Chapter Three
The Childhood Hauntings
The walk back to Rhea's house was quite in the late morning sun that shined down on the land below. Rhea didn't seem to mind the long hike, even with her heavy side bag slung over one shoulder. She kept a brisk pace along the banks of a small river. It didn't look very big at all, a cross between a creek and a river actually. Only about ten or eleven feet across the rushing water. Rhea stopped as she watched a small garter snake slither through the grass and into the forest. Intrigued by the beauty of the snake's scales and watching as it flicked its tongue in and out with no effort at all. She stuck her tongue out at it merely for fun. Soon they reached the Familiar blue house with the white wooden gate corner near the side walk in front and the rock stepping stones that lead to the step to the door, the white curtains in the window to the kitchen and the window boxes with white flowers that had light blue stripes down the petals. A lamp post in the front yard behind the white gate had white morning glories with blue stripes and blue with white climbing up the white painted pole. Everything so perfect and in place made Ed wish everything was back to normal before his mother died. Happily half skipping half walking Rhea went to the door and opened it to another perfect sight that gave Ed another stabbing pain in his heart. The warm, cozy feeling that made everyone feel welcome and comfortable made him want to turn back the hands of time to the early days of his childhood when he was carefree and happy. He hid these feeling as he walked in behind Rhea and sat down at one of the wooden chairs at the kitchen table, worn out from the long trek. "Hungry?" Rhea asked her voice steady and soft even though he was exhausted. Ed gave a tired nod as he finally relaxed. Rhea put a kettle of water on the stove for tea and began to mix up dough for biscuits. A rather small lunch, but then again Rhea hardly ate anything at all, at breakfast she had made a small pancake for herself, only the size of a silver dollar pancake you could get at the breakfast places or inns. Rhea put a tray of biscuits in the oven and waited for the shrill cry of the steam from the kettle to blow.
A screeching cry came fro the kettle as she pulled on a pair of oven mitts to take the pan out of the hot oven. She set the tray to cool on the counter as she took the water off the stove and filled two cups with the steaming liquid.
The water already had been made to tea. Strange, she had only filled the kettle with water from a jar. Ed looked at the jar; the contents were already the greenish color of tea. Ed made no further note to Rhea's strange recipe. Rhea pulled two plates from the one of the wooden cupboards above her. She put one biscuit on each plate. "Butter or jam?" Rhea asked. "Hmm…? Oh, butter is fine."
Ed said being pulled from his thoughts. What was that? He had totally spaced out. Rhea Spread the thick, yellow butter on both biscuits and set the two ceramic plates on the table. By now she had learned of Al's empty armor and that he did not eat. Nibbling on hers quietly as her thoughts pulled her from reality. I've wanted to get away from here, to go out on some adventure, this could be my chance. She thought to herself as she ate in silence. Well here goes nothing. She drew in a quiet breath. "I was wondering if I could come with you guys on your search for The Philosopher's Stone." Rhea blurted, but made it sound as if she were just asking a simple question. "We'll think about it." Ed sighed tired as he ate his own lunch. Rhea nodded slightly and went back to eaten her lunch in silence.
Ed's eyelids began to feel heavy and he yawned. "I'm going to go take a nap." Ed said scratching the back of his blonde head as he walked to the guest bedroom and closed the door behind him with a quiet. "You'll have to excuse my brother…he's not usually like this. I don't know what's gotten into him." Al said as soon as he was sure Ed could not hear him speaking against his odd behavior. "It's alright. I'm not bothered by that sort of thing." Rhea replied a small smile spread across her face. "Perhaps him being the oldest makes him think it is his responsibility to keep you safe and this is his way of dealing with the stress." Rhea suggested in a quiet tone. "How did you know he is older then me?" Al asked. "Simple, by observing the relationship between the two of you. Believe it or not I'm third born of five; I have an older brother and sister and a younger brother and sister. I know what's it's like to have to look after your younger siblings, it can be hard sometimes…but in the end it has its own rewards." Rhea said getting up and setting her empty mug in the sink with a quiet clank.
Soon a cold drizzles of rain began to fall making pattering sounds on the windows and roof. Ed opened the door to the bedroom and slipped out. "How'd you sleep Rhea asked looking up from her notebook. "Good." Ed sighed half lying and stretched his arms. After Rhea had asked if she could come along, his mind began to buzz with thoughts and unanswerable questions. But after all of that he had gotten a really good nap in. "That's good." Rhea said she went back to working in her notebook. "The next train leaves in about half an hour…but there's no way I'm letting you guys go out in that weather." Rhea said as she closed the cover to the notebook and looked out the kitchen window. The sky was still gray and rain still fell from the sky, like tears from crying angels. A pleading yowl came from down the hallway past the guest room. There it was again. Mrrow. Ed followed Rhea down the hall to the door on the far end she had labeled as her own. She swung open the door to her room, a dark gray cat sat outside her window begging to be let in out of the cold rain. "Whiskers, What are you doing outside? You should be at home." Rhea scolded opening the window to let the very wet and very unhappy looking cat in. He gave and annoyed mrrow as an answer and began to lick the water from his dampened chest fur. Ed was busy looking around Rhea's room. A bed against one wall, a window on two others. Shelves and bookcases lined the rest of the pale blue walls. On the shelves dragons, eggs and serpents starred back at him. Books, sculptures, drawings, paintings, models, anything with a dragon on it was there. "I've never seen so many of these things in my life." Ed exclaimed looking at the collection of scaly lizards. "I love dragons…they're just so beautiful." Rhea said rather proud of her collection. "I guess so." Ed replied in total awe. The gray cat jumped up at one holding and examining a sparkling crystal stone in its paws, and knocked it down form the shelf. Rhea lunged for the figure as it toppled over and caught it before it hit the ground. "Whiskers." Rhea muttered and the cat flew from the room. Rhea sighed and carefully set the dragon down on its perch on one of the book cases between two stacks of books and two dragon book ends. "Mischief and trouble just follow that cat where ever he goes." Rhea sighed walking toward the door. "I'll go start dinner." Rhea said holding the door open waiting for Ed to follow her out. Her room was her place; she never let anyone go in without permission.