morgan; beginning

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 Aran mouthed the word 'watch' to me and pointed at the root he was just holding. The roots seemed to thicken. I rubbed my eyes. It must be my exhaustion and the shadows playing tricks on me. But as I looked again, the entrance to our hideaway shrank before my eyes. The roots of the tree were twisting and growing thicker, binding themselves together until the entrance disappeared entirely. I started to hyperventilate in the darkness. What the hell was going on? Had Aran done that? No, that would of meant he'd be able to control and talk to a tree. That was stupid right? Surely.'What the hell was that? Did you just talk to the tree? I mean, that makes no sense at all and how did it close itself? Are we trapped in here?' Panic filled my voice as I fired out questions.'OK Morgan, firstly, please try and calm down and I'll try to explain.'Aran soothed.'Calm down? We are SEALED inside a tree, how calm do you think I can be right now?''Its OK, we're safe for now,' He let out an exasperated sigh. 'I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this secret from you for long, so now is as good a time as any to tell you. Morgan ... magick's real!' 'What? How is that even possible? What secret? I'm just thinking you're crazy!' I laughed.'Would you just shut up a minute and let me explain??' The tone of his voice warned me to stop. 'Sorry.' I muttered, picking at my bandages.'Thank you.' I could tell he was searching for the right words to explain everything, 'Like I was saying, Magick's real. It's not just daydreams or stories to try and scare children with, its as real as you and me. Not many people have it and I've been lucky enough to be blessed with this 'gift'. The gift of being able to talk and sometimes control the plants and trees I touch.'I was staring at him open mouthed in shock,'So how long have you had this 'gift'? Are there others who can do this?' 'I don't know of any others and technically since birth. But I havn't been able to control it or even understand it until about a year ago. I was in the garden with father and we were discussing the orange tree. You know, the one that never grows, we were trying to figure out why it hadn't grown any fruit and the best way to get rid of it as the roots were probably really deep,' I could tell it was hurting Aran to recall memories of our father, his voice sounded so sad, 'Father said why didn't we just try asking it to come to fruit and then we wouldn't have to chop it down. Obviously we both laughed and mother called him over to the house to try some of her lamb stew. While he was away I just felt this urge to somehow be connected to the tree, I know this sounds weird, but I put my palms on its trunk and asked it to grow some oranges for us otherwise it would have to be cut down.' 'You ASKED the tree?' I don't know why I sounded so disbelieving considering what I had just seen. 'Yes, I asked the tree, stop interrupting will you. As I was saying, I thought nothing more of it, I remember I got really tired and then father called us in for dinner and somehow we got tied up in other things. Anyway, the next day we went back to the tree and it was covered, I mean literally covered, in oranges. Father nearly passed out, he kept going on about a gift from the heavens and how it was strange that he'd nearly asked the tree for fruit and 'boom' there it was the next day.' 'Oranges, overnight, from asking!' So many thoughts raced through my mind. I remembered Aran had taken a sudden keen interest in plants and must of kept twenty different varieties in his room. But no one had taken any notice of it. We just thought maybe he'd want to become a florist or botanist of some kind.'Are you freaking out?' 'A little. Although it all kind of pieces together, what with all the plants in your room and father and his amazing orange tree. So no, not quite freaking out but I think its going to take a little getting used to.'I could hear the sigh of relief from my brother ,he reached out in the darkness and gave me a hug. 'Thank you.' he whispered. 'So why are we trapped in here?' I asked. 'And how long for?''I heard the trackers, didn't you? I didn't think there'd be enough time to run so I asked the tree to hide us and she did.' 'She?' 'Yes. She, all trees are female that,s why they bear fruit and seeds. She will tell us when its safe to leave.' Aran explained, as if talking trees and plants were an everyday occurence. 'So you can...hear ..them?' 'Yes, I just said I could, but only if I'm connected to them.''And this magick, are you the only one with it in our family?' I asked nervously, maybe mother or Loren had had it. It felt like my whole world was turning upside down. Cocooned in a tree, being on the run. My family...'I'm not sure,' he sounded thoughtful, 'Grandma had it apparently, but everyone thought she was just crazy. Mother, Father and Loren didn't.' My heart sank a little, maybe it was just Aran.'They used to talk about how you were always chasing mini wind devils across the garden or how you loved to be in the water. Your at the age where it starts to show now, so maybe you'll have the gene too. If you don't its not the end of the world.'I didn't say anything in response, my head was too busy running through different scenarios of what it would be like to have the 'gene'. To have Magick was a scary thought. People were hunted down and killed because of it. Maybe that's why the men had come to our home. Was Aran to blame for their deaths?'Try and rest now Morgan, I don't think we have an easy road ahead of us.' Aran said quietly. I tried to ask him where exactly we were headed but the words came out all jumbled. I didn't know if it was just exhaustion, the possibility that we might be safe for now or if the warm feeling on my hands, coming from where Aran had put the chewed up mixture, was somehow making me sleepy, but my body wanted to obey. I let myself drift into sleep.