I'm Your Leader | Barns Courtney [Completed]

Chapter Four | Astral Plane

A few weeks had passed since my family dropped me off at the camp. Surprisingly I was actually having a good time. Baily had become a nice friend, and I got to hangout with one of my favorite musicians. It was almost like a dream come true. Even if a few people had noticed Barns's favoritism towards me. No one said anything, but they have been giving me dirty looks. It made me feel a little uneasy. I wasn't sure if they were plotting something against me or not. 

"Hey, are you alright? You haven't been very talkative this morning." Baily asked. The two of us were having breakfast at the cafeteria. "Sorry, I'm just tired. I didn't sleep well last night." I said, which was true. Last night I heard people taking outside of my cabin. Since the moon was full I was able to look outside to see what was happening. A few of the robed staff members were outside in the middle of the night. They had flashlights despite the bright moonlight.

At first I figured they were just making thier rounds. Like... making sure no one was out causing mischief. But then I noticed a large lumpish thing on the ground at thier feet. It could have been trash or something. But why were they sneaking around at night to get rid of some trash? Deep down I had a feeling that whatever it was was a dead body. I couldn't quite make out what they were saying because they were speaking in hushed tones.

I also knew it would be best to keep my mouth shut about it. I didn't want anyone to know what I had seen. I wondered if I should tell Barns, but I didn't know if he already knew. I just didn't wanna become a target too. "Oh, I'm sorry you didn't sleep well." She said with a sympathetic look on her face. "It's okay. Hopefully I can sleep better tonight." I said as I got a second cup of coffee. "I hope you can." She said. After eating we went on a walk with the other new members. It was really nice day.

White fluffy clouds floated across the bright blue sky. Golden sunlight made the warm temperatures even warmer. It wasn't uncomfortably warm though. The leaves on the trees were almost all bloomed. Once the walk was over we went to the next event. But the events were kinda boring compared to the others we've had. I was kinda just looking forward to my lessons with Barns. At least they were fun, and I enjoyed spending time with him. Especially since I got to talk about music with him.

So I was very happy when it was my time to meet with him. Even if this time it was much later than I expected. Instead of before dinner, I had to meet him after dinner. Apparently he lost track of time with his other lessons. It was the only time he could fit me in, but I didn't mind. The sunset looked beautiful as always. I had to stop and take a picture of it. When I reached Barns's cabin I knocked on the door. A few minutes passed before the door opened. A robed staff member appeared in the doorway.

"Lilly, come in." He said with a small smile. We made small talk as we walked down the long hallway. I was left in the same room my other lessons were in. Pillows were scattered all over, but this time it was different. Candelabras were sitting on tables along with singular candle holders. All of the candles were red I'm color and each one was lit. The yellow flames stood still, but burned tall and bright. 'I wonder why they lit candles instead of having the lights on.' I wondered curiously.

It gave the room a cool haunted house vibe to it, but I wasn't afraid. I actually liked the way it looked. Especially since the walls were painted black. I took a seat and got comfortable. A few moments went by before someone knocked on the door. When it opened Barns walked in. "I'm sorry our lesson got pushed back later today. I'm sure you'd rather be hanging out with your friends." He said as he closed the door behind him. "It's okay. I don't mind." I said and a small smile spread across his face.

"Come here, let's set in the middle of the room. We're going to move on to the next level of meditation. Especially since you're more advanced in the field than I expected." He said. I moved over to the center of the room like he asked. He sat down right in front of me cross legged just like I was. "The next level?" I asked, feeling a little nervous. "Yes. You have read your text books haven't you?" He gave me a look like only a teacher would in that moment.