The Sentinel Archives

Chapter Five

Smoke from the burnt meatloaf still lingered in the kitchen. Ugly yellow wallpaper covered the walls, the edges beginning to curl. Kai thought he'd seen a more modern look in the old Scooby-doo reruns than this house had.

"Make sure you finish fixing that fence, Malakai." Mom scrubbed furiously at the charred meat stuck to the baking pan.

Through the window over the sink, Kai watched Pops exit the tool shed, then walk into the woods. Mom didn't even get angry over how Pops acted about the snake attack. The only thing that did upset her was his refusal to call an exterminator. Their hour-long argument caused dinner to burn.

"What's the point?" Kai muttered, not sure he cared to go out there again. What if there were more snakes? "It's not going to stop anything from entering the yard."

She threw the scrub pad down and turned to face him, drying her hands on a towel. "Malakai, has anything... are you...?" Chewing her bottom lip, she seemed to struggle for the right words. "Is everything okay?"

"I hate it here." He swept the damp rag across the dinner table, catching the crumbs in his palm. "Why can't we just go live with your sister in California?"

Mom shook her head. "We need to be here." Her shoulders drooped as she stared at the dirty, pumpkin-colored floor. "I know it's been hard adjusting. But has anything...um, strange happened? Lately?"

"Everything is strange here." He refused to specify. The best way to handle the talking rabbit and snake incident was to ignore it ever happened. "That's the point. Pops is pure mental. Do you know I've caught him talking to trees? I'm pretty sure he really believes that there are faeries and stuff."

She held up her hands, palms out. "Calm down. I know he loves telling stories. But you haven't really given him a chance, Kai. We need his help right now."

"Why?"

Turning back to the sink, she continued to work on the crusty pan.

Kai finished washing the table. He went to stand beside her. "Mom...why?"

Brows furrowed, she shook her head again. "He understood Ian's work better than anyone. I need you to try to get along with him. He's the only one who can help you if..." She stared out the window for a long moment, her face pinched as if she was trying to say something but couldn't get it out. She blew out a frustrated sigh and returned to scrubbing. "He can help you understand things. Even about your father. I never really.... Ian, your dad, never shared much about his work with me."

"What do you—?"

"Just try, alright?" She smacked her hand down, splashing drops of water everywhere. "And that goes for school, as well. I know you were promised the bike, but if you don't get caught up, you'll leave me no choice but to hold off until you do. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." He laid the folded rag on the counter.

"Good. Up to your room. Get your work done. And just... try. Please. I really need you to try. I can't afford to take any more time off from work."

"Okay, Mom."

She kissed his cheek, which he didn't mind when it was just them. He left her to battle the baking pan. A pang welled up in his chest, and he vowed that he would try harder. At least at school. Pops was another matter. Maybe it would be best to simply avoid the old man altogether.

Lost in his thoughts, Kai plowed right into Wynn as he rounded the staircase. "Watch out, pipsqueak."

"You watch out. I've been sitting here waiting for you and you didn't even bother to look where you're going."

He sidestepped around her.

She extended both arms, blocking his progress up the stairs. "I know what Mommy was talking about."

Doubtful, Kai blew out a puff of air. "Look, I have a load of work to do. I don't have time for your stories, either."

He lifted her off her feet, set her on the landing, then bounded up the steps, taking two at a time. Her pattering steps followed, but he was quicker and had the bedroom door shut and locked before she could get her foot in the way again.

In the confines of his room, Kai feared he might suffocate. The evening was unusually hot, and the history text exceptionally boring. Wynn's frequent attempts of getting him to talk were completely annoying. The room was too stuffy to get any sleep, but he didn't want to go downstairs, knowing Pest might still be waiting to have a chat. No thanks.

Sticking his head out the window, a soft, cool wind refreshed him. A sprawling pecan tree grew near enough to his window that if he got a good jump going, he might manage leaping onto one of the thicker branches. Another tempting breeze caressed his sweaty brow. Worth the try.

Kai climbed out on the porch overhang. Pressing up against the chipped siding, he took in a deep breath, then ran and leapt off the edge. He descended a bit too soon, but managed to grab hold of the nearest branch. The bark scraped the insides of each arm before he wrapped his leg around the trunk and stopped himself from sliding all the way to the hard ground. Fire burned along both arms, but he managed to get down without breaking anything. In the full moon's light, he saw his arms were just scraped. No blood.

Relieved to be out in the open air, Kai ran over to the porch swing. The moment he stretched out on the cool padding, tiredness engulfed him. The wind rustled the black branches, and the round moon cast enough light that Kai could make out features of the side yard that led to Pops' garden. Everything was still, quiet, peaceful.

A shadow suddenly appeared out of nowhere on the opposite end of the porch, startling Kai. The figure let out a loud sigh and rested against a post. Pops. Where'd he come from? Had he been there all this time? He would have seen Kai jumping from the top landing and scolded him for such foolishness. The old man acted like he had no idea Kai was even there.

Pops glance down at a letter in his hands, then crumple it into a ball. As if having second thoughts, he smoothed the paper on his chest before folding and stuffing it inside a small book. Yellow light flooded across the porch as Pops entered a side entrance to his study. The door closed with a click of the lock. All was quiet and dark again, except for Kai's rambling questions.

Funny, Kai thought as he settled into the swing cushions, he didn't know there was an outside door into Pops' study. How had he missed that?

* * * *

Flute music, accompanied by stringed instruments roused Kai from his troubled sleep. One eye opened to the sight of a full moon through a cluster of shining green leaves and glistening rosebuds. Roses? Where'd the porch go? He opened his other eye and blinked against the sparkling brightness surrounding his bed. But not the porch swing. He sat up and the heavy perfume of rose mixed with damp earth assaulted him.

"What the...." Kai jumped to his feet. The movement sent his flower-bed swaying like a ship on stormy seas. Grasping the stamens, he waited for the rocking to stop. Peering over the pink petals he found a crowd of lighted beings dining below. Musicians played while small, winged creatures, some no larger than a grasshopper, danced from mushroom to mushroom, handing out blue and violet flowers filled with berries or an amber liquid. Laughter and songs filled the enclosure.

Kai closed his eyes, sinking to his knees against the dream-flower's softness. "Oh no, not again."

Hi!

Thanks for reading this far. What do you think? I appreciate any and all thoughts or suggestions you might have. 

If you're wondering about the pictures I've included, some come from Pixabay.com. Others are some of my creations over at Deviant Art. 

I'll be adding more in a couple of days. Check back again. 

Blessings! 

JC