Chapter 1

Aurora

It was beautiful out the sun was shining through the boughs of the trees. The trees themselves waved gently in the breeze and carried the fresh crisp feel that only the woods can carry. I sighed holding the smile to my face as I flopped down in the grass crossing my arms behind me head. I felt the heat travelling through my thin white t-shirt the brim of my hat covering my eyes.

"This is wonderful." I sighed cracking my closed eyes open to look at the clear blue sky.

This is why I went to camp, this is what I love. Who wants to choke on smog and be surrounded by concrete and metal? Not I that's for sure. I remember before my parents moved to the city. I lived by a ranch trees and bushes surrounding the property with acres of land to move on. In the summer I lived in the field in a tent more than the house.

God I have missed that.

I heard the wood creak above me as Tai settled on his branch. I heard the faintest of snores from above and couldn't help the chuckle. Don't blame him for falling asleep this is just so relaxing.

I let my eyes shut again and twitched my head so my hat fell over my eyes more.

That's when I felt something happen. It was the faintest of changes in the air almost imperceptible but I was so used to the outdoors that I noticed it. The air got crisper and lost the heaviness of heat that the sun created. It picked up just the faintest and carried a slight chill.

That's when I saw it. The first snow fall. The first snow fall of July. Is it just me or is that sort of crazy.

I frowned tipping my hat back and settling it backwards on my head as I stood up hearing the jingle of my belts as they moved on my cargo pants. "What the?" The snow kept falling getting heavier, thicker and coming even faster.

That's when the howling started. The wind pushed down all around me howling through the trees and causing the snow to swirl. "Tai get down!" I yelled. I coughed when wind was forcibly pushed down my throat feeling the harsh bite of frost as it touched my mouth.

"Coming!" I heard back. I saw his shadowed form swing off the branch and wrap his legs around the tree trunk. He was like a monkey. He slid down landing beside me in a crouch.

"Get the canoe shed open!" I yelled cupping my hands to fight the high pitched howl of the wind. "I'll get the others!"

He nodded giving me a thumbs up and lowering the goggles that rested in his hair.

I watched him run towards the shed that was through the brief tree line. Now let's see. Izzy will most likely already be there because he doesn't like a glare on his computer screen. Last I saw though T.K. was pretty close to where I am.

I moved through the trees glaring through the snow as if that would help, it didn't. I almost literally ran into T.K. He was hunched over in the knot of a large tree using that as cover against the wind and snow. "T.K.!" I yelled getting his attention.

I bent down getting close to him. "You remember the canoe shed?"

"Yah!" He replied hunching down more with a shiver.

"Can you get there? Tai's already there!"

He nodded and I helped him up pulling him easily to his feet. "But what about my brother?"

"I'll find him now go!" I promised pushing him in the direction of the shed.

He disappeared into the trees and I quickly turned to find the others. Joe was the next to be found digging through his bag like he could find something to fight off the snow. I pulled him to his feet looking up as he was slightly taller than me and shoved the now closed bag into his hands. "Get to the canoe shed!"

"Why should I I'm the oldest you shouldn't be telling me what to do!" He replied arms crossed over his chest.

"I don't care! Now go!"

He grumbled but left in the direction I pointed. Next was Sora and Mimi who somehow ended together. All I had to do was tell them to get to the shed and they left, just like that.

I shivered rubbing my arms to get blood and heat flowing through them. Crap it was cold. I was lucky it's taken this long to feel the bite of cold. Somehow even with the snow and cold air there was still a bit of warmth in ground that radiated up and into my body. It was miracle, and a mystery.

I stood there rubbing my arms as I did a checklist in my head. I've found T.K. and Joe, that's two. Izzy should already be there so that's three. Mimi and Sora make five. And Tai was the first sent to the shed so that's six. That just leaves Matt and me to get there and into relative warmth.

The only spot I could think of was the camp itself. I pushed into the wind spinning my hat around so the brim caught the most of the snow and cut the wind around my eyes. The tree snuck up on me. It was the last tree in the clearing and huge too but somehow I didn't see it. I blame the hat.

I fell down clutching my nose as it throbbed. Crap I really hope it's not broken. "That hurt." I grumbled.

"Nate is that you?"

A shadow came through the snow and bent down beside me. It was Matt still looking warm in the cut-off sweater that he wore. And by cut-off I mean sleeveless. "Come-on we got to find T.K. and others!" He reached out grabbing my hand and pulling me up to my feet. I could see the semi collapsed shadow of the large tents in the background the snow and wind pushing them down.

