Chapter 3 - Catalyst
Sitting in the hutch of the living room window Ford eyed the snow pelting the glass of his house. He woke up early that morning and practiced his power – wind. He could control wind. He moved some rocks around and then came inside and made himself hot chocolate. Sitting, and watching the snow drift down. The radio indicated that it would be a snow day, which meant no school.
A car pulled up in the drive way and Roger got out, still in his work clothes from the previous day. Clicking, Ford watched his father open the front door and creep across the entryway.
“Dad?” Ford spoke up, “You’re getting home late?”
Roger looked shocked for a moment; startled that anyone was up this early. “Or rather, I’m getting home early. Long day at the office.” Roger moved over and eyed the snow. “Figured if I put in the work last night I wouldn’t have to trudge through the snow this morning.”
“I didn’t know jobs worked like that” Ford laughed and finished his hot chocolate.
“They don’t but I’m calling in sick.” Roger winked and then started into the back hallway.
“Cool, I have a snow day too.” Ford piped up and got out of the little hitch holding his empty cup.
Roger smiled and then yawned, “Maybe we should go have a snow ball fight later or something.
“Yeah I just told Audrey I’d go over to her place for a little bit.” Ford announced.
***
Audrey’s room was green with glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. She hd world maps and books everywhere. Even the vanity that her mother gave her in the vein hope that Audrey would fall in love with make-up was covered with books.
“You won again!” Audrey threw her cards down and slid off her bed. “You’re just too good for me Ford.” She moved over to the vanity and sat down in front of it. “So, Kelli Robins is dating Carter.”
“I’m sure they deserve each other.” Ford chuckled gathering up the playing cards. He looked around for the box to put them in.
“Me too, but it just makes me wonder – do you think we’ll ever find someone?” Audrey moved some of the books out of the way of the mirror and looked at her reflection. She wasn’t the prettiest girl, more plainly, but her heart was in the right place.
“I feel like we have more important things to worry about.” Ford picked up the small box and slid all the cards into it. His mind trailed off to Lori and his newfound powers.
“Like school.” Audrey nodded patting her French book.
Ford couldn’t help but laugh, “Erm, heh, or family or something.”
“Is something wrong with your family?” Audrey said concerned.
“No,” Ford responded tossing the box to Audrey, she fumbled catching it but then did. “But I don’t worry about falling in love with anyone.”
“Come on Ford, you’ve had to have been in love once,” She put the box of cards back into her desk and when she closed it continued, “not even a crush.”
“Nope,” Ford shook his head, his mind instantly going to Mr. Lenoir.
“What about Angela? All the guys think she is pretty.” Audrey turned to look at her reflection in the mirror. “She’s as dumb as a rock though.”
“She once asked me if we were in North or South America.” Ford laughed.
Still looking at her reflection, Audrey moved some of her auburn hair out of the way, “What do you think about me?”
“You’re my friend,” Ford answered.
“So,” Audrey spun around annoyed. “Do you not think I’m attractive Ford?”
“Course I do,” Ford gulped feeling like he was moving into uncharted waters.
“Then why not?” Audrey stood up and stared at Ford, “In case you haven’t noticed Ford Jones – I, I… love you.”
“Audrey…” Ford stared at his friend not sure how to answer without hurting her feelings.
“I knew you wouldn’t,” Audrey sniffled and started to cry. “It’s cause I don’t look like Angela, sorry my head isn’t as empty as hers!”
“Audrey I’m gay!” Ford let out and then closed his eyes. He never felt so vulnerable.
Audrey stared at him her mouth open. She stood up and walked over to her bedroom door. “Leave,” she ordered.
“Please don’t do this.” Ford answered. He stared at Audrey’s face as he cheeks started to glisten with the tears she couldn’t hold in. Standing up, Ford walked to the door and put a hand on Audrey’s shoulder. She shrugged it off and looked away. It broke his heart but Ford couldn’t lie to his friend. So he left.
Audrey shut the door behind him and put her back to the door sliding to the ground crying.
***
Worried about his friend, Ford parked his car in his driveway and walked inside the house. He wanted to call Audrey and tell her it was okay. Part of him worried that she would tell the whole school. Moving into the kitchen his dad had gotten up and was reading the paper in his flannel pajamas and night robe.
“Hey dad,” Ford smiled opening the fridge. His dad didn’t respond and Ford turned to see his father gripping his heart. “Dad!” Ford ran to his dad right as his father hit the ground, “Daddy!”
Lori stepped into the room her pumps clicking against the floor and a finger pointed at Roger, “It’s hard to talk when your heart is frozen.”
“Let him go!” Ford shouted at the woman as he held his squirming father on the ground.
“You had your chance…” Lori smirked. Ford threw out his hand and a large gust of wind smashed Lori into the wall knocking down the ‘Home Sweet Home’ sign. She winced but it hardly phased her, “I see, you’ve been practicing. Good boy.” Lori held out her hand and a blast of ice shot Ford into the corner of the kitchen. “Meet me on your school’s football field ready to go, or I freeze this whole city.” Lori left the kitchen.
