The Silver Tower Chronicles: The Gray Mage

Chapter 2: The Old Magician

"What do you want?", Anna de Ferns asked, crossing her pale arms over her chest. She wore a plain pink, long sleeved shirt with gray sweatpants. Her black hair was tied messily into a bun.

Even in a messy get-up, looking at her made Aidan's heart ache. She was his first love and he hated the fact that he had ruined things with her.

You idiot!, he couldn't help thinking. Next to him, Omi lifted his head and yipped, seeing Anna. Anna's gaze briefly flickered down to look at his dog and a small smile flitted across her face. Then it was gone and she looked back up. She loved animals, Aidan knew.

"H-hey Anna.", stammered Aidan. "Look, I'm sorry about what I said those few days ago. I was kidding! See I actually wanted to make a story based on what I saw and I thought that by, uh, telling you-". She cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"I don't give a damn Aidan." She glowered at him. "You sounded totally insane! I'm not interested in dating a lunatic." She turned and began closing the door.

"Wait!" Aidan attempted to stop her from closing the door but she slammed it, nearly crushing his fingers. Aidan sighed. Anna didn't believe him; she was resolute and, Aidan guessed, he did sound a bit crazy when he told her how he saw two small men riding squirrels as if they were horses. He gazed longingly at her door, while Omi licked his ankles. Turning on his heel, he tugged Omi's leash and his pup followed him, tail wagging.

***

Aidan walked back to his house slowly, the pain of Anna's rejection bright in his chest. His dog traveled in front of him enjoying the breeze that raised goosebumps on his arms. Anna and Aidan both lived in the same neighborhood, Stark Heights, several miles southwest of Jacksonville. His mom was a nurse, working at St. Vincent's Healthcare Hospital. His father was an electrical engineer working at the Northside Generating Station. Both jobs paid well and Aidan was thankful he could live in a community as protective as Stark Heights.

Aidan sighed. He and Anna both had anticipated going to Jacksonville University together - she studying marine science and Aidan majoring in... something. He wasn't quite sure yet what he wanted to do but does any sixteen year old really know what they want to do for the rest of their life?

"Hello there!" Aidan looked to his right and saw a talk black man with long black hair approaching him. He wore jeans that were covered in paint of varying colors, and a white tee shirt that said I Can Do It Better in bold, black print.

"Hi, Mister Roddam." Aidan said. Steven Roddam had become his neighbor about two years ago. He didn't know much about him, but he was friendly and his father and him got along well, as though they knew each other for years.

"I was wondering if you knew if your mother was home." His voice carried a slight Jamaican accent. He smelt of sawdust and paint. "Wife's come down with a nasty cough and I was wondering if Sarita would look at her for a bit?"

"Oh. Um, yeah sure." Aidan didn't know if his mom was home but he couldn't deny the man, not when his father knew him.

"Thank you boy-o." He stretched out his hand and Aidan shook it. Aidan noticed that in the middle of his arm a bandage was wound tightly around it. Steven saw him
looking and dropped his hand.

"Some bozo bit me." He laughed lightly, raising up the injured arm.

"What?"

"I was on the city bus heading downtown to work when some homeless fellow decided it was a good idea to take a bite of me arm."