The kitchen was swathed in the golden hued light that comes with
dreary fall afternoons. A scented candle burned on the island ledge, and
mug of steaming spiced cider filled the room with the smell of cloves and
cinnamon. Ella sat at the kitchen table with her history homework spread in
front of her. She tapped her pen on the table in time with the Allison
Krause wafting from the stereo.
The front door slammed and Eliza stomped into the house, letting in a blast of pre-winter air. Ella sat back against the wooden rungs of her chair and sighed, she wasn't going to get any work done now that Eliza was home. Her red headed little sister tumbled in to the room and dumped the mail, her backpack, and her lunch on the floor. She shouted a greeting as she ran to turn on the television. The blaring sound effects of a cartoon show drowned out Ella's soothing music, and the smell of day old salami sandwich became apparent. Ella stood up and began to pick up the trail of debris left behind by the seven year old. She put the lunch box on the counter and set the book bag on the stairs. Ella sorted through the mail as she walked back to the kitchen. There was the usual junk mail, a few bills, a notice from Ella's high school, and a letter addressed to her.
Ella turned over the piece of folded parchment in her hands. She almost dropped it as a shiver went form the tips of her fingers to the bottom of her spine. It seemed to have some sort of energy to it. Ella noted the scarlet wax seal and began to pick it. Suddenly the quiet peace of the afternoon was interrupted by a screech. Ella shoved the letter into her skirt pocket and dashed outside. Andrew, the little boy from next door was sitting in her driveway holding his shin and wailing. Ella ran over and scooped up the little boy in her arms.
"What happened buddy?" Ella set him on the porch and blotted at the nasty scrape on his shin with a tissue.
"A Boy," (sniff sniff) "With a skate board,"(sniffle) " He took my game boy and hit me with his skateboard." Andrew sniffled " I want my mom!"
"Brandon." Ella spat this name out with such vigor that the little boy stepped back, startled. " Go on home Andrew I have to." Ella trailed off as she began to see red. This kid was the neighborhood bully. He went around on his stupid skateboard, whacking little kids, cats, dogs, and even adults and kids his own age with his skateboard. He threw garbage in people's lawns and smashed mailboxes. Those were some of his minor offenses. Ella disregarded the little boy as he ran through her yard to his house, and began to walk. Everything but her rage and hatred towards the bully was forgotten.
Chapter 2
Ella marched down the street blindly, she had no idea where she was going but she knew she was going to do something about Brandon. She suddenly realized that she was at the end of the street. The icy wind whipped her Dark brown hair, and her bright green eyes were piercing with anger. The wind was biting at her arms and bare toes, but she didn't care. All of her attention was focused on a figure hunched over a skateboard at the end of the vacant lot. The figure looked up and grinned. He loved to see her angry.
"Ell, what brings you around.." He trailed off suggestively.
"This!" she hissed at him. She threw the bloody tissue at his feet.
"Well thanks for the gift Ell, but I didn't get you anything" Brandon stood up with one foot on his skateboard. Ella's rage was mounting inside her. It was building up, to the point of bursting. Brandon rolled over beside her and propped up his board. He sauntered close to her with his hand in his pockets and stood six inches from her face.
"I don't know what your talking about Ella, why are you so angry with me?" Ella silently eyed him as his hand left his pocket. He moved to put his arm around her waist and she leaned towards him. Brandon put his other hand on the side of her face. Ella reached into his pocket and grabbed Andrew's game boy. She pushed Brandon away from her just as he leaned in to kiss her.
"Yo, Ell what was that, I thought we had something mutual here?" He held out his arms and took a step towards her. Ella waved the Game boy in his face and turned to walk away. Brandon grabbed her arm, and spun her around. He tried to kiss her again, this time roughly grabbing her, forcing her into it. Ella's rage exploded.
She felt like a balloon had popped inside her head, and all the air was escaping. Ella pushed him away once again, and power surged through her. Brandon's eyes grew wide as the wind began to blow. Ella's clothes were whipped around her and she stood staring at him, with loathing him with every inch of her being. Brandon turned to run away and Ella held up her hand. Brandon smacked into and invisible wall. He turned to run in another direction, and was apprehended by another unseen force. He spread his arms out and found he couldn't move in any direction. His eyes grew wide with fear.
Ella took a step towards him. Brandon, in an act of desperation tried to throw his skateboard at her. It flew towards her in mid air. Ella held up her hand, and it exploded into a million pieces. The wind roared, she could hardly hear her self speak. Ella touched her hand to her throat and heard her voice resounding unnaturally.
"Don't. Mess. With. Me." Ella dropped her hand to her side and the wind stopped howling. Brandon, terrified ran blindly in the other direction. Ella smiled to her self, and feeling suddenly weak looked for a place to sit down. She turned around, and tried to focus her eyes on the sight before her. A Boy with messy dark hair, wearing a cloak, was floating above the ground on a broomstick. Four owls fluttered beside him holding a sort of stretcher made of a blanket and two other broomsticks. The boy raised an eyebrow at her and asked her a simple question. "Tired?" "Exhausted." She replied. The boy shot her a charming smile, and everything went black.
