Take Me Down

10

We came to a clearing outside the city where a farmhouse stood on a semi-treed in area. Claudius hopped off my back before I even landed and headed directly for the door to the house. I understood his urgency, seeing as he didn't have his sun ring on. Riley wasn't high up enough to obtain a sun ring, but I had seen Claudius wearing one the other day at Cassie's house.

The little farmhouse reminded me of a kind of cottage you would want next to a lake. It had a wooden finish on the outside with a metal door. There was a large window on the right that I could see from where I stood with white curtains on the inside showing through.

"Nice place," I said and Cornelius shrugged, looking at Avery for her approval. She looked at it for a few seconds, making up her mind about the place within seconds. It was something she did when she came to knew places; she would look at the exterior and decide whether or not she would give the place a chance. Avery leaned on Cornelius as she took in the house. He reached his arm over her and lightly grabbed her hand. She squeezed his hand and tilted her head, making her decision on the house.

"It's cute." She said, smiling up at him. He smiled back down at her, happy that she liked the place. I watched them for a few seconds, feeling warm inside. I loved Avery like a sister, and I was happy if she was happy.

Cassie looked at her hands awkwardly, electricity shooting from them in a wave that connected to the ground. Avery tuned out from her and Cornelius' little moment and looked to her. She shifted against Cornelius, hooking her arms around his neck.

"This is also the safest and most secure place for me to train you. Fewer power lines for you to bring down and more electrons in the grounds surface out here for you to work with. Soon, I'll teach you how to find them in the air, but here is a good starting point, especially because the ground is so rich out here, unlike the cities dull grass and boring pavement." Avery said, continuing her rambling.

She went on talking about nature and the essence of life, and how she learned to control her powers. Cornelius ran a finger through her hair and she smiled at him, pausing her rambling for a brief moment. That's when I left them alone, walking off to go stretch out and relax and give them some time.

I ended up walking to an old barn, about two clicks away from the farmhouse. It was a good destination for me to rest at, seeing as there were less people out here to bother me than the city life. That was something I always loved about the dorm; it was outside the city and next to a small forest that I could find peace in if needed.

I pushed aside the old wooden sliding door and went inside. It was a little dark, but there was light coming in from an opening in the roof above. I spotted a ladder and climbed up to the second level on the inside, hanging my head over to see if anything was in here with me. Besides a really old green tractor and a few mice, nothing else was in here. I assumed the barn had been abandoned.

I laid back on a hay bail, laying against the wall near one of the old windows that no longer had any glass. I watched the end of the sunrise, the beautiful array of colours slowly fading into the morning blue. It was quite beautiful when the barn suddenly shook, raising my ever-growing suspicions of never truly being alone. Even when I was out on a farm, presumably away from others, I was never alone.

"Hello?" I questioned out into the newly lit barn. The morning sunbeams shone in and around the barn through the windows and the cracks in the roof.

A shadow hopped up onto the level where I sat and I watched them creep closer to me.

"Shy, are we?" I questioned and the person's head turned from side to side.

I didn't know what to think.