Chapter 1 - Indifference

         Snow flecked the worn and faded fur of my off-white winter coat. I suppressed a sigh as another gust of wind blew a sheet of snow into my face, half-hidden by the thick hood. The mushy flakes were melting fast in my boots and soaking up my woollen socks.

        Half an hour ago, the digital thermometer in my house had read 4ºC. The current temperature felt a hundred times colder. A mild storm raged, half-uprooting the heavily frosted trees.

        I grumbled at the choppy weather, willing it to stop. It wasn't that I didn't like winters at Eastport, the weather just got on my nerves at times. Another sharp slap of the wind whistled annoyingly in the air, as if to prove my point.

        Trying to ignore the temperamental storm, I pulled my leg forward and crunched into the powdery white snow that carpeted the road. Several inches of the mush lay thickly over the tar road, filling up every crevice till not a trace of grey could be seen.

        My brothers trudged along behind me, faces down and covered in the safety of their windbreakers. Though I couldn't see their faces hidden away in their hoods, I knew it was furrowed in frustration and concentration.

        White flakes swirled around us, coating our jackets even thicker than it already was. Mid-step, I lifted my arm and brushed off the frost that caked my sleeves.

        I lifted my head up slightly, and was greeted by a blast of icy air. Aaron could have righted this blasted weather, but no we couldn't "throw the world's climate into imbalance", could we? I thought viciously.

        In this storm, I knew my face would be bone white from the cold, but with a slight flush of red to my cheeks. I liked to think my eyes were my greatest asset; it was a vivid green, more to emerald, really.

        My body moved easily even in the storm. It had an athletic build to it; lean and muscular, with long thin legs that moved nimbly and gracefully. Thick jeans covered my legs today. I was used to heavy and hard work, so it didn't come much of a surprise that I could plough through the snow with ease.

        Aaron, my twin brother, could also move with the same ease and fluidity. Hayden, the youngest of us three, a little strugglingly. The once green trees were completely frosted over, and swayed stiffly in the strong gale.

        Eastport wasn't so bad a town to live in; a little isolated, but it was a friendly town nonetheless. With not so friendly weather, I thought wryly to myself. Being the easternmost city in the United States, Eastport consisted almost entirely of islands, the principal island being 'Moose Island'. I quite liked living in this quiet town, though the name 'Moose Island' was a little frightening to me at first.

        Summers here were great. Warm and sunny, with the forests green and teeming with wildlife. Something I missed greatly.

        Eastport High was naturally our destination this dreary morning. I felt repulsed even at the thought of it. The dull brown brick building soon came into sight, looking extremely unwelcome to the students. I could feel the reluctance in my feet as it realized the direction in which we were heading. The nagging feeling persisted but I took a determined step forward, ignoring the cement-like feeling in my feet that had taken over all of a sudden.

        It was surprising though, how a year of residing in this town could actually coerce you into accepting the school as the dull and unappealing brick building as it was.

        The warning bell jangled loudly two times, piercing the cold air with its sharp trill. My brothers and I exchanged dark looks. Unwillingly, we trudged forward to meet what the day had in store for us.

        Although we had been here for the past year, we hadn't exactly made much progress in friendships. The student body seemed eager enough to befriend us, but our hostility drove out their interest and soon we became known as eccentric and rather unsociable people.

        I'm sorry but friendships are a little risky for us, honey, Mum had told us with an apologetic look. I still remembered the bitter taste of disappointment I had felt when she said that. It was like a nagging reminder at the back of my head everytime someone smiled tentatively at me and I was forced to grimace and look away without acknowledging the attempted greeting.

        Aaron and I had the same homeroom, as we were both sophomores. Mr Bailey paced back and forth in front of his desk with the attendance sheets clamped tightly in his right hand. My brother and I settled into our seats quietly, trying not to draw his attention.

        Our teacher sipped luxuriously from the mug of coffee he held in his left hand, before setting it down and ruffling the attendance sheets with exaggerated importance.

        He started the attendance roll, and I found myself tuning him out. The monotonous drone fell pleasantly on my ears, like the buzzing of the summer bees as they gathered nectar for their hives. I turned my head minutely to talk to my brother.

        Aaron was perched precariously on the edge of his seat to my left. He was looking flustered, his face paler and his eyes without the usual twinkle in them. His bright blue eyes looked troubled as he pondered something. I felt slightly concerned. What was it that bothered him?

        As Mr Bailey droned on with the call roll, I leaned over to my brother. "What's wrong? Did you hear something?" I whispered. He turned to look at me, his eyes unfathomable.

        "Director." was all he said.