The front door slammed and Eliza stomped into the house, letting in a blast of pre-winter air. Ella sat back against the wooden rungs of her chair and sighed, she wasn't going to get any work done now that Eliza was home. Her red headed little sister tumbled in to the room and dumped the mail, her backpack, and her lunch on the floor. She shouted a greeting as she ran to turn on the television. The blaring sound effects of a cartoon show drowned out Ella's soothing music, and the smell of day old salami sandwich became apparent. Ella stood up and began to pick up the trail of debris left behind by the seven year old. She put the lunch box on the counter and set the book bag on the stairs. Ella sorted through the mail as she walked back to the kitchen. There was the usual junk mail, a few bills, a notice from Ella's high school, and a letter addressed to her.
Ella turned over the piece of folded parchment in her hands. She almost dropped it as a shiver went form the tips of her fingers to the bottom of her spine. It seemed to have some sort of energy to it. Ella noted the scarlet wax seal and began to pick it. Suddenly the quiet peace of the afternoon was interrupted by a screech. Ella shoved the letter into her skirt pocket and dashed outside. Andrew, the little boy from next door was sitting in her driveway holding his shin and wailing. Ella ran over and scooped up the little boy in her arms.
"What happened buddy?" Ella set him on the porch and blotted at the nasty scrape on his shin with a tissue.
"A Boy," (sniff sniff) "With a skate board,"(sniffle) " He took my game boy and hit me with his skateboard." Andrew sniffled " I want my mom!"
"Brandon." Ella spat this name out with such vigor that the little boy stepped back, startled. " Go on home Andrew I have to." Ella trailed off as she began to see red. This kid was the neighborhood bully. He went around on his stupid skateboard, whacking little kids, cats, dogs, and even adults and kids his own age with his skateboard. He threw garbage in people's lawns and smashed mailboxes. Those were some of his minor offenses. Ella disregarded the little boy as he ran through her yard to his house, and began to walk. Everything but her rage and hatred towards the bully was forgotten.
Chapter 2
Ella marched down the street blindly, she had no idea where she was going but she knew she was going to do something about Brandon. She suddenly realized that she was at the end of the street. The icy wind whipped her Dark brown hair, and her bright green eyes were piercing with anger. The wind was biting at her arms and bare toes, but she didn't care. All of her attention was focused on a figure hunched over a skateboard at the end of the vacant lot. The figure looked up and grinned. He loved to see her angry.
"Ell, what brings you around.." He trailed off suggestively.
"This!" she hissed at him. She threw the bloody tissue at his feet.
"Well thanks for the gift Ell, but I didn't get you anything" Brandon stood up with one foot on his skateboard. Ella's rage was mounting inside her. It was building up, to the point of bursting. Brandon rolled over beside her and propped up his board. He sauntered close to her with his hand in his pockets and stood six inches from her face.
"I don't know what your talking about Ella, why are you so angry with me?" Ella silently eyed him as his hand left his pocket. He moved to put his arm around her waist and she leaned towards him. Brandon put his other hand on the side of her face. Ella reached into his pocket and grabbed Andrew's game boy. She pushed Brandon away from her just as he leaned in to kiss her.
"Yo, Ell what was that, I thought we had something mutual here?" He held out his arms and took a step towards her. Ella waved the Game boy in his face and turned to walk away. Brandon grabbed her arm, and spun her around. He tried to kiss her again, this time roughly grabbing her, forcing her into it. Ella's rage exploded.
She felt like a balloon had popped inside her head, and all the air was escaping. Ella pushed him away once again, and power surged through her. Brandon's eyes grew wide as the wind began to blow. Ella's clothes were whipped around her and she stood staring at him, with loathing him with every inch of her being. Brandon turned to run away and Ella held up her hand. Brandon smacked into and invisible wall. He turned to run in another direction, and was apprehended by another unseen force. He spread his arms out and found he couldn't move in any direction. His eyes grew wide with fear.
Ella took a step towards him. Brandon, in an act of desperation tried to throw his skateboard at her. It flew towards her in mid air. Ella held up her hand, and it exploded into a million pieces. The wind roared, she could hardly hear her self speak. Ella touched her hand to her throat and heard her voice resounding unnaturally.
"Don't. Mess. With. Me." Ella dropped her hand to her side and the wind stopped howling. Brandon, terrified ran blindly in the other direction. Ella smiled to her self, and feeling suddenly weak looked for a place to sit down. She turned around, and tried to focus her eyes on the sight before her. A Boy with messy dark hair, wearing a cloak, was floating above the ground on a broomstick. Four owls fluttered beside him holding a sort of stretcher made of a blanket and two other broomsticks. The boy raised an eyebrow at her and asked her a simple question. "Tired?" "Exhausted." She replied. The boy shot her a charming smile, and everything went black.