Gifted Liars

Chapter 4

Their living room is full of people. The mayor and his son are on the couch soothing Steve with encouraging words. David locked himself in his room and the twins are outside playing in the garden. Tessa was down the street, uncertain of what to do. She sees a rock, grabs it and throws it into a puddle on the road. The noise is calming but all Tessa wanted to do was to annoy her aunty like every afternoon. As Tessa is going further away from the house, night falls and the shadows of trees start to get bigger and darker. The wind kicks in and blows with its might. Just then, the lights go out from all the houses. 'Looks like the powers out.' Tessa says out loud.

Tessa stops and freezes at the sound of footsteps. She looks over her shoulder but nothing is there so she continues to walk. The noise persuades Tessa to stop and look around in every direction. Just then, the rabbit that she rescued earlier comes into view.

"Oh hey, little buddy." Tessa picks up the rabbit and cuddles it closer it to her face. They share a moment of silence when they both hear footsteps once again. "I've been hearing these footsteps multiple times but I thought it could have been an animal and it turned out to be you." Tessa looks at the rabbit again, confused. 'Why wasn't it talking.' She thinks in her mind.

"Where are you off to you." Tessa turns around to identify the unknown speaker. She feels a strong gust of wind around her. Overwhelmed by the dark shadowy circles around her, she sits down against a white small fence on the side of the street on the wet pathway. Finally, the unknown speaker shows itself. It was a boy with black ashy hair, dark eyes and tan skin. He is wearing a robe. He takes out his hand to greet her.

"Hi, I'm Sabre. I am here to collect you and a few others as we are about to depart and go to Darkstone Academy."

"I'm Tessa and this here is..." Tessa points towards the rabbit in her hands but the rabbit jumps out and transforms. The rabbit or the boy that had transformed reached out his hand to Sabre and says: "I'm Clarence." The boys both smile and crack up laughing when they look at Tessa's bewildered expression. "Well, that was weird." They all crack up laughing again.

"You're Tessa Raiver, your father is a powerful scientist. I've heard that he is studying dark matter on a mountain called non-Retour, which stands for the point of no return." Sabre looks down at the ground and remembers something important. "Let's go to your homes and collect your suitcases."

Tessa walks slowly behind the boys who run along the street in search of Clarence's house. She intently looks at Sabre and then realisation hits her. He was the same person that took Sandra. Tessa runs over to them and stops Sabre. "I know who you are."

"I know, I just told you that I am Sabre."

"No, you took Sandra."

"Oh, Sandra, your friend?"

"No, my aunty."

"Yes, I did come to your house and I took your friend Sandra because she is coming to the academy. I thought she would have recognised me but she didn't. So I decided to create some drama at the house. When I explained myself to her, she remembered me."

"Oh, so your not a kidnapper. But Sandra is not my friend, she's my aunt."

"Did she not tell you?"

Clarence opens the gate for them and they both enter Clarence's front yard. "We can talk about ourselves and our powers later when we are on the train. This is my house. My parents will be in there and just to reassure you, they are wizards so it's ok to discuss your lives out loud. Sabre, you can also tell my parents about us departing today. I will get my belongings from my room."

Tessa and Sabre both nod their heads and they enter the house. They spot Clarence's parents watching T.V. "Mum, Dad, this is Tessa and Sabre. Sabre says that we are departing today. I will be up in my room if you need me." Clarence closes the front door and runs up the stairs and into his room.