The Dark Entity

Chapter 9: Rain

"Are you expecting us to find a grocery store way out here? In the middle of pretty much no where?" Clover asked, in a disbelieving tone.

The group had been up and walking again for twenty minutes already, the light morning breeze surrounding them. The animals they had gathered as they went their journey walked with them Some floating, some flying, and some were trotting beside their human companions. They were all yet to find a place that sold food for them to buy.

"Don't be so negative about this," Ignacia responded, smacking the other girl lightly on the shoulder. "There's gotta be a gas station convenience store around here somewhere."

Sterling nodded in agreement, "There is one," he confirmed. "I remember passing one when I came from this direction."

"So, you live near here?" Mizu asked, from where he was walking beside him, glancing at the slightly taller boy.

He looked back at him and hesitated, "Not near here- no," he answered, then pointed to a spot in the far distance. "My house is further up, more in the hills over there, see?"

They followed his finger to where he was pointing, seeing a glimpse of a small cluster of houses up in the hills.

Mizu looked back at Sterling, his expression showing a bit of concern for the telekinetic boy, "You walked that far?" he questioned.

"Uh- yeah. Well not really walked, it was more of a run," he responded, looking partially nervous.

He shot him a confused look, his eyebrows raising as to ask why he was running that long of a distance.

"I like to get away sometimes- preferably far away," Sterling sighed and added, in reply to Mizu's expression.

The merman boy nodded in understanding, "Makes sense- your parents seem harsh," he said.

Just then, Ariston jumped in between the two, swinging his arms to reach around and grab their outside shoulders, "You think? Harsh is an understatement," he interrupted.

"Leave them alone, lion boy," Iggy said from behind them, rolling he eyes.

"What? I didn't even do anything," he complained, throwing his arms up in the air in protest and then capturing the other boy's in his arms once again.

"You're hurting my arm, that's what you're doing," Mizu replied, shoving Ariston off of him and escaping his grip.

At that moment they neared a tiny white-bricked building with a small gas station next to it. Sterling, who was in the lead, stopped walking and everyone followed his actions, stopping with him- except for Ariston, who bumped into Mizu, causing the poor boy to stumble forward.

"Oh, sorry- Iggy, please don't yell at me," he immediately said, apologizing to the other boy.

"Is that all you think of me?" she asked, dramatically.

"Who's going inside?" Astrid questioned, interrupting yet another one of Ignacia and Ariston's stupid little arguments.

"Sterling has those cool mind powers so shouldn't he go?" Clover asked, gesturing to the boy.

"I guess I should. It's the safest if someone recognizes me, right?" he responded, shrugging.

"We'll wait for you around the corner," Iggy told him.

Clover dug some money out of her bag- thirty dollars- and handed it to Sterling. He took the cash, walked away, and disappeared into the convenience store.

"How much food do we have left anyways?" Astrid asked, their gaze landing on Clover.

"Uhh..." she began, keeling down and rummaging around their bags to check. "Three cans of soup... half a box of granola bars, four juice boxes... a box of crackers... and two water bottles left for each of us," she listed.