The Prime Of The Outcasts

Part 9

'So, all of this is normal for you?' I asked Astrid.

I gasped for breath loudly as I felt my dizzy head send my eyes into a spin. My focus had completely overrun me. And a hot sensation displaying no sign of simmering down toasted my cheeks and turned them cherry red.

'Pretty much,' she replied. 'This can't be too normal for you though. You look as if you've just ran one hundred miles straight. What happened out there?'

I looked at her with disorientated eyes, doing my best to regain my concentration. Her dramatic waving in my face didn't make all the difference though. It wasn't until I felt an almighty slap molest my cheek did I then regain my sanity. The funny thing was though, the slap didn't belong to Astrid. A deep, but spritely male voice struck me straight after the hit.

'That should do it!' It said with a voice like gravel. It was a boy. Did he just pop out of the bloom? Did he just magic himself inside? Either way there wasn't somebody there before. After a minute or two I could see past the blurriness and notice Astrid giving him a good old smack on the side of his head.

'Terry!' She yelled. 'Was that necessary? You don't even know this girl, what gave you the right to slap her?!' This Terry chap blushed brighter than me. I looked upon the face of a tall fourteen or fifteen year old with hazel eyes. His hair was blonde and suave that lots of expensive hair gel succeeded in sticking to the left side of his head. He wore an even cooler green track suit that looked like he was away for a run. His thoughtful gaze met mine.

'Sorry...' He muttered sincerely. I smiled with teeth this time.

'Don't worry about it!' I replied. 'Your fist definitely proved useful.' I rubbed at my cheek as Astrid giggled. It was only at that point I noticed the weird and wonderful room my feet were stood in.

Just like a proper tree trunk, the walls were incredibly high. They weren't your usual colour of murky brown though. They were red. Bright red. The most vibrant shade of crimson you ever saw. Every now and then (the further upwards you looked), eight glass pane windows would catch your eye. The night sky was setting the moon aglow, and the hundreds of thousands of stars that expressed their high energy intake complimented the landscape beautifully.

Looking back at the rest of the room, it was both quirky and standard.

A wonky staircase stood in the corner that tailored all the way up to the bedrooms above me. They were wooden and slightly creaky, but so was everything else. Just beside that sat a maroon sofa with several matching blankets that hung over the side. A stone fireplace sat in front of it with a crackling furnace churning in the centre. At another corner, a small wooden kitchenette stood with an even smaller table and three chairs. According to a badly written sign perched on the side of the wonky staircase, the bathroom sat upstairs.

It was rather enclosed, but there was no denying how roomy it was. I looked upon Terry again who seemed fascinated by my facial features, just as I was about his attire.

'I'm Serena...' I announced awkwardly. Astrid prodded Terry on the back to move forward so I could get a proper introduction. 'Serena Pavock.'

'Yes, yes you are,' he replied in a flirtatious way. I stammered back a few steps so he wasn't standing so close. 'My full name is Terence Mystifier. Everyone calls me Terry, but you can call me whatever you like.' I got grossed out at these words. Astrid could tell. Just as he reached for my hand and puckered up his lips to kiss it, Astrid rushed into the middle of us and quickly broke it up, smacking Terry for a second time.

'You're so gross, Terry!' She proclaimed. 'Just head back to your own house already. You're not part of the fire element like us.' Terry looked massively offended by these words. I however was completely bewildered, this guy wasn't apart of the fire element! Then how come he was stood in here with us displaying no sign of how he entered? He wouldn't have fire magic. Would he?