Dust.

Chapter 3 "Within The Grove"

The raven comes back, just as we both come back to the present. The Professor calls the raven, and opens the letter from the other labs... They all say the same thing "she" is gone.. No one knows where she goes or how she gets there... There is only a few people left alive who know her true form..

I look up at the ceiling with a small tear in my eye, not moving just sitting on the cusp of my eye lid, waiting for me to squint so it can run down my face. I wipe my eyes with my dirty hands. Slowly stand up, trying to find my legs again.

The Professor looks down at my feet, "where is your other sock, dear boy".... I gulp, "it came off as I ran back"... He looks at me and down back at my feet...

Tsk Tsk..

You see those socks were a present from him, I don't think he was too happy to hear that I had lost one... He turns around and walks up the stairs and turns right... He never turns right...

Only the cupboard is on the right... I stand there patiently waiting for him to come back down and give me lecture on responsibility and my belongings.

I hear rumble and tumbles, of pots and pans, foot patters along the ground above me. Then he stops, knocks one more thing onto the ground and walks back down the croaky old staircase with a rather small black box in his hands...

I don't know what to think... What could it be, punishment, a present, might not even be for me...

He looks at me, down at my feet again, slowly putting the box on the bench, and whilst all this is happening hes whistling a soft tune, I'm not sure if its a trick, or hes simply just whistling, but I feel strange, as if i cant move..... wait... I "can't" move... "what did you do Professor"... He turns his back from me, the walls cave in and turn to darkness, no more love, or happiness in this world, I can't even feel my own face, it's like someone blew out the candle on my life....

I jolt, as if I was struck by lightening..

I open my eyes and I'm laying on the floor in the middle of our lounge room... all spread apart, like I was making angels in the dust...

The Professor just standing over me.. "are you alright my boy, you over slept while the raven came, its been a few hours since dusk".. I slowly get up, ach's and pains all along my back and legs, I'm on all fours now, trying to see straight...

"are you holding a box, Professor?"... I ask with the most unsettling tone..

"why yes dear boy, how did you know"...

"I dreamt about you, going up the stairs to grab it, and coming down.. *cough* *cough*.. and then it all went dark, like nothing I've ever felt before"...

"It was just a dream my dear boy, have some soup, it's on the fire"

"it didn't feel like a dream, Professor.. what is happening"... at this point, I extremely concerned because my head is spinning and what I dreamt actually happened...

"eat, child... eat, you will feel better"...

I eat the soup, slurping and guzzling away.. "what's in the box Professor"..

"your sock"... I stop, put the bowl down and run to him "but how".... He looks at me, then at Jasper... and smiles the most hilarious grin I have ever seen "Jasper found it whilst you wee asleep"...

I ran towards Jasper, he fly's straight up, completely knocking me to the ground, as he softly perch's onto his ledge, almost ginning as if he wants to smile, but doesn't want me knowing past that hard crusty exterior, there is a soft little bird sitting inside...

I through a spark and Jasper, a very simple trick The Professor taught me, it doesn't hurt.. But it does scare certain creatures and taunts most others... Everyone has their own color... For spells I mean, The Professor's is green, a very light green... Some creatures can cast spells, trained creatures that is, like Jasper, his color is dark blue... I don't know how or why everyone has a different color, some have the same some are bright, some are dark... a select few don't have colors at all.... Like my mother, her spells were white, crystal and bright...

My color however, is purple... The Professor said it was because I'm old, I think he's confused... I'm only fifteen... Some colors change with age, and go brighter too... Though never darker..

Just another mystery to add to the pile I guess..

So anyway, I cast the spark at Jasper, knocking him off his perfectly placed perch.. Smashing into the ground, here I am laughing on the ground, never see jasper fall off his perch, I fall to the ground clenching my stomach as I laugh myself nearly to death.. Jasper slowly getting up, with a little growl under his breath... I stop, realizing what I've just done, I quickly shuffle and get up..

Now Jasper's eyes have locked onto me, he growls and hisses.... I didn't know eagles could hiss...

He spits a much larger spark at me, all nice and beautiful, I raise my barrier, so purple and transparent, completely blocking Jasper's spark... Great now I've started a battle with the bloody bird.. The Professor crawls out from behind the door with another rather large smile on his face, throwing me my sock.

I grab it and slip it on without a moments notice, all clean and fresh, whilst the other is dirty and crumpled under my feet.... Jasper still hissing and spitting away, me raising barrier after barrier..... Waiting for the perfect moment to strike.. I have the best spell in mind, because in order to cast a spell, you must first think, and then believe which creates the "magic"... Raising another barrier, just after I do so, I fling a ball of energy at Jasper's body, knocking him into the ground with incredible force, not knowing if Jasper's okay, I slowly step towards the bird, trying to see his face.. He springs up, flapping his wings in motion, creating a circle of dust and dirt around me..

He spits another spell, this one I have never seen before, I think I started something in Jasper, he has never felt before.... Pushing me into the air, not up, not sideways, but on a perfect angle, like I've been thrown from a catapult....

Flying through the air, looking back at Jasper's smirk.. I look forward, seeing as I'm about to land on a lovely patch of grass... I cast a break spell, inevitably breaking my fall, which is always use full... as I giggle at Jasper's failure as it so happens... I flew to far, not knowing where I am, reach for my rucksack... I suddenly realize it isn't there..

Lost at the fact I forgot the most important thing I own... I sit down, completely surrounded by tall hanging trees, a little pond of water, as the bright fish pop up to the surface for air, I don't know why, their fish...

Just sitting there... Looking at my hands, I break...

I spill out tears after tears, for no apparent reason... I look at my feet... At least I still have my socks, my beautiful black socks... Never have I been so happy to see both of them together..

I stand up, noticing blood running down my right leg, I freeze, never seen my own blood before... But I don't feel any pain..

I search my right legs, my hip and my torso.. Nothing, no signs of scraps, or cuts... Though right then.. I notice the blood is streaming down, its crawling up my leg.... I lift my leg, I have just stepped in a big puddle of blood... Knowing it's not mine, I look around for any harmed creatures, or people that might be hurt...

I hear a small whimpering behind a tree just to my left... " Is anyone there, I wont hurt you... I can help you, I am learned in the arts..." hoping the creature or person that is making those whimpering sounds to come out... I slowly walk towards the tree, as the whimpering gets louder..

I peer around the tree, not knowing what to expect... wait... I've herd that whimpering before, I'm unsure where from though...

I take another step, just big enough to see who is hurt...

looking towards someone sitting down behind the tree.... crying...

"are you hurt....?"... no response

I say it a little louder "are you hurt..!!?"...

She swiftly turns, around whilst shooting up from where she was sitting... the whole front of her covered in blood, doesn't look like to be hers...

She's just standing there panting heavily, with her robe covered in blood, some on her face and most in her long blonde hair... She looks to be around my age... Just standing there staring into my soul...

Her hand moves, as she builds a spell... I pull up my barrier.... as I pull up my shield, a dark spark shimmering with silver exploding off my barrier....

As the cloud of magic disperses from in front of my eyes, the dust and dirt fall to the ground while my barrier stands strong...

She's gone, disappeared into the wind.....