Kai walks down the dirt path lost completely in her thoughts. She looks up hearing a noise. That happened sometimes, she would be minding her own business and some odd noise would cause goose bumps to spread across her arms.
"Hey." relief floods her face and shifts to a smile once she spots what disturbed her peace of mind. "There's my girl."
Kai wraps her arms around her step-father inhaling his familiar honey and wood-chip scent.
"Hi." She mumbles in his chest.
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His lean muscled arms enfolded her in a warm embrace. "I was beginning to worry Kai, it was getting late."
"Sorry, I was just thinking." They pull apart and continue their trek back home.
"You think to much." his jovial smile lights up their dark surroundings as he ruffled her blonde and blue hair playfully. His eyes study her face, and his grin fades ever so slightly. "Is everything okay? Did something happen at school yesterday?"
Kai hesitates, not sure if she should mention any of Nico at all. He got really protective when it came to guys.
"There was this guy . . ." She started. His face clouded over, but thankfully, he didn't say anything. "He's new at school and he said something that worries me." When she hesitates, Liam, her step-father, says, "Did he have black hair and a skeleton tee-shirt?"
Kai nods in shock, "How'd you know?"
"It means it's time."
"Time for what?"
"Listen very closely Kai, you're real father is going to become known to you soon. It will be tough, but the reason I have been helping you with your . . . depressing thoughts, is because you are special. I have been protecting you from unknowing people who would love to get their hands on you and that is part of how I know about your abilities."
"I knew that there was something off about it. I don't remember telling you about any of that." Kai says as she struggles to figure out where he is going with this story. Before he can explain further, their house comes into view.
The old beach house has missing shingles that have fallen off the sides and roof that scatter along the overgrown grass.
"Look," he stops just out of hearing range of the house. "Don't trust your mother, go meet the boy on Monday, and do what he says. Trust me, don't let me tie you to this place."
"Aren't you coming in?"
Her step-father shakes his head. "I can't be seen by your mother right now, she's going through one of her . . . phases."
Kai nods in understanding. When mom was in a mood she would lash out at everyone within a ten mile radius. Kai bore enough scars to know how to avoid pressing her buttons during one of them.
Monday morning rolled around slowly but surely, Kai begrudgingly exited the woods from her walk to school.
"You actually made it." The Emo kid, Nico, surprises her from behind. If she hadn't recognized his voice at the last second, he would no longer have been able to make children.
"I'll let you know that the only reason I'm here is because my step-father wanted it." Kai grumbles.
Nico nods as if this isn't news to him.
"This better be good." Kai warns him.
"If it wasn't, would I be here? And if you are here, that means that you want some answers for something."
Kai pauses, should I tell this complete stranger the things that have been bothering me for as long as i can remember? But Father wanted me to.
Nico seems to understand her hesitation. "Lemme guess, you've had crazy things happen before today, perhaps impossible to understand, like maybe a weird creature that you caught a glimpse of."
Kai nods, then shakes her head, "Yes and no, that does happen a couple times a day, but- what?"
"Nothing keep going." his face had scrunched up a little.
"It's water-" Nico stops dead in his tracks, his eyes wide like he's seen a ghost.
Maybe he has.
Kai scans the groups of students across the lawn to see what has him startled.
"Water?" He croaks. Is this guy seriously afraid of even the word? Nico grabs her upper arm and pulls her through the school halls.
"What are you doing?" Kai protests jerking from his grip and stumbling back from him.
"You don't understand! We have to get away from here as quickly as possible!!" His expression is frantic. If her father hadn't told her not to, Kai would have run from him right then.
"I'm all for ditching, but the exit is that way, so I assume we need something here?"
"Someone, and we can't leave him here. So get in here and wait for me, and do NOT under any circumstances let anyone in." Nico opens a supply closet door for her.
Kai steps in and crosses her arms. Without another word, Nico shuts the door leaving her in the dark. If this crazy nutjack isn't back in ten minutes, I am going to get the hell out of this place. Kai flops back into a corner behind a shelf. In the dark, she unzips her bag and rescues her knife from the bottom of it. Somehow, she knew she would need it today.
Luckily she didn't have to wait long for the sound of footsteps to echo down the hall. Listening closely, Kai could tell it was not Nico. the steps were to loud and to far in between. And there were two sets of them. Kai's heart is in her throat as she shrinks back, pressing her spine into the cold concrete wall. And There it was again. That soothing feeling in her own veins. Her blood pumps in her ears, and with each pump she feels a pulse in the pipes in the wall. The vein like water system sloshes with excitement, she can tell where each pipe is, her adrenaline stirring the water up uneasily.
The footsteps stop in front of the door and Kai prepares to jump.
"I smell her." a coarse voice hisses, reminding Kai of a snake's.
"She knows now, she will be dangerous. Thanks to that Nico." a more masculine voice replies.
"We should have gotten her before they showed up. It's going to be so much harder now."
They?
Who else is here?
The two people have just turned the doorknob when a door slammed down the hall.