        I stiffened with that one word he uttered and leaned back into my own seat. My fists remained clenched for the whole of homeroom; it never released tension. The clock seemed to drag by each minute as it ticked closer to the end of homeroom. I watched it with increasing exasperation. Was it getting slower with every tick? Or was it merely my impatience that seemed to slow down the seconds?

        Not wishing particularly to look at my brother, I kept my eyes straight ahead as I drummed my fingers against the wooden tabletop. I ran my fingers over the graffitied wood without really feeling it. The bell whistled deafeningly and I darted out of class swiftly to wait by the lockers.

        Aaron took his time to pack his items and head out the homeroom door.

        You can't linger forever, I hissed in my mind.

        He made no reply but I could see his immediate haste in response. He paced slowly out of homeroom, not bothering to conceal his distaste at my pushiness. "What about the Director?" I demanded as soon he was out the door.

        "I don't know," he frowned, apparently frustrated with not understanding. "― all I heard in Dad's thoughts was that the Director was coming, but...not why."

        I chewed my lip in thought.

        "It's probably nothing." he assured me, though he looked more like he was trying to convince himself rather than me. I spent the rest of the day pondering what Aaron had heard in Dad's mind. It was incredibly frustrating, sitting through hours of pointless subjects, waiting for the moment the bell would ring so I could speed home and question Dad.

        The final bell rang at last. I slipped out of class deftly, having already stuffed my books into my bag when my teacher wasn't looking.

        A blast of wind blew into my face as I swung the school's main doors open. "Elia, wait up!" I heard Hayden's voice calling from a couple steps behind me. I ignored him and strode determinedly onward.

        I didn't break step all the way back to my house, even with my brothers hissing with disapproval from behind me. Relief seeped through me when the three of us reached our manor, only to find it looking perfectly normal.

        All the dramatic catastrophes and disasters I had pictured in my mind seemed incredibly childish and unlikely now. As we neared the sprawling iron gates that barred the entrance to our home, our eyes ran appreciatively over the manor's facade, from the wraparound porch to the snow-covered lawn that stretched around the house.

        The polished iron gates were slightly ajar, allowing the three of us entry.

        Snow crunched under our feet as we made our way up the pathway and towards the solid oak door which stood sturdily with a giant knocker attached to it. The knocker was completely frosted over.

        I pushed the heavy main door open, and was almost immediately greeted by a waft of warm air that tasted faintly of honeysuckle.

        My brothers trailed after me as I made my way to the kitchen, which proved to be the source of the aroma. The kitchen was crowded with people; young and old alike. Mum was at the butcher block counter in the middle, chopping onions calmly as though oblivious to the commotion around her.

        An impish red-haired girl sat next to her on a tall bar stool. "You know, Natasha, you could really use a little more colour in your halls. Don't get me wrong, it's gorgeous but honestly... tapestries?" she chattered conversationally to my mum. "This is a modern home, not a 19th century cast―" she continued but was cut off by Mum.

        "Delilah, please. One more time you mention about redecorating my house, and I'm kicking you out." Mum replied steadily, still chopping her onions with precision.

        Delilah waved off the threat dismissively. "Patrick won't let you do that anyway."

        My brothers and I approached them just then. "Hey Mum. Lilah. What's everybody doing here?" I asked nonchalantly as I plucked an apple from the fruit bowl next to Lilah.

        "Bureau meeting." Mum replied casually.

        Lilah's dark brown eyes went blank and unfocused. The rest of us didn't make any movement to jolt her from her reverie; we were used to these blank moments when she was having a vision. After a few moments, her eyes focused and she was her usual cheery self again, though there was an edge to her cheeriness.

        "What did you see?" I asked, taking a bite out of the apple.

        She hesitated for a split second before replying. "Nothing of importance." she smiled serenely. I could tell she was hiding something from me. Delilah wasn't a very good liar. In fact, she was extremely terrible at it.

        I shrugged it off, though. She would tell me in due course. Lilah leaned forward against the counter, her long red hair coiled down her back. She rocked nervously back and forth with her eyes fixed on the counter. Her body frame was tiny, even for her age; just a year younger than Hayden at the age of 13.

        The noise level in the kitchen was increasing alarmingly. More people seemed to be arriving as the clock ticked closer to the meeting, an hour away.

        Kids were running around, squealing as they chased each other. Things were flying around in the air; tubs of food, tin cans, kitchen utensils, once even a sharp knife, but no more knives flew by after Mum shrieked at the culprits.

        The adults mingled around, laughing and joking as they caught up with each other and exchanged news. Some stopped by the counter to greet us and chat for a little while but were always towed away by somebody else, so as to greet a newcomer.

