Chapter 22
The rest of the day I experimented with my magic and eventually it came easier to me. I could make things fly around the room and I even moved on to making people fly around the air. You think of it and I could do it. There was no end to my power, no limit. Since I'd been using magic so much Daniel realised whenever I used my power my eyes turned gold. That then explained why Kyle's witch's eyes turned black when he used magic.
By the end of the day I was exhausted but Josh told me I had to back an overnight bag because we were going on a little trip tomorrow. He said something about a nice small hike but it was a bit of a drive there and back so we were staying at a place along the way. Daniel and Chris apparently already knew we were going and were all ready to go. Josh knew I was tired so he helped me chuck a few things in a bag and then I went to bed.
As soon as Josh hopped in beside me and moved me closer to him I almost immediately fell asleep. His warmth and strength helped my tired mind be at rest. But it didn't last long enough.
It seemed only ten minutes had gone by but there was light filtering through the drawn curtains. There was an alarm going off somewhere and my whole body still felt tired. I felt Josh stir beside me but he didn't get up yet. The alarm just wouldn't stop so I rolled onto my stomach and pulled a pillow over my head and hoped I'd go back to sleep. I felt Josh move more this time and the alarm suddenly went quiet.
Josh moved back towards me and I could feel him trying to pull off the pillow I had over my head. I held on tight and didn't budge. He slid his hands under the pillow and tried to pry it out of my grasp that way. When that didn't work Josh decided to get mean. I don't know how he knew where my weak spot was because I didn't tell him. But he took one of my ankles in both hands and started to tickle my foot.
If you haven't guessed I'm insanely ticklish on my feet. A soon as he started I knew I wasn't going to be able to hold out. I attempted to throw the pillow at Josh but when you're facing the wrong direction and you're on your stomach it's a little difficult to aim. I was trying really hard to supress the laughter but I couldn't help it. I squirmed helplessly I his grip and I tried to wriggle out of his hold but he was a vampire and there was no hope for me.
The tickling stopped suddenly and then I felt him lay down next to me. I turned and stared at him just as he did to me.
Smiling Josh said in a persuasive voice, "Jezebel, can we pleeease get up because I want to go and wake up Chris and Daniel."
My face lit up already having heard enough, "That is a fantastic idea, but was the tickling really necessary?"
Josh smiled back sheepishly but we both got up. Quickly getting dressed and chucking our bags into the hallway ready to go as soon as the other two were up. Slowly we snuck up to the door to Chris and Daniel's room. Josh tried the door but it was locked. So I decided to try instead. Nothing a little bit of magic can't handle. It may have taken me two tries before I got the door open but I still got it open.
Josh gave me a devious smile and walked silently into the room. I poked my head around a corner and saw Chris sprawled out in his bed fast asleep and Daniel was snoring. I had to try really hard to supress my laughter but then Josh tapped my lightly on the back. He gestured me towards the bathroom so I followed him. He held out an empty water gun to me and started filling up his own. Now where on earth he managed to find water guns I have no idea but it was ingenious.
Once Josh was done filling up his I filled up mine and then we were set to go. Josh pointed at himself and then at the bed where Chris slept and then he pointed at me and then to Daniel's motionless body. I smirked as adrenaline coursed through my veins and I advanced upon my victim with my water gun. Just before I was about to open fire Josh held up his hand. I turned to him confused. He mouthed back "On three".
He held up one finger.....
Then a second....
Finally a third and then water was blasted everywhere.
After the whole thing went down I wished I had set up a camera to film it so I could watch it again and again. But Daniel, I'm sure, would have killed me if I had. I still think it would have been a hit on Youtube. At first neither of them had a clue what was going on but as soon as the initial sleepiness wore off all hell broke loose. It ended well though Josh and I laughing our heads off while Chris and Daniel shot daggers at us from their eyes dripping wet.
Josh then instructed them that they had ten minutes to get ready and meet in the hallway. His parting words to them were "we have a plane to catch!" which was news to me. For the next ten minutes I tried, to no avail, to weed out details from Josh. All I got though was that the flight was only an hour and we were going to Calgary. Then Chris and Daniel appeared still a little grumpy from their wake up call and we headed to the airport.
