Arise Book One: Age of the Witch

Chapter Five: You Can Run but You Cannot Hide.

I told her about my parents.  Not sure why, but I trust her.  She so much more different than I expected.  She is quiet and reserved, but there is a hidden strength to her.  It almost intimidates me.  She is a shining light, a beautiful, powerful force to be reckoned with.  I am a perfect match for her.

~ Aidan

"M-murdered?" I swallow. "Oh my God, that's...terrible! I'm so sorry!"  He smiles sadly.

"It's okay, I have long gotten over it."  He eyes me curiously.  "Go ahead.  Ask."

"What happened?"

"Well, at the time, we were living in Ireland, where I was born.  But I was here in the states visiting my devout Catholic grandmother.  When I returned, no one was there to pick me up at the airport, I waited five hours for my aunt to come pick me up.  When we got to my house, my aunt opened the door and tried to shield me from the inside but I saw.  I remember there being so much blood.  And m mother's vacant eyes.  My aunt fled and I was shipped away back to the States with my grandmother, but when my powers started budding, she freaked and gave me to the foster home Cherry and Joe got me from."

"Oh my God...did you ever think that...."

"That what? My aunt did it?" I nod.  "Oh no, there was a group of "Christians" going from village to village hunting down Wiccans and slaughtering them in their homes.  My aunt fled because she knew exactly who committed my parents' murder and she feared she would be next."

"Did you ever hear from your aunt again?"

"No.  Never saw her again."

"I'm sorry, were you close with her?"

"In a way.  She was always around.  She and my mother were best friends."

"Oh.  I'm so sorry for your loss," I say to my feet.  I'm ashamed of myself.  I had no right to pry into his private life.

"Hey," he says lifting my chin with his finger, my eyes meet his.  Oh, how they burn through me.  "It's fine, if I didn't want to talk about it, I would've said something.  I want you to know something about me that no one else does, cause aside from that, I'm an open book."  I smile.  He wants me to know something about him?  Me?!  Oh.  My.  Goodness.

"Betha!" Mother calls up at us from the porch.  "Come on! Time to go! You and Lina have school tomorrow!"

"Coming!" I call back, I turn back to Aidan, "I have to go."  He just shrugs and looks out at the stars.  I climb back into his room, then go back downstairs and out the front door to meet my family out at the car.  Lina nudges me,

"Ooh!" she winks playfully.  I blush and nudge her back,

"Shut up!" I mouth.  She just giggles.

Back at home I brush my teeth and hair and wash my face then crawl into bed.  I close my eyes and then my alarm goes off.

I throw clothes and make up on, brush my hair and teeth, stick my headphones in and rush out the door with a pop tart in one hand and and Capri Sun in the other.  Mmm breakfast!

School was supposed to go by in a big blur until Aidan decided to show up in my second period art class.  He checks in with the teacher and comes to sit next to me, I shift my drawing over to give him room.

"Oh!" I exclaim blushing, "You're here!"  All the girls in our class crane their necks to see the beautiful stranger next to me.

"Yes my dear," he says seductively, "you may run as fast as you can, but you cannot hide from me."