The Familiar (16 page)

23

When I get back to the dorm, Louise leaps at me, giving me a bear hug.

“You’re back!” she says while looking me over. “Are you okay?”

I hug her back tightly. “I’m fine… Actually, I’m feeling awesome.”

Louise raises one eyebrow suspiciously. “Did they drug you or something?”

I smirk, shaking my head in denial as I plop down on my bed.

“Nah, nothing like that. They just gave me some juice and vitamins, that’s all.”

Louise exhales, and situates herself on the bed next to me.

“I swear it was like watching a movie or something. Seriously, one minute Jared is this monster, and you’re like a damsel in distress, and the next minute, Jared is transforming into a fairy, whisking you away.” She stares at me, so excited she looks like she’s about to burst.

“Hazel, it was like the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!”

I look at Louise speechless.

“Wait. Jared turned into a fairy?”

“Yeah! Not like a little fairy. More like a full sized man fairy. He had these giant silvery wings that spread out this far when he flew away,” she replies, holding her hands apart exaggeratedly.

I try to picture what she’s describing, but have a hard time envisioning it.

“And what about Cassandra? I mean, what was she doing while all this was happening?”

“Nothing. She was just standing there watching Jared like the rest of us. I can’t really tell if she was shocked or mad or what,” she explains.

There’s a knock on the door, and Akiko peeks in. Her face brightens when she sees me, and she runs into the room shrieking.

“Hazel! You’re okay? You look like you’re okay. I’m just glad you’re alive. That was so intense.”

“Thanks, Akiko… I’m glad I’m alive, too,” I reply laughing. “I’m actually starving, so now that we’ve established that I’m okay, can we pleasssee go get some dinner?”

At the dining hall, just as expected, I get a lot of stares and whispers. I grab a tray and fill it up with two kinds of pasta, a grilled cheese sandwich, several different desserts and a big strawberry milkshake. When I get back to the table, Louise and Akiko are already busy devouring their food.

“So now that the drama is over, and our dear Hazel has joined us again, can we talk about the camping trip?” says Louise in between bites of her pizza.

Suddenly, I realize that Samir’s nowhere in sight.

“Hey, where is Samir anyway?” I ask curiously, looking out into the crowded dining hall to see if I can spot him.

Akiko shrugs, rolling her black almond shaped eyes. “He said he had to do some research in the library… I swear, that boy needs to lay off the books and get a life,” she says exasperatedly.

Louise chortles, almost choking on her pizza. “Don’t worry… Soon enough he’ll figure out that he can’t get a girlfriend with his nose buried in books all the time,” she replies with a wink.

I take a bite of my grilled cheese sandwich and shake my head disapprovingly. “Poor Samir. His ears must be ringing by now with all this talk… Anyway, so what’s the latest on the camping trip?”

Akiko chimes in excitedly. “Oh yeah… So supposedly, the hike will take us to a place called Mirror Falls. I was kind of dreading this whole outing, but now I’m curious… The place sounds intriguing.”

I finish my sandwich, and take a sip of my milkshake.

“Well, after this week, I’m kind of looking forward to doing something normal.”

“I know, same. I just hope there isn’t a hidden agenda. Like some challenge we’re supposed to accomplish. Word is a few of the teachers will be chaperoning,” explains Louise.

“I heard it might even be Maya,” says Akiko in a hushed tone.

I think about Maya’s meeting with Jared and wonder what they talked about. Suddenly, the food on my tray looks unappealing, my appetite wanes at the sight and smell of it. I feel sluggish, and I wonder if the effects of the green liquid are starting to fade.

“Guys, I’m feeling really tired all of a sudden. I think I’m going to go to bed early tonight.”

Louise frowns, trying not to show the worry on her face. “Do you need me to come with you?”

I shake my head. “No, it’s okay. Finish your dinner. I’m just going to take a shower, maybe call my mom, then go to bed. I want to get some rest before the trip tomorrow.”

