Chapter 13 - More Storms
Ford’s light brown hair rustled in the wind as he sat perched on a tall tree. He didn’t have any time to think about how much he missed his friend, who had just moved away, or about school starting the next day. Most kid’s Ford’s age would be excited or anxious to get back to school or they would be excited to see their friends. His eyes narrowed in on a creature a large mountainous beast creeping through the forest. Rotted teeth and ashy skin, a large troll stopped right beneath the branch that Ford was perched on. The Troll was looking for him.
Looking down at the creature, Ford focused on it. This was his life now. A year ago, he was with his friend Audrey. They were watching an old time movie together and talking about how they’d always be single. He missed it. Every minute those days grew farther and farther away. The tree shook and it got Ford’s attention. The Troll was trying to shake him out of the tree. Ford jumped and flipped over the troll and moved his hands sending a large gust of wind at the tree pushing it over onto the troll. The wood cracked and crashed down on the creature already weakened from it’s shaking.
Ford landed gently on the ground and the Troll eyed him then crumbled to rocks, dead. Ford picked up a rock and held it in his hand. It was cold – like ice. He looked up at the starry night sky and yawned. Sliding the rock into his pocket he felt his phone. Removing the phone quickly he noticed that it was already 3am. He was exhausted and had to wake up in four hours. Jumping from tree to tree, letting the wind carry him, his shadow cast onto the forest floor. Every now and then the moonlight showed glimpses of wings attached to his body. He had been practicing all summer. If this was his new life, and these were his new powers, he wanted to master them. He wanted to fly. In a way it was a metamorphosis for Ford.
***
“Now, I don’t want you all thinking this is some sort of slackers class. Sure, my style of teaching is very lax but that’s because no one has ever failed me. Every single month a paper has been produced.” A bald headed man with a long mustache, smiled at his journalism class. “Now all the seniors know their roles, but you juniors you’ll have to define them.”
And just like that, the group of seniors stood up and started working. Ford perked to attention. One of the seniors, Chad Reardon, was the editor and chief of the Middleton Grizzly, the school newspaper. He was a hipster if there were was one. A few days beard, thick-rimmed glasses, and a wardrobe completely from Urban Outfitters.
“Okay team, here is your ‘get out of class pass.’” He winked at the group and handed out journalism passes. “Use them responsibly. Now, this month is going to be tough because we basically have half a month to teach you and produce a paper. So it’s going to be hectic.”
“Question,” Nina Gamboa raised her hand. “How do we go about finding a story? Do you have any tips?” She had her long curly hair dripping down her shoulders.
“Well,” Chad smirked. “Keep alert. The best stories are closer to home than you might think.” He looked directly at Ford and then held up one of the journalism passes. “This ones for you Ford.”
Ford took the pass and eyed his name on it. A simple little thing, one wouldn’t think it had so much authority, only a name on a white laminated card with the word PRESS in giant letters. He slid it into his pocket and looked around the class as everyone received their passes. Nina and he connected eyes and Ford turned away quickly. Awkward, he thought as he walked back to his computer. He missed Audrey.
***
Lunchtime couldn’t come fast enough and as Ford found a shady spot under the tree Audrey and he used to love so much he thought about getting his homework done. Did he really only have one friend? Where would he find the time to make new ones? He wondered if it was still too late to join the football team or if that offer from Levi expired. Ford fell back onto the grass. Levi was a whole other issue he hadn’t had the time or emotional willpower to deal with.
“Hey,” A familiar gruff voice said sitting down next to Ford. “What’s the deal with Audrey?”
Ford turned to see a face whited out by the sun. He squinted and some clouds covered the sun revealing the shadowy figure to be Hudson. “Oh, she moved, didn’t she tell you?”
“I mean, dude, I got this postcard.” Hudson threw down a postcard from Miami and then a second one. He sat down next to Ford and slumped over. “I thought, she was better than…well a postcard.”
Ford heart dropped and he reached out to pat Hudson’s knee. Hudson eyed Ford. “Sorry, I didn’t…do you want a hug?” Ford didn’t know how to comfort such a guy.
