The Hands that Caught...A Feather

Chapter 5

The few hours went by quick; I had retreated to my room – one would wonder what catastrophe landed in this room at first glance – filled with books on one side and the other side carried tons of canvases, some filled with color and nature, some still need to be done. I have yet to finish one of the views from the Willow tree.

Seung Min came to check on me after hour one, hasting me away to pack my essentials. 'We don't need to carry a large bunch of clothes' - SeungMin had mentioned. The Academy carried a strict code regarding attire and none of mine fit the code, also there were uniforms. I had no idea what I was being thrown into at this point.

'The ride is here.' Appa called out.

I flinched at the sudden noise in the house, I forgot where I was and how much time passed after Seung Min had come by. It turned dark outside by then, as I looked out the window to catch a glimpse of an old car, like those that were driven in the 1800s. Nervous as I was, I giggled – this looked like a carriage on big wheels and if anyone from Willowdale saw this object, they would faint.

'Ready, Noona?' Seung Min whispered, extending his hand from the car as I approached to put in my luggage, Appa right behind me.

I nodded no. My palms were sweating from the excitement and anxiety.

'It will be ok,' Appa replied. 'We can write letters. We have a way. Now, go.' He gave a slight nudge as I entered the car and shut the door behind me.

The next thing was the most bizarre out of all the events that happened in the last twenty-four hours, the car was flying. I looked over at my brother to see him chuckling, watching out of the window.

'What in the world is going on here?' My voice drew a high pitch as I held onto the door handle for dear life.

'Noona, we got skills, everyone around us knows how to move things in the air. I can too, to an extent. I just cannot do it in front of people who are not supposed to know we exist. Think of the book we used to read. A boy who discovered a magical world. Similar stuff. If you need to know more, we need to reach the academy. Even the air can catch whispers.''

I knew I could not pester him more as he reclined against the soft cushion, so I chose to look out into the dark sky – clouds appearing in front of us. Just at that moment, as if someone spoke to me, I looked down – the car was flying over Willowdale and towards the tall Willow tree, and that is when I caught a glimpse of him, standing outside the bookstore as if he were waiting for me.

SeungMin was next to me, looking out the window the second he heard my gasp.

'Noo... NOONA! Why is he looking at you?' I caught the drastic change in his voice, a mixture of betrayal and hate mixed in with sadness.

'That is... He is ... Ah... Theo'

'How do you know him? Is that what he told you his name was? Did you go to THAT store by any chance?'

I knew I needed to lie. He seemed to like his head could explode any moment.

I sighed. 'He ruined my morning, I bumped into him while I went out to get eggs.' MY fingers were crossed, hoping he would buy it.

My brother sighed as he relaxed back into the seat, muttering curses in a language I could not figure out what but heard before. Also, the silence that followed was deadly and I wanted to know.

'So, this academy, wherever this...thing is taking us – where is it?'

My brother who was looking out the window answered. 'You cannot see it on a map, at least on one that is built by humans.' I realized I rolled my eyes at him over the word humans.