I leave the dining hall hastily and take the short walk to the dorm. When I get back to my room, I undress and drag myself into the shower, turning the hot water on full blast.

At first the water is too much of a shock. I step back and slowly ease myself back into the streamline. When I finally dip my head under the spout all the tension releases from my body. Every problem disappears and I allow myself to stop thinking.

When I finally get out, I dry myself, and put on my favorite pajamas. I open my laptop to check if Mom’s online and my video chat starts to ring. I’m ecstatic to see its Andy, and click on the button to accept the call.

“Hey! You’re finally online,” he says, happy to see me, it seems. Andy looks freshly showered, and his face looks smooth, like he just shaved. He’s wearing his favorite Metallica t-shirt, and sits on the floor leaning up against the wall.

My heart is beating quickly, just the sight of him sends tingles up my spine, and I can almost imagine the smell of that shea butter soap his mom likes to buy. I try my best to look casual though, too embarrassed to reveal any of my true emotions.

“I was going to bed, but I decided to check my email first.”

“Already? Not going to any of those wild art camp parties?” he asks jokingly.

I laugh and make an effort to joke back, “Nah, I can’t hang with those crazy art kids. The doodling drinking games are way to intense… Pictionary and beer aren’t exactly the best combination,” I say, hoping that my rambling doesn’t make me sound like a bumbling idiot. “Anyway, we’re going camping tomorrow though. I’m kind of excited about that.”

His eyes light up. “That sounds awesome. I wish
I
had someone to camp with…”

“Yeah, I’m really looking forward to it…
Anyways
… You could always go camping with
that
girl,” I say, surprised by the sting of my words.

I can see his top lip twitching slightly. “What girl?”

“You know. The girl that was calling your name while we were talking the last time?” I say, trying not to sound jealous, but failing miserably.

He tucks his hair behind his ear. “Oh c’mon, I barely know that girl...”

I want to jump into the computer screen and wring his neck, but I try not to get hysterical.

“Sooo what’s her name?”

“Hazel, seriously. Just drop it,” he says, getting angry with me.

I didn’t expect Andy to be so hostile and moody.

“Okay, sorry.”

I feel like my dinner is regurgitating up my throat, and suddenly, I’m not in the mood to chat anymore.

“I’m going to bed now… I have to get up early for camping tomorrow.” I say, avoiding his gaze.

“Okay, I guess I should go to bed, too. Can we talk again soon?” he asks, his demeanor clearly dejected.

I smile halfheartedly. “Some other time. I’m sure you have plans over the weekend anyway.”

He looks frustrated by my comment, but manages a “Goodnight,” before hanging up on me. I sit in front of my computer stunned by how quickly that conversation soured, but try to shake it off. I open my email, and write Mom a quick message:

Hi Mom,

I tried to chat, but you weren’t online. I’m not sure if the camp called you about the incident that happened in class today. Nothing too serious, I just blacked out and had to be brought to the infirmary. Apparently it’s just fatigue, so don’t panic. Anyway, I won’t be around tomorrow, we’re going camping, so I’ll try to catch you on Sunday. By the way, have you seen Andy much?

Love,

Hazel

Though a jumble of thoughts and emotions are flying around in my head, I’m tired enough to ignore them. I turn off my lamp and curl into bed. Fortunately, the minute my cheek hits the cool, crisp pillow my troubles are forgotten, at least until the next day.

24

In the morning I practically leap out of bed, hyped up for the camping trip. I ditch the uniform, and opt for my khaki cargo pants, black tank top, and sneakers. I pull my long hair up into a ponytail, and check my reflection in the mirror before heading out.

By the time I get downstairs, Sabrina’s already addressing the group.

“Now that you guys are all here, we can meet everyone else out front.”

We follow her outside, and take the short walk to the main house where the rest of the students are congregated. I see only Brad, Alicia and Maya among the crowd.

Maya stands on the front steps, speaking loudly to get our attention.