        I decided to go up to my room to dump my pack there before the meeting. I hoisted up my pack and turned around to head for the door. Just then, a towering figure crashed into me, and I stumbled backwards.

        I stuck my hand out instinctively to catch the edge of the counter for support, but my fingers slipped from the cool marble of the counter top. I landed hard on my butt, and my pack landed next to me with a huge thump.

        A strong muscular arm reached out to help me up. I ignored the hand and instead, rubbed my legs. Fortunately, there were no bruises. "Watch it next time, will you?" I snapped at the still outstretched hand.

        "I'm sorry. I should have watched where I was going." a soft tenor-like voice apologized from above me, with a hint of amusement to his voice. I looked up to see who the appealing voice belonged to.

        A tall, agile boy of about my age stood in front of me, his hand still held out to help me up. He had light brown hair which was lightly tousled from the wind, and his bright tawny eyes stared down at me, looking highly amused.

        His lips were twisted into a small smile as he surveyed my confused expression. He had tan skin which had a faint flush to it from the cold.

        I grasped his hand firmly and he pulled me up to my feet. "Sorry about that." he apologized once more. I just nodded; I hadn't yet recovered my speech. The corners of his mouth pulled up slightly, revealing a set of perfect teeth.

        "Don't you talk?" he asked teasingly.

        I nodded my head vigorously, a reaction to which he smiled wider. "Well, my name's Ethan Dawes. It's nice to meet you...?" he paused, waiting for me to introduce myself.

        I cleared my throat slightly and flushed bright red. "Elia Connors. It's um... nice to meet you too, Ethan." I stuttered. Did he notice the way I turned crimson when I said his name? Hopefully not; the situation was as embarrassing as it could already get.

        "Elia..." he rolled my name around his tongue slowly, as though contemplating it. I waited with bated breath, like a convict waiting for the executioner to bring the axe down.

        "That's a nice name." he complimented, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned. I felt my cheeks redden further at that.

        "People usually compliment the eyes first, Ethan." an irritated voice piped up from beside me. I jumped slightly; I had forgotten that Delilah and my mum were still at the counter. Delilah was glaring at Ethan hostilely, her every movement depicting the word 'unwelcome'.

        Ethan wavered for a split second, and flashed her a quick smile. "I was getting to that, Lilah. Now, if you will excuse me..." he smiled apologetically at me, nodded his head at the rest, and loped off into the crowd. Mum sliced the onions more vigorously now, pretending not to listen to our conversation.

        I turned to face Lilah, confused. "You know him?"

        Her mouth was turned down at the corners into a frown. Clearly she had issues with him. "Ethan Dawes. Just moved down from Minnesota with his mum and younger sister, Serena. He's 17 this year." Lilah said all this quickly, as though she was afraid the words would poison her.

        For a moment there, my conscience told me that whatever she had just seen in her vision earlier on, had something to do with her antagonism towards Ethan. I shrugged that off almost immediately, before her quick eyes could read it in my face.

        "So, what's your issue with Ethan?" I asked curiously.

        "I have no issues with Ethan. Besides, it's not anybody else's business." she snapped testily, her high, clear voice just a tad bit too sharp. Mum watched the both of us with appraising eyes, her hands now kneading a roll of dough.

        My brothers weren't there; they had already stole off to mingle with the other few teenagers in the kitchen. There was an awkward silence between the three of us, broken only by the mute chatter around us.

        Delilah hopped off her stool and stretched. "Well, I'd best be off to my room till the meeting. It was fun talking to you, Natasha. See you at the meeting later, Elia." she said stiffly, before bounding off towards the kitchen doorway.

        I chatted with Mum for a few minutes before quietly stealing away into the crowd.

        No matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find Ethan anywhere. It was as though he had completely disappeared into thin air. But he must be here. He has to attend the meeting, I fumed silently to myself.

        A half hour was spent in fruitless attempts to find Ethan. Finally, I gave up the search and stalked off to the meeting room. Either he had gone home, or he was really good at blending in the crowd.

        The meeting room was spacious, and the walls were painted white with gilded patterns running across the border of the walls. A long oak table ran the length of the room, in the middle. Soft, cushioned chairs were arranged neatly at the sides of the rectangular table, with one at each end of the table.

        I sat down near the head of the table and waited. People began pouring in, laughing and chattering as they chose their seats. Aaron plopped down on the chair next to me and similarly, waited in stony silence.

        The room was beginning to fill up with our colleagues, be they young or old. I stared down the long table to see who was there. Gail, Thomas, Ophelia, Colin... Most of them were people I knew. As I ran my eyes over the crowd, a tuft of light brown hair caught my attention.

