The Witch Trials

~12~

   Today I get to go onto the main land with Jakson, Hailey, and Avalon. The day I woke up from my super realistic dream was three uneventful weeks ago. I pull on my plum colored sweatshirt and put my hair in a long side braid that easily passes my hips. I've considered cutting my hair, it's just so heavy. I always remember my mom telling me not to cut my hair, she thought it was bad luck. I don't believe it is, but I still want to listen to her, even if she has been dead for hundreds of years. I stop with the depressing thoughts as I look out my window. It's November now and it's getting much colder! I even heard it's supposed to snow any day now. January first is the day we go back a year. Every year Jakson, or anyone who wants to practice, takes us back a year. This is so we never age. I guess people like us are so rare that we have to stay alive forever. I don't know if I like this so much. I really don't want to be 14 forever. I hear a knock on at the door. I open it without touching it (it's encouraged to practice magic whenever you can). It's Avalon. She's about 20 years old and is from the year 1500 or something like that.
   "You ready to go?" She says.
  "Umm, yeah, yeah I am." I'm kinda, well really nervous about this. I'm anxious to see how the world has changed. I have no clue what it will be like. We walk outside onto the grey grass. I sharp ocean gust whips over the hill, I should have dressed warmer. Jakson and Hailey are already standing by the big pine tree. I don't really know how to teleport and I'm nervous to find out.
  "Let's go". Says Hailey with a smile. She's obviously been doing this a while. They start walking down the hill towards the water. I see a small, rickety old dock cutting into the rough ocean waves. A small motor boat is tied up to it. I'm confused.
   "Are we taking that?" I ask.
   "Yes. The people on land are not accustomed to seeing people appear from no where." Jakson says in his usual toneless voice.
We clamber into the little rusted boat and I huddle against the side. This does not seem safe, and I'm freezing. This isn't like the cold I'm used to. This is not the icy, snowy cold, it's a raw, relentless cold coming off the navy sea. The motor starts with a sputter and cloud of smoke. We splash through the waves, salty spray hitting me in the face. No one really says anything. Hailey's organizing the bags she brought, I'm assuming to bring things back in. Jakson is steering the boat, and not having an easy time with it. Obviously we've all become used to the cushion of magic helping us with all tasks. Finally, after a cold and wet eternity, we pull into a harbor full of boats. As we get out of the boat I look around. There are huge sail boats, and ones with giant motors on them. I recognize some of them from my days on the beach. Avalon would let me use her binoculars to look at the passing ships. We walk up the huge dock and I am shocked at what I see. Huge buildings tower into the sky ahead of us. I hear a sound coming from the sky. Some huge metal bird like machine soars over head. It has two blinking lights on it.
  "It can be a bit overwhelming at first." Jakson says as he walks up next to me. We all make our way to some sort of a stone road where we have to wait for the speeding "cars" to stop for us. Hailey says cars are the way people get around these days. I find them quite terrifying. We spend the day taking things. Clothes, food, whatever we want. We can use magic for this, it's fun.
  "I think we have enough to last another couple weeks." Avalon says as we finish filling bags at a food store. We walk out into the street and I think about how much  things have changed since I was little. Of course I was little a long time ago, but it's still disturbing. Suddenly I feel I thud on my side and I fall over, skidding against the walkway. I don't even have time to open my eyes before I feel a strong arm around my neck. It pulls me up and my eyes open. I hear Jakson, Avalon, and Hailey all yelling and I can see them running towards me. I can't turn my head to see who, or what has me by the neck. I stare at the large, hairy arm until it turns red. A moment is all I need to slip out of the grip and spin around to face my attacker. It's a tall man with lots of piercings and tattoos. There are two others standing next to him, a women and a younger man. Jakson grabs my arm and yanks me away from these weird people. I yelp as the lady grabs me by my braid and it's a human tug of war. The man takes out what I now know is a gun but before he can use it the lady lets go of my hair and theres a flash. We are waist deep in ocean water. Jakson or Hailey must have teleported us. The island lays peacefully in front of us despite the pounding waves. By the time we reach the shore we are all soaked and shivering.
  "Wha..who.." I stutter as my shivering worsens.
  "Witch hunters." Jakson snarls as we run into the warm cabin.