****PARADISE
SAGAS: BOOK 2: HEAVENFIRE****
That
you see me
And
I know its not enough
Because
you and I are one
Lexa
seemed content, Monday night, as Kevin and David sat, tinkering with pieces of
a car, trying to get them to fit together.
“Well,
you’re gonna need a new muffler.” David
muttered, “And your carburetor wasn’t looking too good, either.”
“And
I need a new windshield and passenger window.
Aw, hell. I should just get
another truck.”
“Can
you afford one?” David asked, trying to
screw in a screw with a tiny screwdriver.
“Yeah. Old man Davis said I could have his blue one
if I mowed his lawn this summer.”
“That’s
it.”
“And
pay him $400.”
“I’ve
driven that, when I did errands for him last year. It runs great. 400 just seems
a little cheap.” He gave up and set the
stuff he was messing with on the ground.
“Have
you SEEN his yard lately?” Kevin
asked with a laugh.
David
grunted a little as he pulled his knees up to rest an arm on them. He stared out at the horizon.
Kevin
looked up, at his friend, sighed, and then put his stuff down, “I miss her
too. But we have to keep going. Besides,” Kevin sat up straighter and
flashed a grin, “I don’t think she’ll be happy to know we’re all moping around
while she’s gone.”
“You
make it sound like she’s coming back,” David’s voice was a half-whisper.
“She
is.” Kevin made the statement as if it was
no big deal, “I don’t know when, but she is coming back.”
“She’s
dead, Kevin. She isn’t coming back.” He sighed, “Besides, if she had the choice,
would she want to?”
“Duh. She loves us. She loves YOU.” He
gave his friend a light shove. David
grinned as Kevin continued, “Besides, the voices haven’t been wrong yet, have
they?” Kevin asked.
“Not
while I’ve been present.” He punched
Kevin’s shoulder, “C’mon, let’s go home.”
As
the two stood on the cliff, for a moment longer, a warm wind flew around them,
raising leaves before the breeze shot off to the ocean, to disappear in the
light of the setting sun.
“Sleep tonight, my friends
And rest for the new day
Lexa’s
voice faded with the breeze as the two climbed onto David’s bike and drove off.
~*~*~*~
In the Living Room, Kendra gripped the notebook in her hands as she tried to focus.
She
HAD to focus. This test was important: ¼
of the semester grade in science depended on it. But all Kendra could
think about was when she and Lexa had been studying for another test.
~*~*~*~
“Popcorn’s ready!” Lexa’s cheerful voice floated in from the kitchen. She entered the Front Room a few seconds later, holding a blue plastic bowl, overflowing with buttered popcorn.
It
had been a quiet week, when Lilith had laid off on her attacks, planning. The two had to study for a test,
English? Yeah, English, Transcendentalism,
that’s what the test was on, but the caffeine from the soda and the sugar from
the candy they had “inhaled” earlier had begun to take effect.
Before
Kendra knew what was happening, an all-out pillow fight began, with breaks
every once and a while for a fit of laughter.
They
hadn’t gotten much studying done that night.
~*~*~*~
As the memory faded, Kendra’s eyes focused on the words in the notebook. She would pass this test, she swore, or she wasn’t Eravia.
~*~*~*~
“Hey, Kendra!” Kevin called from down the hallway, “I don’t suppose you’ll come to the library and help me find some info?”
“After school? Sure.” She paused, eyeing him, “What are we looking for?”
Kevin held out a slip of paper to her. She took it and unfolded it. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him.
“These—” He nodded, before she finished.
“I wanna know what they mean.” He looked her straight in the eye, “There’s something big going to happen. I think these runes are part of it.”
“Kevin! Darling!” A voice echoed down the hall. Kevin cringed, “I don’t suppose where that friend of yours, David, is?”
“Wait till 7th, Ama,” he turned to face the girl, “You’ll see him in 7th.”
“I’d better.” She turned on her heels and left.
“David having girl trouble?” Kendra giggled.
“Yeah. Poor guy. As if he doesn’t have enough on his mind.”
Kendra’s smile faded, she nodded gravely, “Yeah.” She paused, “I’ll see you at lunch.”
“Yeah, later.” Kevin waved as they parted.
~*~*~*~
He handed the slip of paper with the runes to the librarian. She put on her reading glasses and looked at them.
“Ah, yes.” She looked back at Kevin, “They’re Wiccan Runes.”
“You’re sure?” Kevin looked hopeful.
“Positive. Come over here. There are a few books that may help.” As the librarian ran her finder along the spines of the books, she inquired, “Is there some report in school for this?”
“No. This is just curiosity. Why do you ask?” Kendra exchanged a glance with Kevin.
“There was a girl here, looking up similar symbols.” She pulled out a book, “Ah, here you go. This book can be checked out, but this one…” She pulled out another, “…can’t. This one’s too old.”
Kendra took both books as Kevin took the slip of paper back, “Thank you, you’ve been a big help.”
“You’re welcome.” She headed back to her desk.”
“So…someone else is interested in runes.” Kendra placed the books on one of the empty research tables.
“Not just any runes, but the same ones.” Kevin nodded, “And in the last few days.” He took the top book, “Might as well get started…”
~*~*~*~
“But they don’t make any sense.” Daenna handed the sheet of runes and their translation back to Kevin.
“Of course they don’t! They’re in another language.” Kendra took the note out of Kevin’s loose grasp, “We have to find someone who can translate.”
“So, we have to find a wiccan? A witch?” David looked at them with bored eyes, from his spot next to Daenna at the picnic table.
Kendra nodded, “Someone who can read it.”
“All I can say is all this work better be worth it.” Daenna opened a bag of gummy bears and took two, throwing the bag on the table for the others.
“My, aren’t we a sight for sore eyes.” A new voice spoke from behind Daenna and David.
Kevin and Kendra looked up, their eyes growing bigger…
~~~~~*~~~~~
Author’s Short Note: Remember the hint about the person who was looking at runes? Don’t forget it, it won’t come back into play until the 3rd book…*^_^*