was two people in front of him get the same reaction and decided to do it anyway.

I got my food and sat down by Cole. He was already halfway through his breakfast when I sat down.

"So, you're moving in with me and Jack?" Cole asked, trying to contain his joy.

"Yeah, is that okay?" I munched on a piece of what looks to be bacon and tastes like bacon with a hint of something sweet and tangy. Inviting me to have another bite.

"Yes! Now I can finally pull off a sleepless night!"

"A sleepless night? Where I come from we call it an all-nighter. And, why can't you?"

"An all nighter? That sounds way cooler, I'm going to use that now." He straightened himself up and said, "I'm going to have an all-nighter with Louella." Trying to copy my accent.

For once I wish I could hear how I sounded to them. See how different my voice actually sounds, how much I stand out here.

How long will my lie last? The retarded thought waltzed in creating a whirlwind in its wake.

I scoffed, restraining my thoughts from leaking into this. "I do not sound like that!"

"Mhm." He drew it out indicating he didn't believe me. "Anyways, are you coming to the bonfire? Because if you aren't I will personally drag you."

"No dragging is needed, I'm going." Personally, I believed him when he said he would drag me. He's strong and stupid enough to do it.

He wiggled his brows before leaving me to finish my food. When I was dumping my food I remembered he didn't answer my question about why he supposedly can't have an all-nighter. I should've remembered he forgets things. Ask him more than one question at once and he'll answer one and usually forget the rest. No, more than half the time he forgets it. It's a seventy five percent chance he'll forget, twenty he'll answer, and five percent he'll not even answer both and stare into space.

I cannot lie that I know the most about Cole. He was the original main character before I had ideas for the others, and by that time he was really life-like compared to the others; they were merely thoughts on paper while Cole was a living person trapped in pages.

Walking out into the fresh morning air with birds chirping, the new rays of dawn awakening, and the dew covering the grass reminds me of home. But the dark trees on the outskirts of camp that the sun has not touched yet; reminds me of Edna Whitlock, the eccentric witch barely living inside the camp's barrier.

I need to go to Wilburrow. That's the only other place a witch lives in Quaros that I know of. Of course there would be more but I know I've written about two before. Edna Whitlock and... Ren Rweilder I think her name is. Or is it Gwen?

Banishing distracting thoughts; like the name of another witch, I created a checklist.

Get a map of Quaros
Mark a route
Pack
Get away from this camp without no one knowing
Cross the border
Live

Number five is going to be a stroke of luck and if I miraculously survive I have to stay alive to find her.

What if she's not the witch that you hope she is? What if she's another witch but not the one that is also stuck here? Does she want to go back? How can I find her?

I have an answer to the last question. Edna. She acts and behaves as if she knows everything, I want to see if it's true. Although I should know if she can or not but I've never written about her knowing all things, none of the characters have asked.

I suppose every story has loopholes you never realize until it's too late and you're trapped in it. But then again this isn't something you hear about ever happening and don't know it's a possibility it's too late.

If only I had a sidekick or evil Villain to tell me what to do next. Or solve a puzzle or follow an insane treasure hunt that leads me to clue after clue. But I have nothing. Even my notebook is gone.

_____

Bright flames of color dance before my eyes. Ice and deep aquamarine blue travel from log to log, lighting everyone's faces in a hazy blue.

Fire fueled by magic is easy to spot, it always has a hint of blue. Depends how strong the person who wields their power is. The stronger the darker and bluer the fire is.

Laughter surrounds me along with the loud voices of people trying to talk over one another. At some point there was music but the only music was people's voices combining in a weirdly soothing melody. It was either that or I had one to many cups of Fizzies. They taste like eggnog and peppermint with a hint of sweetness making my taste buds fizzle with flavor.

I've heard from eavesdropping that the sweetness is some plant that, in my words, makes you act like you're drunk. But in their words it takes away your mental filter and creates silly thoughts so, obviously, I translated that to drunk.

"Hey, do you know how far Wilburrow is?"

"Why do you want to go?" Cole asks, his tone serious as he takes another sip from his cup.

"Yeah. I've always wanted to go and see it." I paused. I needed to sell this lie. "My dad was raised there, I want to see the town where he grew up." I hope I didn't overdo it. He needs to believe this, I need to go.

"Oh, if that's the case then you can come with us to Wilburrow. We got assigned a mission there earlier. Wait- but you have to talk to Jack about it. He's the one that assigned it." He slumped against the log and took another sip.

"I'll talk with him. Just not now."

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Shit. He heard that.

"Nothi-" Cole cut me off. "She wanted to talk about the mission." If he was guilty he interrupted me or feeling sly that he did, he never showed it.

Jack's eyes darkened. "This is not a simple mission."

"Talk to her." Cole's playfulness was gone within a matter of seconds.

"Fine." Jack crumpled his cup with one hand and threw it in the grass, still glaring at Cole. Then he turned his attention to me, "you can't go."

"What! Why not?" No. This was not the plan. We were supposed to talk and I'd lie my way into this mission then find that witch's house.

"You need to stay here. This is not a mission for you."

"Then what will be? And when? When will you get over your dislike for me and give me a mission?Everyone is talking about how they got to go on one their first day and I didn't!" That part wasn't true, no one was talking about it but I did know that their first or second day they were sent on a mission. I continued. "You don't even know what I can bring to the team. I traveled here from the Three Star Islands. You don't know me and what I can do." I prayed he believed me and that he hadn't been to the Islands.

Jack's jaw tensed. The blue side of his face flicked with different shades, seeming as if he's battling his stormy waters within.

"You can go, but if you get into trouble I swear..." He didn't finish for what I'm guessing is emphasis on how I can not screw this up.

"Thank you." I hid the growing swell of joy inside me with a mask of sternness and for a touch of emotion, solemness too.

Half of me wanted to jump with joy and the other half sank down with despair saying "What have I done?"

Author

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