Simple Distortion

Chapter 3 - Simple Distortion

"You two look so grown up!" She cried, running over and closing both of us into her arms. I tried to prize her arms off us.

"Careful, Mum, this took ages."

I heard her whisper "Oops," and pull back, clasping her hands together guiltily. She kissed us goodbye and handed us the cake she had baked and we left. I had wrapped up the painting earlier, and written in Aveline’s card. Ellen skipped down the pavement swinging the bag.

 "Careful!" I reached for the bag: She would damage it in a minute.

We knocked on Aveline’s door and waited. I saw some vague movement through the distorted windows in the front door. A moment later, the door flung open and a small face appeared.

"Keira! Ellen! You're late! I thought you weren't coming..." I laughed, and reached down to wrap Aveline into a birthday hug.

"'Course we're coming, silly." I pulled back and handed Aveline the dark green bag. "Happy birthday!" I looked at Aveline. Her red hair had been pulled back into a high pony-tail. Her eyes had been covered in grass green eye shadow, and her eyelashes coated in black mascara. Her normal red lips were now light pink and glossy. Her slightly brown wings were revealed.

Aveline stepped back and pulled us into her long corridor, shutting the door behind us.

"Come!" She trilled, almost sprinting down the hall and smashing into the wall at the end. She obviously wasn't used to the large heels she was wearing and had lost her balance when trying to turn into the lounge. I laughed and followed her down, but more slowly. I turned into the lounge, only to be greeted by a group of girls. I smiled at each of them. I recognized a few. Lyra, someone I only knew from school. Dawn, Aveline’s twin sister, and Elsa. I glanced down at the sofa. Austin sat, laughing slightly, drinking something that looked like lemonade. He looked up and smiled around the cup he had put to his mouth. "Hey," he called, meeting my eyes. I smiled back, coming over to sit with him.

The party was fun, but if I could concentrate maybe I would have the fun everyone else seemed to be having. I was still puzzled over my chain. What did that man mean?

The party dragged on. I was talking, but my head wasn't in the room. It was in the human world, in Pineto.

"Bye, Kiara." I was brought back from deep in thought for an instant. Lyra was waving at me from across the room.

"Huh?" I replied, disorientated from coming so fast back to the present.

"Bye," She repeated, a little annoyed from my ignorance. "You're going?"

"Yes, that's why I said, 'Bye, Kiara'." She sighed and turned into the hallway. I realized this was my chance.

"Can I go too?" I asked, looking to Aveline.

She looked up at me with big puppy eyes that I nearly fell for. "If my party isn't fun enough for you."

"Oh," I moaned, rushing over to her and kissing her pale cheek. "I’m sorry, I just really have to do this before it gets dark, I'll call you tomorrow, I promise!" Pulling open the door into the hall I turned back and met Aveline’s rather confused gaze, “Hope you enjoy you present.”

Walking down the light green hall, lit with a single yellow bulb I called back to the group in the sitting room, "Save me some cake! Enjoy your present!" Shutting the front door and standing on the front step to Aveline's house I suddenly realized how cold it was getting. Shutting the front door, the cool night air pinched my cheeks, very different from the cozy temperature inside. The frost was clawing its way up my arms. It was about 5:30, and the sun was still in the sky, yet it was cold... But I didn't wonder about it for long, I was too hyped up about finding Lloyd again.

Realizing who could help me, I ran the other way down the road from my house. Miss Clark lived down here. As I ran, I looked at the metal numbers nailed to the gates of the houses.

52.

54.

56.

58. I stopped.

Clicking the gate shut behind me, I began walking up the path. The large weeping willow was reaching out over the path, and I had to brush back the branches that were tickling my face.

I could hear the noise from the TV in the lounge as I stepped up onto the first step to the porch.

I walked across the wood and knocked on the door.

I heard the TV’s sound be muted and the door opened.

“Kiera, what…?” Miss Clark stopped. “Come in, come in.” She pulled the door open the rest of the way.

“No, I just have a quick question for you and then I have to go,” I replied, freezing her as she began to back into her house to let me in.

“Well, then, lets hear it,”

I paused. Would she tell me?

“I was wondering…” I took a deep breath and rushed the words, “ What is a chain?”

Miss Clark shot out the door leaving it wide open.

“What do you know about that?” She spat, her face in mine.

“N-nothing,” I stuttered, surprised with the ferociousness in her usually calm face.

“Good,” Miss Clark leaned back slightly. “Keep it that way, Kiera, seriously. Don’t get involved in those kind of things.” She walked back into her house.

“Wait!” I called as she shut the door.

Miss Clark ignored me. “See you next week Kiera.”

Stunned, I just stood there. Hearing the TV sound, I knocked again. She had to tell me something. What was so bad about this ‘chain’ think anyway?

No one came to the door.

***

 Locking the door to my room, I sat on my bed. I was about to break the rules by going to the human world when it would be dark soon, but it couldn't wait until tomorrow. Sitting cross-legged, I began to focus myself. I had had practice at this, and so knew what to do.