        With the lightly tousled appearance of it, I had no doubt as to whom that hair belonged to. Ethan was sitting quietly by himself. His fingers ran unthinkingly over the ridges of the oak table.

        He was deep in thought; that much was clear.

        I watched him carefully, drinking in every detail I could. He was surprisingly well-muscled, with toned arms and biceps that bulged up clearly through the sleeves of his turtleneck sweater. His brows were furrowed over his eyes, creasing his forehead.

        His mouth was set into a slight frown. I stared at his mouth, not quite comprehending why I was. It made me uncomfortable that I was staring so openly at his lips, and I wondered what I would do if anyone caught the direction my eyes strayed towards.

        "Elia? What are you staring at?"

        I jolted a little and immediately snapped my eyes in the general direction of the growing crowd. Aaron looked at me suspiciously but shook off any thoughts he may have had about my bizarre behaviour.

        The entrance door to the meeting room burst open. A large beefy man with sable-coloured hair strode in. His authority and confidence was evident in the way he walked.

        He sat at the head of the table and glared down the length of it, assessing the turnout. Finally, he was appeased and settled into his chair more comfortably. The crowd waited nervously for him to speak.

        His skin was a deep, rich brown and his eyes were a hard grey that looked bottomless. He was stout and had a deep booming voice that had a reassuring tone to it. His voice now echoed around the room.

        "I assume the majority of you have been briefed on the situation?" he asked.

        I frowned to myself. Briefed on what? I turned to Aaron beside me. "What's he talking about? What briefing?" I hissed under my breath. Aaron shrugged nonchalantly, not meeting my eyes.

        My lips puckered and I faced the Director once more. "I'll need a lot of people on this assignment. Mainly adults." he ordered, emphasizing the word 'adults'.

        Aaron stiffened for a fraction of a second beside me, then relaxed again. I felt irritated at my brother. What was with him? He never usually kept secrets from me. I probed at his mind but came to a dead end. Defense, huh? I hissed internally.

        I gave up and listened to the Director. He was listing out names of the people who were recruited for this assignment.

        "Carol, Brian, Walt, Angie, Ralph―" he called out, reading from a paper he held.

        I raised my hand high in the air. The Director halted mid-word and glared at me. "Yes, Elia?" he asked through gritted teeth, as though he could guess what I was about to say.

        I hesitated. "I'd like to be part of this assignment." I said determinedly. There was a dead silence in the meeting room as everybody watched for Director John's reaction. His face was hard and cold as he stared at me.

        "No, Elia."

        "Why not?" I protested.

        "Because I said so." he hissed, clearly ending the conversation. I opened my mouth to argue but was cut off. "Goddammit, you're only 16, Elia! I said NO!" he roared, slamming his calloused hand on the table. The table rattled dangerously. The fluorescent lights that lit the room flickered momentarily.

        I huffed but didn't make any reply.  I looked at my brother for support, but he just shook his head coldly. The barrier from his mind lifted and I could hear him now.

        Drop it, Elia.

        He put his hand on my shoulder reassuringly, trying to appease me. I shook it off with utter indifference. Director John ignored the string of profanities that streamed out of my mouth under my breath.

        Take it easy. Maybe this assignment's too dangerous.

        Shut up, Aaron.

        I'm serious. You don't see me complaining.

        I brought down the barrier and blocked him out angrily. He chortled quietly from beside me. I had the sudden urge to slap him hard in the face. Apparently, he guessed my thoughts from the way I clenched my fists tightly.

        "Everyone on this assignment should be here by 8 o'clock sharp tonight. If you're not here by then, we will leave without you. No excuses, no exceptions. Got it?" the Director barked. The crowd nodded vigorously.

        "Adults only." he reminded sharply, his eyes meeting mine for a split second. He waved his hand dismissively. "Meeting adjourned."

        I stalked out of the room without looking at anybody. Aaron's footsteps echoed behind me as he followed me down the hallway to our separate rooms.

        "Elia." he called out to me, but I ignored him and continued stomping ahead. His footsteps became quicker and more rapid. I felt his hand on my shoulder, grasping it firmly to make me stop.

        I swung around furiously to face him. "You couldn't have shown a little moral support back there, could you?" I spat out angrily.

        "Be reasonable, Elia. Maybe Director John thought it might have been too dangerous for us." he said calmly, undaunted by my fury.

        "No, you be reasonable, Aaron! John Forrester's been coddling us too much! We're not kids anymore. He can't keep protecting us for the rest of our lives! If he didn't want us to get hurt, why would he enlist us in the Algiz, then?"

