The Son Shines Brighter-pages 9 & 10

The small car crept easily forward.  When it stopped before the sign, Colli reached out to activate the speaker. 

“Hello Collianna.”  A soft female voice greeted her.  “Your sister may park the car in the wide space before the house.  Don’t worry; we’ll give you guidance from there.”  It was the accent, with the s’s elongated and the r’s cut short, that Colli had heard when she made the appointment.      

Colli pulled her hand back inside the car.  Strange as the voice was, it was something unheard that struck fear into her.  With a sense of familiarity, the voice tickled her memory.  Colli adjusted the strap of the red purse, so the small bag came to rest close to her heart.  When the gate swung inward, Colli’s attention turned back to her sister.  The two looked at each other without moving.  When they looked back at the box, the sign now read, Welcome Collianna and Mary. 

“Mary, this is too much, I think…”  Colli started to tell Mary to turn around, to leave.  Before the words came out a shimmer drew her attention.  On the far side of the wide opening, an apparition appeared.  Seemingly out of place on a soft grassy knoll, the soft image of an ethereal child motioned for them to come inside the fence.  Thick blond, curly hair covered his head.  Gentle blue eyes and a pouty mouth smiled with reassurance.   

Musically, a voice floated softly to the car.  “Don’t be afraid.  There is no harm for you here.”  Colli put her hand on Mary’s shoulder.

“Oh.” Mary’s voice carried the chill of fear. 

“I need to go inside.” Colli pulled Mary’s attention to her.  “You don’t.”  A strange calm she had long forgotten, took control. 

“N…No. I’ll go with you.”  Mary’s soft brown eyes questioned Colli’s choice.

Colli pulled Mary around to face her.  “I know this is scary.” 

“I’m fine.”  Mary played with the pedals on the floorboard.  The car moved through the gate.  “Slow and easy,” she whispered.  Her shaking hand belied the calmness in her voice.  With barely enough space to clear the back bumper, the gate closed with a harsh squeak.

The child walked up to them.  “You must follow me.  Please.   Mother and Father need to talk to you.”  He sounded so grown up.

Again Colli and Mary looked at each other. 

What harm can this child bring us?  From her training, Colli knew appearances could be deceiving.  Still, there was no feeling of danger.  Once out of the car, a soft fragrance of roses wafted, thick in the late afternoon air.  It made her think of Grams and the botanical gardens back home on the moon.  Wish I was there.

Beware what you wish for.  Grams favorite response returned to haunt Colli.

Before she could let the thought worry her more, two smiling faces materialized in a ghostly aura to float above the child’s form.  One male, one female, Colli felt their eyes watching before she saw them.  

“I don’t like this,” Mary whined as she climbed out of the car.  “Oh.” She squealed when she noticed the two adults staring as much at her as they were at Colli.

“Just stay close.”  Colli pulled Mary behind her.  From deep within, the discipline she’d worked so hard to deny, kept her confidence from failing her.  “There’s no one to harm us.” She comforted Mary.  I think I can help here.  Why do I even care?  This is exactly what I left the academy to avoid.  Thoughts raced through her mind as she moved forward.  “We’re not in any danger.”  Then, because of the doubt that always haunted her, Colli added, “I think—“

“Who cares what you think?”  Another face appeared behind the two adults.  Sparks sprinkled the ground around Colli and Mary.  Mary pulled against Colli’s grip as she jumped back.

“Stop it,” the female spat, her anger obviously aimed at the third head.  “We don’t need to make these children anymore scared than they are.” 

Colli didn’t like being referred to as a child, but for now she said nothing.

 The female turned her smiling face back to Colli and Mary.  “Come along now, we need to discuss the arrangement.”

“Stay close.”  Colli squeezed her sister’s hand.  They moved forward together.  When they came close to the child, he reached out to Colli.  His small fist opened, then squeezed on hers with amazing strength.  Along with that a soft current of power combined to tingle through her whole body.