Into the woods

Chapter 5

  "About 5,000 years ago, our ancestor Aruna was born. She had the most beautiful curly red hair when she was born, just like you and me. As she grew older, her mother and father trained her for what was to come when she came of age. They knew she was different from the moment she was born, and they knew she needed to be ready to protect herself, and her secret."

"Did she have magic powers... like me?"

"Yes, and the magic she had has been passed down to all the women in our family. It's also why the red hair gene is so common."

"So you must have magic in you as well."

"Yes, darling. And it is the only reason I am here today."

"What do you mean? Were you ever even in a car crash?"

"Yes, there really was a car crash. However, with the magic, I was able to come back. We can only die of old age, Aelfrun."

"Then why didn't you come back to me? You left me all by myself! I was only seven, and I had no idea what to do!"

"I know, and you have every right to be mad at me, but it wouldn't have been very believable if I had just all of a sudden show up wouldn't it? The crash was all over the news. But I did make sure that they never put you into childcare, and I made sure you had enough money and food. I didn't leave you completely alone."

"I guess so, but... if you have magic powers, couldn't you have made them forget it ever happened?"

"We have our limits, and we can only do so much. Wiping memories is not something we can do."

"What can we do? There's got to be more than just moving things with our minds."

"Yes, there is. We can read minds-"

"So you did read my mind earlier?"

"Yes. We can also levitate and harness the elements of the universe."

I take a sip from my tea. "How? Can you show me?"

She sets her mug down and holds both of her hands out in fists. She opens her right hand and a blue orb appears. "Water," She opens her left hand and dirt spills over onto the floor. "Earth,"

She closes her hands and the dirt on the floor disappears. She opens her right hand again and a cloud appears. "Air," She opens her left hand and a ball of fire hovers over her palm. "And fire. The most powerful of all."

"Wow," I say, complexed by the glowing flame in her hand. I lean in to get a closer look, but she snuffs it out, making the ball of fire disappear along with the cloud.

"Aelfrun, I'm going to have to train you how to use your powers, but you have to be very cautious. Things can get out of hand very quickly."

"I will be careful, I promise."

"Okay, we will start tomorrow. You've had a long day, and you need rest."

"What if the officers come after me again? They could have found the path-"

"Don't worry, Aelfrun. Another one of our abilities is camouflage. They won't be able to find the cabin, because they can't see it. Everything will be alright. Now go to bed, it's getting late.