“No,” Hudson pulled his backpack around and looked over his shoulder. The coast was clear and the teen stuffed his hand into his messy back. Pulling out a small pipe he seemed to have some organization to his messiness. Grabbing a small baggy of weed he started to fill the piece. “Did she send you a postcard.”
“Just an email.” Ford wasn’t sure if he should tell Hudson that Audrey broke then news to him on their flight back from England.
“Dude, why wouldn’t she tell me?” Hudson pulled out a lighter and took a strong puff.
“Goodbyes are hard,” was all Ford could get out. It was true but it was also a weak excuse and Ford knew that.
“But it doesn’t even have to be goodbye – you know. Just a see ya’ later.” Hudson held the smoke in his lungs and held the piece out to Ford. He couldn’t be the comfort that Hudson needed. But he also didn’t think Hudson knew what he needed.
“Have you eaten?” Ford asked and reached for his brown bag lunch. “Let’s have lunch togeth-“
A loud rumble echoed bombing off the building. The tree shook and Ford glanced up through the leaves. The clouds that covered the sun suddenly looked far more menacing and the dark black rolling clouds filled the sky. Ford felt something was off. A snap of white light clapped across the sky and a second rumble of thunder followed. A lightning storm.
A loud snap and a flash of light sent Ford and Hudson to the ground. Ford looked up at the tree Audrey and he used to sit beneath. It was chard, burnt, and split in two. Ford stared up at the dark sky. Something was definitely off. “We should go inside.” Ford started and another electric jolt hit the ground right near Hudson.
“What the hell,” Hudson looked at the burnt black spot on the ground then up in the sky. Ford hopped up and pulled Hudson onto his back. Jumping quickly towards the back entrance to the school another bolt of lightning crashed down smashing a bench. The door was just in the distance. Ford was almost there. He could feel the air, the electricity. Glancing up Ford caught a glimpse of the lightning bolt heading down to them.
Moving faster than he ever had he jumped out of the way. Only centimeters away from the electric shock he felt the warmth of it against his skin and he flew back onto the ground. Hudson tumbled next to him. Ford looked up at Hudson who could barely comprehend what was happening.
“Get inside and stay.” Ford swept his hand and a huge gust of wind opened the back door and sent Hudson into the school slamming the door behind him. Ford felt the same electricity in the air. His senses were getting better. Her jumped out of the way right before another lightning bolt smashed into the asphalt where Ford had fallen.
Ford dodged another, than another, “who are you?” Ford shouted. A lightning bolt, a big one, came down a few feet away from him; the first one that didn’t feel like it was aimed right at him.
“That’s a question I have asked myself for quite sometime.” A woman, wearing an ancient Greek toga and a golden crown appeared, emerging from the bolt of lightning. Her body was radiant and she had a face, which could either be younger or older. She didn’t have any age.
“Why are you doing this?” Ford stared at the woman, she was beautiful, but he had seen beautiful woman before. He knew the power that she held behind the coy smile.
“You’re not up for the sport are you? Shame, you won’t survive much longer then will you.” The woman stood her ground and continued to smirk at Ford. Her eyes were enjoying this.
“I’m stronger than you think.” Ford stood still and a small but powerful whirlwind surrounded the two. Her eyes, which were a peculiar gold and purple mix glanced at the small tornado.
“So am I,” She held out her hand and created a lightning bolt which took the shape of a staff. She clutched the bolt and a staff appeared golden and old with familiar marks on it.
“Are you the…” Ford gulped, “the Sage of lightning?”
“Really?” She scoffed and shook her head then send a small bolt at Ford that he dodged. “Pathetic. No, I am much older than the Sages. Myth now, some might say. I am the very last. But why all the chit chat. Dance” She pointed her staff at him and a lightning bolt flew directly into the teen. He fell to the ground feeling the surge of electricity pour over him. Then, she stopped. Smiling at the kneeling boy she continued, “I’m going to have fun here. So much fun. I think this storm will stay for a while.”
