The Rift

Chapter 1

J~Heather~J

                “I can’t believe they are making me go!” I was ranting to my best friend Lily and her six year old brother Ben, “I told my parents I don’t like hiking and they are still making me go! I don’t really care if it’s a tradition, I hate hiking! I mean just because tomorrow is the first day of summer vacation, they think they can drag me out of the house to do something that requires effort.”

                “Um, it might not be as bad as you’re making it out to be, you know,” Lily said.

                “Doubtful. I dislike anything that requires physical labor,” I replied stubbornly.

                “Labor? Since when has hiking been labor?” Lily scoffed.

                “Since I was told to do it,” I snapped.

                “Heather, you like us right?” Ben, who had been silently listening until now, asked.

                “Of course.” I turned to face Ben who had sprawled across Lily’s bed.

                “Everything is more fun with us around, right?”

                “Um, yeah…” I replied cautiously. He was going to suggest something, I just knew it!

                “Then why don’t we come with you? I’m sure your parents won’t mind.”

                “Wow!  Great idea Ben! I’m up for a hike,” Lily agreed.

                “I’m glad my friends are sympathetic,” I said sarcastically. “The point isn’t to make the hike fun, the point is to get out of wasting my energy.”

                “Ok, Ben, put your stuff in here.” Lily called to Ben, who had left to his room to get his stuff.

                “Where is ‘here’?” He called from across the hall.

                “Were you guys even listening?” I asked.

                “You were talking?” Lily stared at me with a blank expression.

“We should leave now; otherwise you guys will spas out at each other because ‘the other wasn’t being sensitive enough’.” Ben said as he stuffed his stuff into the bag. Man, that kid must be a ninja; I didn’t even notice him return…

I grabbed my stuff and ran down the stairs with Ben and Lily right behind me. In the mud room, Ben smiled and pushed his dirty blonde hair out of the way of his eyes. His eyes were forest green at the outside, gradually getting lighter until they were a lime green at the center. Lily’s eyes were similar but going from an ocean blue to an icy blue and her light blonde hair was down to her hips. How in the world did they get such creative looks? I mean, their parents both had brown eyes and brown hair so where do those eyes and that hair come from? As we left their house I looked in the mirror. The person staring back at me had black hair that was shoulder length and eyes that were maroon at the outside and then gradually lighter until they were a light red in the center.

                I ran to catch up to Ben and Lily. As we walked, Lily filled the silence with whatever random stuff came into her mind. I contributed when I felt it necessary. Eventually Lily and I were debating about if magic could be real. Lily believed in that kind of stuff, the whole “magic and mythical creatures” thing. I argued that they couldn’t exist because it would be obvious if they did. I mean, if people could use magic, then why aren’t cities being blown up continuously? Ben told us both to shut up and walk. Lily was not amused and whapped him upside the head.