I Am Number 5: Spell Forsaken

Chapter 6

     "They've found us," I whimpered.

Mitch tiptoed towards the window very carefully. He briskly looke out the window, attentive not to be seen."Not yet," was his answer.

  "Jess, there are police at the door. Stay put. Do not come out of this room. Do you understand me?" A look of concern rushed through his flushed face. It looked as if his sandy hair was turning more ashy-gray every second.

   I nodded. "Be careful."

He walked hurriedly down the stairs as the doorbell rang. I heard the door open and some talking. I concentrated on trying to overhear the conversation. My ears faintly buzzed, a familiar feeling I often got when trying to use my powers. I was so unfocused, and I could hear almost everything within the acre. The bees on the flowers, the swaying of the grass, and the small rodent that appeared to be squeaking in our flowerbed.

     I zoned in on just the conversation and the slightest movements of the officers. From the hustle of feet there were 2 at the door, and atleast one more in the parked car close by. I heard Mitch step outside. I chanced to look through the window, and it appeared to be a sheriff and maybe a few of his deputies. I caught his name, Sheriff Vix, and the bulky man next to him was Sloan.

    sheriff Vix started to talk abruptly, as if he had something more important to do. In a deep voice he uttered, "... and there have been some gunshots heard 'round these parts. I was wondering if you have heard anything?"

  "Yes sir", Mitch said with a little Western accent,"I heard 'em close by. But I didn't have anything to do with it. I didn't see anything and I was in my house when it happened."

   MItch started speaking in my head again. "Jess, if you can hear me now, get hot like you have a fever. Then get into your bed and pretend to sleep." I wondered if I could reply back to him. "Okay," I sent my thoughts to him.

   I started to work up my fire. It took alot of patience to control my hands from preventing them to turn into a blazing fire. Instead what I did was very lightly start up a tiny flame in my palm. I held it there for awhile, realizing that keeping a small flame tamed is harder than to summon a huge fireball.

     It took alot of restaint, and in no time I felt sweat trickling down my face and my hands started to cramp. I extinguished the fire, but tried to conceal the warmth in my body. I felt my head, and sure enough it was burning up. Once again I listened to the sheriff as he asked, "So you have a daughter, and she's upstairs this instant.With a huge fever?"

  "Yessir," Mitch slurred his words together.

"May I see her?"

Mitch tensed, but I felt him nod his head. "They're coming upstairs. You better be ready."

   I realized I needed to slip on some pj's so the men wouldn't get suspicious. I tore off my jeans as I heard the officer and Mitch slowly climb the stairs. 

  "Now quiet and slowly gentlemen. I don't want to wake my baby girl."

I stifled a laugh, for now the sheriff surely is thinking that Mitch is a lunatic. I pulled up a pair of old sweats, ruffled my hair for that 'bed look', and pulled the bed covers over me. Just in time, too. As I closed my eyes, my door creaked and I said a silent thank you to Mitch for making me sleep in the very last room at the end of the hall. If I had been a second slower, they would have caught me out of bed and we would've had some explaining to do.

    "See, gentlemen? I told you." He laid his hand on my forehead for good measure. "My oh my, she's burning up."

  I caught myself sarting to smile, and I thought I'd blown it. To cover up, I quickly blinked my eyes and opened them steadily. "Mitch, is that you?"

   "Yes Jess, it's your father." Oops, he's going to scold me later on for calling him Mitch in public. I'm always supposed to reply to him as dad or some other fatherly term.

    I tried to act confused then asked, "Why are these men here, Dad?"

"Because there were gunshots earlier today, and these nice officers are just checking on us, to make sure we're safe."

   I caght the deputy roll his eyes, and the other guy nudged him. "Thank you, officers. That's very sweet."

   "The pleasure is ours, young lady. Get well soon."

As I started to close my eyes and pretend to sleep, I glimpsed the small figure of a tabby cat on the windowsill.