“Good morning! I just wanted to explain the itinerary before we get going. We’ll be heading to Mirror Falls, which is on the other side of that small mountain behind us. It will be about an hour of hiking. Nothing you can’t handle. When we arrive on site, we’ll work together to set-up camp, and then you are free to explore and have fun for the rest of the day. Now, if everyone is ready, let’s get going!”

We head towards the Enchanted Meadow at a steady pace. As I walk side by side with Louise, I begin to wonder where Jared and Ivana are.

“Do you know why Ivana and Jared aren’t here?”

Louise shrugs. “I was wondering the same thing. Maybe they’re supposed to guard the place while we’re away. I guess someone has to stay behind right?”

“Guard the place? I thought this whole area was safe, like Fort Knox or something.”

Louise raises an eyebrow. “Hazel, in our world, nothing’s ever 100% safe… ‘Safe’ is a word we rarely use, it gives us a false sense of security, and to be honest, that’s a dangerous attitude to have… I don’t mean to sound harsh or anything, but you should really know about these things.”

I stop, and adjust my backpack, feeling the weight of it pull on my shoulders as I walk. “Well, yeah, I’ve kind of figured out by now that things are pretty unpredictable, but I didn’t think there was really any reason for us to feel threatened here at camp…”

Louise lowers her voice so it’s just one decibel short of a whisper. “Hazel, have you actually thought about why we’re really here? Why do you think they’re teaching us all this stuff? We’ll be expected to fight, and put our lives on the line… Look what happened to my parents, and even Samir’s parents.”

I consider what she says, and suddenly I feel childish. Louise is right. What did I really think we were doing here?

“Can you tell me about what happened to your parents?” I ask, meeting Louise’s serious gaze.

She pulls a bottle of water from the side of her backpack, and takes a long sip before replying, “They died doing what they were prepared for. They died protecting your grandmother.”

I stop on my tracks, shocked by what she has just said, the word “grandmother,” lingering in air making my ears ring.

“
Seriously?
Louise, why didn’t you say anything before?”

She looks down at her feet sheepishly. “I was worried about you. I probably should have said something, but I knew you’d be overwhelmed… That first day when we met, your mom didn’t even know that my parents were gone, so I knew that you had no clue. It’s just that, you’re new to all of this so I just decided not to mention it.”

I feel foolish.

“I’m sorry, Louise. All I do is whine about the stuff going on with me. I’ve hardly even thought about what you’ve had to deal with. And I haven’t even bothered to ask you about it till now… I’ve kind of been a crappy friend, huh?”

Louise shakes her head. “No, Hazel. You’ve been a great friend. In fact the best one I’ve ever had,” she says, reaching out for a hug.

I pull away feeling grateful for her friendship. “I honestly don’t think I could have survived this experience without you.”

Maya shouts at us from a distance, interrupting our heart-to-heart. “Hazel, Louise! Pick-up the pace!”

“Promise you’ll tell me about your parents later, okay?” I say to Louise as we speed hike through the forest. She nods at me, too out of breath to reply.

Once we catch-up, I realize that we’ve reached a trail, leading us between the two mountains. As we climb higher, the path gets narrower until we’re walking single file. I’m grateful for all those years I spent exploring the woods and cliffs of Safe Harbor, as I maneuver my feet steadily from rock to rock. When we finally reach the highest point of the trail, we stop to take a breather. Maya, Brad and Alicia look cool and composed, and haven’t even broken a sweat.

Alicia walks precariously on the edge of the cliff and motions for us to follow her.

“Come, everyone. Take a look at this.”

We follow her until we reach a viewpoint. She points down, and in front of us is one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Mirror Falls sits below us, and true to its name, there are two identical waterfalls facing one another, both falling into a crystal clear blue lagoon. Next to the lagoon is a clearing surrounded by a forest.

