On The Run (Book 1 of the "New Life Unknown" Series)

Chapter 1

When I woke up, I was in a nice, comfy bed, and no one was around. I didn't know where I was, and I was terrified. Just when I was about to panic, the door opened and Kelleena walked into the room.

"How are you feeling, Andrew?" she asked. "Like I got run over by a mach truck," I answered. "That's understandable."

"So, here you are."

I jumped up out of bed and saw a hooded figure just standing in the doorway. It was almost like he just materialized out of thin air.

"Who are you?" I inquired of the figure. "Someone who wants to help you." The hooded figure sounded like a male with a very deep voice. I asked him his name, and I found out that it was Avalon. "Thank you, but we don't need your help." I grabbed Kelleena's hand and started walking her out of the door.

"I know how you shot lightning in that alleyway."

I stopped dead in my tracks, and Kelleena and I turned back to Avalon. "Excuse me?" I said in shock. "You wanna know how you shot that lightning," Avalon said, "and I can help you. I know what that orphanage was all about. I know what they are, and I know what they hide. I know about your powers."

I stood there in shock. I started thinking about all the times I've gotten into trouble, all the weird things that I've seen, all the problems I've had there.

"What powers?" I asked Avalon. "Magic."

When he said that word, it reverberated through the room. It also felt like something awakened inside me. I could feel power flowing through me, and I panicked. I ended up letting loose a huge dose of fire inadvertantly. "Stop!" yelled Avalon in shock. The house started going up in flames, and we escape the house just in time.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Avalon yelled at me. "I didn't mean to do that!!" I yelled back. "Well come on!! We've gotta get out of here!!" So Avalon led Kelleena and me out of the house, and then I stopped the mysterious hooded figure and I told him, "Now, before we go any farther, you need to tell me what you know!"

Avalon's eyes flashed dangerously, but just as suddenly, he got himself under control. "First off," he said in a dangerously quiet voice, "you will mind your tone. You don't know to whom you speak. Second, you will learn what you seek in due time. You don't know the intense power that knowledge has. Also, knowledge brings responsibility, something which you need to learn more about before you can even attempt to understand or bear the knowledge handed down to you through the generations..." "Wait! What?? Through the generations?! What are you talking about?? Look, I may not look like much, but I can handle whatever knowledge you throw my way." The smirk he gave me as I said that frightened me, and Avalon knew it, althought I didn't show it in my face.

"Interesting," Avalon chuckled, "you may be powerful yet. However, you cannot bait me into telling you. First, I need to see that lightning bolt again." I tried, but nothing happened. He chortled, which highly ticked me off. Suddenly, I summoned the lightning bolt and shot it at him. I was hoping it would disintegrate him like it had done to the monster I fought, but apparently this guy was a magic user too. He just closed his fist at his side, and the electricity dissipated instantly. Who was this guy?! "Not bad for a beginner, but you need to learn to control yourself more before you can know of the power you can possess. How about we spar?"

"Spar?" I laughed, "With you? That's hilarious! I don't wanna beat down on some old man." Avalon laughed right back. "Try me." He materialized a branch out of thin air and threw it to me. "What, no branch for you?" "You'll find me difficult enough, don't worry." I shrugged and swung at him quickly, but he batted the stick aside like it was nothing. I tried again, but to no avail. This process repeated until I was sweating really hard. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. Finally I asked him something that had been on my mind during that whole match.

"What do you need to teach me before you tell me what the hell I did in that alley?" He responded, "Finally we're getting somewhere. Well, first you need to learn to control yourself... " "Yes, but how?" "Stop interrupting, or I'll never be able to teach you anything!" he shot back. I shut up. "Good," he said, "now you need to know how to control yourself even when you're ticked off, in grave peril, and the like." Just then, I saw something out the corner of my eye, a flicker of movement. "Dammit!" Avalon said, "they found you two." Kelleena finally butted in, "Wait, the orphanage?! We're 53 miles from there!" I looked at Kelleena in awe. "How did you know that?" Kelleena looked confused as she answered, "I don't know, just a feeling I got."

Avalon chuckled in shock. "Never did I think I'd find an actual tracker, especially not in this era. You're rare, child, and very powerful in your own right." Kelleena just looked at Avalon in confusion, as did I. "Look, Avalon," I interjected, "I don't trust you, but I do agree that I need to learn this magic. I need to learn about my... my powers... I wanna know what the hell is going on with me. So, teach me." Avalon finally lowered his hood so I could see his face. The look in his eyes was so tender, and it made me quite curious. Why did he have that look in his eyes? What did he know? Why did he look so distantly familiar? As I thought about those questions in my mind, something clicked into place.

"D-d-dad??"