        Aaron rubbed his temples wearily. "Algiz or not, he is indebted to Dad. The least he could do was keep an eye out for us."

        "I repeat, Aaron. Why would he enlist us in the Algiz if he didn't want us to get hurt?" I said staunchly. My brother's face darkened.

        "The twin power isn't something you get everyday. He had no choice." he muttered quickly, and slipped past me to get to his room door. I didn't move just yet. His door slammed shut, and it was quiet again in the corridor.

        The hallway was carpeted grandly, with modern paintings and framed pictures lining the walls. Tapestries hung on the walls at intervals of 10 feet from each other. Delilah was right; Mum should take down the tapestries. Far too archaic.

        "Pardon me, but what is this twin power Aaron mentioned?" a low husky voice questioned. Startled, I turned toward the source of the voice. A tall, well-built figure lurked in the shadows, leaning against the wall. The figure stepped out into the light, arms folded. The dim yellow light glowed over Ethan's face. I gaped, and pointed my finger accusingly at him, but no words came out of my open mouth.

        "Surprised?" he grinned. I swallowed loudly and answered his first question. "Aaron and I are fraternal twins. So we share an additional power aside from our individual power. We're telepathic. But we have limitations. We can only hear each other and not other people."

        Ethan contemplated that for a moment. "How does that fit in with the whole, "He had no choice but to recruit us in the Algiz" thing?"

        My eyes narrowed. "Eavesdropping is hardly ethical." I stated frostily.

        "That still doesn't answer my question." he pointed out. I simply stared dumbly at him, not answering. He finally decided he clearly wasn't going to get that answer out of me.

        "I'm curious, why the name 'Algiz'?" he asked, not looking curious at all. Fine, two could play at this game. If he wanted to ask stupid questions, he would get equally stupid answers. I wracked my brain thinking of a witty comeback. I sighed. I was really bad at this witty stuff.

        "Algiz is the name of one of the ancient runes. It means 'protection'. So technically, it means we're protectors." I said truthfully, unable to come up with anything stupid to reply. He looked thoughtful at that.

        He stepped forward, closer to me. The faint streaks of darker brown in his light-coloured hair were more pronounced in the yellow lighting. "And that brings us back to one of my earlier questions. Why didn't Director John have a choice but to recruit you in the Algiz?" he persisted.

        I grimaced. "The twin power isn't something you can overlook that easily. Director John was against Aaron and I joining the Algiz because my dad wanted to protect us from being involved too deeply in it, but the board overruled his decision by a vote as to whether we should be enlisted."

        "When were you recruited?"

        "What is this, confession session?" I replied sharply. He snickered slightly in response. "I'm just getting to know you better, Elia." his voice teasing, but his eyes sincere.

        "Don't you think the introductions should be equal on both parts, then?" I challenged. His eyes tightened a little at that. "I'm just curious, that's all." he replied solemnly.

        "And they say curiosity killed the cat." I quoted.

        "I'm not a cat, am I?" he pointed out tartly. We both stood there, staring at each other with hard, unrelenting eyes. After a moment, Ethan sighed and dropped his gaze.

        "I just moved down from Minnesota about 2 weeks ago and into the old Baudaire Manor. I live with my mum and my younger sister―"

        "Tell me something I don't know." I interrupted. He looked at me with disapproving eyes. "You've got quite a sharp tongue there." he noted. "Once again, tell me something I don't already know." I repeated irritably.

        "Do you spew acid too? Or is your razor-edged tongue the only challenge your mouth presents?" he retorted. I had no reply to that, so I just bit my lip and shifted my feet on the spot. His eyes softened and he bowed his head humbly.

        "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." he apologized. I hesitated before opening my mouth. "It's fine. Really."

        Ethan looked at me in the strangest way, and that made my heart beat faster. I stared into his strange tawny eyes unthinkingly. A crow cawed somewhere out the nearby window, and I turned my gaze away from him reluctantly.

        "I―I have to go." I mumbled, and twisted the doorknob of my room door. Good thing I was right in that hallway. I ducked into my room and shut the door quietly behind me. I heard Aaron next door in his room, banging about; I heard crickets chirping noisily outside; but I tuned that all out because all I wanted to hear was what my bewildered heart was telling me.

Author's Note

Sorry, kinda long, I know. Excuse the fact that the typeface is tiny too. :P Sorry to ppl who hv poor eyesight.

Reviews

[manda]

eheh. nice ann. but it is rather long. lalala. post chapter 2 up kay? :) ehehe. what on earth do you do with these points anyway? from commenting and all that, i mean.