“Come on, everyone! It’s a twenty minute walk down to the falls,” says Maya, gesturing for us to hurry. We hike down the path, and before we know it, we’ve arrived at the site. Up close, the place is even more enchanting. The waterfalls are unusually quiet, giving the place a slightly eerie ambiance.

Maya must have read my mind, because she pauses in front of the waterfalls and speaks, “You will notice that the Mirror Falls are almost silent. That’s because when they were first discovered, the founding members of the camp put a Serenity Spell on this place. They wanted to create a peaceful refuge for us, a place of respite while in the midst of the strenuous training.”

While Maya speaks, Brad begins handing out egg shaped pods. When I get mine, I stare at it perplexed. He faces us with an amused grin, and holds one up.

“If you’ve never seen one of these before, we call them porta-pods. These will be your accommodations for the night.” There are several giggles in the group; even I can’t help but chuckle under my breath as I study the egg shaped pod, wondering how I’m supposed to sleep in something so small. Brad shakes the pod a few times, rotates the two halves then tosses it on the ground about six feet in front of him. It lands with a popping sound, and almost immediately, grows into a large igloo-like structure that camouflages itself perfectly with the green hues of the surrounding forest. I can’t help but gasp at the ingenious thing.

“You guys can share one pod, so pick a roommate, and go ahead and plant your pod wherever you like.”

I grab Louise’s hand and we choose a nice shady spot near the lagoon. I shake the pod just as Brad did, then examine it closely, looking for its seams. Once I locate the part to twist, I give it a turn, and carefully toss it away from us. Just like it did before, it lands with a pop, before miraculously inflating itself. In a few seconds our humble abode is ready. I knock my fist on its surface. It feels pretty solid, almost like a hard foam shell. There is a button next to the circular door, and when I press it, the door slides open, revealing the interior. We bend down, and walk into a small room, about six feet wide and eight feet long. The floor is covered in a soft cushiony material that reminds me of a yoga mat, and there are throw blankets and travel pillows tucked into a compartment on the wall. There is a strip of LED lights at the base of the floor to provide ambient lighting.

“Now this is how it’s done,” says Louise, impressed.

“Tell me about it. Camping will never be the same after this,” I say, in awe.

There’s a knock, and Akiko walks in smiling. “If I knew it was going to be like this, I wouldn’t have made such a big stink.”

Samir pokes his head in. “Guys, it’s time for lunch.”

We leave the confines of our pod, and join Samir outside. There are picnic blankets laid out next to the lagoon, and baskets of sandwiches, chips, cookies, muffins and fruit.

“Anyone up for a swim after lunch?” asks Samir, in between bites of his sandwich.

Louise’s eyes light up. “Me! That lagoon has been calling my name since we got here.”

Akiko scrunches her nose. “Maybe later. I’d rather explore the forest first, I don’t really like swimming on a full stomach.”

“I’ll go with you,” I say to Akiko as bits of egg salad fall out of my sandwich onto my lap. I brush the bits off with my napkin, and continue eating my sandwich, feeling too carefree to worry about a silly stain.

By the time we finish, there are kids already swimming and splashing around in the water. Brad is floating on his back, relaxing with the sun on his face.

I nudge Akiko lightly with my elbow. “You ready?”

She takes a sip from her water bottle, and nods. “Yup, let’s go.”

We leave Louise and Samir on the picnic blanket, lazily watching the others swim as they digest their lunch. I take the lead into the forest, and guide us towards the brighter side where the sunlight’s rays are piercing through the dense treetops. We walk in silence, enjoying the stillness around us. After about fifteen minutes, we come upon a clearing in the trees. I take a peek to make sure we aren’t about to walk off a cliff, and see an enormous meadow filled with wildflowers. I shriek with delight, and pull Akiko through the clearing until we’re amidst the fragrant colorful blossoms.

“Wow! I’ve never seen so many flowers. They’re so beautiful,” says Akiko excitedly. We run through the meadow, acting like little children, until we’re too tired to run anymore. We plop ourselves down on the ground to rest and hydrate.

