Something New Revealed

Chapter 7

“Nita, get up.”

            My eyes slowly open and I realize I’m on the forest floor.  I set myself up on my elbows.  Griffin is in front of me.

            “You okay?” he asks. 

            “What happened?”  Griffin holds out his hand.  I take it and he pulls me up with ease. 

            “There was a Banshee.  Someone said something and it freaked everyone out.  When I heard the voice, I came running and saw you passed out on the ground.  You okay?”

            “Yea, I guess.  What’s a Banshee?”

            “Someone, usually a girl, there are rarely male Banshees, someone who when they get extremely mad let out a screeching voice but they don’t speak.  They just think what they want to say.”  I gulp and look at the ground.  “What’s wrong?” Griffin asks.  I look up at him.

            “I know who the Banshee is,” I say quietly.

            “Who?”

            “Me.”

            We get to the bonfire spot in the woods.  There’s a huge fire surrounded by long logs.  Behind the logs are tables with refreshments.  Everyone sits down on the logs; I sit far from everyone.  Suddenly the flame is extinguished, but no one even touched it.  Somewhere someone turns on Who Am I Living For? by Katy Perry.  Footfalls begin to sound.  Then in the center of the clearing where the fire was, a person stands, but you can only see the outline of the figure.  Then they hold their hand up to their mouth, facing the once burning fire.  They blow.  And instantly a streak of fire flies from their mouth it looks like and enters the fire, making it ignite once more.  I look to see who it is.

            Griffin.  I smile.

            He dashes back behind the trees and more Naturals come out.  Some sprout levitating flowers and toss them to fellow students; some create water jets and mists and spray the students.  One girl holds her hands over her head and starts waving them in different motions and directions.  Then she thrusts her hands out to the sitting students and a gust of wind blows on us.  Then several students dance around the fire, including Griffin, and they stick their hands in the fire.  They then bring their hands back out, blow across their palm where a flame glows in their hand, and the flame is blown around in the air and it forms a flaming dragon, then a snake, then a phoenix.  The phoenix flies straight for us but dissolves right before it hits us, and the center fire goes out.  It comes back on several seconds later when a Natural blows across her palm again, signaling the performance is over.  The crowd bursts into applause.  The Naturals bow and go to find their seats on the logs.  Griffin searches the crowd and meets my gaze then heads over to sit with me. 

            “Hey, that was -” I start, but Griffin pulls me toward him and engulfs me in a kiss.  Several seconds later he breaks away.

            “…breathtaking,” I finish.  He smiles.  Griffin holds me against him, my head pressed against his chest; I can hear his heartbeat, slow and steady. 

            “Okay, everyone!” bellows Samantha over the obnoxious crowd.  “Wasn’t that amazing?!  Awesome job, Naturals.  Now is the time y’all can do whatever you want out here: hang out, chat, and eat… whatever you want.  Have fun!” 

            Everyone then spreads out, most teens going to the food tables.  Some people go over and jam by the speakers, and some just sit on the logs and talk.  Griffin pulls me with him out of the clearing.