All-Shift(D/C)

Chapter 6

Clouds. I turned to look up at them, but was blinded by the rain. They were nothing more than a pathetic, grey, fluffy mass. If this was true, than that sucks.

"How can they tell?" I asked with a squeak.

Diamond gave me another look that told me she didn't know the answer. I nodded in understanding, looking down at my dirty toes.

"It's powerful, honestly." Diamond said, looking at me sternly as if to force my choice.

Clouds? Seriously? Why was I caught up in this mess anyway? I buried my head into my knees, as if to block it out. I felt...tired. And now I had the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. How was I supposed to learn any of this anyway, it is all new to me.

"Yeah but it's not like it can protect me, I mean, unless I want to get lost in a fog." I sighed, resting my chin on my knee with a shiver.

Diamond cocked an eyebrow at me. "Have you no knowledge of clouds?"

"What, you think I find it that interesting?"

"Well now it is, so you might as well learn." she said, picking up the stick and putting it down next to her, leaning back and laying down. "Think of weather. What is caused by clouds?"

I sat and thought for a moment, trying to think of something other than rain and snow. "Well, hail, but I really don't want to be knocked unconscious by flying pieces of ice. Oh, and sleet,"

"There's more to weather than just that. Think of extreme weather."

Finally, I had a few answers. "Hurricanes, tornadoes...floods?"

"Yes. But floods, not so much. Anyway, hurricanes and tornadoes, you have two answers."

I thought about my innocence. I was not a troublemaker, maybe not the brightest, but indeed I wasn't one to cause issues. This would certainly ruin my record.

"And how am I supposed to learn this?"

"Well, I can give you some of my own hints, but other than that you may just have to learn yourself. It's all about the concentration and understanding." she said, pulling up the stick again and flicking some of the black material into the pond. I watched it swirl around, slowly spreading like some dark mass coming for you. I backed away from the edge.

I jumped at Diamond's voice right up next to my ear. "Hey! Back away, give me some space," I said, shooing her back. She watched me with amusement, not moving an inch.

"Rain, you need to be cooperative if you want help-"

"I don't want help. I want to get out of here, to go home."

I said it before I could think, a hand darting from my side to my lap, tempted to reach up and put a hand over my mouth as if I had said something I shouldn't have. I realized what I had said was true.

"Well, you may just be stuck here-"

"No, I will go home with or without any 'ranger's orders'."

Diamond huffed and tapped the back end of the stick against the water, letting it ripple. "You may find the rangers think different,"

"Diamond, I doubt they would use guns or anything. They may try tranquilizing..." I sat back against my bottom, waiting for a sore feeling from where I had been shot.

"Oh no, they'll use guns. We don't seem to qualify much for human rights."

My parents flashed into my mind, the two of them smiling as if posing for a camera. I wonder what was going on with them. Were they fighting for me? Were they worried, and desperate to visit? No, my parents loved me, they would come for me if they could. And if they couldn't, than I would come to them.