"Way ahead of you!" I yelled back getting closer to him because my throat was getting hoarse. "I sent them all to the shed. Even T.K. though he got a promise out of me to get you there so let's go I'm freezing!"

I could see him open his mouth to say something but he stopped instead moving away from me and into the wind in the direction of the shed. I followed with a shake of my head.

What felt like hours latter but could have only been ten minutes at the most we got to the wooden shed. The barn door was closed thankfully and snow was building up around the corners but the old shed held firm wooden logged walls holding strong against the onslaught of weather that attacked it.

We both got the door and grabbed the metal bar that was used as a handle for the large door. Quick tip. Frozen metal burns!

"Crap, ow that really hurt." I whined shaking out my hands as Matt stared at me with a raised eyebrow. I sighed and prepared to the grab the handle again. "Well don't just stand there help me!"

"Fine." He grumbled grabbing the handle with me and tugging. We groaned the wood protesting the movement and the frozen snow blocking the track that the door slid on. But somehow we got it open enough.

I motioned Matt through and watched as he squeezed through before I followed and pushed the door closed with a noticeably warmer handle on the other side. "Well that was never on the brochure."

"How long do you think it will last?"

"Honestly Mimi how are we supposed to know." I heard Sora say. I chuckled and turned around falling against the rough wooden door with a thump and sliding down to sit on the floor.

I listened to the odd conversation they were having. It was about how the canoe races must be cancelled now because of the snow. I let a smile creep over my face as I took off my hat and ran a hand through my black hair.

I frowned down at the hat in my hands hitting it on the wood and seeing the frozen snow and ice chip off and slowly melt on the floor. I need a new hat. My hat was once a deep purple color that matched the sun as it set at dusk. "Nate?" I hmmed and placed my hat on my head again spinning it around so it was backward.

"Is it done yet?" It sounded like it was T.K. asking, I wasn't really listening.

I shrugged and shifted my sitting position so I could pry the door open and peek out. It was blinding. The sun bounced off the snow and right into my eyes. "Oh it's done." I told them.

I looked up at the sound of thump and rolled out of the way as Tai rushed forward and wrenched the door open. "Well no canoeing I guess." Sora giggled.

"Nope so let's have a toboggan race instead!" Tai laughed running out the now open door.

The others rushed out and into the now snow covered summer ground. Wow that sounds so odd. I mean who ever heard of snow in July, not even the beginning but the middle.

I yawned and plopped back down in front of the door listening to Izzy complain about his internet. "Hey what's your names? Izzy, Nate get out here you have to see this!"

"What now?" I groaned getting to my feet slowly and following Izzy out of the shed. Instantly I felt the cold bite into my still cold sensitive arms. "What?" I asked them looking up at the group before me.

They weren't listening to me instead they were looking up to the sky. So I followed their gazes. Wow as if today couldn't get any weirder.

Up in the sky was something I thought I would never see. An aurora.

"It's beautiful magical even." Mimi sighed.

"Yah." The others agreed. I just nodded my head my jaw too weak to close again.

It was beautiful. The multihued lights twisted and turned in tantalising patterns making you want to follow them but not being able to because of how lithely they weaved throughout the sky. "But what is it?" Izzy asked.

"Maybe, an aurora?" Sora suggested looking back at the smaller kid before turning back to look at the turning and twisting lights in the sky.

"You mean an aurora as in Aurora Borealis, the northern lights?" Wow braniac much. "That's in Alaska we're way to far south."

"Maybe it can travel?" I got the oddest looks from them but I ignored them.

"Tell that to the snow." Sora continued.

"I really think we should go back inside before we come down with pneumonia." Joe whined.

"What and miss this?" Matt chuckled. "It looks like the sky's short circuiting."

Now that he mentioned it, it did look exactly like that. I remember one time my computer freaked out and the screen became messed up and it looked exactly like this.

A noise rocked through the air sounding like the heavy peel of thunder but it was continuous. A group of colors circled around itself and joined in a clash of green as the thunder became louder, heavier, and more deafening.

"Hey what's that?" Tai asked.

A light formed in the centre of the green circle and grew even brighter. With a bang the light launched out and towards us splitting into different smaller lights.

My eyes widened. They were coming right for us, and I mean right for us. They hit the snow creating giant clouds. All of them landed close to somebody but for some reason I must have really had bad luck.

I gasped holding back a scream as something hit me and sent me flying.