hey! sorry for taking forever to update... you know how it is, sometimes you know what you want to say, but you just procrastinate, and writers block on how and what not. but this is chapter two of The Arcanes and it is pretty great if I do say so myself. remember to comment and favorite! special thanks to BlackNinja101 for being my first commenter!
Maisley sat on the couch with Charlie after Elise went to bed and stared absentmindedly at the stairs down to the basement. "Thanks for letting me stay," Maisly shifted awkwardly.
"Well... I know how hard it is for you at home right now-"
At that moment Adrian stormed in, dripping water all over the floor. "Oh great! She's still here!"
Maisly got up quickly and started for the door, but was intercepted by Charlie, "You don't have to go."
"I should go anyways it's getting late. Thanks for the offer though," Maisly stepped past Charlie and headed out the door.
Maisly couldn't help smiling to herself as she walked home, she loved spending time with Charlie...
The smile was wiped clean from her face as she drew within earshot of her parents.
She cringed as she braced herself for the yelling that was always there to greet her now.
A damaged street light flickered on and off, casting an eerie aura on the whole scene. Maisly understood why the city had not fixed it yet, her parents scared away anyone who dared to come close.
Maisly took a shaky breath, and walked up the front steps.
Maisly opened the door, the slight creek it made was nearly drowned out by the screaming coming from the kitchen.
Maisly felt sick, Charlie was right; being at home was hard. she didn't want to admit it, but her parents were probably going to get divorced. Part of her wished they would hurry up and get it over with so she wouldn't have to listen to them.
Maisly's hand gripped the door handle weakly, and her stomach churned. Maisly slid her phone out of her back pocket and felt the tears start.
Was she too delicate for this?
Maisly glared at the screen, angry at her parents, at Adrian, and at herself for caring so much.
Maisly turned around and ran out of the house, slamming the door on her way out... the yelling only faltered briefly.
Maisly swiped furiously at her tears and ran back the way she came.
She burst through the door, not sure what she was doing there. Maisly eyes widened, what was "I-I forgot my sweater," she mumbled.
Maisly felt Charlie's eyes on her sweater, which she was evidently wearing. Dang it she needed to get better at thinking on the spot!
Maisly's eyes met Charlie's and she felt the tears bubbling up again.
Charlie held out his hand to her, and she grasped it gratefully.
Elise suddenly walked in, rubbing her eyes. Maisly jerked her hand away from Charlie, startled.
Elise rubbed her eyes and walked out of her room. "Charlie? I had a bad dream! Where's mommy?"
"Charlie knelt in front of her, "Sorry I don't know, why don't you tell me about it?"
"uh un... oh why is Maisly here?"
Elise didn't hear Maisly's answer over the sudden gush of wind that stole her attention.
Elise's hair was windblown into her face and she fought to spit out her long dark brown strands of hair.
Maisly coughed as navy blue smoke billowed up the stairs and filled her lungs, and Charlie and Elise soon followed suit.
Charlie stumbled into the bookcase on the wall, and provoked a cascade of pages to fall and hit the floor.
Elise screamed, but it didn't last long because she broke off in a fit of coughing.
Charlie leaned against the newly emptied bookshelf and prayed that this mysterious smoke would not kill Maisly or Elise.
'At least the situation can't get any worse,' Charlie mused wryly.
Of course as soon as he thought that, it did. The ground started to convulse violently. The walls quaked back and forth to the rhythm of Charlie's panicked breath.
The floor rattled so extremely ruthlessly that it was impossible to stand up anymore.
Charlie looked across the room at the quivering shape of Elise, curled up on the floor, sobbing. Maisly had scooped her up into her lap and was holding her tightly, whimpering herself.
Charlie wasn't sure how long they all knelt on the floor coughing and choking before the air cleared enough to gulp it down and not immediately have the urge to forcefully heave it out again.
They all sat there on the floor, shell-shocked for a couple of minutes, just staring at each other with wide eyes.
Then without warning; Elise stumbled to her feet and dashed to the basement stairs.
Charlie glanced at Maisly for only a second before jumping to his own feet and chasing after her.
Maisly was not prepared in the least for what her attention when they reached the bottom of the stairs.
She had never been in the Arcane's basement, but she was relatively sure that it would not look like a literal bomb went off in it.
No, really! Like a literal bomb, the walls were crumbling to gravel before her eyes, the curtains that presumably had once been hanging above the window now lay in a tattered heap on the floor.
'Was it safe to be down here?' Maisly thought worriedly.
"is it safe to be down here?" Charlie echoed her thoughts.
Elise looked up at Charlie, and Maisly was jealous of the trust in her eyes. Maisly wished that she had someone that she could trust her life with.
Charlie walked to the middle of the room, kicking up dust and debris in his wake. His eyes scanning the floor.
That was when Maisly saw it too.
there was a distinct circle where the room was untouched.
Charlie tried to step towards the ring, but as he reached out his hand and his fingers brushed the air something strange happened. it tingled with electricity. That should not be possible, air can't conduct electricity. Charlie withdrew his hand, startled.
"What?" Maisly asked, coming up beside him.
Charlie put out his hand, signaling for her to stay back.
turns out it's hard to update every week, so I will be updating every other week. hope you liked it!
Please feel free to point out any grammatical errors or suggestions that you think would make this better!
have an absolutely fantastic day!
- AspiringAuthor101