Chap 4

Here's Chapter 4 in my book "Spells and Secrets". I'm currently working on Chapter 19 now, but I didn't want to bombard you with all of them at the same time...(lol)...so I'm taking it slow with the posting .
For those of you who haven't read my past Chapters that I've posted...here's a link to CHAP 3. Chap 3 has the link to Chap2...etc, etc, etc'. :)

Tell me what you think...

CHAP 4

‘In the Cranny’

Elizabeth looked down at her wrist watch…2:45pm. Students would be let out of school soon, and she knew her parents would come looking for her if she didn’t return home on time. “Look” she said almost regretfully to Tenara, who was staring out of the entrance of the small cranny they had taken shelter in. It was pouring rain and the forest smelled of wet soil and dripping leaves.

“Look” repeated Elizabeth “I have to go…my parents think I’m in school and if I don’t get back home on time I’m in for it”. “In for what?” asked Tenara, turning now and looking Elizabeth in the eyes. Her piercing gaze seemed to read the depths of Elizabeth’s very soul; searching through her thoughts for answers. As a result of this stare, Elizabeth became uneasy and looked away. “Punishment” she replied.

“Punishment?” returned Tenara persistently “of what kind?”

Elizabeth looked down at her watch again…3:00pm. The bus would be leaving soon. “Oh, I don’t know” she said wearily “No TV, grounding, something like that”.

“What is TV?” Tenara implied with interest, still stabbing Elizabeth with that terrible gaze. When Elizabeth glanced back at her questioner, about to explain, she flinched and quickly turned away.

Tenara sensed the change. “You’re afraid of me” she stated frankly. “No” answered Elizabeth, a bit annoyed and twitching her fingers nervously “it’s just not an every day thing to see a…girl, with your…features”.

“Yes, we are quite different in form” sighed the other “Yet, inside, we have much in common”.

The clouds were still releasing there water droplets and the sky showed no signs of clearing up. “How would you know anything about me?” Grumbled Elizabeth, noticing the time and realizing she had missed the bus, which, at that very moment, could be heard rolling down the wet road in the distance. “By your spirit” was the reply, after a pause. “Your spirit is full of life, like mine; and even though our spirits have different colors, they posses the same insides.”

The rain came down even harder. Thunder could be heard and Elizabeth’s watch ticked half past 3pm. “Listen, I have to go” she said “my parents are probably wondering why I didn’t come home and I should get going…” she stopped, and added sarcastically under her breath “even though there will be great suffering at the end of the rope”.

Just as Elizabeth was finally turning to leave, she heard a deep voice behind her and whirled around to see Tenara, if that’s who it really was, standing at her full height. A deadly green her eyes glowed, her hair blowing out behind her in an unfelt wind. Her once soft and gentle voice boomed as she thundered “Suffering? You know nothing of suffering! Its depth is too great for a mere child like you to understand!”

Then, taking her eyes off of Elizabeth who had fallen backwards and was shaking with fear, Tenara now stared into space at an unseen foe and growled venomously something that Elizabeth did not understand…something in an unknown language she had never even heard of before.

Suddenly, the unseen wind ceased, her eyes faded and Tenara, seemingly herself once again, collapsed on the rocky floor of the cranny and gasped for breath. Elizabeth was quivering like a leaf in the wind and slowly slid back toward the entrance of the small cave.

Tenara spoke, this time in her original soft voice Elizabeth had first heard at their meeting by the pond, “I’m sorry…I…I frightened you?” Elizabeth somehow found the strength, or rather courage to answer “Yes…I should say you did. Did I anger you?”

“No” Tenera sighed, hugging her knees as she rocked back and forth as if to comfort herself. Her eyes were filled with a look of great sorrow and pain; so great, that the look itself caused Elizabeth’s own eyes to fill with tears out of pity for the girl.

          “The harshness of life angered me” she continued “It torments me often…pulling at my mind, scratching at my thoughts in an attempt to invade them”. Once again, she muttered that phrase that Elizabeth could not comprehend, yet in the middle of it she stopped, sniffing sadly as she tucked her head in between her shaking knees.