The Assumption (The Hypothesis of Giants Series, Book One)

Chapter Four: The Unveiling

Aurora awoke to the blast of fireworks in the air as the colors streamed across the sky. She jumped up, frazzled and disoriented, trying to get her bearings before finally discerning she was still in the backwoods behind Mrs. Taboo's ruby-red house. She took a deep breath, wiped the dirt and tears away from her eyes, and paused to reflect on what she was going to do now. The fireworks show had started, and nobody had cared to look for her. She was invisible.

Aurora leaned against the side of the house to fix her shoe that was untied. The events of that afternoon made her nauseous, and she could not face these people again. Not Hattie, not Jonathan or her mother or Boreas, who would most likely make her pay for his broken cell phone. She wished she could stay hidden in those backwoods forever, but the night was making her restless and uneasy, especially being so close to the mysterious ruby-red house, where the inhabitants were never exposed. They were hidden away just like she was.

She stared at the house now within her touch and she felt fear gnawing at her intestines and she started imagining shadows coming to life and encircling her. She removed her hand from the wooden paneling and retraced her steps to go unnoticed from this forbidden abyss. She started to break out into a run when all of a sudden the deep blowing of the conch shell sounded out of nowhere, and she froze mid-step. She felt like her feet were glued to the soil, and her body trembled as she slowly turned to face the house that without a doubt was the source of this mysterious sound. She thought her mind was playing more tricks on her because out of the darkness one of the shadows had in fact come to life and was heading straight toward her. Overcome with fear, the shadow advanced, coming closer and closer. She braced herself for impact as the shadow collided with her body and both tumbled to the ground.

"Ow!" It exclaimed. "What the hell!"

It was a boy's voice, and Aurora stood up quickly in defensive stance, groaning slightly from the ache the impact had left in her side. "Who is there?" she said forcefully, her voice no longer paralyzed.

The figure struggled to its feet and rubbed its knees. "You're that stupid girl who broke my phone!" it shouted at her. "I've been looking for you all afternoon. You owe me a new phone!"

Of all the people to run into in the woods it had to be Boreas Stockington.

"Look, I'm sorry about your phone. I will get you a new one."

"You'd better! And I am going to sue you for attacking me!"

"You can't sue me for attacking you. You attacked me. You rammed right into me."

"I thought you were a tree."

"I look nothing like a tree."

"Well, a very demented-looking tree."

Another firecracker went off by the Stockington house, exploding shades of bright orange and yellows into the night sky, their twinkling resembling fallen stars.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Aurora asked as she rubbed her side, convinced it would be bruised by the Awakened Hour. She wished she had some ice. "Aren't you supposed to be with your family, lighting the fireworks for the grand finale?"

Boreas swayed back and forth, and Aurora's eyes began adjusting to the darkness and making out more than the shadowed frame of the teenager in front of her.

"They are doing fine without me," he said sternly. "And it's none of your business why I'm here."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to piss you off."

"You already mastered that by breaking my phone."

"Then you shouldn't have taken that picture of me, you jerk," she exclaimed, nearly pushing him, but he backed up out of her reach.