Conjure a Storm

Chapter 2

After school ended, Karina began walking home.

"Wait up!" a voice called, drawing her to a halt. It was Oscar. "Thanks," he said.

"Yeah," Karina responded nonchalantly. They talked on until an awkward silence took over. Oscar reached his hand out to hold Karina's. He stared at Karina until she noticed his piercing gaze. "What?" she asked. Oh no. Is there something on my face? Do I have an eye booger??

"You seem kind of out of it," he said. They had already gotten off the train and began walking to Karina's house.

Karina was kind of out of it. Her mind kept wandering back to what she saw in the classroom with Lizbeth and Ash. What was that? Maybe she should tell her Oscar... "Yeah. Hey, Oscar," she started.

"Yeah?" His eyes lit up, and he smiled at her.

"Earlier today I saw something weird with Lizbeth and Ash. I saw some weird light thing."

"It was probably just the light... Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something." He dismissed it and dragged her behind a convenience store.

"Wait, but I'm not done-," she was cut off suddenly when something heavy was forced down on top of her.

It wasn't Oscar.

This man was bearded, with tattoos lining his forearm. A mark shaped like a fancy 'X' was engraved onto his cheekbone. He appeared to be in his late 40s, but what scared Karina the most was that she couldn't see Oscar.

She couldn't even hear the profanities he must have been screaming because she sure was screaming them. The man put a hand over her mouth.

After a few minutes in the same awkward, uncomfortable position, Karina felt something wet drop down on her. It was rain. Great, rain to make it even harder for her to escape. Or maybe easier? She closed her eyes and tried to remember every action fighting move that was ever pulled in an anime.

She was ready to time her attack to knee her assailant in between the legs when all of a sudden, she felt a hand holding hers. She gasped as she turned her head to see who it was. It was Oscar.

"What's happeni-"

"No time to explain, just hold on!" Oscar yelled as the world changed before her eyes. Karina felt like she was floating in the middle of nowhere. Her hand was still attached to Oscar's; her surroundings were just a blur.

It felt like they were in another world, detached from gravity. It was like being pulled through a black straw, and she hated it. She hated how it felt.

She closed her eyes and clung onto Oscar. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to be on solid ground again. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the field at Summer on the Hill.

"Wha- Why are we here? And who were those people that attacked us?!" Karina asked, looking at Oscar. She looked down to see their hands still attached. She quickly pulled her hand back, looking down at the ground. Oscar didn't answer.

"Osc-"

"You're not going to ask how we got here?" Oscar said. "We're here because I brought us back here, and I don't know."

Karina was still confused. "How?"

Oscar sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I think I can teleport."

Karina looked at him. Sure, it was weird how they got here, but teleportation? "Um, alr-"

"It's okay if you don't believe me, I wouldn't believe me. It's just.. That guy had a knife, you know. He could have killed you. I don't know how I would have lived with myself if you died. It would be all my fault and-"

Karina put her arms around him. "Thanks, then." It was raining really hard, and she was tearing up. She didn't know when she started, but she was kind of put into the aftershock of everything, but not only that, she was angry because of the guys that ambushed her, them.

Oscar hugged her back, tightly, He did not want her to be in a situation like that again.

"Hey, we should go inside now before you get sick," Oscar said, breaking apart the hug. Karina nodded as the rain poured down on the both of them. They walked across the wet grass, holding hands again because Oscar didn't want Karina 'slipping.' The rain slowly started to ease up.

"Hey, thanks for saving me back there," Karina said, smiling. She was glad to know that Oscar had her back. She knew that he could be trusted.

"You remember what I said before about the light?" It seemed trivial, but maybe it had to do with this.

"Yeah," Oscar said. "Why?"

"Maybe Ash has what you have, only different."

"What are you trying to say?" Oscar frowned.

"Maybe Ash can't teleport, but she can do something else, like make light."

"So... "

"We should talk to them tomorrow," Karina concluded, her decision was definite.

Karina slept at Oscar's that night.