The instant Anthony stepped out the door he nearly flew back in. The
palms of his hands burned as he grabbed the sides of the door and
forced himself back out into the waist deep snow. He squinted into the
sky as he slammed the door shut behind him and saw Storm. "Oh great,"
he groaned. "Mind control. Well two can play at that game." Anthony
raised his hands in front of him and set his jaw. The snow parted, but
only enough for him to move forward. Storm was too strong, and he had
to find Andie. With his arms still in front of him he pushed harder. There
was no sense in simply running out into the blizzard this way; he had to
clear the grounds as much as possible so he could see. Maybe he
should have let Ryan come after all, he could stop Storm. But he had no
time; in the storm Andie probably hadn't even made it to the gate. His
concentration paid off. The clear circle that surrounded him spread over
the yard and he moved forward quickly. He felt Storm's gaze on him and
then her force. The walls he'd made ceased to grow and started closing
in. Anthony felt his arms start to shake as he tried to regain control.
Outside of his 'force field' the white blindness thickened and grew heavy,
as if he now carried a heavy burden. In the distance he caught a glimpse
of Andie's red coat. She'd made it further than he thought, only a few feet
away from the gates. At this sight Anthony felt his original drive
strengthen and he gave one more push. The wall stopped moving in
either direction and that was good enough for him. Andie was not far.
However, Storm had not given her final push either. She smiled from her
place in the sky and raised her arms above her head. A gust of wind and
snow and now hail whirled toward the boy she no longer recognized. The
bubble around him collapsed under the force and he fell backwards,
motionless.