“Akiko, is it okay if I ask you something?” I ask, taking deep breaths and massaging a cramp in my side.

“Sure, anything.”

“What happened to Samir’s parents? How did they die?” I ask in between sips of water.

Akiko takes a deep breath, as if she’s told this story many times before. “Well, Samir’s parents were pretty rare in our community. Both of them were physicians specializing in shape-shifter medicine. Instead of becoming familiars like the rest of us, they opened up a practice with funding from the Council. One night, in the middle of a snowstorm, one of their neighbors heard a baby crying nonstop. When he saw that all the lights in the house were out, he got worried and broke in after calling the police. Inside, he found blood all over the floors and the walls, and even on the snow covering the backyard. The blood was tested and identified as belonging to Samir’s mother and father… There was so much blood, that even though their bodies were never found, they were presumed dead. Samir was only eight months old at the time, and with no other living relatives, my parents decided to adopt him.”

The story gives me chills up my spine, and I begin to wonder if I’m really prepared for this kind of life. I feel the internal struggle of wanting to hear more and being too afraid to actually deal with the information. I decide to just take this in for now, and tackle every other thing later on.

I get up and hold out my hand to Akiko, helping her to her feet.

“Let’s go, they might be wondering where we are.”

We head back the same way we came, entering the forest, which is darker now that the sun has shifted its position. We walk carefully, and I glance at Akiko every so often to make sure she’s doing okay.

About halfway through our walk we reach a precarious, narrow edging along some rocks.

“Hey, be careful here, okay?” I tell her and she nods.

We maneuver around the boulders. Some are unnaturally jagged, cracked in half leaving shards pointing upwards. Others are flat and slippery. I take soft steps, barely putting my foot down to make sure it’s secure before I put all my weight on my leg.

Suddenly, I hear a loud crunching sound, and whip my head around as Akiko cries out in pain. My heart stops when I see her foot lodged in a narrow crevice between two rocks. I run to her, and sweep all the debris aside to assess the situation. When I see her foot and ankle, I almost scream, but I stop myself because I don’t want to freak her out. Her ankle is broken; a large jagged bone sticks out of Akiko’s skin. I quickly debate whether I should run and get some help, or try and pull her foot out myself.

I take one look at her face, and see how scared she is. She grips my arm tightly. “Hazel! God it really hurts! Is it broken?”

I decide to tell her the truth. “Yes… Maybe it’s best I go back and get some help.”

She panics and grips my arm even tighter, leaving white pressure marks on my skin. “No! Don’t leave me! Please!” she says in agony.

I take a deep breath, and try to calm down.

“Okay. I’m going to try and pull it out, but it’s probably going to hurt like hell. Do you understand?” She nods, the terror and anguish in her eyes making my hands tremble. I bend down and look at her foot, studying the angle in which it’s lodged itself into the crack. I manage to shift one of the rocks slightly, and I pick Akiko up from the ground, moving her so that her ankle has less pressure on it. When I think I can dislodge it without causing any additional damage, I pull, gently at first, then with a bit more force.

Akiko gasps when her foot is finally freed, and stares down at her ankle in shock. “Oh my god… Oh my god… Oh my god…”

I panic and wonder if I can even carry her without dragging her injured foot behind. I place my hands on her ankle, trying to gauge the extent of her injuries. Slowly, I move my fingers over the bones and cartilage. As I do this, my hands begin to get warm, first at the tips of my fingers, then covering my palms and traveling up my arms. I’m startled, but I instinctively keep them on Akiko, spreading the warm energy across her foot, then around her ankle, and over the protruding bone. She stares at me wide-eyed.

“Hazel, what are you doing?” I don’t answer her. Instead, I close my eyes. After a few minutes, the warmth suddenly disappears, and my hands feel limp. I open my eyes, and stare down at Akiko’s foot, then at Akiko.

“Hazel… What have you done?” she asks as we both stare in disbelief at her healed ankle.