BEYOND US

I can envision the castle now, standing with a wall so large it mutes the sound of nature, blocking our view of the woods, and blocking us entirely from the outside world. It didn't use to be like this. When I was a kid I used to go into the woods at sunset with my friends and play Hide n' Seek until we couldn't see our own hands in front of us and just the echo of each other's voices and our stumbling footsteps, that's when we would each go home and sneak into our beds for a good night's sleep; I miss that. Not being a kid, I miss when the outside world wasn't afraid of us. By us, I mean Magik users.
People who look different from them, People who say that we aren't people, they say we are monsters. We're not. They say we sacrifice our children and eat them, we don't, and I just don't get how-
"Thomas! Hurry up, or else we will miss our turn," Joan yells, I can almost hear her clenched fists.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming." I stand up and stretch, I didn't change last night so I'm still wearing the clothes from yesterday. Good enough, I reckon. Walking to the common room, I can hear Antoine and Andre arguing in their room about who gets to help Mrs. Sunday with the school chores. Both of them are practically in love with her, it's ridiculous.
I sit down on the couch and I pull my work boots from beneath it, I slide both my feet into my boots and start tying the laces, but I stop when I see a pair of shoes stand in front of me.
"Done daydreamin' yet? I'm sick of this, Tommy. All you do is sit in your room with your nose in... whatever it is you do in there, and leave the household chores for the rest of us! It's time you pick up the slack and do more work, or get a job. The local blacksmith is hiring, same as the mechanic's shop and the deli. Take the buckets, once you come back I want you to go out and see what one of em' will hire ya." I look up at make eye contact with Joan, ever since my pops died she has been hammerin' blows down on me, acting all high and mighty since she got custody of me an the young'ns.
"Yup. You got it. I'll go do that now." I don't remember when I went back to tying my shoes, but both are tied. "Look, it's Sunday, I think I'll stay the night at the Alaric's, I can still take the twins to school later, is that alright?" I stand up and head towards the front door, where the buckets are posed, and grab both by the handle.
"The Alaric's? You want to go and stay at the Alaric's? Have you heard what they're saying about him? I do NOT want our family dragged into that! It's blasphemy! I won't have it! You know, I heard they want to try their chances with the Northerners, they think they can pass as normal! They will get all of us killed, I won't have it!" She is practically screaming, I mean really? She could easily tone it down a notch, the Alarics have a better chance of surviving with the Northerners than most Northerners. I set the buckets back down.
"Joan, really now? You know better than I do that the Alarics will make it out there. They pass as one of them, when I first met Ezra, I had thought a northerner's kid snuck in here. I was terrified, and it isn't blasphemy, you just don't like those two, and how they relate I haven't got a clue in my mind, so I don't know why you brought it up. I'm going." By now, Antoine has probably shushed Andre more times than I can count so he can hear what me and Joan are arguing about. I grab both buckets and turn around, putting my hand on the doorknob, twisting, and pulling.
"Thomas! Don't you dare go to the Alaric's, or don't you bother coming home! I will not allow my brother to hang around people of his kind! Are you listening to me?" She is still screaming, dramatic, much? Gosh. "Thomas Aliénor Lefebvre!" The door slams shut behind me. I make eye contact with a boy I haven't seen before, we rarely get newcomers, but I suppose he must be from out of state, he looks different- Piercing gray eyes with an almost gold hue to them, extremely sharp and strong features, glowing tan skin, and hair that reminds me of the straw we feed to our pigs. He is standing there so...so strongly that I feel that it almost mesmerizes me.
"Hey, do you know where the ah, the water pumps are?" He calls out, and starts walking towards me- he is wearing a clean white tank top with brown boot-cut jeans, black steel-toed boots, and a brown leather jacket in his hand. "I'm new around here. I'm Pierre, you are ah Thomas, I'm guessing? He spoke with a thick French accent.
"Yeah, that's me. Hey, I'm headin' down there now, why don't you follow me? I could give ya a tour, I don't have nothin' better to do." He flashes me a cheeky smile, and I can't lie, it's contagious.
"Ah thanks, may I ask the age of you?" The age of me? Weird way to phrase it, but sure.
"I'm 17, turning 18 next month. How about you?" I'm guessing 16, he looks pretty young.
"I'm ah... im 19, almost 20"