The Realm of Question

Chapter 5

I woke the next morning with sweat streaked all the way down my neck. I tried to get up and walk to get my water bottle to pour onto my face but no such luck. A pair of warm arms were wrapped around me. Josh had stayed with me all night just as I had asked. I didn't want to stir him from his peaceful state but if I didn't get up right then, I thought might die from heat stroke. I kissed his forehead and then stroked his cheeks tenderly. He opened his eyes slowly. I gasped. They weren't their normal color. They were dark indigo!

"Josh! Josh! Your eyes! What's wrong with your eyes?" He looked at me and seemed to see his reflection in my eyes. He pushed me away. Not gently I might add and bolted out the door with inhuman speed. I looked at the door with an expression of puzzlement.

In the kitchen I was surprised to see only two of the Hunters sitting, eating their cereal. I walked to the cupboard and looked for the Lucky Charms. The box wasn't there.

"If you're looking for the Lucky Charms we polished off the last of them." Dexter said.

"But-but-but I wanted some," I whined like a little child.

"Have some Coco Puffs," Trish said, holding out a brown box. I grumbled but took it from her hand and poured some of the brown balls into my bowl. I added milk and grumpily dropped my spoon in.

"So, do you know what's wrong with Josh?" I asked, curious to find out what was wrong with him and his beautiful eyes.

"What do you mean?" Trish asked, eyes never leaving her sweet treat.

"When he woke up his eyes were a deep, dark purple." I said cautiously.

"That's what his eyes look like in the morning. Something to do with how the sun hits his retinas at first light or something." she explained, but I could sense she was bluffing. I could tell I wouldn't get the answers I was looking for, so I decided to drop it.

"Oh." I said, beginning to eat my Coco Puffs. Not bad! I began to shovel them into my mouth. I was definitely getting better with a spoon.

"So where is he?" I asked.

"He went out with the family to do some shopping," she said.

"Why didn't you go?" I tried to keep the suspicion out of my voice. Something wasn't right with the Hunters, of that I was sure. There was something they weren't telling me, and I was going to find out what.

"We wanted to go to the pool. I was just about to ask if you wanted to come," she said, putting her own and Dexter's dishes in the sink.

"What's a pool?" I asked.

"It's a place where you go swimming and tan," Dexter replied, picking up my empty cereal bowl and putting it with the rest.

"Oh¼" I still had no idea what I was getting myself into, but then again I never did.