In a bright flash she disappeared and more claps of thunder and lightning raged in the distance. Ford looked up at the dark rolling clouds a feeling of dread building up inside him.
***
“Thunderstorms continue to rage, these are reported to be Colorado’s worst in history.” The news reporter said on the television. Ford opened the front door and caught the end of it. Nancy stood up from the television and spotted her son in the doorway. She walked past him, briskly, to the kitchen avoiding eye contact. Ford knew she was thinking of something but he had been long over trying to get on his mother’s good side.
Closing the door to his room he couldn’t help but feel alone. His phone started buzzing. Audrey popped into his mind. She knew he had school off at this time pulling his phone out of his pocket he noticed an “Unknown” number. It could have been Audrey’s new number. Turning it on he answered with, “Hello?”
“I know Ford. I want to talk with you.” A female voice said on the other end.
“Excuse me? Who is this?” Ford dropped his backpack and sat on his bed. He looked out the window at the rolling black sky and the snaps of light.
“I saw what happened behind school today, with the woman, with Hudson, and you.” The voice continued. Ford’s heart sank and his mind raced. He couldn’t pinpoint the voice as he ran through the faces of who might have caught him. “But I just want to talk – for now.” The voice continued. “Meet me tonight.”
“Where?” Ford gulped.
***
A red converse high top stepped out of the jeep. She wore a crop top and jean shorts and although the sky rumbled a dark black and lightning clapped in the sky above her. Nina Gamboa clutched her notebook to her chest. It was nighttime, but she had a story to write.
She felt something watching her and uneasiness grew in her stomach as she slowly turned her head to find that her suspicions were right. A figure hunched over a top her car seemed to looking right at her through the darkness. Her heart skipped a beat and she took off as fast as her converse could take her. Lightning snapped in her ear and she hit the large double doors into the school. She shook them to find them locked. She felt the figure moving closer to her. Trying the next double door, it was open. She ran into the school panting and heard the double doors open and shut behind her. Whatever the figure was, it was inside now.
Hurrying to the end of the hallway Nina pushed opened the door to the Journalism room, for some reason she thought she would be safe there. Diving under a desk, she pulled out her phone and turned it on to call 9-1-1. The door creaked open. Whatever had been following her was inside the journalism room. She turned her phone off so the glow wouldn’t expose her hiding place. Holding her breath she heard the footsteps get closer and closer. They were right on top of her.
Then, she heard the door open and shut. Finally, it was gone. She crawled out from under the desk and spotted the figure perched atop it. Screaming she flew back and wind wrapped around her and pulled her phone and notebook from her hands. They few into the figures hand, it was Ford.
“What do you want Nina?” Ford said and wind started to blow around the classroom.
“I know Ford, I know everything. I saw you behind the school.” Nina admitted and clutched her pad and phone close to her chest. She gulped but kept a strong face. She wasn’t going to be intimidated by her classmate.
“Why did you start following me?” Ford asked and generated more wind sending some papers off the desks and around the room.
“First I wanted to interview you about Audrey.” Nina began, “But I guess I found a more interesting story: stay close to what you know, right?”
“Are closer to home, that’s what Chad said, get your quotes right.” Ford jumped off the desk and Nina screamed. “You don’t know what you’re messing with Nina,” Ford created a large gust of wind that send Nina’s hair flapping against her face. She screamed and shook her head and Ford made it stop. “You’re not going to write a story, are you Nina?”
“How, how do you control this? The wind. I saw what happened behind the school Ford. I saw Hudson fly inside and you shut the door with your hand. But you weren’t touching it. No, you moved the wind to do what you wanted. Then that woman….Are you causing the lightning storms too. ” Nina couldn’t belive what she was saying but all the proof was right in front of her. She bit her lip and gulped once more.
“No sweetheart, that’s my job.” A woman’s voice answered and in walked the woman dressed in Greek clothing with a malicious smirk on her face. “Aren’t you the little nosy Nancy?” She sent a bolt out and both Ford and Nina ducked. The bolt hit a computer and exploded. Nina didn’t know what she got herself into, but she did know she found her story. She was still debating if it was worth it.