Standing up and dusting off the frost Ford rushed to Roger’s side, “Dad,” Ford shook his father. “Please get up, please.” There was no response and his father felt cold. Ford leapt up and grabbed the phone dialing 9-1-1. “Hello, yeah my dad he, he had a heart attack.” He listened for a second then rushed to his father. Putting his hands on his dad’s chest he started performing CPR.
Roger’s eyes popped open and he grabbed Ford gasping for air. After a second, he spoke, “Ford, you need to stop her.”
Ford shook his head, “I don’t think I can dad, I’m too scared and I don’t…”
“Son,” Roger said between breaths, “You don’t have to be brave all the time but sometimes you need to find the courage to face what’s in front of you.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Ford helped his dad up. His father nodded and then motioned for the door. Nodding Ford moved towards the door, he glanced back to his father and smiled then ran outside.
Roger winced in pain watching Ford’s pickup pull out of the driveway. He clutched his heart once more and moved over to the couch to wait for the ambulance.
***
Parking in the Middleton High parking lot, Ford jumped out of his car and ran across the ice-covered parking lot the snow crunching underneath his shoes. By the time he reached the football stadium the blizzard had picked up even more. There, as promised the grey cloak of Lori waited in the field for him.
“Enough is enough Lori.” Ford shouted feeling the cold wind move through his sweatshirt.
“Since when do you tell me what to do?” Lori laughed and then held up a single finger. “I will give you one last chance”
“I’m over the talking bit.” Ford held his hand over to some frozen water jugs and he motioned them over. A gust of wind picked them up and sent them flying towards Lori. They smacked her in the head sending her to the ground.
She held out her hand and a frozen blast of ice shot directly at Ford. He leapt out of the way and sent a small tornado in Lori’s direction. Lori encased herself in a spike of ice and then sent more spikes of ice flying towards Ford.
Rolling out of the way, the ice spikes pieced the field one grazed Ford’s sweatshirt ripping in exposing his skin to the icy cold air.
Lori stepped out of the ice she encased herself in and smirked sending an icy gale right at Ford knocking him back. She motioned her hand and steams of ice wrapped around his wrists pinning the teen to the ground.
She pointed her hands to the sky and smirked, “Everything will freeze, and everything will become cold. You have no idea what it means to be a sage. For that, I will bury this little suburb” She pointed her hands at the sky sending up icy neon blue blasts. The temperature dropped and the blizzard picked up even further.
“I won’t let you do that.” Ford tried to break free and the wind picked up around him.
“Maybe you shouldn’t speak before you attack.” Lori held out a hand and the snowflakes above Ford’s chest spun sticking to each other and forming a deadly spike. It lowered to Ford’s eye.
“Maybe you shouldn’t speak when you’re attacked.” Ford broke free moving out of the way as the icy spike hit the ground right where his head was a second before.
Lori stepped back, breaking her connection with the sky and the snow started to slow down. Ford dashed forward feeling his feet lift off the ground for a second. He pointed out his arm and a wind spiral came out of it. Sending Lori flying into the bleachers.
She crashed into them and Ford motioned his hand back using the wind to pull her forward. Suspended by the air in front of him Lori hung drifting in an out of consciousness.
“No more,” Ford ordered. “You leave this town and never come back.”
“Or else what.” Lori smirked.
“Or else I show you just how strong I’ve gotten.” Ford let her go and he body dropped to the ground.
Lori smirked and looked at Ford then focused her attention at the sky behind his head. “You think you can stop me like that? Just let me go? I will come back and kill everyone.” Focusing behind Ford, snow once again stuck together and formed a sharp spike of ice. The spike was pointed right at Ford’s head.
“I’m no killer,” Ford answered.
“You’ll have to be” She retorted.
Ford turned and ducked as the spike shot forward, missing him and hitting Lori instead. Impaled on her own spike the woman gulped and coughed off blood then fell to the ground her body slowly turning to snow.
As Ford headed back to his truck the snow stopping by the time he reached it. His pocket vibrated. Picking up his phone, it was his mother.
“Ford,” Nancy started in a panicked voice, “you’re father, get to the hospital now.”
***
Running into the hospital, Ford hurried to the information desk but then noticed his mother and grandmother in the waiting room. Walking up to them his mother looked more worried than ever.
“He had a heart attack,” Nancy gulped between tears. “The doctors said they didn’t…” Nancy looked up as a man in a white lab coat emerged from the back and walked up to the three.
“Mrs. Jones,” He greeted then nodded at Ford. “I’m sorry to say this but your husband he's…"
As the doctor continued to tell Nancy the bad news. “No,” escaped Ford’s lips as a whisper. He turned to his mother who shook her head with tears pouring down her face. He didn’t want to believe it. He refused to believe it. Nancy started screaming at the doctor but Ford knew, it wasn’t the doctor’s fault. It was his.