The Guardians

By the time we got home, it was two in the afternoon. We had stopped for lunch at a hot dog vendor somewhere along the way, and Braydie had converted me to the wonders of sauerkraut; we were still talking about it when we walked up the steps to the brownstone and the door flew open.

                I stopped dead when I saw Barrick’s face. His arms were folded, and his mouth was a grim slash on his face. His Aura looked more than just annoyed, he was plain mad. Braydie let go of my hand abruptly, as though she’d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

                “Barrick…” I began,

                “I received a call from Mrs. Forman. She said you were seen running from campus with a girl. You ran from a security guard. And you haven’t been heard from all morning.” He said tightly.

                I lowered my head. “I’m sorry…”

                “Get in. Go to your room.” He ordered.

                I trudged up to the door and squeezed around him, Braydie trailing behind. We were sent to our respective rooms, and as soon as I was seated against the door, I smiled faintly. Getting in trouble wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. And besides, spending all morning alone with Braydie was worth it. A few minutes later I heard Archie go into Braydie’s room, and then there was a knock on my door.

                “I thought I was being punished.” I said, opening the door.

                Barrick smirked. “A lecture is part of the punishment.”

                He walked into the room and seated himself at the desk, and sighed heavily. We didn’t speak at all for a moment. His Aura turned lavender purple, and then shifted into a patchy brown color: the closest he would ever come to ever telling me he cared a lot about me. He just wasn’t the touchy-feely sort.

                “I thought I would have taught you better than to run off with a girl.” He finally said.

                “Mrs. Forman sent us to different classes. We didn’t have much choice.” I explained. “And all we did was talk, I swear.”

                He took a deep breath, “Were you attacked?”

                I raised my eyebrows. “What? No!”

                “Then why does your Aura tell me different?”

                I glanced at my ochre coloring. “I don’t know why this showed up. I mean, her fans were mobbing us, but we weren’t attacked.”

                “Feeling a little protective, are we?” He remarked, tapping his chin. He looked at me plaintively. “You really care for her?”

                I shook my head and sighed, “I can’t explain it. It’s like…I can tell her anything. I can be completely myself, and it’s like she’s always been around. But I’ve only known her…three days?”

                Barrick snorted. “Lust can do that to you.”

                “I don’t think its lust,” I said seriously.

                “You’re a child, son.” He reminded me. “I don’t expect you to know the difference.”

                “Yeah, you’ve got two hundred years of experience on me, right?” I asked, suddenly bitter at the memory of Braydie’s revelation. Barrick looked as though he’d been sucker punched. I nodded, “Yeah, I know all about that. How come you never told me this Why haven’t you told me anything?”

                He tried to compose himself. “You did not need to know yet.”

                “When was I supposed to know? When my friends are all fifty plus years old, and I still look like I’m twenty?” I asked, my irritation growing.

                “Flynn,” He said, “There was a lot at stake, and the less you know, the better off you are.”

                I stood before him, my anger melting into a plea. “What’s going to happen to me?”

                He stiffened. “Nothing will happen to you.”

                “I heard you and Archie talking last night.” I shook my head, “Why can’t you just tell me the truth?”

                Barrick got up from his seat and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I swallowed back a sob that had risen in my throat. I went and curled up on my bed, and took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, and then closed my eyes and fell asleep.

                I was awakened about thirty minutes later by a hand on my shoulder. Barrick had returned, though he looked worse for wear. He said nothing for a few moments, then opened his mouth and said, “When I was a child and was chosen by my Master, he told me of a strange tale that had been passed down through the generations of Semiens; it was of two people who would one day take the next evolutionary step, and become enlightened.”

                I sat up. “What…”

                He waved me silent. “Of the pair in the story, one would be born of two Semien parents. This in of itself is impossible. Semiens are sterile. There had only been one known case of a female being impregnated. And that child died shortly after conception.”

                I pursed my lips. “Then, how did you and me…and the others get here?”

                “That is a question we have long since asked, Flynn.” Barrick conceded. “However, this story tells that the two who would be enlightened were to be called ‘Guardians’; they would be irrevocably bound together, to protect and defend on the road to enlightenment.”

                I suddenly remembered Archie’s comment the day before; “Archie said that we were the Guardians! And Braydie and I are linked together…”

                “It is not you. Or Braydie.” Barrick said defiantly. “Semiens are very rare, as you know. Females even more so: if a female Semien had given birth, we would have known it. All of us.”

                “How?” I asked, “They might have kept it secret!”

                “I think not.” Barrick said stiffly. “Things such as that cannot be kept secret.”

                I lowered my head, “But Archie still thinks that that’s what is going on?”

                “Yes.”

                I pulled my legs to my chest. “You didn’t want me to get hurt…what’s on the road to enlightenment that could hurt me?”

                He pursed his lips together and then said, “You need not know. This story has nothing to do with you, Flynn. You will not have to go through the things that the Guardians would have faced.”

                “Can’t you tell me?” I asked.

                His Aura fell to a misty gray. “Not now, son. Get ready to go. We are going to visit your vice principal and get this mess straightened out.”

                I felt my stomach clench. The thought of facing Mrs. Forman again made me sick. I didn’t know what it was about her, but something about the way she looked at me had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. “Do I have to?”

                “Indeed. We are going to get to the bottom of this.” Barrick replied. “And when it happens I believe you should be present.”

                “When what happens?” I inquired.

                “You shall see.”

Author's Note

Sorry it's taking me so long to get the chapters up! Thanks so much for your collective advice and your enthusiasm! I've been really busy with classes and such, and am trying to proof read the chapters I've posted but haven't published, and also writing more: don't worry, I'm only half done with this story, there's still tons to come. And this being the start of the holiday week, I'll have more free time to work on AURA. Thanks again, and enjoy!

Reviews

[Jasmine Thousand]

*shivers* It's getting kindof creepy!