Close to the Covert Rains **Book One**

Chapter 4 (Thursday)

Lounging on the couch, Verspri repeatedly tossed a rubber bouncy ball above his head. He was trying to see how long he could wait before catching it, getting progressively closer to his own face. Kwayo sprawled on the other end of the couch, doing a worksheet for his science class. He kept muttering about fungi and germs, and Verspri wrinkled his nose. This science class sounded more like something his mom always said about washing his hands than an actual science class. Didn't scientists blow stuff up or do things with strange gasses inside balloons?

"Um, Verspri?" Teremki asked from the floor, interrupting Verspri's concentration. The ball landed on his forehead and bounced off, rolling from the couch to the floor.

"Why'd you do that?" Verspri rubbed his forehead.

Teremki shrugged, except resting on his elbows as he was, his body moved down instead of his shoulders rising up. "I was gonna ask why you were doing that, but never mind." He turned back to his book, something he claimed was for his reading class. But Verspri was pretty sure "Avalon: Magic United" wasn't something any reading teacher ever assigned.

"Because, I was..." Verspri couldn't even think of a response to that, so he got up and fetched the rubber ball.

"Yeah, Verspri," Kwayo chimed in, "why are you doing that? Don't you have homework, too?"

Verspri stopped, bent over and just a few inches from where the red ball rested against the wall. Then he stood up. "That rainstorm yesterday--the one I got stuck in. It keeps bothering me."

Kwayo rolled his eyes. "I'm still half convinced you made the whole thing up."

"No, really! It--"

"It happened," Teremki said without looking up.

Verspri's eyebrows furrowed. "How do you know? I mean, thanks for believing me. But, like, how? Did you get stuck in it too?"

He sighed. "I'll show you," he stood, padding to his room. The pages of Avalon: Magic United slowly flipped shut.

Verspri plopped to the couch, and Kwayo eyed him. Sounds of shuffling papers floated from Teremki's direction, then he reemerged. "I painted it. Yesterday, after you told us."

Kwayo tilted his head. "Wait, I thought your power only worked with the future..."

"Yeah. It does," Teremki turned the sturdy paper around, and Verspri leaned away from it, shivering.

Amid swirling blues and grays of the acrylic, a single person stood dressed in black that equally blended into the surroundings and popped forward. Verspri leaned back into the couch, afraid the menacing figure might step out and grab him.

"Okay," Kwayo hesitated. "So you painted a creepy guy in a dark storm."

"Look here," Teremki pointed to the bottom corner. Unmistakably, the swirls contained buildings. Verspri peered closer. They looked familiar, despite the obscuring smoke.

"Is that...the school?" Kwayo asked.

"As far as I can tell," Teremki nodded. "I didn't want to get any closer."

Verspri opened his mouth, then shut it again. He didn't want to get any closer to that thing either, even if it was just on a piece of paper.

"So yes, Verspri," Teremki lowered the paper, "I believe you. But I think it's also so much worse than just a rainstorm that collapsed time around you."

***

Eyes wide in the dark room, Verspri counted. 67...68...69...this isn't working. He rolled onto his side, climbing out of bed. He stepped carefully to the door, creaking it open. The rest of the dorm was dark; both Kwayo and Teremki's doors were closed. So Verspri quietly slid out of their dorm, entering the hall. He didn't know where he was going, but he needed some fresh air.

Right outside, a hush of air made him freeze. It came again, and he recognized it as rustling leaves. He folded his arms, shaking his head.

He walked out on the cool, damp grass, arms folded. His legs broke out in goosebumps in the nearly autumn weather. He didn't head for the teleporter, instead walking around the shed to the main sidewalk. Without meaning to, Segundo popped out beside him, then Trio. They walked silently, almost like ghosts, trailing him.

After a few minutes, Verspri stopped. He grinned at the tree to his right. This was where he'd met Ana. Stepping off the sidewalk, he sat down in the grass. Segundo and Trio stayed on the path, as if they guarded him. Or perhaps they actually were. Verspri leaned back, squinting through the tree branches to the sky.

A few wisps of clouds and a sliver of a moon peeped through the skeletal branches. Too much light came from the street lamps and buildings to see anything else. Water seeped into his clothes--his only pair of pajamas were still in the laundry delivery--but he didn't move away.

Why was he so worried? Only a few days ago he'd been terrified of his own powers and how people would look at him. And now a strange rainstorm and Teremki's creepy painting had him scared. Of what? The school being destroyed? Why did he care what happened to it?

He tugged a blade of grass, rubbing it between his fingers. Why was it such a big deal?

Verspri pushed himself up, tossing the remnants of grass stalk away. Scooting up against the tree trunk, he shut his eyes. He knew this was a bad place to fall asleep; he'd probably freeze. But overwhelmed by sheer exhaustion, he didn't care that much. If he couldn't get comfortable in bed, what was wrong with the grass?

He drifted off, breathing softly. Grinning faintly, Trio and Segundo crept over, lifting him gently from the ground. Carefully, to keep from waking Verspri, they trekked back home.