The whole flight I spent trying to figure out what was in Calgary. I asked Josh repeatedly but he just smiled cheekily and said he wasn't going to tell me. I frowned at him and turned to Chris who was sitting in the seat directly behind me and asked him what was in Calgary but he still wasn't on speaking terms with us yet. So all I was left with was what I started with - Calgary and something to do with hiking.
After arriving at the airport in Calgary and getting two, yet again very expensive looking Porsche's we headed off onto the road towards.....where ever it was we were going. I swear we drove west on the Trans-Canada Highway for hours and hours. But Josh assured me it was just under two. The whole time in the car we listened to a radio station and half the time it was me singing along to most of the songs.
At one point I tried to get Josh to talk to me, "Hey you know this would be a perfect time to talk about uuuhh, well you know..."
He smiled wanly, "I don't want to ruin the rest of the day with you. But I promise on the trip home, ok."
I sighed and went back to staring out the window at the beautiful landscape that sped past. Almost the whole trip Chris and Daniel drove beside us in their car. Finally when I thought I was about to go crazy we passed a sign that said Banff National Park and then we were pulling up at a toll station. We waited a couple of minutes in line before getting to the front.
"Hey, how are you doing today?" the lady in the booth asked.
Josh smiled and replied, "Very well, thanks."
"Here in the Park for just one day?"
"Yep," Josh answered.
He proceeded to pay the amount she said to him and was about to let us go when she seemed to remember something.
"Woops, all most forgot. Would you like a map of the Park?" she inquired.
Before Josh could decline I leaned closer to the window closest to her and called, "Yes please!"
She smiled and handed Josh a map. I went to take it from him as he started driving again but he purposely dropped it on the floor near his feet. I thought about trying to grab it but decided it was a bad idea when he was driving. I frowned at him and he smiled sweetly back at me. After that we drove for half an hour more along the highway and then finally we turned off at a sign I hadn't even noticed. It read Johnston Canyon and had a picture of a waterfall next to the words.
We parked the two cars side by side and then got out. The four of us did some serious stretching before anything else. Sitting in a car for hour's straight makes you need to move around and go to the bathroom. Which was what we all did next and then met outside.
"So we're finally here?" I asked Josh dubiously.
He nodded, "The hike isn't much of a hike. It's more a walk along a path that's a little steep. But the scenery is pretty awesome especially at the top."
I slipped my hand into his, "Then let's go."
Josh led us over a bridge that took us across a rushing river that was 5 or 6 meters wide. At the end of the bridge was the start of the path to the waterfall at the top. The walk up took more or less half an hour. The air was very, very crisp and you could see your breath whenever you exhale. Josh was right though, the scenery was amazing. At times the rushing water got so deep that the water became an unimaginable deep blue colour.
There was a rail that kept you from toppling over the side and down 10 or 15 metres into the icy water below. Once we were at the top it was about 10:30am and I could at last see the waterfall. It was actually really spectacular. The water fell into an insanely deep small lagoon. The water there was the deepest and purest blue I'd ever seen. Josh seemed pretty pleased at my amazement of the whole trip but Chris and Daniel seemed a little less enthused. I put that down to the early morning start.
Josh and I didn't let that stop us from enjoying ourselves. We waited for a few moments to go through the little tunnel that took you to another view point. We both had to stoop down to go through the short tunnel and to the other side. The other viewing place was small and could only hold the two of us. The ground was made of rock and the spray from the waterfall made the rock slippery. I almost went head first onto the rock floor but luckily Josh caught me.
Josh stood behind me with his arms firmly around me. We stood there just admiring the view and each other's company peacefully. I rested my head back on Josh's chest and he leaned his head on the top on mine. Out of nowhere our single moment or serenity was broken by a long blood curdling howl. I my heart froze over and I moved away from Josh to look at his face. His eyes were wide and it frightened me.
In a shaky voice I asked, "Sh-should there be wolves here?"
Deadly serious Josh replied, "That was no ordinary wolf howl."
Just as he finished speaking more and more howls started picking up. I clutched Josh's arm in alarm.
"Josh! Jezebel! Let's move now!" Daniel yelled through the tunnel.
