Line of Time

The trip

Tina and her family went to Norway for their winter break, their bags all packed, they had said their goodbyes to the neighborhood and then went on their way to the airport. Tina had only been on a plane when she was very young and felt a strange feeling of nervousness and glee when she sat between her brothers as the craft left the earth. Each of them holding one of her hands, their mother catching a picture of the three of them as they were all shrunk into their seats and holding each others hands for dear life. They looked over at her after they were safely in the air, a smile on her face as she waved the camera at them. Lukas letting out a grumble as he hated getting his picture taken, even more when he didn't know it. They sat through the flight attendant saying her little speech about the rules and what to do in case of a emergency. After that they looked around, the plane was almost empty. A few business men and then them with the crew. They brushed it off, thinking that not many people had relatives so far away from where they were going. Arne and Tina tried watching a movie then listening to music but they couldn't satisfy their attentions for very long, before long the two were asleep, using each other as pillows. Their mother snapping another picture of her sweet little darlings. Lukas was reading and when his mom saw what was on one of the pages, from her seat she could see Lukas's eyes glow with a faint purplish pink. He had one armrest since he had the aisle seat, Tina in the middle and Arne the window. He held his book with the other hand and with his free hand he made slow gentle movements through the air. A sense of concentration and grace to his movements. Anna saw this and knew what he was reading, in a heartbeat she pressed the book against his chest, not bringing attention to her action. His eyes returned to their normal color and he looked over at his mother.

"Read a different book..." She suggested sweetly as she stole a glance at his father. He let out a sigh and did what she told him. Shoving the book, it's covers wrapped in brown paper and heavy masking tape, into his backpack and then pulled out a book he had gotten years prier in the university section of his local book store. The cover was worn and faded, it's spine had suffered a massive amount of abuse, he had read it so many times that he knew every single inch of the book. There wasn't anything in it at this point that surprised him, not anymore. His mother looked over at him and the book he read, the title wasn't readable or even visible anymore. The spine broken and pages yellowed, ripped and falling out. This looked more like a spell book that his father was against more than the actual that was buried in his bag. Lukas was about haft way through the book when his father looked over at his children. Arne and Tina playing tic-tac-toe in a notebook now. Lukas still making the same hand movements as before but as a way to keep his hand from falling asleep, his attention focused on his literature so much he jumped when he heard his father's voice.

"Lukas." He looked over hearing his name and then tone that his father used. Tina and Arne looking over from their game for a moment, his whispered tone having shocked them too.

"Give me the book. Now." He said as he put his hand out leaning over Anna. Lukas didn't want to but he handed it over to his father and he took it from him.

"I thought I got rid of all the stuff like this that you had. Do we have to have that talk again, young man. Do I need to check your room again when we get back." His father said as didn't even look inside of it.

"But dad--" Lukas started but was cut off by his dad putting his hand up, telling him he didn't want to hear it.

"Your grounded young man, for the rest of the trip or at least until I can trust you again." He said as Lukas just sat up back in his chair with a huff of air. Tina looked over at her dad, climbing over Lukas and laying on his lap, her arms on his armrest. Tina hadn't been listening very well to their conversation and then her eyes lite up with interest when her eyes landed on the book her father held up.