We paused for the briefest second to stare at each other and then urgently stumbled back through the tunnel. The howls continued and they sounded like they were getting closer. On the other side where Chris and Daniel were waiting everyone was in complete chaos. There were some yells and people were rushing to head back down to their cars. The four of us were left standing alone as the howls increased in frequency and volume.
"What do we do?" I asked in a near whisper.
"Run."
That was all that needed to be said before we took off. We didn't even get ten paces before we were cut off by three monstrous werewolves. Before I could stop it a high pitched scream escaped my mouth. I spun around on my heel hoping to head back the other way only to find the way block off by another two werewolves. I felt Josh pull me behind him and I looked back behind us to see that the three wolves had regained their human forms.
Josh stood in front of me then Chris and Daniel to either side of us. There was no escape. No out. Nobody moved for several moments until to the left Kyle and his witch emerged from behind the two, now human, werewolves. I'm sure I didn't blink and barely a noise was made but one second Chris and Daniel were fine standing guard; the next they were struggling in the grip of two werewolves.
That left Josh and I open and free for Kyle and the witch, Charlie to walk right up to us.
"Brother we really have to stop meeting like this," Kyle said sarcastically.
When Josh didn't reply he went on, "Just give me the girl and no one has to get hurt."
Again when Josh didn't respond Kyle kept talking this time to the only werewolf not already occupied, "Jay can you handle him for me?"
I swallowed hard and held on tightly to the back or Josh's coat. From one side I could see the huge 'Jay' coming straight towards us and then out of the corner of my eye I could see Charlie moving in our direction.
The whole time Kyle kept talking making it difficult to focus on one thing, "You know it wasn't hard to find you, really. Once we found out you were in Vancouver, it became easy from there. All I had to do was wait for the perfect time to corner you."
Josh's head was snapping from one side to the other. Looking at the fast coming Jay and trying to keep me away from Charlie. I knew he couldn't keep doing it for long. Sooner or later one was going to make a move he wasn't going to be able to do anything about it. Charlie made a grab for me but I used my magic and slammed him up against the rock wall behind me. The noise distracted Josh and Jay made his move and grabbed him. Josh struggled but the effort was futile Jay had his arms pulled tightly behind his back.
I glanced down at Charlie who was lying on the floor completely unmoving besides the rise and fall of his chest. I looked back up and noticed the furious look on Kyle's face which was directed at me. The look froze me in place and before I even had time to react Kyle was standing behind me and twisting my arm up behind my back. I gasped at the sudden pain that exploded from my shoulder and elbow.
Kyle shoved me roughly and spoke to the four of us but mainly me, "Just for that bit of insolence," he shoved me again, "snap his neck." He nodded towards the two werewolves holding Chris.
Daniel, Josh and I all started yelling at the same time.
"No! No, no, no, no! I'm sorry I won't do it again! I'm sorry! Don't hurt him!"
"Kyle, please, you and Chris used to be best friends! You can't kill him!"
"Kyle, you son of a bitch! We all used to be friends! Don't' kill Chris dammit!"
I was struggling furiously in Kyle's arms but I wasn't getting anywhere.
He sneered behind me and let the pleas pass over him, "Don't worry this will be a good lesson for you all to learn."
Tears were running down my cheeks as I screamed at Kyle to stop. All the while Chris never said a word but instead just stared angrily at Kyle. I watched as one of the werewolves placed a hand on either side of Chris's head. I felt so guilty; it was my fault that Chris was going to die. I sucked in a shaky breath and just as the werewolf was about to snap Chris's neck I screamed.
"NNNNOOOOOO!!!"
With that single word by far the largest explosion of power reverberated from my body. I closed my eyes and listened as bodies dropped to the ground with a thump. The golden light eventually lessened and I reopened my eyes. I glanced around to see that Josh, Chris and Daniel were all standing unharmed. I let out the breath I hadn't realised I had been holding. I wiped the remaining tears from my face.
"What do we do know?" I asked shaken.
Chris replied deadly serious, "We run. For our lives."
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I have pictures of this hike because I have actually done it but I don;t know how to use the photo thingy so sorry about that. Hope you like the chappie!!